Charlie McCoy

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My guest this week is the legendary session harmonica maestro and multi-instrumentalist, Charlie McCoy. Charlie is perhaps the definitive Nashville session musician, a multi-talented performer best known for his harmonica playing and whose mastery of the instrument virtually defined its role within the context of modern country music. By the mid-'60s, McCoy was a fixture on Elvis Presley's Nashville and Los Angeles sessions, and in 1965, he began working with Bob Dylan, appearing on a string of legendary LPs that included Highway 61 Revisited, Blonde on Blonde, John Wesley Harding, and Nashville Skyline. As a result, McCoy became as much in demand among rock and folk artists as he was within the Nashville community and recorded with the likes of Ringo Starr, Al Kooper, Roy Orbison, Simon and Garfunkel, and Gordon Lightfoot. At his peak, he was performing on over 400 sessions annually. Charlie is still very active around Nashville and was generous enough to spend some time talking with me about his incredible history. Enjoy my conversation with Charlie McCoy, and please subscribe to the podcast for free on iTunes!

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