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Biography
Returning to her Memphis roots in 1983, blues
musician Sandy Carroll spent a year headlining at Lafayette’s Corner,
following several years of performing in other parts of the country,
Lafayette’s Corner which was situated on historic Beale Street, where
Memphis blues was born.
Writing and recording the singles, ‘If You Got It’ and ‘Memphis In
May’ in 1984, Sandy partnered with Jim Dickinson, NARA Memphis
chapter’s seven-time producer of the year. ‘Memphis In May’ became a
regional hit and the unofficial theme song for the Memphis In May
annual festivities. Sandy performed at the Memphis In May Festival
with the Memphis Horns (and special guest Rufus Thomas) and also at
the Beale Street Music Festival. She sang the national anthem and
‘Memphis In May’ in front of 30,000 people at the Memphis Showboats
football game.
A year later, Sandy left for San Francisco to write and record. After
three years on the west coast and short stay in the Midwest, she
returned home to Memphis.
In 1989, Albert King recorded Sandy’s, ‘If You Got It,’ which appeared
on his final studio album, “Red House”.
She then starting writing songs for her own full-length debut album,
“Southern Woman,” released in 1993. Following the album’s release,
Sandy was invited on a month-long tour of United Kingdom.
Back in the states, Sandy continued promoting “Southern Woman,”
performing at various festivals in the South, including Arts in the
Park, Eureka Springs Blues Festival and Southern Heritage Festival.
She maintained a heavy schedule on Beale Street playing in clubs such
as Rum Boogie, Blues City, Black Diamond, Joyce Cobbs, Kings Palace
and Blues Hall.
One of Sandy’s more unique gigs was writing the Memphis Mad Dog
football team theme song. ‘Mad Dog Boogie’ was recorded by
Southern-fried soul and blues musician Preston Shannon.
In 1997, the great Luther Allison recorded Sandy’s ‘Just As I Am’ and
‘It’s A Blues Thing’ on his final album, “Reckless,” which was
nominated for a Grammy. That same year, Sandy recorded and released
her “Memphis Rain” CD which was honored by the Memphis & Shelby County
Film and Music Commission. She went on to receive a nomination by
NARAS’ Memphis chapter for Songwriter of the Year.
Sandy wrapped up the 1990’s with performances and regular appearances
at many venues throughout the South, most notably the Center for
Southern Folklore, Elvis Presley’s on Beale, and headlined WEVL’s
“Blues on the Bluff”. Sandy also appeared on the Home Shopping
Network, playing piano for vocalist Becc Lester who was promoting an
album.
Beginning the new millennium with concerts, club and festival
performances, Sandy appeared at Muscle Shoals Songwriters, Beale St.
Caravan National Radio Show at B.B. Kings, W.C. Handy Festival and the
(invitation-only) International Songwriters Festival in Orange Beach,
Florida, where she opened for Dan Penn and Spooner Oldhan.
In 2001 Sandy’s ’Just As I Am’ was released by Inside Sounds on the
compilation CD “Goin’ Down South”. She also recorded for the
McCarty-Hite, “Weekend In Memphis” CD and other Memphis area projects.
Also in 2001, Sandy was filmed by Memphis’ PBS station WKNO, along
with great songwriters Keith Sykes, Teenie Hodges, Nancy Apple, Duane
Jarvis and Delta Joe Sanders, as part of the “In Their Own Voices”
concert. Premiered in 2001, the concert has been syndicated nationally
on PBS affiliates.
In 2002 Inside Sounds released a CD entitled “Memphis Belles – Past,
Present & Future” that features Sandy along with Ruby Wilson, Cybill
Shepard, Carla Thomas and other Memphis female artists. Two years
later Sandy performed with her Memphis Belle pals at a concert at the
Cannon Performing Arts Center in Memphis.
Sandy also appears on 2005 Inside Sounds CD “In The Mood for Memphis –
Vol. 2” with a new rendition of ‘Memphis Rain’ .
Sandy has also written with or for releases from Ellis Hooks, Don
McMinn, Ana Popovich, Reba Russell, Barbara Blue, Nancy Apple, William
Lee Ellis, Becc Lester and Rocky Athas.
In January 2006, Sandy’s “Delta Techno” was released by her new label,
Ringo Records. Sandy and her husband, the Grammy award winning
producer Jim Gaines, wrote and recorded the album which features
musicians James Solberg, Rocky Athas, Tim Hinkley and co-writers
William Lee Ellis and Jim Dickinson.
The 13-track “Delta Techno” is a true new musical style – imagine if
Sade went to Al Green's church with Bonnie Raitt, then the two headed
over to Raifords near Beale Street that night to hang out with Little
Feat. Those who “get it” will love it, and those who don't will love
it too. The album has been serviced to blues and adult alternative
radio nationwide, drawing rave reviews from DJs and listeners alike.
Sandy Carroll is out on the road promoting “Delta Techno”. Equally at
ease in solo or full band settings, Sandy says “the intimacy of a solo
show is a quiet nurturing, and the groove of a band is the rockin’
feast. The studio is where the ingredients mix together ....”
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Memphis
musician and writer, Sandy Carroll, celebrates the release of her new
EP RHYTHM OF THE RIVERS in the fall of 2007 with five previously
unreleased songs and a reprise of her gospel cut “Bound for Glory”.
RHYTHM OF THE RIVERS is a personal snapshot in music and words of the
area between the Tennessee and the Mississippi rivers. Although a
departure from the more blues oriented recordings of the past, this CD
is a tribute to Sandy’s roots and the love she has for a place she can
finally call “home”.
RHYTHM OF THE RIVERS shows another side of Sandy’s music – the songs
reflect her love for home – both her Memphis musical heritage by the
Mississippi and her childhood and present home by the Tennessee River
at Pickwick.
“The Pickwick Song” captures the fun loving party atmosphere of the
popular and beautiful resort; “Rhythm of the Rivers” was written 15
years ago on the road and tells of her yearning for home; “Sweet
Paradise” describes “my back yard” and the journey to get there;
“Waltzing to Sunset (Pappy’s Song)” is a very special song written for
Jim Gaines’ Dad, Earnest. He was a very, very special soul and he
leaves “some of his light” for all of us to recognize; “Bound For
Glory” was initially released on the DELTA TECHO CD in 2006 and
captures the spiritual rhythm of growing up with the Southern Gospel
groups Sandy heard at church and revivals both live and on the radio.
The “JeminI Groove” is a collaboration with Jim Gaines that stands on
its own as an instrumental. Written as a movie score, it is included
here for the energy and beauty that surrounds our home.
This is Sandy’s 4th solo release. Her single “If You Got It” was later
recorded by Albert King and Don McMinn in the 80s; SOUTHERN WOMAN was
Sandy’s first full length CD released in 1994; MEMPHIS RAIN was
released in 1997 and contains the two songs, “Just As I Am” and “It’s
a Blues Thing” that were recorded by Grammy nominated Luther Allison’s
RECKLESS CD. DELTA TECHNO was a collaboration with Sandy’s Grammy
award winning producer husband, Jim Gaines and contains “Toolbox”
which was recorded by Reba Russell and Barbara Blue and the
inspirational “King of the Mountain” which was also recorded by
William Lee Ellis. DELTA TECHNO was featured prominently on national
radio and was the pick to click at XM Bluesville – it also made the
Blues and Roots national charts in 2006.
Sandy is also featured on several compilation CDs including THE
MEMPHIS BELLES; GOIN’ DOWN SOUTH and WEEKEND IN MEMPHIS. She has
written for and with many artists including Albert King, Luther
Allison, Becc Lester, Reba Russell, Barbara Blue, Don McMinn, Daddy
Mack, Ellis Hooks and Nancy Apple.
Sandy played on Beale Street for many years and also toured the United
Kingdom; she plays with her Bessie Blues Band and also does a dynamite
solo show. She was invited to perform at the Frank Brown Songwriting
Festival in Orange Beach, Alabama and has played numerous festivals
and concert venues.
Rhythm of the Rivers is available at
www.cdbaby.com. Check
out more biographical information, photos, and other records at
www.bessieblues.com, and feel
free to write and/or order any of her records.
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