In Memoriam: Bob Moore

Bob Moore

Photo credit: Lynda Moore

Bob Moore, whose enormous tone underpinned countless country hits, has passed away at the age of 88. Country Music Hall of Fame CEO Kyle Young released a statement following the bass legend’s death.

“Bob Moore’s contributions to American music are incalculable,” he said. “He was a musical master and the most-recorded bass player in country music history. As a key member of the much-vaunted ‘A-Team’ of Nashville session players, he was both an inspiration and an innovator. He was the heartbeat behind classics including Patsy Cline’s ‘Crazy,’ Sammi Smith’s ‘Help Me Make It Through the Night,’ Kenny Rogers’s ‘The Gambler,’ and hundreds of other recordings that changed the course of country music. He once said, ‘Anyone who has heard me play the bass knows my soul.’ We’re fortunate that he shared his soul with us for so many years.”

Moore was born in Nashville, Tennessee in 1932 and got an early start in music. By the time he was 15, he was playing bass on a tent show tour with a Grand Old Opry group. He then took to touring with Little Jimmy Dickens and playing on Red Foley’s TV show Ozark Jubilee.

His childhood friend Owen Bradley became head of Nashville’s division of Decca Record and brought Moore on as a session bassist. It was here he found his calling, performing over 17,000 recording sessions as part of the group of musicians known as The Nashville A-Team.

It’s hard to understate how many hits Moore had a hand in. He played on Elvis Presley’s “Are You Lonesome Tonight,” Roger Miller’s “King of the Road,” Marty Robbins’s “El Paso,” Conway Twitty’s “Hello, Darlin’,” and more. The list of artists he played with is a who’s who of country music history: Chet Atkins, Brenda Lee, Loretta Lynn, Faron Young, Webb Pierce, Ernest Tubb, Red Foley, and more.

In 2007, Moore was inducted into Nashville’s Musicians Hall of Fame as part of the A-Team.

Our thoughts are with the family and friends of Bob Moore.

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