Travis Wammack
Encyclopedia
Travis Wammack in Walnut, Mississippi, is an American
rock and roll
guitarist
from Memphis
, Tennessee
. He began his professional music career when he wrote and recorded his first record at the age of eleven. A child prodigy, Wammack's first record
was issued when he was twelve years old, and at 17 he hit the American charts
with "Scratchy", an instrumental
which peaked at #80 in 1964. Wammack got work recording
at FAME Studios
in Muscle Shoals
in the 1960s, and in 1975 released a solo
album
which generated two hits
in the U.S.
"Easy Evil" (#72) and "(Shu-Doo-Pa-Poo-Poop) Love Being Your Fool" (Billboard Hot 100
#38).
He was Little Richard’s band leader from 1984 until 1995. Still performing, Travis now works with Muscle Shoals Music Marketing, and has added “Producer” to his resume. He is a member of the ‘Memphis Music Hall of Fame’, and in 1999 Wammack received the Professional Musician Award from the Alabama Music Hall of Fame. In 2005, he was inducted into The Southern Legends Entertainment And Performing Arts Hall Of Fame. In May 2006, Gibson Guitars presented Travis with a new Gibson ES-335 guitar as part of their documentary honoring legendary Gibson ES series players.
Travis played (September 27, 2008)with Billy Lee Riley and with Sonny Burgess and the Pacers at Newport, Arkansas' "Depot Days," and most recently (in Newport, AR) on August 30, 2009 with Sonny Burgess and the Legendary Pacers at the Billy Lee Riley benefit concert at the Silver Moon in Newport, Arkansas.
The concert was held to defray expenses incurred by Billy Lee's family due to his long and losing battle to cancer. Billy Lee died on August 4, 2009. Travis accompanied other groups besides Sonny and the Pacers.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
rock and roll
Rock and roll
Rock and roll is a genre of popular music that originated and evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s, primarily from a combination of African American blues, country, jazz, and gospel music...
guitarist
Guitarist
A guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :The guitarist controls an extremely...
from Memphis
Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....
, Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
. He began his professional music career when he wrote and recorded his first record at the age of eleven. A child prodigy, Wammack's first record
Gramophone record
A gramophone record, commonly known as a phonograph record , vinyl record , or colloquially, a record, is an analog sound storage medium consisting of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove...
was issued when he was twelve years old, and at 17 he hit the American charts
Record chart
A record chart is a ranking of recorded music according to popularity during a given period of time. Examples of music charts are the Hit parade, Hot 100 or Top 40....
with "Scratchy", an instrumental
Instrumental
An instrumental is a musical composition or recording without lyrics or singing, although it might include some non-articulate vocal input; the music is primarily or exclusively produced by musical instruments....
which peaked at #80 in 1964. Wammack got work recording
Sound recording and reproduction
Sound recording and reproduction is an electrical or mechanical inscription and re-creation of sound waves, such as spoken voice, singing, instrumental music, or sound effects. The two main classes of sound recording technology are analog recording and digital recording...
at FAME Studios
FAME Studios
FAME Studios are located at 603 East Avalon in Muscle Shoals, Alabama. They have been an integral part of American popular music from the late 1950s to the present...
in Muscle Shoals
Muscle Shoals, Alabama
Muscle Shoals is a city in Colbert County, Alabama, United States. As of 2007, the United States Census Bureau estimated the population of the city to be 12,846. The city is included in The Shoals MSA. It is famous for its contributions to American popular music.-Geography:Muscle Shoals is located...
in the 1960s, and in 1975 released a solo
Solo (music)
In music, a solo is a piece or a section of a piece played or sung by a single performer...
album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
which generated two hits
Hit record
A hit record is a sound recording, usually in the form of a single or album, that sells a large number of copies or otherwise becomes broadly popular or well-known, through airplay, club play, inclusion in a film or stage play soundtrack, causing it to have "hit" one of the popular chart listings...
in the U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
"Easy Evil" (#72) and "(Shu-Doo-Pa-Poo-Poop) Love Being Your Fool" (Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
#38).
He was Little Richard’s band leader from 1984 until 1995. Still performing, Travis now works with Muscle Shoals Music Marketing, and has added “Producer” to his resume. He is a member of the ‘Memphis Music Hall of Fame’, and in 1999 Wammack received the Professional Musician Award from the Alabama Music Hall of Fame. In 2005, he was inducted into The Southern Legends Entertainment And Performing Arts Hall Of Fame. In May 2006, Gibson Guitars presented Travis with a new Gibson ES-335 guitar as part of their documentary honoring legendary Gibson ES series players.
Travis played (September 27, 2008)with Billy Lee Riley and with Sonny Burgess and the Pacers at Newport, Arkansas' "Depot Days," and most recently (in Newport, AR) on August 30, 2009 with Sonny Burgess and the Legendary Pacers at the Billy Lee Riley benefit concert at the Silver Moon in Newport, Arkansas.
The concert was held to defray expenses incurred by Billy Lee's family due to his long and losing battle to cancer. Billy Lee died on August 4, 2009. Travis accompanied other groups besides Sonny and the Pacers.
Discography
Note:this list is incomplete.- Travis Wammack (Fame Records, 1972)
- Not For Sale (Capricorn RecordsCapricorn RecordsCapricorn Records was an independent record label which was launched by Phil Walden, Alan Walden, and Frank Fenter in 1969 in Macon, Georgia.-First Incarnation:...
, 1975) - That Scratchy Guitar from Memphis (Bear Family RecordsBear Family RecordsBear Family Records is a Germany-based independent record label that specializes in reissues of archival material ranging from country music to 1950s rock and roll to old German movie soundtracks.-History:...
, 1987) - Scr-Scr-Scratchy! (Zu Zazz Records, 2000)
- Snake, Rattle & Roll in Muscle Shoals (Snakeman Records, 2005)