Got home last night to find a voice message from Tommy Morgan. I called him back, and he gave me some news that he asked me to relay to the harmonica community.
Got home last night to find a voice message from Tommy Morgan. I called him back, and he gave me some news that he asked me to relay to the harmonica community.
Now, you may be wondering who I’m talking about. Ever hear harmonica on records by the Beach Boys, or Linda Ronstadt or the Carpenters? What about TV show themes like Sanford & Son or the Rockford Files, or the occasional harmonica in the underscore to the Twilight Zone? That’s pretty much all Tommy (he even composed some of the Twilight Zone scores). He’s not a household name because he mostly stays in the background and offscreen – though he did show up at the Oscars in 2000 to play “Do Not Forsake Me O My Darling” from the 1952 film High Noon, as part of a tribute to memorable movie themes presented by Burt Bacharach, and even had an onscreen turn as a busker on Buffy the Vampire Slayer. He reckons he's played on more than 7,000 recording sessions.
In other words, Tommy is a huge part of the sound of the harmonica in popular entertainment, and in the harmonica world he’s one of the really big guys.
So Tommy relayed to me that in November 2014, he suffered a stroke. It was pretty serious, and initially took out his lower left side. He’s recovered most of his motor skills, but as for playing, he says it’s been a struggle to “work my way back up to mediocre.” As an aside, he said that anyone greeting this news with dreams of moving to LA to replace him in the recording scene should know that there’s no there there anymore; the work has dried up. He feels that the main part of his career occurred during a golden age that’s now passed.
Tommy remains active making music for Sunday services at his church, as he’s done for many years. He seemed to be in good spirits when we spoke, and I’m sure we call wish him the best.
In other words, Tommy is a huge part of the sound of the harmonica in popular entertainment, and in the harmonica world he’s one of the really big guys.
So Tommy relayed to me that in November 2014, he suffered a stroke. It was pretty serious, and initially took out his lower left side. He’s recovered most of his motor skills, but as for playing, he says it’s been a struggle to “work my way back up to mediocre.” As an aside, he said that anyone greeting this news with dreams of moving to LA to replace him in the recording scene should know that there’s no there there anymore; the work has dried up. He feels that the main part of his career occurred during a golden age that’s now passed.
Tommy remains active making music for Sunday services at his church, as he’s done for many years. He seemed to be in good spirits when we spoke, and I’m sure we call wish him the best.
Interesting point about session work. I saw a story recently that graphically displayed how much session work has disappeared over the last 10 years, so I don't think it's just harmonica related.
SPAH has been doing Lifetime Achievement awards for several years. To be considered for an award, a candidate must be nominated by a current member.
In other words, if you think it's a good idea, take action and nominate him. And if you're not a SPAH member, why not? SPAH is one of the biggest factors in promoting and preserving the harmonica.
By the way, you can see a full list of past award recipients here:
