Travis Wammack
Quick Facts
Biography
Travis Wammack (born November 1946) in Walnut, Mississippi, is an American rock and roll guitarist from Memphis, Tennessee. He began his professional music career when he wrote and recorded his first record at the age of eleven. A child prodigy, Wammack's first record was issued when he was twelve years old, and at 17 he hit the American charts with "Scratchy", an instrumental which peaked at #80 in 1964. Wammack got work recording at FAME Studios in Muscle Shoals in the 1960s, and in 1975 released a solo album which generated two hits in the U.S. "Easy Evil" (#72) and "(Shu-Doo-Pa-Poo-Poop) Love Being Your Fool" (Billboard Hot 100 #38).
He was Little Richard’s band leader from 1984 until 1995. Still performing, Travis now works with Muscle Shoals Music Marketing, and has added “Producer” to his resume. He is a member of the ‘Memphis Music Hall of Fame’, and in 1999 Wammack received the Professional Musician Award from the Alabama Music Hall of Fame. In 2005, he was inducted into The Southern Legends Entertainment And Performing Arts Hall Of Fame. In May 2006, Gibson Guitars presented Travis with a new Gibson ES-335 guitar as part of their documentary honoring legendary Gibson ES series players. Travis played (September 27, 2008)with Billy Lee Riley and with Sonny Burgess and the Pacers at Newport, Arkansas' "Depot Days," and most recently (in Newport, AR) on August 30, 2009 with Sonny Burgess and the Legendary Pacers at the Billy Lee Riley benefit concert at the Silver Moon in Newport, Arkansas.
The concert was held to defray expenses incurred by Billy Lee's family due to his long and losing battle to cancer. Billy Lee died on August 4, 2009. Travis accompanied other groups besides Sonny and the Pacers.
Discography
Note:this list is incomplete.
- Travis Wammack (Fame Records, 1972)
- Not For Sale (Capricorn Records, 1975)
- That Scratchy Guitar from Memphis (Bear Family Records, 1987)
- Scr-Scr-Scratchy! (Zu Zazz Records, 2000)
- Snake, Rattle & Roll in Muscle Shoals (Snakeman Records, 2005)