Lucky Oceans

Infobox musical artist
Name = Lucky Oceans

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Birth_name = Reuben Gosfield
Born = birth date and age|1951|04|21|df=yes
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Origin = Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
Genre = Blues
Rock & Roll
Occupation = Musician, guitarist, songwriter
Years_active = 1972–current
Label = United Artists
Epic
Capitol
Columbia
Head Records
Associated_acts = Asleep at the Wheel
Dude Ranch
Zydecats
URL = [http://www.luckyoceans.tv/ Official website]
Current_members =
Past_members =
Notable_instruments = Pedal steel guitar, Lap steel guitar, national steel guitar, cajun one row button accordion, three row button |accordion

Lucky Oceans is a pedal steel guitarist and a former member of Country/Western Swing band Asleep at the Wheel. He is now a broadcaster in Perth, Western Australia. [ Oldham, Jan.(1998) "Lucky lovers settle West".(Profile of musician Oceans and photographer Gosfield, Christine). The Sunday times (Perth, W.A.), 17 May 1998 ] with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation [ O'Brien, Natalie.(1999) "Music from across the Oceans". The Australian newspaper , 19, Media section, p.7 ]

His presence on the local music scene stretches from his early music [Lucky Oceans - Town crier, May 1993, p. 27 ] to being a member of local group the Zydecats. [ http://www.zydecats.com.au/theband/bio/oceans - providing the most detailed biography available online ]

Biography

Oceans was born Reuben Gosfield in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on March 21, 1951. [ http://wwww.abc.net.au./rn/music/planet/presenter.htm ] to Eugene (a salesman at an aluminium fabricating company) and Phyllis (a drama teacher). Three out of their four children are all musicians, with Avery specialising in early music for the recorder (based in Milan), Anne a modern composer and improviser on keyboards (based in New York) and Josh a visual artist, who does a lot of music connected work: cover art and video art direction.

In 1969, Ray Benson and Oceans co-founded Asleep at the Wheel in Paw Paw, West Virginia, and soon after they found themselves opening for Alice Cooper and Hot Tuna in Washington, DCcite web|url=http://www.asleepatthewheel.com/set_story.html|title=Asleep at the Wheel Official Site|accessdate=2007-11-28 ] . A year later, they moved to East Oakland, California at the invitation of Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmencite web|url=http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:wifpxql5ldae~T00|title=All Music Guide - Asleep at the Wheel|accessdate=2007-11-28|author=Huey, Steve.|publisher="All Media Guide"] . After being mentioned in Rolling Stone magazine by Van Morrison, they landed a record deal with United Artistscite web|url=http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:wifpxql5ldae~T00|title=All Music Guide - Asleep at the Wheel|accessdate=2007-11-28|author=Huey, Steve.|publisher="All Media Guide"] . In 1973, their debut album, "Comin' Right At Ya" was released by United Artists. At the request of Willie Nelson, they left Oakland and moved to Austin, Texas in 1974.cite web|url=http://www.asleepatthewheel.com/set_story.html|title=Asleep at the Wheel Official Site|accessdate=2007-11-28 ]

In 1974, they released their second album, "Asleep at the Wheel" with a cover of Louis Jordan's "Choo Choo Ch'Boogie", which was their first single to hit the country charts. The following year saw the release of "Texas Gold" as the group's third album with the top-ten Country hit single The Letter that Johnny Walker Read. In addition, they played on PBS's "Austin City Limits", where they have since performed a record-setting ten times. [http://www.asleepatthewheel.com/set_story.html|title=Asleep at the Wheel Official Site|accessdate=2007-11-28 Official Web Site] ] The band released their next album, "Wheelin' and Dealin"' in 1976 with their cover version of the classic "Route 66" garnered a Grammy nomination. In 1977, the band was voted "Best Country Western Band" by Rolling Stone Magazine and was awarded the "Touring Band of the Year" by the Academy of Country Music. They also went on tour with Emmylou Harris in Europe.cite web|url=http://www.asleepatthewheel.com/set_story.html|title=Asleep at the Wheel Official Site|accessdate=2007-11-28 ] The following year, they made a cover of Count Basie's song "One O'Clock Jump".cite web|url=http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:wifpxql5ldae~T00|title=All Music Guide - Asleep at the Wheel|accessdate=2007-11-28|author=Huey, Steve.|publisher="All Media Guide"] Also in 1978, they appeared in the movie "Roadie", along with Meatloaf, Blondie and Art Carney. By the end of the decade, the band recorded their first live album "Served Live" at the Austin Opera Housecite web|url=http://www.asleepatthewheel.com/set_story.html|title=Asleep at the Wheel Official Site|accessdate=2007-11-28 ] .

As member of the Asleep at the Wheel he won the Grammy Award for the 'Best Country Instrumental' in 1978 [ http://www.luckyoceans.tv/Lucky_Oceans_Biography.html ] for the band's remake of Count Basie's "One O'clock Jump".

In 1977 he met a young Australian photographer from 'The Boston Globe', Christine Haddowcite web|url=http://www.swampland.com/articles/view/swampland/292 |title=Lucky Oceans (Asleep At The Wheel)|publisher=Swampland|last=Halsey|first=Derek|date=July, 2002|accessdate=2008-09-07] , whom he married in 1979 and had a daughter, Leela. In 1980 he moved to his wife's hometown of Fremantle, Western Australia [ "photo finish". Musician talks about his favourite things. "Sunday Times" (Perth, W.A.), 25 April 2004, Home section, p.32 ] On his arrival in Australia, Oceans became a member of Jim Fisher’s band Outlaws, later joining Anna Gare in Nansing and the Jam Tarts, before finally uniting with guitarist Kent ‘Beast’ Hughes (Steve Tallis) to form the band, Dude Ranch in 1987. Oceans and Hughes were joined by Richard Danker on bass, Gary France on drums and Peter Busher on guitars and vocals.

His current band Zydecats was formed in 1993 a few years after he began playing the button-accordion. The Zydecats started when Lucky approached Bill Rogers (vocals, saxphone and harmonica) to play some Zydeco together with fellow Dude Ranch member, Hughes. Their idea was to combine Zydeco with 'Cat' music - swing, jump blues and rockabilly, plus any other style that suited the line-up, including rock and roll, country blues, soul, R&B, Cajun and New Orleans R&B. They were initally joined by France (Dude Ranch) during the formative stages and first few gigs but France was replaced by Evan Jenkins (a graduate from the Edith Cowan University jazz course). Jenkins and fellow ECU graduate, Paul Binns, were the Zydecats' rhythm section for the first year, but were eventually replaced by Konrad Park and Ben Franz. Park was later replaced by drummer, Ric Eastman, whilst Franz was replaced by Graeme Bell on bass.

In 1993 he won a second Grammy Award ('Best Country Performance by a Duo') with Asleep at the Wheel for the band's collaboration with Lyle Lovett on "Blues for Dixie" from the 1993 album "A Tribute to Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys".

Lucky was inducted into the WAMi ‘Rock n’ Roll of Renown’ in 1994 and thus into the WAM Hall of Fame in 2004.

In 1995, despite having had no previous experience, Lucky began work as presenter for the daily radio show ‘The Planet’ [ http://www.abc.net.au/rn/dailyplanet/ ] , on Radio National, which features an eclectic mix of music from around the world, and is the only daily Perth-based radio program that broadcasts nationally. In 2001, he presented a six episode spin-off TV series of the same name on ABC TV, in which he played a significant creative role due to his vast knowledge of international music; knowledge which he also shares as co-ordinator of the World Music Cultures course at the University of Western Australia. [cite web|url=http://www.music.uwa.edu.au/__data/page/124541/2008_SOM_HANDBOOK.doc|title=UWA Music 2008 Student Handbook|publisher=UWA|date=2008|accessdate=2008-09-10] [cite web|url=http://www.australiacouncil.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0010/3799/diversity_apr_2004.pdf |publisher=Australia Council|title=Diversity: Arts in a Multicultural Australia|date=April, 2004 |accessdate=2008-09-10]

Discography

Asleep at the Wheel

* "Comin' right at ya!" - United Artists (1973)
* "Asleep at the Wheel" - Epic (1974)
* "Texas Gold" - Capitol (1975)
* "Wheelin' and Dealin" - Capitol (1976)
* "The Wheel" - Capitol (1977)
* "Served Live" - Capitol (1979)
* "Tribute to the music of Bob Wills" - Capitol (1993)
* "Back to the future now - Live in Las Vegas" - Columbia (1995)

olo

* "Lucky Steels the Wheel" - Independent (1982)
* "Secret Steel" - Head Records (2005)

Dude Ranch

* "Dude Ranch" - Independent (1991)

Zydecats

* "Zydecats" - Independent (1998)
* "Live at Clancy's" - Independent (2005)

Contributions

* "Dirt Music" (in collaboration with Tim Winton) - ABC Music (2001)
* Tognolini, Barry.(1992) Now and then [sound recording] . [Australia] : Columbia, Columbia: 472384 2. Barry Tognolini, pianist and arranger; Sara Macliver, vocalist (3rd and 13th works); Simon Styles, saxophone (1st work); Lucky Oceans, pedal steel and dobro guitar (12th work)

References

External links

* [http://www.luckyoceans.tv/Lucky_Oceans_Biography.html Lucky Ocean personal website]

Persondata
NAME=Oceans, Lucky
SHORT DESCRIPTION=Australian guitarist
DATE OF BIRTH=1951
PLACE OF BIRTH=Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
DATE OF DEATH=
PLACE OF DEATH=