Gary Hicks

MCMAA Hall of Fame Inductee- 2010

Gary was born September 30, 1940 in Boston Ma. He was exposed to all kinds of music from an early age. Music was in his blood, his father being an accomplished Jazz & Pop pianist, both paternal uncles also musicians and his maternal grandfather an excellent Canadian style fiddler. Gary's brother Bob plays piano, His sister Barbara sings and plays folk guitar and his brother Don plays Country, Classical and Irish Violin and about any other stringed instrument you can name.

    Gary was given his first guitar at age eleven. It was a love affair that would last a lifetime. Gary took guitar lessons in 1950,51 & 52 at E.U. Wurlizer's old store on LaGrange St. in Boston from a gentleman who was later to head the Guitar Department at the Berklee School of music and write several notable books on Guitar and musical arraigning. The late Bill Leavitt.

    Gary started his professional music career in 1958 just out of high school playing with local Rock & Roll garage bands at record hops with Arnie “Woo Woo” Ginsberg, Joe Smith, Jack McDermott and others. On one occasion, opening at at a rock&roll show in Boston with Jack McDermott and a few local bands, due to the fact that a lead guitarist failed to make the plane in New York City, Gary was asked to get on stage and play guitar with future rock & roll legend Fabian who was the headliner. “It was wild”, he recalls. A line of police officers and security personnel across the front of the big stage protecting us from the surging crowd of teenagers and there I was, backing up one of the biggest stars of the day.

Soon he graduated to playing Country and Rock&Roll in little bars and clubs around the Boston area. He played shows and Country-dance music in a musical duo act known as Wayne and Gary the Alpines. They played all over New England and Gary earned the nickname SMILEY due to the fact that he almost never smiled while playing the guitar. "Concentrating on the job at hand". He says. He then moved on to larger bands and played with Jazz and Swing outfits around the Metro Boston area for several years

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    In the late 70's, after a visit to an old friend and band mate, Wayne Parker in Oklahoma and, at the urging of his devoted wife, Pam, Gary decided to get back into Country music. He has gigged with a number of local Country bands notably The Diane Lincoln Band, Eric Mordant and the Hired Hands, Jimmy Allen and Easy Country, John Hicks and Revolution and now, for almost 18 years, The John Penny Band. Now getting close to 70 years young, he hopes to continue making good music with these great guys as long as the Good Lord permits. This association has afforded him the opportunity to back up a number of prominent artists. Dick Curless, Hank Thompson, Jean Sheppard, Kenny Roberts, Jack Greene The Hager Twins, Billy D. Hunter, Bobby G. Rice, Michael Twitty,Tommy Cash and Tiny Tim to name a few. As well as opening for a list of super stars too long to mention.

   Gary has a good family life. With his wife Pam, they have three children. Tracy, the oldest loves to play guitar and sing. Gary Jr. is a very talented rock guitarist Heading up a fine rock quartet. And Kathy, the youngest aspires to be a country singer and is a fine guitar player. Gary is also the proud grandfather of four grandchildren. Makayla Hicks, Simone McHugh, Breanna Hicks and Niall Murray all of whom show a definite musical aptitude

If you would like to send an Email to Gary, click on the guitar below.