Al McKay

Al McKay ( born February 2, 1948 in New Orleans, Louisiana) is an American R & B, soul and funk guitarist. He was given a guitar by his uncle at the age of five years. His great idols were Freddie King, Duane Eddy, the Everly Brothers and James Brown.

Career

When his mother became ill, he moved to an aunt in Southern California. His first professional appearance as a guitarist, he had at eighteen, shortly after he had made his high school graduation. Known as a good friend introduced him to Ike Turner and he pointed to a game this error during the song Losing You by the Temptations, Ike Turner hired him on the spot for the Ike & Tina Turner Revue.

After one and a half years, he returned to Los Angeles and played in different studios with many sizes of jazz, pop and R & B scene. During this time he was also engaged by Sammy Davis Jr., who wanted him mainly because of his special guitar effects and his wah-wah game. In many Las Vegas shows and studio recordings he could prove his talent. This hoisted him on one of the front seats as a guitarist in the U.S.. Many artists like Andy Williams, Pearl Bailey, The Sylvers and Isaac Hayes used his unique sound.

In 1973, he met in Chicago to a group that produced a new, refreshing sound - Earth, Wind and Fire. By 1981, he toured with the band through all continents and wrote with Maurice White many of the big hits such as September and SingaSong. After his time with Earth, Wind and Fire, he devoted himself entirely as a single parent to his son.

At the beginning of the 1990s he had the idea for two new live projects, the LA All-Stars and the Al McKay All-Stars. He has also taken many of the old fellow in the studio and on stage, as Andrew Woolfolk ( sax ), Johnny Graham ( guitar), Fred White (drums) and the Phoenix Horns.

Award

In 2000 he was awarded with the band Earth, Wind and Fire a star in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.