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Mickey McGee (born William Michael McGee, October 25, 1947, New Orleans, LA) spent his formative years in and around Phoenix, AZ, playing drums in various rock bands and developing his craft to the point where he longed for newer and loftier challenges. While touring with the band
Goose Creek Symphony, McGee met
Linda Ronstadt, who would later remember him and serve as a major catalyst for his career.
Chris Darrow of
the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band convinced McGee, together with bandmate and good friend
Ed Black, to head west for Hollywood and join him on a solo project. McGee, found his way to Los Angeles in the early '70s and quickly made his presence known in the local country rock community where he again attracted the attention of
Ronstadt and record producer
John Boylan. Boylan asked both McGee and
Black to remain in Los Angeles and work for
Ronstadt. Boylan's confidence in the abilities of McGee and
Black were such that he invited the pair to play on
Ronstadt's 1973 album,
Don't Cry Now, which went gold two years later. After the release of
Don't Cry Now, McGee toured with
Ronstadt, which gave rise to new relationships with other notables such as
Jackson Browne, for whom he played drums on
For Everyman. What followed was a long but intermittent gig with
the Flying Burrito Brothers that spanned a period from 1975 to 1981. As McGee's recording experience grew, so did his reputation as an experienced road warrior, making him the likeliest of candidates to assume the role of key sideman for the debuting RCA group, Juice Newton & Silver Spur. He agreed to be their drummer on a series of tours to promote their 1975 album of the same name, and concurrently was able to maintain his commitment to
the Flying Burrito Brothers. Another side of McGee would be uncovered after the 1975-1976
Juice Newton tour ended, which was that of a songwriter. Along with collaborator
Doug Haywood, McGee penned "Blue," to be recorded on the second Juice Newton & Silver Spur album,
After the Dust Settles, released in 1977. Two years later
Juice Newton would record McGee's composition "I'll Never Love Again" for the album Well Kept Secret, which was Newton's first album as a solo artist. "I'll Never Love Again" has since been covered by many other artists, and was also performed on network television. McGee, while remaining very active in music, yielded to the temptation to take on yet another new challenge by expanding his expertise to include work in the motion picture industry. ~ Tom Kealey