Barry Beckett
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Barry Edward Beckett |
| Born | (1943-02-04)February 4, 1943 Birmingham, Alabama, U.S. |
| Died | June 10, 2009(2009-06-10) (aged 66) Hendersonville, Tennessee, U.S. |
| Occupation(s) |
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| Instrument(s) | Keyboards |
| Formerly of | Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section |
Barry Edward Beckett (February 4, 1943 – June 10, 2009) was an American keyboardist, session musician, record producer, and studio founder. He is best known for his work with David Hood, Jimmy Johnson, and Roger Hawkins, his bandmates in the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section, which performed with numerous notable artists on their studio albums and helped define the "Muscle Shoals sound".
Among the artists Beckett recorded with were Bob Dylan, Boz Scaggs, Paul Simon, Rod Stewart, Duane Allman, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes, Dire Straits, The Proclaimers and Phish. He was also briefly a member of the band Traffic.
Beckett was born in Birmingham, Alabama. He rose to prominence as a member of the rhythm section at the Sheffield, Alabama-based Muscle Shoals Sound Studio, of which he was one of the founders in 1969. As a founding member of the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section, he helped define what became known as the Muscle Shoals sound. In addition, the studio produced such chart-making hits as "Torn Between Two Lovers" by Mary MacGregor and the Sanford-Townsend Band's "Smoke from a Distant Fire".
In 1973, Beckett took to the road in the expanded lineup of Traffic; recordings from this tour were released on the band's live album On the Road.
Beckett was co-producing with Jerry Wexler when, in 1979, Bob Dylan called on Wexler to produce the sessions for the album Slow Train Coming.[1] Beckett not only co-produced the album but played piano and organ throughout. (He did not go on the road as a gospel tours musician behind Dylan, but he was back in the studio with him in February 1980 to co-produce, again with Wexler, the album Saved, on which he was replaced on keyboards by Spooner Oldham and Terry Young after the session of February 12, 1980, and so plays only on the album's title track, "Solid Rock", "What Can I Do for You?" and "Satisfied Mind".) On the album liner notes Beckett is billed as co-producer and as "special guest artist".
Beckett moved to Nashville in 1982 to become A &Rcountry music director for Warner Bros. Records and co-produced Williams, Jr.'s records with Jim Ed Norman.[2] Beckett produced records independently after leaving Warner Bros. Records.
He also played on Paul Simon's albums There Goes Rhymin' Simon and Still Crazy After All These Years, which reached number 1 on the Billboard 200 pop chart.
Beckett died from complications of a stroke at his home in Hendersonville, Tennessee, aged 66.[3]
With Solomon Burke
With Etta James
With Bob Seger
With Joan Baez
With Willie Nelson
With Feargal Sharkey
With William Bell
With Julian Lennon
With Cher
With Vince Gill
With Kim Carnes
With Boz Scaggs
With Mary MacGregor
With Mark Knopfler
With John P. Hammond
With Mavis Staples
With Wilson Pickett
With Paul Anka
With Steve Cropper
With Eddie Rabbitt
With Dee Dee Bridgewater
With Albert King
With Paul Simon
With Wendy Waldman
With Wynonna Judd
With Levon Helm
With Trace Adkins
With Aretha Franklin
With Candi Staton
With Donovan
With Dolly Parton
With John Prine
With Aaron Neville
With Kenny Chesney
With Joe Cocker
With Ronnie Hawkins
With Lulu
With Beth Nielsen Chapman
With Dion DiMucci
With Ilse DeLange
With Dion DiMucci
With Chely Wright
With Odetta
With Laura Nyro
With Johnny Rivers
With Bob Dylan
With Peabo Bryson
With Ricky Van Shelton
With J. J. Cale
With Art Garfunkel
With Rosanne Cash
With José Feliciano
With Cat Stevens
With Leon Russell
With Rod Stewart
With Glenn Frey
With Linda Ronstadt
With Rodney Crowell
With John P. Hammond
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