Red Young was born in Fort Worth, Texas. Growing up with a classical background
and listening to everyone from Van Cliburn (whom he met at age 11), Ray
Charles, B.B. King, Lightnin' Hopkins, Ft. Worth natives Delbert McClinton,
Ray Sharpe, King Curtis, Freddy King and many other Texas Blues and Jazz
Players. He accompanied vocalists, choirs, played in bands and in general
grew up with a well-rounded musical education. Upon leaving high school,
he first went to North Texas State in Denton, then on the road with trumpeter
Clyde McCoy's band (who recorded Sugar Blues in 1927 and worked thoughout
the Big Band era), whom among other things alternated sets with the Supremes
at the Steel Pier in Atlantic City and performed on the Johnny Carson show
from New York. Since it was 1968, rather than get drafted, Red joined the
Air Force Band where he was stationed first in Wichita Falls, Texas; then
Ramstein, Germany; and finally Springfield, Massachusetts. In Springfield
he learned a great deal about arranging for big band and horn sections and
he formed a Chicago/Blood, Sweat & Tears group which played concerts
all over New England and started playing the Hammond B3 Organ. Upon discharge
in 1972, he stayed around the New England area traveling with an organ trio-Hammond
B-3, drums & saxophone. On Monday nights he would venture to New York
to see the famed Thad Jones-Mel Lewis band play at the Village Vanguard
which further fueled his interest in Big Band music.
After spending a number of years away from Texas, when an opportunity arose
to go back, he took it. This time it was a band formed to back up Lloyd
Price (Personality, Stagger Lee, Lawdy Miss Claudy). The band toured for
a few months and Red again returned to Texas. He joined two brothers to
form a 5 piece jazz-fusion band called the Ham Brothers Band and got into
the recording scene in Dallas and Ft. Worth. The band became successful
on the local Dallas-Ft. Worth scene opening for such acts as Chick Corea,
Brian Auger and Weather Report among others. Through this association Red
became an integral part of the recording scene at Sugar Hill Studios in
Houston run by producer Huey Meaux and recorded albums for Freddy Fender,
Kinky Friedman, Noel Redding (bassist with Jimi Hendrix), and many other
of Huey's clients. Red did vocal & instumental arrangements on numerous
albums as well as keyboard & vocal harmony duties.
Again Red felt the urge to move, this time getting a call to join Tompall
Glaser's Outlaw Band which included Mel Brown on guitar and Ben Keith on
steel & dobro. His first tour was a package with Willie Nelson, Jesse
Coulter, Waylon Jennings and of course Tompall. Willie and Waylon had a
big hit with "Good Hearted Woman" so played to 20,000 people each
night. After the tour, rather than move to Nashville, Red moved to Los Angeles
and was enlisted in Sonny & Cher's band (1977-78 tour including a TV
special with Cher), then JOAN
ARMATRADING (world tours 1977-79 which included 4 albums and a few TV
shows), then his own jazz-fusion band (with Lon Price whom he toured with
Armatrading and had met in Ft. Woth in 1964 and Lee Thornburg of Tower of
Power and currently on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno), an album with Jerry
Williams (1978), a tour, an album and a movie with DOLLY
PARTON (1980-81), a tour and album with TANYA
TUCKER (1981-Glen Campbell was along for a number of shows), a tour
and a few television shows with ERIC
BURDON (1982), and in 1983 he joined two girl singers which worked the
clubs in Los Angeles called the "Stepsisters" and eventually became
part of Linda Ronstadt & Nelson Riddle's tour of 1983-84 (What's New).
Red did the vocal arrangements, played piano, sang and did horn arrangements
for a section of the show which eventually became known as "Red and
The Red Hots'. It became a favorite section of the show and started Red
in a direction that he continues to this day. Of course during the 1977-84
period in Los Angeles he recorded not only numerous albums for many other
artists but also TV and movie scores for many of the popular shows.
After the end of the tour, Red returned again to Ft. Worth and formed his
own band calling it "Red and the Red Hots" and continued in the
Swing/jazz vocal style, utilizing 3 vocals (2 girls and Red) using rhythm
section (acoustic bass and drums) and saxophone making the core unit a six
member band and using a horn section on occasion (5 horns making it a ten
member ensemble) and occasionally working with big band or orchestra (he
learned a great deal from the amazing Nelson Riddle-a year and a half of
touring and listening to great arrangements with an orchestra does wonders
for the inspiration). Also while living in Texas from 1984-88 Red became
a prominent member of the local recording scene, doing many commercials,
several albums and a few movies as well. The Red Hots performed in many
venues around the tri-state area (Texas-Oklahoma-Louisiana) playing concerts,
nightclubs, private parties, big social events, and even played at the famous
Peabody Hotel's Skyway room for New Year's Eve 1986 & 1987. During the
4 year period they performed more than 600 dates.
After a 1987 concert with the Ft. Worth Symphony Orchestra, Red felt the
need to go back to Los Angeles. On his return, he joined a tour with JUICE
NEWTON, which turned into a 5 year commitment, all the while performing
with the Red Hots in between times with Juice. He did many TV Shows, movies,
albums and 2 albums with the Red Hots. In 1993 he took a commitment as musical
director of the Moonlight Tango Cafe in Sherman Oaks with his trio which
turned into a year and a half engagement. In 1994, he again began to perform
more engagements with the Red Hots. Starting in June of 1995, the Red Hots
added the 5 horn section on a permanent basis and became part of the Swing
scene in Los Angeles at such places as The Derby, Disneyland, Twin Palms
Restaurant, the El Rey Theatre, The Viper Room, The Rhino Room and many
other venues. They recorded 4 albums ("Red & the Red Hots"-1987,
"Red Hot Jazz"-1994, and "The Boogie Man"-1998 and "Gettin'
Around"-1999) all available through the website.
Red continues his career as arranger and performer with "Red and the
Red Hots", has his own 24 track studio in which he records not only
his own projects but with his many friends throughout the industry, such
as Joey Altruda (Cocktails with Joey), David Sommerville (The Diamonds,
the Four Preps), Theresa James, Alexis Gershwin and many others. He also
contributed arrangements and performs with many of his friends in the industry
including BIG BAD VOODOO DADDY , ROYAL
CROWN REVUE and others. (He worked with Big Bad Voodoo Daddy on the
TV show "Big Deal" on the Fox network and is also on the movie
soundtrack for "Swingers" on the three songs with the band as
well as one song with Joey Altruda on which he played organ). He recorded
an album with fellow Texan JOHNNY
RENO and played with Johnny on an upcoming album for Coolsville Records
with a group of musicians including Scotty Morris on guitar (BBVD), Lee
Rocker on bass (Stray Cats), recorded on Lee Rocker's latest album, the
new Warner Bros TV network theme with Royal Crown Revue and an offshoot
band of Royal Crown Revue called the Jazz Jury which included Scott, Mando
and James. Red also recorded with Royal Crown Revue on their recent album
"Walk On Fire" and performed with them on selected dates throughout
the summer of 1999 including a performance at the Hollywood Bowl with the
Hollywood Bowl Orchestra in which he arranged their songs for the 80-member
ensemble.
IN 1999 Red again went back to his roots and started a band based around
his Hammond B3 organ which he played in the late 1960's through the 1970's
which became BROTHER RED. The personel was James Achor from Royal Crown
Revue (guitar) and Kenny Sara from the Red Hots (drums). The trio performed
quite a bit around Los Angeles area and did a tour of Texas in 2001 and
several trips up the West Coast and SXSW
in Austin in 2002. The album is available through the website
or through CD BABY.
In 2001 Red recorded on a new album by longtime friend STEPHEN
BRUTON for New West Records and performs with him in his touring band.
During 2001-2002 Red performed with blues guitarist KID RAMOS formerly with
the Fabulous Thunderbirds.
In 2002 Red relocated to Austin, Tx. from Los Angeles and became a part
of the musical scene there performing with STEPHEN
BRUTON, did an album with pianist and vocalist MARCIA
BALL as well as his own organ quartet at such places as the ELEPHANT
ROOM and other venues. He still performs on the west coast and tours
with STEPHEN BRUTON, ADAM
LEVY (guitarist with Norah Jones) and others around the country and
the world. His first RED YOUNG TRIO
album was released in March on the BLUES
LEAF LABEL. More dates will be forthcoming this year along with performances
with musicians such as Brannen Temple, Ephraim Owens and many other Austin
and Texas musicians.
Red and the Red Hots
Red Young Quartet
Stuff to Buy
Where are you guys at?
Email red@redhots.net