Biography

BIO
SANDY CARROLL

Returning to her Memphis roots in 1983, blues musician Sandy Carroll spent a year headlining at Lafayette’s Corner, following several years of performing “on the road”. Lafayette’s Corner was situated on historic Beale Street, where Memphis blues was born.

Writing and recording the singles, “If You Got It” and “Memphis In May” in 1984, Sandy partnered with Jim Dickinson, NARIS Memphis chapter’s seven-time producer of the year. “Memphis In May” became a regional hit and for several years, the unofficial theme song for the Memphis In May annual festivities. Sandy performed at the Memphis in May Festival with the Memphis Horns (and special guest Rufus Thomas) and also at the first Beale Street Music Festival. She sang the national anthem and “Memphis In May” in front of 30,000 people at the Memphis Showboats football game.

A year later, Sandy left for San Francisco to write and record. After three years on the west coast and a short stay in the Midwest, Sandy returned to Memphis.

1n 1989, Albert King recorded Sandy’s, “If You Got It” which appeared on his final studio album, “Red House.”

She then starting writing songs for her own full-length debut album, “Southern Woman,” released in 1993. Following the release, Sandy was invited on a month long tour of the United Kingdom.

Back in the States, Sandy continued promoting “Southern Woman,” performing at various festivals in the South, including Arts in the Park, Eureka Springs Blues Festival and the Southern Heritage Festival. She maintained a heavy schedule on Beale Street playing in clubs such as Rum Boogie, Blues City, Black Diamond, Joyce Cobbs, Kings Palace and Blues Hall.

One of Sandy’s more unique gigs was writing the Memphis Mad Dog football team theme song, “Mad Dog Boogie” recorded by Southern-fried soul and blues musician Preston Shannon.

In 1997, the great Luther Allison recorded Sandy’s “Just As I Am” and “It’s a Blues Thing” on his final album, “Reckless”, which was nominated for a Grammy. That same year, Sandy recorded and released her “Memphis Rain” CD which was honored by the Memphis and Shelby County Film and Music Commission. She went on to receive a nomination by NARAS’ Memphis chapter for Songwriter of the year.

Sandy wrapped up the 1990s with performances and regular appearances at many venues throughout the South, most notably the Center for Southern Folklore, Elvis Presley’s on Beale, and headlined WEVL’s Blues on the Bluff. Sandy also appeared on the Home Shopping Network playing piano for vocalist Becc Lester who was promoting an album which had the song “Paint the Rain” co-written by Sandy for Becc.

Beginning the new millennium with concerts, club and festival performances, Sandy at Muscle Shoals Songwriters, Beale St. Caravan National Radio Show at B.B. Kings, W.D. Handy Festival and the (invitation only) International Songwriters Festival in Orange Beach, Alabama where she opened for Dan Penn and Spooner Oldham.

In 2001, Sandy’s “Just As I Am” song was released by Inside Sounds on the compilation CD “Goin’ Down South.” She also recorded for the McCarty-Hite, “Weekend In Memphis” CD and other Memphis area projects.

Also in 2001, Sandy was filmed by Memphis’ PBS station WKNO, along with great songwriters Keith Sykes, Teenie Hodges, Nancy Apple, Duane Jarvis and Delta Joe Sanders as apart of the “In Their Own Voices” concert. Premiered in 2001, the concert has been syndicated on PBS affiliates nationwide.

In 2002 Inside Sounds released a CD entitled “Memphis Belles: Past, Present & Future” that features Sandy along with Ruby Wilson, Cybill Shepard, Carla Thomas and other Memphis female artists. Two years later, Sandy performed with her Memphis Belle pals at a concert at the Cannon Performing Arts Center in Memphis.

Sandy also appears on 2005 Inside Sounds CD “In the Mood for Memphis: Vol. 2” with a new rendition of “Memphis Rain.”

Sandy has also written with or for releases from Ellis Hooks, Don McMinn, Ana Popovic, Reba Russell, Barbara Blue, Nancy Apple, William Lee Ellis, Rocky Athas, Daddy Mac Blues Band and others.

In January 2006, Sandy’s “Delta Techno” was released on Ringo Records. Sandy and her husband, Jim Gaines the Grammy award winning producer, wrote and recorded the album which features musicians James Solberg, Rocky Athas and co-writers William Lee Ellis and Jim Dickinson.

In 2007, Sandy released an EP “Rhythn of the Rivers” with 5 previously unpublished songs and a reprise of “Bound for Glory”. The localized release features “The Pickwick Song” popularized in Sandy’s home community. Rhythm of the Rivers shows another side of Sandy’s music and writing and the songs reflect her love for home – both her Memphis musical heritage and her childhood and present home by the Tennessee River at Pickwick.

In 2008, Sandy was awarded her own brass note on Memphis’ historic Beale Street, In 2010 the note was formally presented and is enshrined on Beale Street in front of the Hard Rock Café.

On October 18, 2011 Sandy’s debut CD with Catfood Records “Just As I Am” was released. Full of new original material, this was the realization of 5 years of writing, recording and performing.

In 2012, the single Just As I Am, “Romeo and Juliet” stayed on the alt-country charts for 3 months moved up to #6. “Slow Kisses” was Music Choice’s blues radio pick – along with “Heartfixin’ Man” … and the theme from “Help Mother Nature” was used in print ads for a corporate campaign.

Sandy also co-wrote cuts on Johnny Rawls, “Soul Survivor”, Barbar Carr’s “Keep the Fire Burning”, James Armstrong’s “Blues on the Border” and the CD “Daunielle”. Sandy was one of the first inductees into her hometown’s Music Hall of Fame (Arts in McNairy) along with famous Memphis DJ, Dewey Phillips in 2013.

In the fall of 2013 Sandy’s second CD with Catfood Records “Unnaturally Blonde” was released. It contains 10 original songs with some of Sandy’s offbeat perceptions and heartfelt universal life experiences.

Presently, Sandy has had recent cuts on just released Heather Crosse’s new Ruf CD Groovin’ At the Crosseroads with two songs: Clarksdale Shuffle and Bad Boy Kiss. She has co-written with Johnny Rawls and Bob Trenchard on the upcoming 2016 release “Born to the Blues”. Sandy’s “Toolbox Blues” was also selected for Barbara Blues Beale St. Caravan national radio broadcast. Honored in March 2015 as a Memphis Emissary for her contribution to Memphis music, she continues to write with young and established artists and hit songwriters.

Her next CD will be released in February 2016 and she is “more than excited” about the new tracks. Working with Memphis, Muscle Shoals, Nashville and local players to create a true Americana story in music about the South and the spirit of the human experience.

Equally at ease in solo or full band settings, Sandy says “the intimacy of a solo show is a quiet nuturing, and the groove of a band in the rockin’ feast. The studio is where the ingredients mix together.”