Community hub
0 subscribers8 pages, 0 posts
Recent from talks
All channels
Be the first to start a discussion here.
Be the first to start a discussion here.
Be the first to start a discussion here.
Be the first to start a discussion here.
Contribute something
Welcome to the community hub built to collect knowledge and have discussions related to Greg T. Walker.
Nothing was collected or created yet.
Greg T. Walker
View on Wikipediafrom Wikipedia
 |
Key Information
Greg T. Walker (born 8 July 1951) is an American bassist who played with rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd between 1971 and 1972.[1] His main band, named Blackfoot, existed between 1969 and 1985.[2] In 2004 a new line-up was born, with Axe frontman Bobby Barth as their singer/guitarist.
In the classic line-up of the band, he played with Rickey Medlocke as frontman, Charlie Hargrett as second guitarist, and Jakson T. Spires on drums. Besides playing the bass, he also ensures the backing vocals together with drummer Jakson T. Spires. His backing vocals can for example be heard on their hit Train, Train from the Strikes album.
In 2014 he recorded a 5-song EP with French rock trio Lloyd Project and played a couple of concerts in Paris along with the band.
When not touring or recording, his time is spent in Florida, where he pursues his passion of raising and riding horses.
Discography
[edit]With Blackfoot
[edit]- No Reservations (1975)
- Flyin' High (1976)
- Strikes (1979)
- Tomcattin' (1980)
- Marauder (1981)
- Siogo (1983)
- Vertical Smiles (1984)
With Lynyrd Skynyrd
[edit]- Street Survivors (1977) (Bass on One More Time recorded during 1971-72)
- Skynyrd's First and... Last (1978)
References
[edit]- ^ Smith, Rob (30 August 2018). "Lynyrd Skynyrd Lineup Changes: A Complete Guide". Ultimate Classic Rock.
- ^ Journal, Richmond County Daily (12 January 2017). "Richmond County native Tony Bullard joins Foghat bassist on Rock Legends Cruise". Richmond County Daily Journal.
| Authority control databases: Artists |
|---|
 | This article about a United States bass guitarist is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by adding missing information. |
Greg T. Walker
View on Grokipediafrom Grokipedia
Early life
Upbringing in Jacksonville
Greg T. Walker was born on July 8, 1951, in Jacksonville, Florida, in the northeastern part of the state near the Georgia border.[1][7] Growing up in this Southern environment, Walker's early years were shaped by the cultural rhythms of the American South, including its rural landscapes and community ties, which instilled a strong sense of regional identity.[3] Walker's family background included partial Native American ancestry, with Muskogee (Creek) heritage from both his mother's and father's sides.[8][9] He first became aware of this heritage during elementary school, when a conversation with his father prompted him to do a book report on Native Americans, igniting a lifelong interest in his roots despite the family's limited prior discussion due to historical sensitivities.[8] Both parents hailed from the Muskogee (Creek) tribe, a Native American people originally from the southeastern United States, including present-day Georgia and Alabama, which added layers to Walker's personal identity amid the broader Southern context.[7] This blend of Native traditions and Southern influences profoundly shaped his early worldview, emphasizing resilience and cultural pride.[8][3] In Jacksonville's close-knit neighborhoods, Walker formed enduring childhood friendships that reflected shared interests in sports and emerging creative pursuits. He met drummer Jakson Spires in kindergarten at age four or five, and the two grew up together in the same community, bonding over school activities and local games.[8][3] These early connections, including with future Blackfoot bandmates like Rickey Medlocke and Charlie Hargrett, were rooted in the wooded, briar-filled outskirts of Jacksonville, fostering a sense of camaraderie that mirrored the communal spirit of both Southern and Native American values.[3][7] No significant relocations marked his youth, allowing these formative experiences in Jacksonville to anchor his development.[3]Musical beginnings
Walker's introduction to music came early, as his mother gifted him a ukulele at age five, on which he quickly learned to pick out chords and create simple melodies.[3] By age five and a half, he began formal piano lessons, where he exhibited a natural aptitude that fueled his growing passion for the art form.[3] In elementary school, he expanded his skills by playing saxophone in the school band, further immersing himself in structured musical environments.[3] The sounds of the 1950s and 1960s rock, blues, and Southern music played by his older siblings profoundly shaped Walker's early tastes, embedding a deep appreciation for these genres from a young age.[10] At around age ten, he formed his first band, the Rockin' Aces, alongside childhood friends Jakson Spires and Rickey Medlocke, performing paid gigs at local dances, youth centers, and bowling alleys on weekends.[1] This group marked his initial foray into "play for pay" performances, though it disbanded after a few months; by age thirteen, witnessing The Beatles' concert at Jacksonville's Gator Bowl solidified his commitment to a musical path.[1] Largely self-taught on bass after picking up the instrument during his teen years, Walker also explored vocals and keyboards, showcasing his multi-instrumental versatility.[11] While attending high school in Jacksonville, music transitioned from formal lessons to a dedicated hobby, involving ongoing jam sessions and local performances with peers like the Spires brothers.[10]Musical career
Lynyrd Skynyrd
In 1971, after departing the early lineup of Blackfoot, Greg T. Walker joined Lynyrd Skynyrd as bassist at the invitation of frontman Ronnie Van Zant, who sought to bolster the band's rhythm section during its formative phase.[10] Walker, a fellow Jacksonville native, filled the role vacated by Larry Junstrom, arriving shortly after bandmate Rickey Medlocke had joined as drummer.[3] This move interrupted his commitments with Blackfoot but allowed him to contribute to the local music scene alongside Van Zant, Gary Rossington, and Allen Collins. During his approximately one-year tenure, Walker participated in intensive pre-fame rehearsals and performances in the Jacksonville area, helping to refine Lynyrd Skynyrd's emerging Southern rock sound through his solid bass lines and rhythmic support.[2] Walker contributed to early studio recordings at Muscle Shoals Sound Studio, including tracks such as "One More Time" later released on Skynyrd's First and Last (1978) and other compilations.[10] His involvement strengthened the band's cohesion in the vibrant local circuit, where they honed material that would later define their breakthrough. Walker departed Lynyrd Skynyrd in 1972 amid shifts in the band's direction toward a more structured blues-rock approach, choosing instead to return to Blackfoot to pursue a harder-edged sound that better aligned with his vision.[3] In interviews, he has reflected on his close friendship with Van Zant, rooted in their shared Southern ethos of hard work and simplicity; they often spent time hunting in the woods near Walker's family camp, where Van Zant would join him and Rossington for days of squirrel hunting and campfire cooking, free from the distractions of fame.[10] Walker described Van Zant's relentless dedication, noting rehearsals that stretched 14 hours a day, which underscored their mutual commitment to crafting authentic Southern rock.[3] Despite the brief stint, Walker's rhythmic contributions left a lasting imprint on the band's early development.Blackfoot
Greg T. Walker co-founded Blackfoot in 1969 in Jacksonville, Florida, alongside drummer Jackson Spires, guitarist/vocalist Rickey Medlocke, and guitarist Charlie Hargrett, initially operating as a local garage band under the name Hammer before changing to Blackfoot six months later to reflect their interest in Native American heritage.[8][3] The group emerged from Walker's childhood musical experiences, having played in early acts like the Rockin' Aces with Spires and Medlocke as young as age ten, focusing on covers and original songs at local dances and youth centers.[3] The band experienced an initial hiatus from 1971 to 1973 when Walker and Medlocke briefly joined Lynyrd Skynyrd, causing Blackfoot to dissolve temporarily before reforming.[10] Upon rejoining in 1973, Walker helped solidify the lineup, contributing to the band's signing with Island Records and the release of their debut album No Reservations in 1975, where he provided bass and backing vocals.[3] Blackfoot achieved breakthrough success with the 1979 album Strikes, which achieved gold certification in 1980 and platinum certification on April 18, 1986, featuring the hit "Train, Train" that showcased Walker's prominent bass lines and backing vocals.[10] During this period, Walker played a key role in evolving the band's sound from roots in Southern rock toward harder-edged influences akin to heavy metal, incorporating his songwriting contributions and occasional keyboard work to add depth to their aggressive style.[10] Subsequent albums like Tomcattin' (1980), which Walker has described as his personal favorite for capturing the band's raw, hard-rock essence—"That was definitely Blackfoot"—and Marauder (1981) continued this momentum, forming a pivotal trilogy that highlighted Walker's consistent bass foundation and vocal harmonies amid growing commercial pressures.[10] Lineup changes began in 1981, including shifts involving Medlocke and the addition of keyboardist Ken Hensley, though Walker remained a core member through these transitions until the band's full disbandment in 1986 due to creative differences and label demands following the underperforming Vertical Smiles (1984).[3][10] Blackfoot reunited in 2004 with founding members Walker, Spires, and Hargrett, enlisting vocalist/guitarist Bobby Barth from Axe to front the group, leading to a series of tours that emphasized their classic material; founding drummer Jakson Spires died on March 16, 2005, after which the band continued with replacement drummers until 2011.[10] Throughout his tenure, spanning the original run and reunion, Walker handled bass, backing vocals, and keyboards, maintaining the band's rhythmic drive.[10] In a 2025 interview, Walker reflected on his 24 years of personal involvement with Blackfoot, noting its enduring legacy and clarifying the band's identity: "We were always called a Southern rock band, but we were more of a Southern metal band," a label particularly embraced in Europe for their heavier sound.[10]NDN and other projects
Following the 1986 dissolution of Blackfoot due to internal tensions and creative differences, Greg T. Walker navigated a transitional period marked by personal and professional challenges, including pursuing formal education in building construction and wildlife/forestry conservation while working as an engineer. During this time, he focused increasingly on his Muscogee (Creek) Native American heritage, which informed his subsequent musical endeavors and provided a creative outlet for cultural expression. This phase also involved sporadic session work and collaborations within the Southern rock scene, allowing Walker to maintain his musical involvement without the demands of a full-time band commitment.[3] In the late 1980s and early 1990s, Walker co-formed the short-lived band Fired Guns alongside Blackfoot alumni Charlie Hargrett on guitar, Mike Estes on vocals, and Kurt Pietro on drums, serving as a vehicle for continuing their hard rock sound during breaks from larger projects. He also participated in the Southern Rock All-Stars supergroup for approximately one to one-and-a-half years, contributing bass to their recordings and live performances alongside other regional artists, which helped sustain his presence in the genre. These interim efforts, including additional studio sessions for various Southern rock acts, bridged the gap between Blackfoot's breakup and Walker's deeper exploration of heritage-driven music.[3][12] By the late 1990s, Walker co-founded NDN—short for Native Driven Nation—with longtime collaborator Jackson Spires (drums, partial Cherokee heritage) and Richard P. Luciano (guitar and vocals), positioning himself as the band's bassist and primary conceptual driver. The group blended hard rock aggression with Native American traditional elements, such as chants, flute melodies, and spiritual motifs, creating structured, melodic songs that evoked cultural reverence rather than the heavier riffs of Walker's prior work. Their debut and only album, Warriors Pride (1999, NDN Records), featured tracks like "Great Spirit" and "Indian," which incorporated thundering guitar riffs alongside ethereal chants to foster emotional depth and communal pride.[8][13][14] NDN's music emphasized positive Native American identity, deliberately countering stereotypes by highlighting themes of spirituality, resilience, and respect for traditions—such as in the track "Warrior's Pride," which Walker described as a "labor of love" infused with "heart and soul." The album received four nominations at the 2000 Native American Music Awards (NAMMYs), underscoring its role in bridging rock accessibility with cultural preservation and gaining a cult following among Blackfoot fans and Native audiences. Through NDN, Walker sought to honor his heritage by performing at Native venues and mainstream halls, promoting reverence for nature and ancestral spirits as core to the band's ethos: "We are real proud of who we are and what we are and we are real secure in that and we are to the point where we will let our music speak for itself." This project was briefly interrupted by Blackfoot's 2004 reunion, which shifted Walker's focus temporarily.[8][3][11]Two Wolf
Two Wolf is an American rock band founded in 2015 by bassist and songwriter Greg T. Walker, following the conclusion of his commitments with Blackfoot's touring schedule at the time.[15] Walker, drawing briefly from his prior experience in Blackfoot and NDN, shaped the band's sound around high-energy Southern rock infused with heavier elements.[16] To assemble the lineup, Walker recruited guitarists facing demanding schedules, including blues-rock artist Lance Lopez (an early member who briefly departed due to prior obligations before rejoining), Kris Bell on guitars, and drummer Rusty Valentine, delivering a twin-guitar assault characterized by gritty riffs and dynamic rhythms.[5] The band's evolution has leaned into a heavier rock aesthetic, surpassing even the intensity of Blackfoot's style, with an emphasis on riff-driven songwriting that honors Southern rock traditions while incorporating Walker's Native American heritage.[15] This fusion positions Two Wolf as a torchbearer for classic rock, blending raw energy with cultural depth to preserve and modernize the genre's legacy.[17] In 2025, the group released its self-titled debut album on Cleopatra Records, a project that took a year to record and includes remakes of select Blackfoot tracks, showcasing Walker's multi-instrumental role in crafting the material.[18] The album, available in CD and limited-edition red LP vinyl formats, highlights the band's ferocious take on blues-infused hard rock.[19] Throughout 2025, Two Wolf has maintained an active touring presence, performing at venues like Sharkey's in Florida and aboard the Rock Legends Cruise, where the band has become a recurring favorite.[20] Interviews during this period, including appearances on podcasts such as Almost Human and The Rock is George, have underscored the band's commitment to Southern rock's heritage, Walker's Native roots, and the preservation of cultural traditions through music.[21] These discussions emphasize riff-centric composition as a vehicle for storytelling and legacy-building, with Walker highlighting the importance of live dynamics to connect with audiences on themes of resilience and identity.[17]Discography
With Lynyrd Skynyrd
During his brief tenure with Lynyrd Skynyrd from 1971 to 1972, Greg T. Walker did not appear on any official studio albums released by the band during that period. However, his bass playing and backing vocals feature on several tracks from early demo sessions recorded at Muscle Shoals Sound Studios in Alabama, which were later issued on posthumous archival compilations.[2] Walker's contributions are featured on Skynyrd's First and... Last (MCA Records, 1978), a collection of pre-fame recordings that includes demos and outtakes from the band's formative years. He provided bass on "Down South Jukin'," "Preacher's Daughter," "White Dove," "Lend a Helpin' Hand," "Wino," and "Comin' Home"; he also contributed backing vocals on "Preacher's Daughter."[22][23][24] These same sessions formed the basis for the expanded Skynyrd's First: The Complete Muscle Shoals Album (MCA Records, 1998), where Walker is credited on bass for additional outtakes including "One More Time" (original version), "The Last Adventure," "Rainy Night in Georgia," "Get Up," "Nothing But Trouble," and "Ain't No Lovin'"; he also contributed backing vocals on "Get Up" (alternate take) and "Nothing But Trouble." This release highlights his role in the band's raw, developing Southern rock sound during rehearsals and early live sets in Jacksonville.[25][2] While no official live recordings from Walker's time with the band have been commercially released, bootleg tapes of Jacksonville-era rehearsals occasionally circulate among collectors, purportedly capturing his bass lines in informal performances of early material, though these remain unofficial and unverified for attribution.[26]With Blackfoot
Greg T. Walker joined Blackfoot as a founding member in 1969, serving primarily as bassist and backing vocalist throughout much of the band's history, with additional contributions on keyboards during their early years. His tenure spanned the original run from 1973 to 1986 and a reunion period from 2004 to 2011, during which he appeared on several studio and live releases.[27] On Blackfoot's debut album No Reservations (1975), Walker provided bass, backing vocals, and keyboards.[28] He maintained these roles on the follow-up Flyin' High (1976), where his keyboard work supported tracks like "Mother," on which he also played guitar. Walker's contributions continued with Strikes (1979), where he handled bass and backing vocals, including on the hit single "Train, Train."[29] This pattern persisted on Tomcattin' (1980) and Marauder (1981), both featuring him on bass and backing vocals up to his temporary departure from the band. During the mid-1980s phase, Walker returned for Siogo (1983) and Vertical Smiles (1984), credited on bass and backing vocals for both releases.[30] He also appeared on the live album Highway Song Live (1981), providing bass and vocals during performances of material from the band's breakthrough era. In the 2004–2011 reunion era, Walker contributed bass and backing vocals to limited releases, including the live recording Train Train: Southern Rock's Best • Live (2007), which captured performances of key tracks from the 1979–1981 period.[31] He is featured on compilations such as Rattlesnake Rock 'n' Roll: The Best of Blackfoot (1990), drawing from hits collections of the late 1970s and early 1980s albums like Strikes and Marauder.With NDN
Greg T. Walker served as the co-founder, lead vocalist, bassist, and keyboardist for the Native American rock band NDN, contributing to their sole full-length release, Warriors Pride, issued in 1999 on NDN Records.[13][32] On the album, Walker co-wrote seven of the eleven tracks, including "Great Spirit," "Warrior's Pride," "Heart to Heart," and "Stay With Me Tonight" (with Richard P. Luciano), as well as "Traveler," "Times We've Had," "Indian," and "Home" (with Jakson Spires).[13] The record blends hard rock with Native American elements, such as traditional chants in short instrumental pieces like "Summoning of the Spirits" and "Wen De Aho," reflecting cultural themes through structured song arrangements that emphasize heritage and pride.[14] Warriors Pride earned nominations in four categories at the Native American Music Awards, highlighting its impact within Indigenous music circles.[11] No singles or follow-up EPs were released by NDN Records during Walker's involvement with the band.[27]With Two Wolf
Greg T. Walker's primary contribution to the band Two Wolf is on their self-titled debut album, Two Wolf, released on May 8, 2025, by Cleopatra Records.[33] He performed bass and provided vocals on all 11 tracks, while also serving as a key songwriter for the project, which blends southern rock with a heavier edge.[34][35] The album incorporates remakes of three Blackfoot songs alongside original material.[10] The tracklist is as follows:- Keep On Movin'
- Too Hard To Handle
- Will I Believe
- Traveler
- The Wrong Road
- Diary Of A Working Man
- Livin' For Tomorrow
- Great Spirit
- Fox Chase
- Romeo
- The Blessed And The Cursed