#Bob Moore, Nashville “A Team” Bassist, Dies at 88

Bob Moore, a bassist and revered member of Nashville’s famed “A Team” session players, has died. He was 88, as Billboard and Music Row report. 

As a member of the A Team roster, Moore shaped some of the biggest country and pop hits from the 1950s through 1970s. His music career stretched more than 60 years, with notable appearances on Kenny Rogers’ “The Gambler,” Elvis Presley’s “Are You Lonesome Tonight,” and more than 17,000 sessions throughout his lifetime. He was also the father to early lo-fi explorer R. Stevie Moore.

Born in 1932, Moore began his involvement in the music industry as a child, starting at the radio station WSIX-FM on a radio show as a 10-year-old. By 1947, he was a busy touring musician.  Moore’s fate changed when he met producer Owen Bradley, who met a 12-year-old Moore and later brought him on as a session musician for Decca Records. Moore’s musicianship kept him in first-call standing with Bradley, which translated into a constant stream of work as country music started booming. 

Moore was at his most prolific during the 1950s and 1960s, working with Decca and at Monument Records, the label he co-founded with Fred Foster. He played on Roger Miller’s “King of the Road,” including its distinctive opening. He regularly worked with Patsy Cline, appearing on “Crazy,” “Walkin’ After Midnight,” “Your Cheatin’ Heart,” and many others. At Monument, he often worked with Roy Orbsion.

In 1961, Moore’s take on the Boudleaux Bryant instrumental “Mexico” became a major hit in Germany. His work in the 1980s included touring with Jerry Lewis and recording with the likes of J.J. Cale and George Strait. He was named Life’s top country bassist of all time in 1994, and was inducted into Nashville’s Musicians Hall of Fame in 2007 as a member of the A Team. 

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