Charlie McCoy

Soul Country #9

Airdate Jul 2, 2025

Podcast 45:31

Recorded in Nashville, TN

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Description

Dylan, Elvis and Orbison sideman Charlie McCoy is a hall of fame harmonica-centric multi-instrumentalist. Born in the same hospital where Hank Williams perished, McCoy brings his own mastery to many hits including “Take This Job and Shove It,” “Delta Dawn,” “Mohair Sam,” “Guitar Man” and “The Boxer” among thousands of tracks. Elvis entrusted him on 13 albums and Dylan made him bandleader for 5 records waxed in Nashville. In this Soul Country get down, Charlie talks about backing Chuck Berry in high school, and making a trip to New Orleans to get Al Hirt and Pete Fountain to join him on his blues album. Punctuated by some serious blasts of harp and presto a bona fide musical podcast.

More about Charlie McCoy

Born Charles Ray McCoy on March 28, 1941, in Oak Hill, West Virginia, Charlie McCoy is a renowned American harmonica virtuoso and multi-instrumentalist whose influence on country music is profound. Raised in Miami, Florida, McCoy began playing harmonica at age eight and moved to Nashville in 1960, where his career as a session musician took off. His harmonica solo on Roy Orbison’s “Candy Man” (1961) launched his reputation, followed by iconic contributions to George Jones’ “He Stopped Loving Her Today” (1980) and Barbara Mandrell’s “I Was Country When Country Wasn’t Cool” (1981). McCoy played on Bob Dylan’s Blonde on Blonde (1966) and Elvis Presley’s Harum Scarum soundtrack (1965), showcasing his versatility across harmonica, guitar, bass, and more. As a solo artist, he released The Real McCoy (1972), earning a Grammy, and Good Time Charlie (1973), which topped Billboard’s country charts. A member of Area Code 615 and music director for Hee Haw (1978–1997), McCoy was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2009 and joined the Grand Ole Opry in 2022.

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