Wes McGhee

Wes McGhee entered the world in Leicestershire, England, where his earliest years centered on building a professional music path. He assembled his first group at 13 and played in his local area before abandoning school to head to Hamburg, Germany, serving as an underage guitarist in multiple German rock groups. After extensive shows with those acts, he obtained a recording deal, though his artistic preferences soon shifted. Returning to England, he fronted his own band while remaining tied to the earlier contract. His attraction to country-rock and psychedelic rock prevented any alignment with the label’s expectations, so he was ultimately freed from the agreement and proceeded independently. A short time in Austin, TX, brought a friendship with Roxy Gordon, after which his debut album appeared in 1978.

Long Nights and Banjo Music was tracked in North London with assistance from Arthur Anderson and received strong critical notice in Britain and the United States. Further trips to Austin, some extended, led to Airmail, issued by Terrapin in 1978. He began work on his third album in the studio during 1982, resulting in the release of Landing Lights that year. In December 1984 the Austin Chronicle presented a Songwriter’s Recognition Night for him, which produced the live album Thanks for the Chickens, an early indicator of the mid-’80s roots-music wave. Zacatexas followed in 1986, with McGhee joined by Ponty Bone, R.C. Banks, and others. His additional collaborations included Butch Hancock, Chuck Prophet, Heather Myles, and Billy Swan, while he also wrote scores for the films and documentaries Big Wheels and Sailor and Voices in Exile. Tejano Moon appeared in 2001. Selected earlier recordings reached compact disc as Heartache Avenue: Classic Recordings 1978-1992 in 1996, and Backbeat was issued in 2002.