Artist:Travis Wammack
Song:Scratchy
Album:That Scratchy Guitar from Memphis
Guitarist Travis Wammack was 17 years old when Scratchy charted in 1964. Though he never had that big hit single to make him a big star, Wammack has had along career as a session musician and musical director. And he still tours. He was born in 1946 in Walnut, MS. His family moved to the Memphis suburb of Binghampton when he was three and he started playing guitar at age eight. He was neighbors with Johnny and Dorsey Burnette and they told Memphis DJ Eddie Bond about Wammack. He performed as Little Travis in Bond's "jamboree" events. And he recorded a single in 1957. Wammack recorded Scratchy in 1962 for Ara Records. It was on the B side of Fire Fly. He wrote and recorded it with session drummer Gene Chrisman and it was produced by Sun Records guitarist and Sonic Studios owner Roland James. Atlantic picked Scratchy up for distribution in 1964 and it did chart. Wammack recorded for Atlantic until 1967 but he never had another chart hit. The most notable thing about Scratchy is the use of distortion. Supposedly Wammack was the first guitarist to use a fuzz box. This CD from Bear Family has all of Wammack's 60s recordings. In 1969, Wammack moved to Muscle Shoals to work for Rick Hall's FAME Studios. When some of the musicians left FAME to start Muscle Shoals Sound Studios, Wammack stayed at FAME. He played on plenty of hit records including Patches by Clarence Carter and One Bad Apple by The Osmonds. Wammack continued to record occasionally. And he was Little Richard's musical director from 1984-95. He continues to play gigs with his band The Snakeman Band. Wammack is a big rattlesnake fancier. Here's a video for Scratchy by Travis Wammack.
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