Paul Nelson (musician)

Last updated
Paul Nelson
Paul Nelson.jpg
Background information
Born New York City, New York, U.S.
Died(2024-03-10)March 10, 2024
Genres Blues, rock, pop, funk, jam R&B
Occupation(s)
  • Musician
  • songwriter
  • arranger
  • record producer
  • performer
Instrument(s)Guitar
LabelsSony, Virgin, Sony Japan, EMI, Megaforce, Mascot, Universal, Friday Music, Warner, Metal Blade, Lion, Century Media, Drive-Thru, Cleopatra Records, NBC, WWE, TNN
Member of Paul Nelson Band
Website paulnelsonguitar.com

Paul Nelson (died March 10, 2024) was an American Grammy award winning blues and rock guitarist, record producer and songwriter. [1] [2] [3] [4] He played and or recorded alongside artists such as Eric Clapton, Buddy Guy, and members of the Allman Brothers Band. He was the hand-picked guitarist to join Johnny Winter's band in 2010, [5] [6] [7] [8] performing on and producing several of Winter's albums, including the Grammy Award-nominated I'm a Blues Man, Roots, and Step Back , which won the Grammy Award for Best Blues Album, [9] [10] [11] debuted at #1 on the Billboard chart for Blues Albums, [12] and Independent Albums, [13] and debuted at #16 on the Billboard 200 albums chart, marking the highest spot in Winter's career. Nelson was also a Blues Music Award recipient for Best Rock Blues Album, [14] and was inducted into the New York Blues Hall of Fame [15] and was a recipient of the KBA award from the Blues Foundation. [16] He received a Grammy nomination for his work as producer and performer on Joe Louis Walker's, Everybody Wants a Piece.

Contents

Paul And Buddy.jpg

Career

Paul Nelson was credited as being a composer and performer for music heard on international and national television broadcasts such as NBC, TNN, and UPN, as well as for the WWE and was featured in many publications such as Rolling Stone , Billboard , USA Today , Guitar World , Guitar Player , Premier Guitar , Classic Rock , and Vintage Guitar magazines. His solo guitar work can be heard on his first solo CD, entitled "Look" and his Sony/EMI album release "Badass Generation" He also performed on the Halifax song "Anthem For Tonight" from their album The Inevitability of a Strange World , and featured on the Xbox 360 game Prey. Nelson also produced many albums, including 14 albums for Johnny Winter's Live Bootleg series (all breaking the top 10 in the Billboard Blues Chart); plus Martin Barre's Live at the Factory Underground.

Nelson produced and performed on Joe Louis Walker's, Everybody Wants a Piece ; for which he received a Grammy Nomination, a James Montgomery album featuring Jimmy Vivino (Conan B'Brien), Mark Naftalin (Paul Butterfield Blues Band), Grace Kelly (Stephen Colbert) and the Uptown Horns (Rolling Stone, James Brown); He also produced albums for Leo "Bud" Welch album; Lance Lopez Live From NYC; Tyler Morris — Next in Line, Otis — Eyes of the Sun.

Nelson executive produced and appeared in the Johnny Winter documentary Down And Dirty, directed by Greg Oliver and also appeared in the documentary Sidemen: Long Road To Glory alongside Gregg Allman, Bonnie Raitt, Elvin Bishop, Pinetop Perkins, and Hubert Sumlin.

Early years

Nelson was born in Manhattan, New York, his love for music and the guitar started at an early age listening to and playing blues, rock, pop, jazz, fusion, country, funk, and Southern rock, becoming inspired by guitar players Billy Gibbons, Jeff Beck, Robben Ford, Larry Carlton, Johnny Winter, Albert Collins, Freddie King, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Joe Satriani, Jimi Hendrix, B.B. King, and Duane Allman. Wanting to pursue music as a career he enrolled into Berklee College of Music, quickly discovering Miles Davis, John Coltrane and Wes Montgomery. It was soon after he began studying privately with Steve Vai, Mike Stern, and Steve Khan. Nelson soon built an name for himself as an "A" list session player and was on the first call list for guitar spots for many national and international performing artists this later on led to his teaming up with Rock/Blues Icon Johnny Winter.

PaulNelson.jpg

Later career

Nelson toured the world sharing the stage and or recording with top artists such as Buddy Guy, Johnny Winter, Eric Clapton, Billy Gibbons, Vince Gill, Slash, Brian Setzer, Joe Perry, Derek Trucks, Edgar Winter, Ben Harper, Hubert Sumlin, Rick Derringer, Robben Ford, Joe Bonamassa, James Cotton, Steve Vai, Sonny Landreth, Earl Slick, Bob Margolin (Muddy Waters), Dickey Betts, Mark Knopfler, Bobby Rush, Joe Walsh, Pat Travers, Brent Mason, Larry Carlton, Elvin Bishop, Derek St. Holmes, Kim Simmonds/Savoy Brown, Gov't Mule, Anders Osborne, Quinn Sullivan, Los Lobos, Lucky Peterson, [[Jon Herington|Samantha Fish, Ana Popović, Jon Herington]], Ronnie Baker Brooks, JT Taylor, Joe Louis Walker, Popa Chubby, Bobby Rush, Ricky Byrd, Mark Naftalin, Ronnie Earl, Susan Tedeschi, G-Love, Jeff Timmons, Jerry Portnoy, Samantha Fish, Uptown Horns, Harvey Brooks, Steven Seagal, Bill Evans, Magic Slim, Coco Montoya, Reese Wynans, Kid Ramos, Scott Sharrard, Ray Davies, George Lynch, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Ana Popović, Anthony Jackson, Tom Hambridge, Junior Brown, John Medeski, Ron Holloway, Jimmy Vivino of Late Night With Conan O'Brien , Paul Schaffer's CBS Orchestra, and the Blues Brothers Horns. He appeared on Late Night With David Letterman and Jimmy Kimmel Live . Nelson released his first solo instrumental album entitled Look and then signed with Sony Music Group for The Paul Nelson Band album, Badass Generation, and tours internationally.

Nelson produced Shaw Davis & the Black Ties third album, Red Sun Rebellion (2021). [17]

On March 12, 2024, Nelson's management, Bullseye Management, announced on Instagram that he had died from a heart attack, on March 10, while on the road touring. [18] [19]

Selected discography

[20]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brian Setzer</span> American singer, songwriter (b. 1959)

Brian Robert Setzer is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He found widespread success in the early 1980s with the 1950s-style rockabilly group Stray Cats, and returned to the music scene in the early 1990s with his swing revival band, the Brian Setzer Orchestra. In 1987, he made a cameo appearance as Eddie Cochran in the film La Bamba.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Johnny Winter</span> American blues guitarist and singer

John Dawson Winter III was an American singer, guitarist, songwriter and record producer. Winter was known for his high-energy blues rock albums, live performances and slide guitar playing from the late 1960s into the early 2000s. He also produced three Grammy Award-winning albums for blues singer and guitarist Muddy Waters. After his time with Waters, Winter recorded several Grammy-nominated blues albums. In 1988, he was inducted into the Blues Foundation Hall of Fame and in 2003, he was ranked 63rd in Rolling Stone magazine's list of the "100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jonny Lang</span> American singer, songwriter (born 1981)

Jon Gordon Langseth Jr., known as Jonny Lang, is an American blues, gospel, rock singer, songwriter, and guitarist. He has made five albums that have charted on the top 50 of the Billboard 200 chart and won a Grammy Award for Turn Around.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leon Russell</span> American singer-songwriter (1942–2016)

Leon Russell was an American musician and songwriter who was involved with numerous bestselling records during his 60-year career that spanned multiple genres, including rock and roll, country, gospel, bluegrass, rhythm and blues, southern rock, blues rock, folk, surf and the Tulsa sound. His recordings earned six gold records and he received two Grammy Awards from seven nominations. In 2011, he was inducted into both the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Songwriters Hall of Fame.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shrapnel Records</span> American record label

Shrapnel Records is an American record label group founded by record producer Mike Varney. The group principally uses the Shrapnel Records record label, a guitar-oriented label which features shred guitar, hard rock, metal and progressive metal. In the 1990s, he also started the Tone Center Records and Blues Bureau International sublabels to promote fusion and blues.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Colin Linden</span> Canadian musician

Colin Kendall Linden is a Canadian guitarist, songwriter and record producer. Linden plays acoustic and electric guitar, specializing in slide guitar, country blues, and ragtime fingerpicking, who frequently collaborates with country and folk performers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">David Bromberg</span> American singer-songwriter

David Bromberg is an American multi-instrumentalist, singer, and songwriter. An eclectic artist, Bromberg plays bluegrass, blues, folk, jazz, country and western, and rock and roll. He is known for his quirky, humorous lyrics, and the ability to play rhythm and lead guitar at the same time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joe Louis Walker</span> American singer-songwriter

Louis Joseph Walker Jr., known as Joe Louis Walker, is an American musician, best known as an electric blues guitarist, singer, songwriter and producer. His knowledge of blues history is revealed by his use of older material and playing styles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Larry Campbell (musician)</span> American musician

Larry Campbell is an American singer and multi-instrumentalist who plays many stringed instruments in genres including country, folk, blues, and rock. Campbell is best known for his time as part of Bob Dylan's Never Ending Tour band from 1997 to 2004, his association with Levon Helm of The Band, and the musical director of the Midnight Rambles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joe Bonamassa</span> American musician (born 1977)

Joseph Leonard Bonamassa is an American blues rock guitarist, singer and songwriter. He started his career at age twelve, when he opened for B.B. King. Since 2000, Bonamassa has released fifteen solo albums through his independent record label J&R Adventures, of which eleven have reached No. 1 on the Billboard Blues chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cleopatra Records</span> American independent record label

Cleopatra Records is an American independent record label based in Los Angeles, California. It was founded in 1992 by Brian Perera. The record label has since grown into a family of labels, including Hypnotic Records, Purple Pyramid Records, Deadline Music Records, X-Ray Records, and Goldenlane Records, encompassing a variety of genres with emphasis on unique and experimental artists.

Liege Lord is an American power metal band active in the 1980s. It was formed by Matt Vinci, Anthony Truglio and Frank Cortese.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">David Gogo</span> Musical artist

David Gogo, is a Canadian blues guitarist, singer-songwriter and bandleader who is currently signed to the independent Cordova Bay Records label. He was formerly signed to EMI Records. Between 1994 and 2014, he released 12 solo albums. As of 2014, his touring band includes a Hammond organ/piano player, an electric bass player and a drummer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wolf Mail</span> Canadian blues rock guitarist and singer (born 1972)

Wolf Mail is a Canadian-born guitarist, singer-songwriter who embarked on his Blues & Roots music journey at the age of fourteen. Mail has recorded eight full-length albums, internationally distributed and has toured in over twenty-six countries. He is influenced by blues, jazz, soul and country.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pete Carr</span> American guitarist and record producer (1950–2020)

Jesse Willard "Pete" Carr was an American guitarist. Carr contributed to successful recordings by Joan Baez, Luther Ingram, Bob Seger, Paul Simon, Willie Nelson, Joe Cocker, Boz Scaggs, Percy Sledge, The Staple Singers, Rod Stewart, Barbra Streisand, Wilson Pickett, Hank Williams, Jr., and many others, from the 1970s onward.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tom Hambridge</span> American drummer

Thomas Jay Hambridge is an American rock, country, and blues, producer, songwriter, musician and vocalist. Hambridge has received two Grammy Awards, an ASCAP award, seven Grammy nominations, seven Boston Music Awards, and has been inducted into the Buffalo Hall of Fame. In December 2015, Hambridge was given the key to his hometown of Buffalo, New York with Mayor Byron Brown declaring December 28 "Tom Hambridge Day." Hambridge's songs have been recorded by several notable artists and have been featured in movie productions, commercials and television programs. He has been referred to as "The White Willie Dixon" by Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Inductee Buddy Guy and Susan Tedeschi's "Secret Weapon".

<i>Roots</i> (Johnny Winter album) 2011 studio album by Johnny Winter

Roots is an album by blues guitarist and singer Johnny Winter. His first studio album in seven years, it was released by Megaforce Records on September 27, 2011.

<i>Step Back</i> (album) 2014 studio album by Johnny Winter

Step Back is the nineteenth and final studio album by blues guitarist and singer Johnny Winter. It features performances by a number of guest musicians, including Jason Ricci, Eric Clapton, Dr. John, Billy Gibbons from ZZ Top, Joe Perry from Aerosmith, Leslie West from Mountain, and Brian Setzer from the Stray Cats. It was released by Megaforce Records on September 2, 2014.

<i>Remembrance Vol. 1</i> 2015 compilation album by Johnny Winter

Remembrance Vol. 1 is a three-CD album by blues rock guitarist and singer Johnny Winter. It is a compilation of live recordings, many of them previously released, selected from throughout Winter's career. It was released on the Friday Music label on January 13, 2015.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Johnny Winter discography</span>

Johnny Winter (1944–2014) was an American rock and blues musician. From 1959 to 1967, he recorded several singles for mostly small record companies in his native Texas. In 1968, Winter completed his first album, The Progressive Blues Experiment, and in 1969, he was signed to Columbia Records. With the label, Winter had his greatest success on the main American record chart; Johnny Winter (1969), Second Winter (1969), Live Johnny Winter And (1971), and Still Alive and Well (1973) all reached the top forty on the Billboard 200 album chart. In 1974, the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) certified Live Johnny Winter And gold, his only record to receive an award from the organization.

References

  1. ↑ Prato, Greg. "Paul Nelson: Biography", AllMusic. Retrieved August 9, 2015.
  2. ↑ McAvinchey, Dan (February 2002). "Interview with Paul Nelson", Guitar Nine. Retrieved August 9, 2015.
  3. ↑ Philippov, Mike. "Guitar Practice Interview with Paul Nelson", PracticeGuitarNow.com. Retrieved August 9, 2015.
  4. ↑ Limnios, Michael (September 16, 2011). "Interview with Guitarist Paul Nelson, of Johnny Winter and One of the Most Emerging Producers", Blues.Gr. Retrieved August 9, 2015.
  5. ↑ Rubin, Dave (April 20, 2006). "Johnny Winter's Journey Through the Blues", Guitar Player . Retrieved August 9, 2015.
  6. ↑ Cecolini, Vinny (February 2013). "Johnny Winter: The Blues, Down to the Roots" Archived 2015-03-11 at archive.today , Jam Magazine Online. Retrieved August 9, 2015.
  7. ↑ Feenstra, Pete (April 2007). "Interview with Guitarist Paul Nelson, Producer of Blues Rock Guitarist Johnny Winter", Get Ready to Rock. Retrieved August 9, 2015.
  8. ↑ Wright, Jeb (2012). "Johnny Winter and Paul Nelson: His Saving Grace", Classic Rock Revisited. Retrieved August 9, 2015.
  9. ↑ Gallo, Phil (March 14, 2014). "Johnny Winter Sets New Roots Album with Eric Clapton, Joe Perry, Ben Harper", Billboard . Retrieved August 9, 2015.
  10. ↑ Tobias, Mike (February 8, 2015). "Winter's Step Back Wins Grammy for Best Blues Album", The Beaumont Enterprise . Retrieved August 9, 2015.
  11. ↑ Maloni, Joshua (March 5, 2015). "Step Back Producer, Guitarist Paul Nelson Remembers His Friend, Johnny Winter", Niagara Frontier Publications. Retrieved August 9, 2015.
  12. ↑ "Blues Albums: September 20, 2014", Billboard . Retrieved August 10, 2015.
  13. ↑ "Independent Albums: September 20, 2014", Billboard . Retrieved August 16, 2015.
  14. ↑ Mehr, Bob. "Bishop, Rush Among Blues Music Award Winners", The Commercial Appeal . Retrieved August 16, 2015.
  15. ↑ "Paul Nelson", New York Blues Hall of Fame. Retrieved August 11, 2015.
  16. ↑ "Keeping the Blues Alive Award Recipients Announced", BluesWebzine.com, November 15, 2010. Retrieved August 11, 2015.
  17. ↑ "ABOUT". Shawdavisblackties. Retrieved September 24, 2022.
  18. ↑ "Bullseye Management regrets to announce that Paul Nelson passed away on March 10, 2024 from a heart attack while on the road and touring". Paul Nelson Official on Instagram. Retrieved 2024-03-13.
  19. ↑ "Paul Nelson, Grammy-winning CT guitarist who played with legends, dies". CT Insider. 14 March 2024. Retrieved 14 March 2024.
  20. ↑ "Paul Nelson | Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 16 July 2023.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.