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{{more citations needed|date=January 2013}}
{{Infobox musical artist
{{Infobox musical artist
| name = Gary Usher
| name = Gary Usher
Line 13: Line 12:
| alias =
| alias =
| birth_date = {{birth date|1938|12|14}}
| birth_date = {{birth date|1938|12|14}}
| birth_place = [[Los Angeles|Los Angeles, California]]<br>United States
| birth_place = [[Los Angeles]], California, United States
| origin =
| origin =
| death_date = {{death date and age|1990|05|25|1938|12|14}}
| death_date = {{death date and age|1990|05|25|1938|12|14}}
| death_place = Los Angeles, California<br>United States
| death_place = Los Angeles, California, United States
| genre = [[Rock and roll]], [[surf music]]
| genre = [[Rock and roll]], [[surf music]]
| occupation = [[Songwriter]], [[record producer]]
| occupation = [[Songwriter]], [[record producer]]
| instrument =
| instrument =
| years_active = 1960s–1990
| years_active = 1960s–1990
| label =
| label = Capitol, Columbia, Together, Lan-Cet
| associated_acts = {{Unbulleted list|[[The Beach Boys]], [[The Byrds]], [[Dick Dale]], [[The Hondells]], [[Sagittarius (band)|Sagittarius]]}}
| associated_acts = {{Unbulleted list|[[The Beach Boys]], [[The Byrds]], [[Dick Dale]], [[The Hondells]], [[Sagittarius (band)|Sagittarius]]}}
| website = {{URL|1=www.garyusher.com}}
| website = {{URL|1=www.garyusher.com}}
}}
}}


'''Gary Lee Usher''' (December 14, 1938 &ndash; May 25, 1990) was an American rock musician, songwriter, and record producer who worked with numerous California acts in the 1960s, including [[the Byrds]], [[the Beach Boys]], and [[Dick Dale]]. Usher also produced fictitious surf groups or [[hot rod]] groups mixing studio [[Session musician|session musicians]] with his own troops ([[Chuck Girard]], Dick Burns and others). These bands include the Super-Stocks, with the hot-rod song "Midnight Run", and the [[Kickstand|Kickstands]].<ref>David N. Howard -Sonic Alchemy: Visionary Music Producers and Their Maverick Recordings 2004 -147685209X "Ever since Usher's early surf and hot rod days, he had been creating fictitious studio groups such as the Super-Stocks and the Kickstands, imaginary bands to sate the hungry surf and hot rod record-buying audience."</ref>
'''Gary Lee Usher''' (December 14, 1938 May 25, 1990)<ref name="AMG">{{Cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/gary-usher-mn0000187123/biography|title=Gary Usher Biography, Songs, & Albums|website=[[AllMusic]]|access-date=16 October 2021}}</ref> was an American rock musician, songwriter, and record producer, who worked with numerous California acts in the 1960s, including [[the Byrds]], [[the Beach Boys]], and [[Dick Dale]]. Usher also produced fictitious surf groups or [[hot rod]] groups, mixing studio [[session musician]]s with his own troops ([[Chuck Girard]], Dick Burns and others). These bands included [[the Super Stocks]] (with the hot-rod song "Midnight Run"); the Kickstands;<ref>David N. Howard, ''Sonic Alchemy: Visionary Music Producers and Their Maverick Recordings'', 2004, {{ISBN|147685209X}}: "Ever since Usher's early surf and hot rod days, he had been creating fictitious studio groups such as The Super Stocks and The Kickstands, imaginary bands to sate the hungry surf and hot rod record-buying audience."</ref> [[the Hondells]] with their No. 9 US pop single "[[Little Honda]]"; and others.

== The Ghouls and ''Dracula’s Deuce'' ==
In 1964, Gary Usher, already known for his work in surf and hot rod music, ventured into the world of horror-themed novelty music with a studio project known as ''The Ghouls''. Rather than being a formal band, ''The Ghouls'' were a studio ensemble under Usher's direction, primarily recorded as a one-off for the album ''Dracula's Deuce''. The record blended surf rock with horror-comic themes and featured a mix of instrumental and vocal tracks. Each song leveraged macabre humor, with pun-filled titles like "The Little Old Lady from Transylvania" and "Be True to Your Ghoul," offering satirical nods to contemporaneous hits by Jan and Dean and the Beach Boys.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Dracula's Deuce: Revving Through Gary Usher's Horror-Themed Hot Rod Record |url=https://buttondown.com/GutFeeling/archive/draculas-deuce-revving-through-gary-ushers-horror/ |access-date=2024-10-31 |website=buttondown.com |language=en}}</ref>1986 Gary usher co-wrote "Lets put the Fun Back in Rock'n Roll"with Joseph Nicoletti
of Global Village music Co.(ascap)Laguna Beach, California.they Produced Frankie Avalon,Fabian and Bobby Rydell Known as the "Golden Boys of Rock" they Performed this Song as Command Performance For President Reagan at the Ford Theater on 1987.
Vocalist Richie Burns, who had previously collaborated with Usher on ''Black Boots and Bikes'', lent his voice to ''Dracula’s Deuce'', often using a Boris Karloff-like lilt reminiscent of Bobby “Boris” Pickett’s famed “Monster Mash.” Tracks like “The Graveyard Shift” bore noticeable similarities to “Monster Mash,” while others, such as the haunting “Monsterbilly Heaven,” stood out as unique entries in the genre.

Though the record did not achieve mainstream success, ''Dracula’s Deuce'' has since become a cult favorite, appreciated for its mix of ghoulish humor and surf rock sensibility. Despite its niche appeal, the album remains available on streaming platforms and has a loyal fanbase that revisits it during Halloween.


==Death==
==Death==
Usher died of [[lung cancer]] at his home in Los Angeles, California at the age of 51.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://articles.latimes.com/1990-06-02/news/mn-338_1_beach-boys |title=Gary Usher; Co-Writer of Beach Boys Hits |newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]] |date=2 June 1990}}</ref>
Usher died of [[lung cancer]] at his home in his hometown of [[Los Angeles]], [[California]], on May 25, 1990, at the age of 51.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1990-06-02-mn-338-story.html |title=Gary Usher; Co-Writer of Beach Boys Hits |newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]] |date=2 June 1990}}</ref>
Survivors include his wife, Sue, three sons and a daughter.


==Selected discography==
==Selected discography==

===Production===
===Production===
{{div col}}
{{div col}}
*''Go Little Honda'' (1964, [[The Hondells]])<ref name="LarkinGE"/>

*''Go Little Honda'' (1964, [[The Hondells]])
*''Hondells'' (1964, The Hondells)<ref name="LarkinGE"/>
*''Hondells'' (1964, The Hondells)
*''Hit City '65'' (1965, [[The Surfaris]])<ref name="LarkinGE"/>
*''Hit City '65'' (1965, [[The Surfaris]])
*''It Ain't Me, Babe'' (1965, The Surfaris)<ref name="LarkinGE"/>
*''In Action'' (1966, Keith Allison)<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.45worlds.com/vinyl/album/cs9441|title=Vinyl Album: Keith Allison - Keith Allison In Action (1967)|website=45worlds.com|access-date=16 October 2021}}</ref>
*''It Ain't Me, Babe'' (1965, The Surfaris)
*''An Esoteric Qabalistic Service'' (1966, Rev. [[Ann Davies (occultist)|Ann Davies]] with the [[Builders of the Adytum]] Choir)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.discogs.com/release/7290451-Ann-Davies-An-Esoteric-Qabalistic-Service|title=Ann Davies – "An Esoteric Qabalistic Service" (1975, Gatefold, Vinyl)|access-date=16 October 2021|website=Discogs.com}}</ref>
*''In Action'' (1966, Keith Allison)
*''[[Gene Clark with the Gosdin Brothers]]'' (1967, [[Gene Clark]])<ref name="LarkinGE"/>
*''An Esoteric Qabalistic Service'' (1966, Rev. [[Ann Davies (occultist)|Ann Davies]] with the [[Builders of the Adytum]] Choir)
*''[[Gene Clark with the Gosdin Brothers]]'' (1967, [[Gene Clark]])
*''[[Younger Than Yesterday]]'' (1967, [[The Byrds]])<ref name="AMG"/>
*''[[Younger Than Yesterday]]'' (1967, [[The Byrds]])
*''[[The Peanut Butter Conspiracy Is Spreading]]'' (1967, [[The Peanut Butter Conspiracy]])<ref name="LarkinGE"/>
*''Of Cabbages and Kings'' (1967, [[Chad & Jeremy]])<ref name="LarkinGE"/>
*''[[The Peanut Butter Conspiracy Is Spreading]]'' (1967, [[The Peanut Butter Conspiracy]])
*''[[The Great Conspiracy (album)|The Great Conspiracy]]'' (1967, The Peanut Butter Conspiracy)<ref name="LarkinGE"/>
*''Of Cabbages and Kings'' (1967, [[Chad & Jeremy]])
*''[[Present Tense (Sagittarius album)|Present Tense]]'' (1968, [[Sagittarius (band)|Sagittarius]])<ref name="LarkinGE"/>
*''[[The Great Conspiracy (album)|The Great Conspiracy]]'' (1967, The Peanut Butter Conspiracy)
*''The Ark'' (1968, Chad & Jeremy)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-ark-mw0000345112/credits|title=The Ark - Chad & Jeremy &#124; Credits |website=[[AllMusic]]|access-date=16 October 2021}}</ref>
*''[[Present Tense (Sagittarius album)|Present Tense]]'' (1968, [[Sagittarius (band)|Sagittarius]])
*''The Ark'' (1968, Chad & Jeremy)
*''[[The Notorious Byrd Brothers]]'' (1968, The Byrds)<ref name="AMG"/>
*''[[The Notorious Byrd Brothers]]'' (1968, The Byrds)
*''[[Waiting for the Electrician or Someone Like Him]]'' (1968, [[The Firesign Theatre]])<ref name="LarkinGE"/>
*''[[Sweetheart of the Rodeo]]'' (1968, The Byrds)<ref name="LarkinGE">{{cite book|title=[[Encyclopedia of Popular Music|The Guinness Encyclopedia of Popular Music]]|editor=[[Colin Larkin (writer)|Colin Larkin]]|publisher=[[Guinness Publishing]]|date=1992|edition=First|isbn=0-85112-939-0|page=2565}}</ref>
*''[[Waiting for the Electrician or Someone Like Him]]'' (1968, [[The Firesign Theatre]])
*''Wackering Heights'' (1972, [[The Wackers]])<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/wackering-heights-mw0000260032/credits|title=Wackering Heights - Wackers &#124; Credits |website=[[AllMusic]]|access-date=16 October 2021}}</ref>
*''[[Sweetheart of the Rodeo]]'' (1968, The Byrds)
*''[[Going Public (Bruce Johnston album)|Going Public]]'' (1977, [[Bruce Johnston]])<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/going-public-mw0000109334/credits|title=Going Public - Bruce Johnston &#124; Credits |website=[[AllMusic]]|access-date=16 October 2021}}</ref>
*''Wackering Heights'' (1972, [[The Wackers]])
*"Sanctuary" (1984, Celestium)<ref name="auto">{{Cite web|url=http://www.45cat.com/record/3404303|title=Celestium - Sanctuary|access-date=16 October 2021|website=45cat.com}}</ref>
*''[[Going Public (Bruce Johnston album)|Going Public]]'' (1977, [[Bruce Johnston]])
*''Sanctuary'' (1984, Celestium)
{{div col end}}
{{div col end}}


===Songwriting===
===Songwriting===
{{div col}}1986 "Lets Put the Fun Back in Rock'n Roll" co-written with Joseph Nicoletti
{{div col}}
*"[[409 (song)|409]]" (1962, The Beach Boys)
*"[[409 (song)|409]]" (1962, The Beach Boys)<ref name="AMG"/>
*"Lonely Sea" (1962, The Beach Boys)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/surfin-usa-mw0001955277|title=Surfin' U.S.A. - The Beach Boys &#124; Songs, Reviews, Credits |website=[[AllMusic]]|access-date=16 October 2021}}</ref>
*"Lonely Sea" (1962, The Beach Boys)
*"[[Ten Little Indians (Beach Boys song)|Ten Little Indians]]" (1962, The Beach Boys)
*"[[Ten Little Indians (The Beach Boys song)|Ten Little Indians]]" (1962, The Beach Boys)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/surfin-safari-surfin-usa-mw0000203289|title=Surfin' Safari/Surfin' U.S.A. - The Beach Boys &#124; Songs, Reviews, Credits |website=[[AllMusic]]|access-date=16 October 2021}}</ref>
*"[[In My Room]]" (1963, The Beach Boys)
*"[[In My Room]]" (1963, The Beach Boys)<ref name="AMG"/>
*"Beach Party" (1963, [[Frankie Avalon]])<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/25-all-time-greatest-hits-mw0000218381|title=25 All-Time Greatest Hits - Frankie Avalon &#124; Songs, Reviews, Credits|website=[[AllMusic]]|access-date=16 October 2021}}</ref>
*"Beach Party" (1963, [[Frankie Avalon]])
*"Mag Wheels" (1963, Dick Dale and the Del-Tones)
*"Mag Wheels" (1963, Dick Dale and the Del-Tones)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/song/mag-wheels-mt0005750807|title=Mag Wheels - Dick Dale & His Del-Tones &#124; Song Info |website=[[AllMusic]]|access-date=16 October 2021}}</ref>
*"We'll Run Away" (1964, The Beach Boys)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/all-summer-long-mw0000319105|title=All Summer Long - The Beach Boys &#124; Songs, Reviews, Credits |website=[[AllMusic]]|access-date=16 October 2021}}</ref>
*"We'll Run Away" (1964, The Beach Boys)
*"Comin' On Too Strong" (1965, [[Wayne Newton]])<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/song/coming-on-too-strong-mt0012068571|title=Coming on Too Strong - Wayne Newton &#124; Song Info |website=[[AllMusic]]|access-date=16 October 2021}}</ref>
*"Comin' On Too Strong" (1965, [[Wayne Newton]])
*"The Truth Is Not Real" (1968, Sagittarius)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/present-tense-mw0000026086|title=Present Tense - Sagittarius &#124; Songs, Reviews, Credits |website=[[AllMusic]]|access-date=16 October 2021}}</ref>
*"The Truth Is Not Real" (1968, Sagittarius)
*"The Blue Marble" (1969, Sagittarius)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/song/the-blue-marble-mt0009734411|title=The Blue Marble - Sagittarius &#124; Song Info |website=[[AllMusic]]|access-date=16 October 2021}}</ref>
*"The Blue Marble" (1969, Sagittarius)
*"[[Don't Give In to Him]]" (1969, [[Gary Puckett & The Union Gap]])
*"[[Don't Give In to Him]]" (1969, [[Gary Puckett & The Union Gap]])<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/greatest-hits-deluxe-mw0000191370|title=Greatest Hits [Deluxe] - Gary Puckett, Gary Puckett & the Union Gap &#124; Songs, Reviews, Credits |website=[[AllMusic]]|access-date=16 October 2021}}</ref>
*"(Friend)Ships" (1971, Gary Usher)
*"(Friend)Ships" (1971, Gary Usher)
*"Sanctuary" (1983, Celestium and later [[Laura Branigan]] and the J-Pop artist [[Reimy]])
*"Sanctuary" (1983, Celestium and later [[Laura Branigan]] and the J-Pop artist [[Reimy]])<ref name="auto"/>
*"Let's Go To Heaven In My Car" (1986, Brian Wilson) (Note - Gary Usher's son, Gary Usher Jr., plays the guitar solo.)
*"Let's Go To Heaven In My Car" (1986, Brian Wilson)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/song/lets-go-to-heaven-in-my-car-mt0046425953|title=Let's Go to Heaven in My Car - Brian Wilson &#124; Song Info |website=[[AllMusic]]|access-date=16 October 2021}}</ref> (Note - Gary Usher's son, Gary Usher Jr., played the guitar solo)
*"Christmas Time" (1986, Brian Wilson)
* "Let's put the Fun back in Rock'n Roll"(1986 co-written with Joseph Nicoletti jr.-ascap)- Recorded by Frankie Avalon, Fabian & Bobby Rydell "The Golden Boys of Rock"
{{div col end}}
{{div col end}}


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==External links==
==External links==
*{{Allmusic|class=artist|id=p133682}}
*{{AllMusic|class=artist|id=p133682}}
*{{IMDb name|0882319}}
*{{IMDb name|0882319}}
*{{Find a Grave|30807621}}


{{Authority control}}
{{Authority control}}
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[[Category:Songwriters from Massachusetts]]
[[Category:Songwriters from Massachusetts]]
[[Category:The Forte' Four members]]
[[Category:The Forte' Four members]]
[[Category:Deaths from cancer in California]]
[[Category:Deaths from lung cancer in California]]
[[Category:Deaths from lung cancer]]
[[Category:20th-century American musicians]]
[[Category:20th-century American businesspeople]]
[[Category:20th-century American businesspeople]]
[[Category:California Sound]]
[[Category:California Sound]]
[[Category:20th-century American songwriters]]
[[Category:California Music members]]


{{US-bio-stub}}

Latest revision as of 20:11, 3 November 2024

Gary Usher
Birth nameGary Lee Usher
Born(1938-12-14)December 14, 1938
Los Angeles, California, United States
DiedMay 25, 1990(1990-05-25) (aged 51)
Los Angeles, California, United States
GenresRock and roll, surf music
Occupation(s)Songwriter, record producer
Years active1960s–1990
LabelsCapitol, Columbia, Together, Lan-Cet
Websitewww.garyusher.com

Gary Lee Usher (December 14, 1938 – May 25, 1990)[1] was an American rock musician, songwriter, and record producer, who worked with numerous California acts in the 1960s, including the Byrds, the Beach Boys, and Dick Dale. Usher also produced fictitious surf groups or hot rod groups, mixing studio session musicians with his own troops (Chuck Girard, Dick Burns and others). These bands included the Super Stocks (with the hot-rod song "Midnight Run"); the Kickstands;[2] the Hondells with their No. 9 US pop single "Little Honda"; and others.

The Ghouls and Dracula’s Deuce

[edit]

In 1964, Gary Usher, already known for his work in surf and hot rod music, ventured into the world of horror-themed novelty music with a studio project known as The Ghouls. Rather than being a formal band, The Ghouls were a studio ensemble under Usher's direction, primarily recorded as a one-off for the album Dracula's Deuce. The record blended surf rock with horror-comic themes and featured a mix of instrumental and vocal tracks. Each song leveraged macabre humor, with pun-filled titles like "The Little Old Lady from Transylvania" and "Be True to Your Ghoul," offering satirical nods to contemporaneous hits by Jan and Dean and the Beach Boys.[3]1986 Gary usher co-wrote "Lets put the Fun Back in Rock'n Roll"with Joseph Nicoletti of Global Village music Co.(ascap)Laguna Beach, California.they Produced Frankie Avalon,Fabian and Bobby Rydell Known as the "Golden Boys of Rock" they Performed this Song as Command Performance For President Reagan at the Ford Theater on 1987. Vocalist Richie Burns, who had previously collaborated with Usher on Black Boots and Bikes, lent his voice to Dracula’s Deuce, often using a Boris Karloff-like lilt reminiscent of Bobby “Boris” Pickett’s famed “Monster Mash.” Tracks like “The Graveyard Shift” bore noticeable similarities to “Monster Mash,” while others, such as the haunting “Monsterbilly Heaven,” stood out as unique entries in the genre.

Though the record did not achieve mainstream success, Dracula’s Deuce has since become a cult favorite, appreciated for its mix of ghoulish humor and surf rock sensibility. Despite its niche appeal, the album remains available on streaming platforms and has a loyal fanbase that revisits it during Halloween.

Death

[edit]

Usher died of lung cancer at his home in his hometown of Los Angeles, California, on May 25, 1990, at the age of 51.[4] Survivors include his wife, Sue, three sons and a daughter.

Selected discography

[edit]

Production

[edit]

Songwriting

[edit]
1986 "Lets Put the Fun Back in Rock'n Roll" co-written with Joseph Nicoletti

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c d e "Gary Usher Biography, Songs, & Albums". AllMusic. Retrieved 16 October 2021.
  2. ^ David N. Howard, Sonic Alchemy: Visionary Music Producers and Their Maverick Recordings, 2004, ISBN 147685209X: "Ever since Usher's early surf and hot rod days, he had been creating fictitious studio groups such as The Super Stocks and The Kickstands, imaginary bands to sate the hungry surf and hot rod record-buying audience."
  3. ^ "Dracula's Deuce: Revving Through Gary Usher's Horror-Themed Hot Rod Record". buttondown.com. Retrieved 2024-10-31.
  4. ^ "Gary Usher; Co-Writer of Beach Boys Hits". Los Angeles Times. 2 June 1990.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Colin Larkin, ed. (1992). The Guinness Encyclopedia of Popular Music (First ed.). Guinness Publishing. p. 2565. ISBN 0-85112-939-0.
  6. ^ "Vinyl Album: Keith Allison - Keith Allison In Action (1967)". 45worlds.com. Retrieved 16 October 2021.
  7. ^ "Ann Davies – "An Esoteric Qabalistic Service" (1975, Gatefold, Vinyl)". Discogs.com. Retrieved 16 October 2021.
  8. ^ "The Ark - Chad & Jeremy | Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 16 October 2021.
  9. ^ "Wackering Heights - Wackers | Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 16 October 2021.
  10. ^ "Going Public - Bruce Johnston | Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 16 October 2021.
  11. ^ a b "Celestium - Sanctuary". 45cat.com. Retrieved 16 October 2021.
  12. ^ "Surfin' U.S.A. - The Beach Boys | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 16 October 2021.
  13. ^ "Surfin' Safari/Surfin' U.S.A. - The Beach Boys | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 16 October 2021.
  14. ^ "25 All-Time Greatest Hits - Frankie Avalon | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 16 October 2021.
  15. ^ "Mag Wheels - Dick Dale & His Del-Tones | Song Info". AllMusic. Retrieved 16 October 2021.
  16. ^ "All Summer Long - The Beach Boys | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 16 October 2021.
  17. ^ "Coming on Too Strong - Wayne Newton | Song Info". AllMusic. Retrieved 16 October 2021.
  18. ^ "Present Tense - Sagittarius | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 16 October 2021.
  19. ^ "The Blue Marble - Sagittarius | Song Info". AllMusic. Retrieved 16 October 2021.
  20. ^ "Greatest Hits [Deluxe] - Gary Puckett, Gary Puckett & the Union Gap | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 16 October 2021.
  21. ^ "Let's Go to Heaven in My Car - Brian Wilson | Song Info". AllMusic. Retrieved 16 October 2021.

Further reading

[edit]
  • McParland, Stephen J. (2000). The California Sound - An Insider's Story. The Musical Biography of Gary Lee Usher. CMusic Publishing. ASIN B006VXTC3Q.
  • McParland, Stephen J. (2013). The Brian Wilson Project. Berlot. ISBN 978-2954483405.
[edit]