Toy Talmadge Caldwell Jr. (November 13, 1947 February 25, 1993) was the lead guitarist and main songwriter of the 1970s Southern Rock group The Marshall Tucker Band. He's the only remaining original member. Jan 27 Folsom, CA Harris Center Though . When you wake up and want to put a smile on your face, you think of the songs that always manage to reach down and touch your soul the moment you hear the first note. As well as being the frontman, he also sang background vocals and wrote several songs, including Melody Ann, which was the only song he ever performed lead vocals on. [2], Returning to Spartanburg from his military service Caldwell formed the Toy Factory band with Franklin Wilkie, Doug Gray and Jerry Eubanks. that is degrading to another person. "Most of our fans who come to Spartanburg don't even know there's a monumental thing like . ", "He was a very nice guy who had our best interest at heart. Theres a certain gift I found I could share, whether I was in front of five people or 20,000 people. Eubanks finally left the rigors of the road in 1996, and McCorkle died from cancer just last year. Your Herd from Herald-Dispatch Reach Manager. or anything. We'll send breaking news and news alerts to you as they happen! Southern Rock has suffered some major losses through the years, most recently with the death of Gray's close friend Charlie Daniels. racist or sexually-oriented language. Early pioneers of country rock, The Marshall Tucker Band, topped the charts in the 1970's. But tragedy would soon test the bands faith. Can't You See was used for the opening and closing credits of the Kevin Costner 2008 motion picture Swing Vote. Jethro Tulls Thick As a Brick: Concept LP or Parody of One? In addition to his guitarist role, he occasionally performed lead vocals for Marshall Tucker Band, including on one of the band's best-known hits . The Instagram post also said "Marshall was blind since . Choose wisely! Share with Us. Although Gray and Eubanks added new members Rusty Milner, Stuart Swanlund, and Tim Lawter, Still Holdin' On was primarily recorded with studio musicians. He loved it.. Just last month, the band's namesake, Marshall Tucker, passed away on Jan. 20 at the age of 99. The Marshall Tucker Band had just returned home from a concert they recorded for broadcast on the King Biscuit Flower Hour when Tommy Caldwells Land Cruiser clipped a parked 1965 Ford Galaxy on April 22, 1980, in Spartanburg. April 28, 1980 Thomas Michael Tommy Caldwellwas born onNovember 9, 1949 in Spartanburg, South Carolina. He co-founded the Marshall . Tucker was the namesake for the band ever since. Toy Talmadge Caldwell Jr. (November 13, 1947 - February 25, 1993) was the lead guitarist and main songwriter of the 1970s Southern Rock group The Marshall Tucker Band. After 15 years with the band, Caldwell left in 1985 to begin a solo career. Waylon Jennings and Zac Brown Band have both had charting country singles with covers of the Marshall Tucker Band's 1973 hit, "Can't You See.". 14 hit Heard It in a Love Song, carries on with the Marshall Tucker Band these days. He loved playing in front of people, McCorkle said. It wasnt for the money; it wasnt for the glory. The Marshall Tucker Band are mourning the loss of the man who lent their group his name. Your e-mail address will not be published. It wasnt for the money; it wasnt for the glory. Copyright TheMarshallTuckerBand. Mar 18 Clewiston, FL Clewiston Sugar Festival My name will always be associated with the Marshall Tucker Band and Im proud it is, Caldwell told The Associated Press last fall. You truly did not know what you were getting until you took that bite and dropped the needle. Music video by The Marshall Tucker Band performing Can't You See (Audio). Now Available: 134 Rock-n-Roll Legends Crossed the Rainbow in 2017 - A Tribute to their Lives Dismiss, May 12, 2016 no comments. Also other data will not be shared with third person. Toy played basketball and football in high school with friends George McCorkle, Jerry Eubanks, and Doug Gray. Also other data will not be shared with third person. Spartanburg County Coroner Jim Burnett said Caldwell visited a doctor Wednesday complaining of a headache, coughing and congestion. Marshall was blind since birth but amazingly could play the heck out of the piano. You know what I mean? "He's just a great guy, so kind all the time, and I'd call just to cheer him up when he was sick.". After the album's release, the band began touring, playing upwards of 300 shows per year throughout the decade. He played guitar on albums by country stars Hank Williams Jr., Waylon Jennings, Barbara Mandrell and Conway Twitty, among others. A big part of the current Marshall Tucker Band sound is the respected talent of Chris Hicks on guitar. An autopsy was scheduled for Friday, Burnett said. He was a member of the band from its formation up until 1983. He always said his talent was simply God-given. No cause of death has been revealed. This performance is captured on the 2006 release, Live on Long Island. His brothers, Tommy, bass guitar player for the Marshall Tucker Band, and Timmy died in separate auto accidents about 13 years ago. Then tragedy struck. But you wouldn't know he's outlasted all his MTB brother's in arms. the statement explains. Duval said her father's disability never stopped him from learning and trying new things, and she never thought of her father as blind. [20][32] Where We All Belong has been described as a "classic rock and roll album". With his older brother Toy, he formed the southern rock band the Marshall Tucker Band in 1973 and played bass and was its original frontman until his death in 1980. Toy and Tommy and I all knew exactly what we were doing when we were getting into it, and we all knew that we just wanted a beer at the end of the night.". The original line-up of the Marshall Tucker Band, formed in 1972, included lead guitarist, steel guitarist, vocalist, and primary songwriter Toy Caldwell (19471993), lead vocalist Doug Gray (born 1948), keyboard player, saxophone player, and flautist Jerry Eubanks (born 1950), rhythm guitarist George McCorkle (19462007), drummer Paul Riddle (born 1953), and bassist Tommy Caldwell (19491980). Celebrating 50 years, Marshall Tucker Band to play free concert in downtown Spartanburg. Often associated with such similar-minded acts as Lynyrd Skynyrd, Blackfoot, Marshall Tucker Band and .38 Special, Molly Hatchet is best known for . Noted for incorporating blues, country, and jazz into an eclectic sound, the Marshall Tucker Band helped establish the Southern rock genre in the early 1970s. MTB does love America. Charlie Daniels' decorated career as a singer, song writer, guitarist, and fiddler spanned several decades. Answer (1 of 2): What do you mean, what happened with them? But when singer Doug Gray looks out at the audiences at . They [Tucker and his wife] did their Sunday school lessons and read many books, and he even worked for the National Federation of the Blind. Caldwell's body was found by his wife, Abbie Good Caldwell, at their home in . [2] The band's current line-up consists of Gray on vocals; keyboard player, saxophonist and flautist Marcus James Henderson; guitarists Chris Hicks and Rick Willis, bassist Tony Black, and drummer B.B. He'd been a founder and the lead guitarist and primary songwriter for the Marshall Tucker Band, a country-leaning Southern rock group that enjoyed success on the Capricorn Records label in the 1970s.They sold over five million copies of 14 albums released during Caldwell 's tenure in the group from 1972 to 1983 and played 200 to 300 dates a year, becoming staples on the U.S. concert circuit. Daniels' first of many collaborations with the Marshall Tucker Band came on the band's second album, A New Life,[14] which was released in 1974, and certified gold in 1977. With mroe than 30 dates, the run kicks off at Delta Downs Racetrack, Hotel & Casino in Vinton, Louisiana, on February 11th . The Toy Factory, led by the elder Caldwell, became the southern-rocking Marshall Tucker Band when Tommy joined as bassist in 1972. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Use the 'Report' link on "Marshall was blind since birth but amazingly could play the heck out of the piano. The Marshall Tucker Band had just returned home from a concert they recorded for broadcast on the King Biscuit Flower Hour when Tommy Caldwell's Land Cruiser clipped a parked . As Grey remarks, the result was so eclectic that the press didn't really know what to make of them as they failed to fit neatly in any pigeonhole. SPARTANBURG, S.C. (AP) _ Toy T. Caldwell Jr., former lead guitar player and singer for the Marshall Tucker Band, died Thursday, and the cause was under investigation, a coroner said. His last performance with the band was on April 18, 1980. May 02, 2022. In fact, The Charlie Daniels Band has played more dates with The Marshall Tucker Band over the past years than any other band weve ever worked with. Winds light and variable. The Southern rock band began forming after buddies began returning from . Caldwells body was found by his wife, Abbie Good Caldwell, at their home in Moore, about 80 miles northwest of Columbia, said Bill Doble, vice president of music for Cabin Fever Entertainment, for whom Caldwell recorded. In 1972, The Marshall Tucker Band came together in Spartanburg, South Carolina to form a southern rock group. 3:31 PM. each comment to let us know of abusive posts. They are all good. [21] According to Allmusic's Jeff Tamarkin, Toy Caldwell's guitar playing style was categorized by "flashy, jazzy licks"; the band has also been noted for extensive jamming. We had the commonality of having all grown up together in Spartanburg, explains Gray about his original MTB bandmates, guitar wizard Toy Caldwell and his brother, bassist Tommy Caldwell, alongside rhythm guitarist George McCorkle, drummer Paul T. Riddle, and flautist/saxophonist Jerry Eubanks. He developed a unique style of playing, playing the electric guitar using his thumb rather than a pick. "They know the words better than I do. AllRightsReserved. While the band had reached the height of its commercial success by the end of the decade, it has recorded and performed continuously under various line . [33] The band's 1979 album Running Like the Wind features a pop rock and jazz fusion sound. Don't Threaten. [17], In 1992, the Marshall Tucker Band produced its first album for the Cabin Fever label, Still Smokin'. Click #isupportlocal for more information on supporting our local journalists. [13] Daniels and blues guitarist Elvin Bishop were among several musicians that joined the band for Where We All Belong,[14] a double-album (one studio album and one live album) released by the band in 1974 and certified gold that same year. After 1983's Greetings from South Carolina, all the rest of the original band members split, sans Doug Gray and Jerry Eubanks. He tuned pianos in South Carolina for decades. SPARTANBURG, S.C. (AP) _ Toy T. Caldwell Jr., former lead guitar player and singer for the Marshall Tucker Band, died Thursday, and the cause was under investigation, a coroner said. [1] The cause of death was reported as cardio-respiratory failure due to viral myocarditis, by Spartanburg County Coroner Jim Burnett. The following year the band's Searchin' for a Rainbow was also certified gold the year of its release, and contained the track "Fire on the Mountain," which peaked at No. By 1984, he'd left the Marshall Tucker Band, creating a huge hole as the group lost its lead guitarist, vocalist on "Can't You See" and principal songwriter. In 1972, Caldwell and McCorkle once again revamped the band's line-up, eventually settling on Tommy Caldwell on bass, George McCorkle rhythm guitar, vocalist Doug Gray, and Jerry Eubanks, flute/tenor sax, while adding Paul Riddle on drums; the new line-up adopted the name "Marshall Tucker Band." Last fall he released his debut album, Toy Caldwell, a mix of rock n roll, country, blues and pop with a lyrical thread of romantic entanglements. "It was two years after Tommy died and Toy said he just . People ask me all the time what Im gonna do when I turn 80, and I always say, The same thing that were continuing to do now. Were road warriors, theres no doubt about that and I dont intend to slow down. May the MTB wagon train continue running like the wind on a long hard ride for many more years to come. 21.) "And we didn't realise this until five years ago, that the . Caldwells body was found by his wife, Abbie Good Caldwell, at their home in Moore, about 80 miles northwest of Columbia, said Bill Doble, vice president of music for Cabin Fever Entertainment, for whom Caldwell recorded. February 25, 1993. Connect with the definitive source for global and local news. The album was digitally re-released in 2009 through Hopesong Digital / GMV Nashville.