Tim Krekel

Timothy Joseph Krekel (October 10, 1950 – June 24, 2009) was an American rock singer and country music songwriter from Louisville, Kentucky.

Krekel was born in Louisville, Kentucky, in 1950.

He became interested in music early on and his first lessons were on the drums.

He began taking guitar lessons at age 10 or 11, when it dawned on him that "the guitar player was up front getting all the attention, [like] Rick Nelson".

He was singing and playing his guitar for audiences by the time he was 12, gigging in Lebanon, Kentucky, at places like The Golden Horseshoe and Club 68.

He began to write his own songs in high school, although he was reluctant to share them with anyone for a few years.

Krekel's first band was an eight-piece basement band called The Octaves.

He continued to sharpen his skills and, by the late 1960s, he was in a popular Louisville band called Dusty.

It was around this time that two of Krekel's peers, Steve Ferguson and Terry Adams, went off and started NRBQ, returning to Louisville with a record contract.

For the first time, Krekel thought seriously about music as a profession and realized what he had to do.

He and Dusty moved to New York City, where they played gigs for a few months while Krekel got more serious about writing.

After about six months, Krekel decided he would be happier pursuing his career closer to home and moved back to Louisville.

Still using the name Dusty, he started another band which developed a strong local following.

"We played almost every Sunday night at this place called the Storefront Congregation. There was always someone really good sittin' in with us, like Sam Bush, who would bring his electric violin and tear the place up."

While in Louisville in the early 1970s, Krekel grouped with a band consisting of himself on guitar and vocals, John Owen (bass and vocals), and Bobby Jones (drums and vocals).

They first played at 118 W. Washington Street behind white soul singer Len Wade (for then-lease-owner Eddie Donaldson).

When Wade left the gig three months into a six-month contract, Krekel, Owen and Jones carried on with Jones singing lead and Krekel and Owen singing harmony.

They favored Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, POCO, the Birds and others, some of Krekel's originals, and general pop.

Vaughn Meader (from Massachusetts, then living in Louisville and having recorded another album—not released) also sat in.

Local musicians (including Jamie Abersole from South Indiana) also came in periodically and played jazz, as well as Gary Falk, a locally beloved saxophonist and recording studio owner in Louisville.

Krekel, Owen, and Jones then went a block down from 118 W. Washington Street to play at the Red Dog.

Here, Steve Ferguson (from NRBQ) sat in periodically with his guitar and sang on occasion during the winter.

Around that time, Krekel made friends in Nashville and was soon playing gigs there.

He even did some recording for Jack Clement.

It was not long before Krekel got a road gig with Billy Swan (who had a huge hit with "I Can Help").

That band toured the United States and Europe for a year.

Swan went back to playing with Kris Kristofferson, and Krekel resumed gigging around Nashville.

One night, Krekel performed in a showcase where Chet Atkins and a friend were in the audience.

The friend turned out to be Jimmy Buffett's manager.

He and Atkins were quick to recommend Krekel to Buffett, who needed a new guitarist.

Krekel was hired by Buffett and was his lead guitarist for a couple of years in the late 1970s and again in the 1980s.

During his first stint with Buffett, Krekel played on the Son of a Son of a Sailor album and appeared with him on Saturday Night Live, as well as in the 1978 film FM.

They also toured with the Eagles who were enjoying immense popularity at that time.

Krekel had also assembled his band "The Sluggers" with John Owen, guitarist Thomas Goldsmith, keyboardist Jay Spell and Louisville drummer Dave Marasco.

Krekel was offered the opportunity to make his own record and decided to leave Buffett's band to pursue his own musical vision.

His first effort, with the Sluggers Crazy Me, was released in 1979; however, the Capricorn label folded a mere three months after the album's debut.

It was the first album ever produced by Tony Brown and was a critical success, recorded at Brian Ahern's and Emmylou Harris' house in Coldwater Canyon in Los Angeles, with the Enactron truck in the driveway doing the recording.

The Sluggers continued to play bars and colleges, primarily in the Southeast but with some forays up East, until early 1980, when Krekel's agent, Don Light, persuaded Krekel to leave the band and embark on a solo career.

He later assembled another version of the Sluggers, with Tom Comer (stage name Tom Comet) on bass and David Willis Bailey on drums.

Krekel continued to write, perform and play with other musicians.