There will be a special guest appearance this year as ARCA honors the
“Fastest Guitar Player In The South,” Travis Wammack. Travis will be be
made an honorary member of ARCA at
10 A.M.
[Information
from Travis’ website] Travis was born in Walnut,
Mississippi.
He began his professional music career when he wrote and recorded his first
record at the tender age of eleven, and also became the youngest member ever
voted into the musicians union. After moving to
Memphis,
Tennesse, the young guitarist made his mark on the music world at the age of
sixteen with his 1963 number one hit “Scratchy”. He was the first to
develop and use the fuzz tone for an electric guitar.
By 1969, Wammack’s skills landed him in Muscle Shoals,
Alabama
where he teamed with legendary producer Rick Hall at Hall’s FAME Records.
Travis’ guitar licks can be heard on hit records that have sold over 'SIXTY
MILLION' copies!…songs recorded by artists such as Aretha Franklin, Wilson
Pickett, Little Richard, Mac Davis, Clarence Carter, the Osmond Brothers,
Bobbie Gentry, Candi Staton, Delbert McClinton, Liza Minnelli, Narvel Felts and
many more.
Wammack’s solo artist career (produced by Hall) also sky rocketed with the
release of albums in 1971 and 1975. He traveled the world as Little
Richard’s band leader from 1984 until 1995, performing on several nationally
syndicated television programs as well as President Bill Clinton’s inauguration
party. Wammack became known as the “Fastest Guitar Player In The South”,
where he was described by Rolling Stone’s Greg Shaw as “the fastest guitar player
I have ever heard in my life, and not just fast but good. Brilliant,
even. His stage show is flamboyant and exciting.” In 1998, Wammack
released his live CD "Still Rockin’". It contains a collection
of rock and soul classics from the 60's and 70's. In 2000, his “Snake,
Rattle & Roll in Muscle Shoals” CD was released. This release contains a collection of Travis’
best original material and is sure to rock you with a touch of
soul. In 2002 Wammack released another live CD “Rock-N-Roll
Party" which showcases everything from his soul vocals on ‘Dreams To
Remember’, his dazzling guitar work and voice-box on ‘Rocky Mountain Way’, to
the swampy slide work on his original ‘Rock-N-Roll Shoes’. In 2008 Travis
released the CD "
Memphis +
Muscle Shoals = Travis Wammack" which includes more of his original
rock-n-soul tunes, including a medley of "Scratchy" &
"Firefly". In 2008 he also released his first gospel CD "Almost
Home". In 2009 he released his fist country CD "Country In My
Soul". In 2010 Travis released "Rock-N-Roll Days", an acoustic
show of oldies but goodies and in 2011 released "Rock-N-Roll Days Vol.
II".
Travis now works with Muscle Shoals Music Marketing, and has added
“Producer” to his already impressive 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. In 2011 Travis
was inducted into the Rockabilly Hall of Fame.
Instead of a normal meeting in August, we have our annual picnic. It will be at Rickwood Caverns on August 23rd. There will be plenty of food, music & fellowship. Don’t forget your swimsuits! Please consult your member newsletter for details.
ARCA wishes to thank Bill Grant for a very informative and musical meeting mixed with background and funny stories of 'The Gents' as a Birmingham band in the early 60s. He obviously loves to talk about music and was very entertaining to listen to. 
ARCA now has a third way for you to keep up with us and the latest happenings concerning music collecting and preservation. In addition to this great website and facebook, we are now on Twitter. Just go to twitter.com/arcabirmingham. When you do, be sure to 'Follow' us! Also be sure to tell your friends about us as well. Tell them to 'Follow' us on Twitter and 'Like' us on facebook.
In addition to this website, you may also check us out on www.facebook.com/alabamarecordcollectors. Be sure to 'Like' us when you visit. That will help to keep you up-to-date on ARCA events, such as our monthly meetings and CD & Record Show.
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Did you listen to WSGN, WVOK, WYDE, WTBC, WJHO, WBAM, WAAY, WABB or another Alabama station? What was number one on your radio station? Click here to see what was on top.
Please consider joining us! You don't have to be a music guru to get involved. Visit an A.R.C.A. meeting and join the fun and fellowship with others who share your interest in music. If you can't go to a meeting, you can mail a membership application to us. The application shows all relevant details. Your membership card will be mailed to you and you will start receiving the monthly newsletter. ARCA has members throughout Alabama and surrounding states so we understand regular attendance may not be possible. BUT WE HOPE TO SEE YOU WHENEVER POSSIBLE!
