On this day (October 26) in 1936, Al Casey was born in Long Beach, California. He started playing ukulele when he was six. He was playing steel guitar in the Phoenix, Arizona, club scene. Later, he became a member of the elite group of Los Angeles session musicians known as the Wrecking Crew. During his time as a session player, he recorded with the Beach Boys, Glen Campbell, Nany Sinatra, Johnny Cash, Elvis Presley, and many more.
Casey’s family moved to Phoenix, Arizona, when he was two years old. His father was a guitarist and wanted to teach him to play when he was six. However, his hands were too small. So, he learned to play ukulele instead. Two years later, he began playing steel guitar. By the age of 14, Casey was playing six nights a week on the Phoenix club circuit.
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In the mid-1950s, Casey met Lee Hazlewood, who was working as a radio DJ at the time. He had written a country-leaning song called “The Fool” with Naomi Ford and needed someone to sing it. Casey suggested his friend Sanford Clark and offered to play guitar on the track. Clark’s recording of “The Fool” became a hit. It not only launched his career, but also put the Phoenix music scene on the map.
Al Casey Becomes a Session Musician
According to the Arizona Republic, Al Casey played on more than 90% of the recording sessions in Phoenix in 1958. In the early 1960s, he chose to step away from touring to do session work full time. In 1965, he left Phoenix for Los Angeles, where he quickly found his place in the fabled Wrecking Crew.
During his 18 years of playing sessions, he appeared on recordings by Elvis Presley, Simon & Garfunkel, Johnny Cash, Nancy Sinatra, Frank Sinatra, the Partridge Family, and many more.
Notably, he played on the Beach Boys’ classic album Pet Sounds and their single “Good Vibrations.” Casey also appeared on several of Glen Campbell’s albums, including Wichita Lineman, Galveston, and The Glen Campbell Goodtime Album.
Featured Image by Jasper Dailey/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
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