The Baja Marimba Band is a nine-piece instrumental group led by marimba player Julius Wechter (b. May 10, 1935) that was spun off from Herb Alpert's Tijuana Brass and signed to his A&M Records label. They charted frequently in the second half of the 1960s with their versions of contemporary hits, the biggest of which was a number 41 version of... [+] Read More

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Popularizing the use of brass instruments in the string-dominated world of country music, Danny Davis' work with his Nashville Brass inspired Buck Owens to form the Bakersfield Brass and also influenced the music of Ray Pennington, Buddy Emmons, and Merle Haggard. Born George Nowlan in Dorchester, Massachusetts, he aspired to be a horn player... [+] Read More

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One of the chief innovators on the mandolin, Frank Wakefield played straight bluegrass with a number of well-known bands, including Red Allen and the Greenbriar Boys. Born into a musical family in Emory Gap, Tennessee, by age eight he already knew how to play harmonica, guitar and bass. In 1950, his family moved to Dayton, Ohio and soon... [+] Read More

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Born in Minden, LA, on August 21, 1939, influential guitarist James Burton got his start in the 1950s as a backup musician on the radio show Louisiana Hayride, where he met Dale Hawkins. Hawkins' 1957 hit, "Suzie Q," was the first in a string of successes to feature the young Burton. A six-year stint (1958-1964) recording and touring in Ricky... [+] Read More

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Nino Tempo is best known for his duo with his sister, April Stevens, which produced a number of popular recordings in the '60s, notably "Deep Purple." He also had a long career as a session musician, and in the '90s belatedly embarked on a career as a jazz musician.

The son of Sam Lo Tempio, a grocer, and his wife Anna, Tempo began... [+] Read More

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Best known for her breathy, little-girl singing voice, Sue Thompson had several novelty pop hits in the early '60s before reinventing herself as a more mature country singer in the mid-'70s. Thompson was born Eva Sue McKee in Nevada, MO, in 1925 and was singing cowgirl songs and playing guitar on-stage by the age of seven. After her family moved... [+] Read More

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Warner Mack was a popular performer for Decca Records during the 1960s. He was born Warner MacPherson, the son of a Presbyterian minister, and raised in Vicksburg, Mississippi, where he taught himself to play guitar as a youth. A talented athlete, he had offers to play both college baseball and football; he was also offered a spot on the St.... [+] Read More

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