WARRIOR RECORDS - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Producer, the Rolling Stones
Touted by Variety as "hyperkinetic" and always on the make, Benny Mardones was nicknamed "The Voice" due to his near four-octave vocal range and soulful, passionate delivery. Mardones ™ favorite song to perform was his hit œInto The Night, the song he co-wrote which remains one of the top 25 most played singles in the history of radio, gracing the airwaves over ten million times. It is also one of the only songs to have ever charted three separate versions of the song as a single by the same artist.
Mardones, enjoyed an extremely successful twenty-five years as a songwriter and showman. He shared the stage with Fleetwood Mac and the Rolling Stones, and played alongside legends such as the Otis Redding band. In a Showtime tribute to rock icon Roy Orbison, Benny performed with the likes of Bob Dylan, John Fogerty, and Johnny Cash. Mardones' ability to compose music that transcended generational gaps and typical pop-rock-r&b genre pigeonholes had much to do with his achingly honest lyrics and soulful delivery. As Rolling Stone quipped, his "gloriously adolescent romanticism" appeals to all regardless of age or musical background.
Pursuing a rigorous touring schedule over the years, despite his diagnosis with Parkinson's, Benny gathered his strength from his passion for performing and his adoring fans. He noted that, "There are days where I wonder if I am going to be able to use these vocal chords...if my legs are going to hold me up. But at this point in my life, my fans are almost family -- they support me and they help keep me going. As long as they want to hear me sing, as long as they want to come to the shows, I will pour every last drop of myself into performing."
Bishop Lee Moore (aka MOUR) is an inspiring, spiritual, and business motivational speaker with a vision in action. Hgrew up in the church. His mother, Lacy Mae Moore, was the minister of music at Mt. Olive Missionary Baptist church in Arkansas. She encouraged Mour to pursue his musical gifts of singing and playing the piano for God. In 1988, Bishop Moore received his minister license under Elder Jasper Porter of Greater Beaulaland Church of God in Christ and was ordained by his current pastor, Bishop Aiyetoro Oyeleye of Community Holiness Outreach Ministry in Memphis, TN.
Bishop Moore is called to write and produce Christian music and literature. His book, "Don't Go To The Lake Of Fire," was produced into a feature film which became an official selection of the 2005 New York International Independent Film and Video Festival. Mour's recordings and literature have also been packaged into the MAC PAC 300 (an inspirational collection of CDs and books), which is distributed as Bishop Moore tours churches around the United States with his wife and radio personality, Evangelist Deborah Moore.
If Bobby Lee Trammell never became as well-known as Jerry Lee Lewis or Little Richard, it wasn ™t for a lack of trying. In a time when Elvis was tamed and Jerry Lee was on the outs, Trammell kept shamelessly gyrating and performing loud, raw, rock & roll, while staying away from ballads.
Born January 31st, 1934, Bobby was one of four children of Wiley and Mae Trammell who owned a cotton farm near Jonesboro, Arkansas. He came by his musical abilities naturally " his father had played the fiddle professionally and his mother was the organist at the local church. He was drawn not only to their music, but also to country music while listening to the Grand Ole Opry on the radio religiously. He also had an interest in black gospel music and occasionally sneaked out to the local black Pentecostal church to watch and listen to their style of music and dancing.
Trammell played country music in high school and aspired to a singing career. But, that remained a far-off dream until one day when Johnny Cash and Carl Perkins performed locally. Bobby was permitted by Perkins to sing a song with the band who after seeing him perform advised Trammell to pay a call on Sam Phillips at Sun Records.
Bobby travelled to Memphis with a demo tape of songs he had written, but Sam, being a busy man, didn ™t have time at that moment to listen. He told Trammell to keep rehearing and come back in two to three weeks. But, being an impatient kid, Bobby didn ™t wait (a decision he regretted throughout his career), as he admitted in an interview with Ian Wallis, citing his own immaturity. He instead headed west and took a job at the Ford Assembly Motor Plant in Long Beach, California, and was still trying to get signed when he attended a carnival where Bobby Bare was appearing. He managed to convince Bare to let him on-start to sing a couple of numbers, where he showed off a gyrating style that was in the same league with the early performances of Elvis Presley.
Trammell was seen by Lefty Frizzell who invited him to try out for a performing venue called the Jubilee Ballroom in Baldwin Park, where he won the opening slot on a bill that included Frizzell, Freddie Hard, and Johnny Cash. Bobby earned a regular spot at the venue and soon built up a following among the teenage listeners, earning $75 a week. One of the people who saw him there was Malibu-based manager Fabor Robinson, owner of the Fabor, Abbott, and Radio labels, who offered Trammell the chance at a recording career.
Within two months, in November of 1957, he recorded the single œShirley Lee / œI Sure Do Love You Baby, both of which were originals. They were cut at Robinson ™s studio in Hollywood, with Bobby on rhythm guitar, backed by James Burton/lead guitar and James Kirkland/bass who were both in Bob Luman ™s band. The record, on Robinson ™s own Fabor label, kicked off successfully in Baltimore and did well enough to attract the attention of a nationally distributed company, ABC Paramount, which leased the master from Robinson.
Without ever making a major impact on the charts, œShirley Lee, sold almost a quarter of a million copies by some reports, and also was covered by another new rock & roller named Ricky Nelson on his second album. Trammell was also invited by Ricky ™s father to audition for The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet, but was rejected for being too wild for the family-friendly show. Then, probably due to his youth and naivety, Bobby blew off Nelson Sr. ™s suggestion that they would seriously look at recording any new songs that he wrote, thus letting tens and perhaps hundreds of thousands of dollars in potential royalties slip out of his reach, like were earned by songwriter ™s Johnny and Dorsey Burnett from their songs that were recorded by Ricky.
Trammell also very nearly lost his contract over the aborted first recording session for his second single " another original " entitled œYou Mostest Girl / œUh Oh. Robinson had initially booked an orchestra and vocal choir, but when Bobby proved unwilling to sing with that kind of backup in a decidedly non-rock & roll vein, they nearly called it quits. Luckily, Robinson recognized his error and soon let Trammell cut the song his way, with a five-piece backing. Unfortunately, neither this song nor a third single, œMy Susie J, My Susie Jane / œShould I Make Amends managed to chart.
Following Robinson ™s retirement in 1959, Trammel ™s contract was sold to Warrior Records, in Hollywood who recorded and released œOpen Up Your Heart Again / œWoe Is Me. By then, however, Bobby had pretty much run his course on the west coast circuit, mostly due to the intensity of his performances and immaturity. Whereas Elvis Presley had always been shocked and even a bit fearful of the audience reactions to his own hip gyrations, Trammell devoured the screams of the crowds from his antics, tearing off his clothes, jumping on top of the piano, and generally inciting fans, all at a time when promoters and authorities were trying to quiet rock & roll down. Bobby would intentionally incite his audience to the point where riots would break out with consequent damage to auditoriums, problems with club owners, and promoters not wanted to continue working with him. All of that, plus a practical joke and protest that went awry " leaving Trammell hanging from a collapsing broadcast tower to be rescued by police " left him practically unemployable in California.
Bobby returned to Arkansas where he went on to record for a series of small labels, a highlight of which included œHi Hi Silver / œBeen A Walking. But, he managed to burn out his reputation there as well, engaging in a rivalry with Jerry Lee Lewis that resulted in Bobby vandalizing the piano that Lewis played. By 1960, no clubs would book him and no DJs would play his records. At one point, he ended up creating recordings himself and selling the copies out of the back of his car. According to his interview with Wallis, he also turned down efforts by major labels like Warner Bros., Columbia, and Dot (the home of Pat Boone) to license his songs.
When the British invasion hit, Trammell grew his hair long and continued to run against the grain " especially in Nashville " cutting loud, bold rock & roll, mostly for the Sims label, even recording sides with a soul flavor. In the 70s, Bobby scored two minor country hits on the Souncot label, a remake of œYou Mostest Girl for Capitol in ™73, and œIt ™s All Your Fault for Sun International in ™77.
In the 80s, Trammell tried to get in on the European rock & roll revival, which was in full swing and giving artists, such as the surviving members of Bill Haley ™s Comets, their best paydays in decades. Unfortunately, it was a failed effort. Bobby was bought to Europe to perform at the 1984 Rockhouse Festival in Eindhoven, Holland. Though he was clearly in poor physical shape, it was a wild and frantic show which came to a sudden end when Trammell tried to jump on the piano. He landed awkwardly on top of it, wobbled, lost his balance, and fell breaking his wrist in the process.
In the 1990s, Trammell shifted gears into politics for the Democratic Party and was elected to the Arkansas House of Representatives in 1997 where he served until 2002. After that, Trammell mostly faded from the public eye, passing away on February 20th, 2008, in Jonesboro.
Eddie Money's career has a mythical quality. The successful rock icon is doing what he always loved. It's what took him out of the New York City Police Force and across the country at such a young age - playing and performing his own music! And, of course, Jesse brings it all together by showing us that Eddie Money, for all he's been through personally and professionally, always comes out the big winner. "My younger brother, Joe, is a straight-A student," she says with a sly smile. "Dad may get his doctor in the family yet!"
Evangelist Deborah (Atkinson) Moore was born in Wilson County, Wilson, NC, to the late William Nelson Kelly and Fannie Atkinson Powell who currently reside there. She is married to Bishop Lee Moore and together they have a total of six songs and one daughter. She also has a numerous amount of grandchildren and love each and everone that call her 'Grandma.'
Eveangelist Moore did her Initial Sermon in Wilson, NC, under Paston Geroge Atkinson at Greater Century Church in Wilson in 2000. She was ordained in 2004 by Bishop Lee Moore and received here Minister license under his Ministry, Bounty Hungers For Christ. Bishop Moore, who was also know as "Mour" on his CDs, is a national recording artist, contemporary gospel songwriter, film producer, and religious book writer. God gave Bishop Moore visions to write books which are supported with scriptures from the Holy Bible. Bishop Lee and Deborah Moore are now affiliated with Back To The Bible Ministries in Mariett, GA, where they teach regularly from the Bounty Hunters For Christ series of books.
Evangelist Deborah Moore, along with her husband, travel the world teaching and preaching the Gospel in the streets, prisons, jails, and over te phone. Evangelist Moore was a radio personality at WVOT radio in Wilson, NC, and also at WSSG radio in the city of Goldboro. She also had an evening show on WVOT that included national talent on the air, live at the station, and on the phone every Friday evening. She has spoken on air with artists including, Mour, Pastor Shirley Caesar, Dr. Norman Hutchins, Angelia Christie, Smokie Norfok, Williams Brothers, Damon Little and Nu-Beginning, and also local taelnts like Pastor Rick Daughtridge and the Glory Baptist Choir, Boo Peep and Good News, The Savage Brothers, and many others. Evangelist Moore has also worked as a promoter with Summerville Promotion in Wilson, NC
Evangelist Deborah Moore has worked at elderly group homes, as well as homes for abused chilren in Wilson and Nash County. She has worked as an Emergency Medical Technician in both Elm City and Wilson, NC, and she worked closely as a certified nurses aide. Out of all of her experiences, Evangelist Moore has learned how important it is to get connected to Jesus. She ministers that one should not "Go To The Lake Of Fire" (one of her husband's books and DVD movies), but embrace yourself for a word from the Lord. "Pray for me, as I Pray for you."
Jessica Meuse is an American performer from Slapout, Alabama. She has wowed audiences since the age of 10 and plays several instruments (guitar, piano, and classical violin). At 20, Jessica won the statewide artist showcase, Stars of Alabama.
A spot on Season 3 of NBC ™s The Voice followed, where she made it to the blind auditions and was on Vans Warped Tour. Jessica was then selected by American Idol ™s judges, Keith Urban, Jennifer Lopez, and Harry Connick, Jr., for Season 13 of the TV series where she rose to be a Top 4 National Finalist. Jessica also became the first person in the history of Idol to perform her own original song during the finals and joined Idols LIVE Tour, performing in 40+ cities across the USA and Canada.
"Halfhearted" marked Jessica's first full-length album release produced by Warrior Records' president, Jim Ervin. Shortly after its release, the album hit Top 10 on iTunes Country Albums and its songs have amassed over 10 million streams, appearing in Apple Music Country Hot Tracks and being added to numerous Spotify/Apple Music playlists.
Meuse's first single, "Thank God It Didn't Work" was a Top 100 Mediabase Country Song nationally at terrestrial radio and her second single, "Love Her Better," was also promoted to country outlets around the country. The song's music video has been honored with awards at seven different film festivals.
Jessica is a fitness buff and brand ambassador for various products, dedicates time to raising awareness about Domestic Violence, Cyberbullying, St. Jude, and Children's Cancer Association, while continuing to record and tour.
Talented artist. Creative musical genius. Electronic wizard. Craftsman. These are terms used by everyone who works with him, to describe Jim Gordon. While arranging and recording for Ray Charles, Delaney and Bonnie, Mason Williams, John Hartford, Leon Russell, Glen Campbell, and the Boston Pops Orchestra took most of his time, Jim also found time to plan and record his own album.
Using the technical facilities of Hollywood Sound Recorders, including stereo acoustic echo, sixteen-track tape machines, electronic harpsichord, rocksichord, keyboard bass, clavichord, piano, drums, and many newly invented musical instruments, his "Jim Gordon Plays Heavy!" album is a creation of imagination coupled with technology. Warrior Records reissue of this album marks the first time this music has been available, since it's initial release in 1967.
Jim Gordon's musical life started years before he was born. His father's family were all musicians -- the Gordon family band in the 1930's had a nightly radio braodcast on KFBB. Claude Gordon became a renowned trumpet player and educator. He wrote several books about brass playing. Whenever you see "I Love Lucy" on TV, that's Claude Gordon playing trumpet.
Jim Gordon started playing the piano at 2 and studied piano formally at 5. He started playing clarinet at 11, began working as a professional musician at 14, and played professionally all through high school. During those years, he was active in electronics, had an amateur radio license, and built numerous electronic devices for music. He studied arranging and composition with Bob Soder and graduated from high school in 1955. He moved to L.A., got a scholarship to the L.A. Conservatory of Music, and recorded a jazz piano album for Delcro Records, "Garden Party." Jim studied clarinet, saxophone and flute with William Green, and studied composition and arranging with Marty Paich and Paul Weirick.
In 1958 Gordon started doing record dates and playing with local L.A. night club bands. In 1967 he recorded an album of experimental pop music, "Jim Gordon Plays Heavy!" using tiny electro-acoustic drums (cutting edge technology for that era). In 1970, Jim was on a concert tour/train trip/party with Delaney & Bonnie, Janis Joplin, The Band, The Grateful Deal, Buddy Guy and others. Check out the Festival Express movie.
Gordon did lots of sessions playing, arranging, conducting and producing in the '60s and '70s, a "studio musician." He recorded with early Moog synthesizers and even with a "poor man's Moog" (a Heathkit oscillator, a telegraph key, and a Fender amplifier). During the 70's and 80's, Jim worked as an engineer for Stereo Masters (studio) and as a producer for Warner Brothers.
In 1975, Gordon designed and built an experimental percussion synthesizer. It not only created percussion sounds, but also measured timing of musical events. Accuracy was to one microsecond. The synthesizer was demonstrated at the 1977 Southern California Computer Society Computer Music Symposium. John Chowning and Leland Smith from Stanford also spoke. On the front page of the May 8th 1977 L.A. Times Calendar section, writer David Barry wrote an article about Gordon and the synthesizer. During this time Gordon was also involved with the Harry Partch ensemble at UCLA, and also spent time with microtonal expert and enthusiast Ivor Darreg.
1976, Jim performed in the Last Waltz Movie with The Band, playing saxophone, clarinet, and flute in the horn section and worked with Phil Spector recording the "Rock 'n' Roll" album with John Lennon.
Over the years, Jim Gordon has recorded with so many artists -- a parital list follows: Andrew Sisters, Johnny Appolo, The Band, Elvin Bishop, Pat Boone, Will Brady, Bonnie Bramlett, Delanie Bramlett, Jackson Browne, Clora Bryant, Sam Butera, Glen Campbell, Kim Carnes, The Champs, Ray Charles, Frances Coche', Sam Cooke, Andre Crouch, Rick Danko, Bobby Darin, Jesse Ed Davis, Jerry Fuller, Leslie Gore, Dobie Gray, Cal Green, Arlo Guthrie, John Hammond, Jimmy Haskell, Jimmy Holiday, Waylon Jennings, Dr. John, Clydie King, Freddie King, John Lennon, Jimmy Lewis, Joe Maini, Joni Mitchell, Maria Muldaur, Ricky Nelson, Wayne Newton, Harry Nilson, Billy Preston, Bonnie Rait, Linda Rondstadt, Leon Russel, Soupy Sales, The Seeds, Maxine Sellers, Phil Spector, Ringo Starr, John Stewart, Rod Stewart, Ike Turner, Tina Turner, The Ventures, Jennifer Warnes, Bobbie Womack, Stevie Wonder, Eddie Zip.
In 1980, Gordon left Hollywood, moved to Orange County, California and became a full-time computer software developer and consultant. In 1990, became active in music again, although with goals different than those of the Hollywood years. He built a studio and again began producing his own music.
Rudy Parris, a Native American singer, guitarist, and songwriter hails from Central California's San Joaquin Valley. Being influenced by the Bakersfield sound, Parris was honored to have enjoyed a longstanding residency playing alongside country legend Buck Owens at his Crystal Palace in Bakersfield, CA.
Parris cites Owens, Merle Haggard, B.B. King, and SRV as his greatest influences. "I learned from Buck that I just need to be me," said Parris. "He played his music, had fun, and joked around. That instilled a sense of freedom to be myself. They are all part of my soul."
Carrying the torch for the Bakersfield sound is important to Rudy, which is why his label, Warrior Records, chose to record his debut album, "Makin' My Way," at Hollywood's famed Capitol Records in Studio B (the same room where both Owens and Haggard recorded their many hits). Join the mailing list now for first notification about Rudy's upcoming album. Produced by Parris and Warrior President, Jim Ervin, the album features guest appearances by Hank Williams III, 4-Time Grammy Winner Little Joe (y la familia), actor Michael Madsen, Chad Smith (Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Inductee/Grammy winner), Pete Anderson (Dwight Yoakam), and a host of Nashville's finest musicians.
However, Rudy is probably most well known for his appearances on Season 3 of NBC's The Voice. He was a member of Team Blake (Shelton) and was featured in that season's live finale with a guitar and vocal performance on "Rock and Roll All Night," a favorite by his rock heroes, KISS. During his tenure on The Voice, Rudy was featured to over 190 million viewers!
Parris' voice and soul has caught the ears of many music icons. Superstar Steven Tyler commented, "Rudy has a soulful, native spirit and authentic country voice."
Rudy is also renowned as a monster guitarist who can hold his own playing and singing most any style of music. Notably, Rudy was invited to perform at the acclaimed annual Jason Becker Not Dead Yet Concert in 2013, where he sang and shredded with the likes of Jon Uli Roth (Scorpions), Steve Morse (Dixie Dregs), Richie Kotzen (Mike Portnoy), and Gus G (Ozzy Osbourne). Rudy has also toured as lead guitarist for Hank Williams III.
Over the years, there have been numerous performances on stage by Parris with some of the biggest names in music, including James Brown, Bo Diddley, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Hank Williams Jr., just to name a few. It's apparent that Rudy will continue his rise toward achieving iconic status as an artist. As Rolling Stone noted, "Rudy is a crooner and a shredder, he is the original model John Mayer."
œ50 Years of Cussing, Vol. 2 is the definite greatest hits collection by Rudy Ray More (aka Dolemite)! The release covers Moore ™s extensive comedic career with well-known tracks selected from all of his releases, including œDolemite, œPool Shootin ™ Monkey, œShine & The Great Titanic, and other never before released material. Vol. 2 also includes original Moore tracks used in the smash hit film œDolemite Is My Name starring Eddie Murphy which just debuted on Netflix.
Hailed as the king of the party record and the world's greatest X-rated stand up comedian, Rudy Ray Moore ™s comic recordings have been sampled by the likes of Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Eazy-E, Eric B. and Rakim, Ice-T, Big Daddy Kane, 2 Live Crew, ODB, Busta Rhymes, and dozens of other platinum selling rap artists. Moore inspired three generations of comics and a new generation of rap practitioners. His œparty records have become classics to many nightclub goers and music buyers.