Percussionist and Drummer Tom Roady has died

 Percussionist and Drummer Tom Roady dies before playing for Ricky Skaggs at a South Carolina show

It was with sadness to read that Tom Roady, a longtime master percussionist in Nashville, was found dead on Monday morning (Nov. 28, 2011) in the band's tour bus prior to a planned performance at Clemson University playing drums with Ricky Skaggs in Clemson, S.C. 

Tom Roady Cover Feature
Digital Drummer (Jan 2010)



Tom was doing what he loved the most, being on the road with Ricky Skaggs. Tom went to sleep on the Ricky Skaggs/ White Family Christmas show tour bus heading to South Carolina and passed peacefully away. Pickens County Coroner Kandy Kelley says 62-year-old Thomas Roady of Kingston Springs, Tenn., was found dead Monday morning. The band was pulling into a hotel parking lot in Clemson before a show at the university after driving through the night from Nashville. Roady and Skaggs were on separate buses.



Local coroner Kandy Kelley noted that Roady was battling cancer, but died in his sleep from heart problems, according to The Associated Press. “His big beautiful heart gave out in the end, not the cancer” remarked his wife Melanie (Facebook)

Roady played on Skaggs' latest project, A Skaggs Family Christmas, Volume 2, released this fall. (Tom Toady with Ricky Skaggs on the Tour 2007 - Photo - Photo 2)

He also recorded with Kenny Chesney, the Dixie Chicks, Sara Evans, Vince Gill and Martina McBride, among many others. In addition, he played numerous sessions in Muscle Shoals, Ala., with producer Jerry Wexler and artists like Art Garfunkel, Etta James and Sanford-Townsend Band. (Muscle Shoals Photo 1 – Photo 2 )

As a master percussionist, Tom toured and recorded with hundreds of major recording artists throughout his long career and his final days were filled with music.

Tom Roady Fact file:

Born - Jan 17, 1949 in Alton, IL

Died - November 27, 2011

Education - Went to Jersey Community High School

Occupation: Studio Percussionist. Studio owner

Company Name: Big Bang Theory Studio

About:

He had been a studio percussionist for over 36 years. (Photo of Tom Toady with Billy Walker Jr. at a CD release) 

Tom-Roady !!! – The Nerve



Tom Roady grew up in the St.Louis area and continued to visit old friends. He played with Phil Driscoll in 1972-73 and through that liaison he met Charlie Chalmers, an original member of the Memphis Horns. Tom began recording at this time in Memphis and eventually Chalmers suggested the idea of moving to Muscle Shoals to get more work. Tom worked at the Fame recording studios working with artists like Mac Davis, Tom Jones, Candi Staton, and Paul Anka.

Making friends and contacts with the team at Muscle Shoals Sound it resulted in Tom being chosen to record with a vast array of different artists from Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel (Watermark album in 1977) to Mavis and Pops Staples (Unlock Your Mind 1978) to The Sanford Townsend Band. A personal highlight for Roady was the opportunity to work with the late Hall Of Fame inductee Jerry Wexler on many different artists’ projects through the years. Wexler was a music journalist turned music producer, and was regarded as one of the major record industry players behind music from the 1950s through the 1980s. He coined the term "rhythm and blues", and was integral in signing and/or producing many of the biggest acts of the last 50 years. Jerry Wexler was one of the most highly-regarded A&R men in popular music history.

In 1978 Tom moved to Los Angeles while working on the road with Paul Anka. While living in L.A. Tom played with Don Randi and Quest, the house band at the Baked Potato in North Hollywood.

Tom Roady toured with many artists like James Taylor (See photo Telluride 1990 ); John Denver, Ricky Skaggs, The Fifth Dimension and Paul Anka., and he played several gigs with Aretha Franklin in recent years.

Roady played on numerous R&B, Folk, Bluegrass, Jazz, Rock, and Country multi-platinum recordings, many of which were nominated and won Grammy Awards, CMA Awards, IBMA and ACM Awards.

R&B artists include: Percy Sledge, Wilson Pickett, Mavis Staples, Etta James and Delbert McClinton.
Rock and Pop acts include: Michael McDonald (Blue Obsession 1997), Andy Gibb, Art Garfunkel, Paul Simon, Pure Prairie League, Dr. Hook, Emmylou Harris, Bob Seger, Beth Nielsen Chapman, Mac McAnally, Joan Baez, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Tom Jones, Donovan, etc.

Bluegrass and Americana artists include: Ricky Skaggs, Sam Bush, Bela Fleck, The Grascals, Rhonda Vincent, Maura O'Conell, Sally Fingerett, Kathy Mattea, Robert Lee Castleman, Darryl Scott and Suzy Ragsdale etc

Country acts include: The Dixie Chicks, Vince Gill, Kenny Chesney, Alabama, Brooks and Dunn,Martina McBride, Trisha Yearwood, Chris Ledoux, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Sara Evans, Tom T. Hall, Randy Travis, Trick Pony, Reba McEntire, Pam Tillis, Tanya Tucker, Hank Williams Jr., Dan Seals, Suzy Bogguss, K.T.Oslin, Kenny Rogers, Lee Ann Womack, Chely Wright, Clay Walker, T.Graham Brown, Mark Chestnut, Randy Scruggs, Tracy Byrd, Bryan White, Steve Wariner ,Jo Dee Messina, Lonestar, Ricochet and Lee Roy Parnell.

Tom also recorded on songwriters projects from time to time in his home studio.

Tom is survived by his loving wife, Melanie (photo), 2 stepsons, three Granddaughters and many friends

The funeral services will be held on Sunday, December 4, at 3:00pm in Nashville TN.

Sincerely condolences go out to his wife, family and friends.

VIDEO – Tom Roady Mel Bay Artist Interview with Erica Cantrell.

Tom teaches Mel Bay Pro licks and techniques: Watch on YouTube

Tom’s legacy is his contribution on many of the top recordings many of which are my personal favourites – Thank you!

Livewire

SOURCES – Associated Press, CMT, Nashville Music Pros, Facebook  

These are his credits in the Country music world.
Check out your LP and CD sleeves and credits:

Artist	Album	Year	Credit
Alabama	When It All Goes South	2001	Percussion
Alecia Elliott	I’m Diggin’ It	2000	Percussion
Becky Hobbs	Becky Hobbs	1974	Percussion, conga
Beth Nielsen Chapman	Self Titled	1990	Percussion
Beth Nielsen Chapman	You Hold The Key	1993	Percussion
Brent Mason	Hot Wired	1997	Percussion
Brooks & Dunn	Borderline	1996	Percussion
Chely Wright	Let Me In	1997	Percussion
Chet Atkins	Simpatico	1994	Percussion
Chris LeDoux	One Road Man	1998	Percussion
Clay Walker	Live, Laugh  Love	1999	Percussion
Clay Walker	Rumor Has It	1997	Percussion
Collin Raye	I Think About You	1995	Percussion
Confederate Railroad	Notorious	1994	Percussion
Crystal Gayle	Cage The Songbird	2008	Percussion
Dan Seals	In A Quiet Room II	1998	Percussion
David Ball	Play	1999	Percussion
Dixie Chicks	Fly	1999	Percussion
Dixie Chicks	Wide Open Spaces	1998	Conga,shakuhachi, shaker,Tambourine
Emmylou Harris	Ballad Of Sally Rose	1985	Percussion
Gary Allan	It Would Be You	1998	Percussion
Hank Williams Jnr	Out Of Left Field	1993	Percussion
Ilse Delange	Livin’ On Love	2001	Percussion
Jenny Simpson	Jenny Simpson	1998	Chimes, Tambourine
Jo Dee Messina	Jo Dee Messina/I’m Alright	1996	Percussion, Musician
Jo Dee Messina	Joyful Noise	2002	Percussion
K.T.Oslin	My Roots Are Showing	1996	Percussion
Kathy Mattea	Time Passes By	1991	Percussion
Kathy Mattea	Walking Away A Winner	1993	Percussion
Kenny Chesney	Be As You Are (Songs from an Old Blue Chair)	2005	Percussion
Kenny Chesney	When The Sun Goes Down	2004	Percussion, Steel drums
Kenny Rogers	Across My Heart	1997	Percussion
Lee Ann Womack	Lee Ann Womack	1997	Percussion
Lee Roy Parnell	Tell The Truth	2001	Percussion
Lorrie Morgan	Watch Me	1992	Percussion
Mark Chesnutt	I Don’t Want To Miss A Thing	1999	Percussion
Martina McBride	Emotion	1999	Percussion
Martina McBride	Evolution	1997	Percussion, conga, shaker, tambourine
Martina McBride	Martina	2003	Percussion
Martina McBride	Timeless	2011	Percussion
Mary Chapin Carpenter	The Essential	2003	Percussion
Melonie Cannon	Melonie Cannon	2004	Percussion
Merle Haggard	5:01 Blues	1989	Percussion
Michael McDonald	Blue Obsession	1997	Percussion
Michelle Wright	For Me It’s You	1996	Percussion
Neal McCoy	Life of the Party	1999	Percussion
Pam Tillis	All Of This Love	1995	Percussion
Randy Travis	No Holdin’ Back	1989	Percussion
Randy Travis	This Is Me	1994	Percussion
Rhett Atkins	Somebody New	1996	Percussion
Rhonda Vincent	All American Bluegrass Girl	2006	Percussion
Rhonda Vincent	Beautiful Star: The Christmas Collection	2006	Percussion, Bells
Rhonda Vincent	Good Thing Going	2008	Percussion
Ricky Skaggs	My Father’s Son	1991	Percussion
Ricky Skaggs	Skaggs Family Christmas	2005	Percussion
Ricky Skaggs	Skaggs Family Christmas Vol 2	2011	Percussion
Ronnie Milsap	Heart & Soul	1987	Percussion
Sara Evans	Born To Fly/ Restless	2008	Percussion
Sherrie Austin	Love In The Real World	1999	Percussion
Steve Wariner	Faith In You	2000	Percussion
Susie Luchsinger	Raised On Faith	1999	Percussion
Suzy Bogguss	Aces	1991	Percussion
Suzy Bogguss	Give Me Some Wheels	1996	Percussion
Suzy Bogguss	Something Up My Sleeve	1993	Percussion
Suzy Bogguss	Sweet Danger	2007	Percussion
Suzy Bogguss	Voices In The Wind	1992	Percussion
Tammy Wynette	Without Walls	1994	Percussion
Tanya Tucker	Can’t Run From Yourself	1992	Percussion
The Grascals	Grascals	2005	Percussion
Tom T.Hall	Home Grown	1997	Multi Instruments
Trick Pony	Tick Pony	2001	Percussion
Trisha Yearwood	Everybody Knows	1996	Tambourine
Trisha Yearwood	Real Live Woman	2000	Percussion, Triangle, Tambourine
Trisha Yearwood	Thinkin’ About You	1995	Bongos, Conga, Tambourine
Ty Herndon	Big Hopes	1998	Percussion
Ty Herndon	Living In A Moment	1996	Percussion
Various	Horse Whisperer [Original Soundtrack]	1998	Percussion
Vince Gill	When Loves Finds You	1994	Percussion
Wynnona Judd	Other Side	1997	Percussion
Wynnona Judd	Revelations	1996	Percussion

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