Hugh McCracken | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1942-03-31)March 31, 1942 Glen Ridge, New Jersey, United States |
| Died | March 28, 2013(2013-03-28) (aged 70) New York City, United States |
| Genres | Rock |
| Occupation | Musician |
| Instruments | |
| Years active | 1960s–2013 |
Hugh Carmine McCracken (March 31, 1942 – March 28, 2013) was an American rock guitarist andsession musician based inNew York City, primarily known for his performance onguitar and also as aharmonica player. McCracken was additionally an arranger and record producer.[1][2]
Born inGlen Ridge, New Jersey, McCracken grew up inHackensack, New Jersey.[3]
Especially in demand in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s, McCracken appeared on many recordings bySteely Dan, as well as albums byDonald Fagen,Jimmy Rushing,Billy Joel,Roland Kirk,Roberta Flack,B. B. King,Hue and Cry,John Lennon,Paul McCartney,the Monkees,Paul Simon,Art Garfunkel,Lotti Golden,Idris Muhammad,James Taylor,Phoebe Snow,Bob Dylan,Linda McCartney,Carly Simon,Graham Parker,Yoko Ono,Eric Carmen,Loudon Wainwright III,Lou Donaldson,Aretha Franklin,Bob James,Van Morrison,the Four Seasons,Barbra Streisand,Hall & Oates,the Archies,Don McLean,Hank Crawford,Jerry Jemmott,Gary Wright andAndy Gibb.
In the middle 1960s, McCracken played in a North Jersey night club cover band called the Funatics under the stage name of Mack Pierce. The band became Mario & the Funatics for a short time when it merged with saxophonist Mario Madison. He was a member ofMike Mainieri'sWhite Elephant Orchestra (1969–1972),[4] a 20-piece experimental jazz-rock outfit based in New York City. The band was made up ofSteve Gadd,Tony Levin,Warren Bernhardt,George Young,Frank Vicari,Michael Brecker,Ronnie Cuber,Jon Faddis,Lew Soloff,Randy Brecker,Barry Rogers, Jon Pierson,David Spinozza andJoe Beck.
Among the many albums he performed on was the 1970 recording by writer/criticRobert Palmer's Insect Trust,Hoboken Saturday Night, together withBernard "Pretty" Purdie andElvin Jones. In 1971, because of such high demand for his work, McCracken declined Paul McCartney's invitation to help form his new band,Wings.[5] McCracken also played on, arranged and co-produced withTommy LiPuma,Dr. John'sCity Lights (1978) andTango Palace (1979).
His most well-known work was the slide guitar solo in "All By Myself" byEric Carmen,[6] the guitar parts in "Hey Nineteen" bySteely Dan, and the main guitar playing fills onVan Morrison classic "Brown-Eyed Girl".[7]
Hugh McCracken died on Thursday March 28, 2013 in Manhattan. He was 70. Holly, his wife of 43 years, said the cause wasleukemia.[2]
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