Richard “Jack” Holder, 62 of Olive Branch, MS, passed away on January 13, 2015. There will be a Celebration of Life Service held Saturday, January 17, 2015 at 2 p.m. at Hope Baptist Church in Olive Branch, MS. Jack is preceded in death by his parents Richard and Juanita Holder and brother, Doug Holder. He is survived by his wife, Debra Holder; 2 children Elana and Tucker Holder and sister, Nancy Fawcett. Jack leaves a host of family and friends that will all miss him and his pranks very much. In lieu of flowers gifts in memory of Jack Holder may be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Online condolences may be made at www.BrantleyFuneral.com Brantley Funeral Home Olive Branch (662)895-2310
Published in The Commercial Appeal on Jan. 17, 2015
∼Richard Jackson "Jack" Holder Jr. of Olive Branch, MS, a Memphis guitarist and producer who starred in bands Black Oak Arkansas and Cobra as well as numerous other local bands of the 1970's and '80s before becoming an in-demand sideman for such national acts as Tracy Chapman and Buddy Guy, died Wednesday of complications from cancer. He was 62.
Throughout his four-decade career, Mr. Holder was known as the consummate "parts player," said producer/engineer Dawn Hopkins, who worked with Mr. Holder at the Sounds Unreel Recording Studio beginning in the 1990s. "Jack could play it all, and, just as importantly, he knew when not to play," she said. "We lost a great one." Hopkins describes Mr. Holder as one of a generation of talented musicians who came out of Frayser in the 1960s. According to his friend Eddie Smith, Mr. Holder was winning local talent contests at age 8, and when he was 10, the talented multi-instrumentalist and engineer was playing all the parts on records made on his own homemade multitrack recording rig.
Mr. Holder broke out in the late '60s as a member of the garage band Shadden & The King Lears, soon to change its name to Picadilly Circus. In the early '70s he was part of The Hot Dogs, who vied with labelmates Big Star for attention on the fledgling Ardent Records. After The Hot Dogs broke up, Mr. Holder joined Black Oak Arkansas, contributing heavily to 1977's Race With the Devil and 1978's I'd Rather Be Sailing. When Black Oak broke up in 1980, Mr. Holder formed Cobra featuring the late Jimi Jamison on vocals. The band recorded just one album, 1983's First Strike, but it catapulted Jamison to his gig with the hit-making band Survivor. Meanwhile, Mr. Holder began to focus on working behind the scenes. Throughout the '80s, he helped helm projects by several Memphis acts that made national waves, including The Breaks, Rob Jungklas, Good Question, Jimmy Davis & Junction, and John Kilzer.
"Jack kind of touched all of those things," said Jon Hornyak, executive director of the Memphis chapter of the Recording Academy. "In the '80s, if there was a big act, Jack was at the center of it."
Later in the decade, Mr. Holder began renting his services to national names. He was integral to Chapman's first two records, made several albums with country star Travis Tritt, and played with blues artists including Buddy Guy, Albert Collins, Jimmy Thackery, Deborah Coleman and Ana Popovic.
Mr. Holder is survived by his wife, Debra; daughter, Elana, and son, Tucker Holder and sister Nancy Fawcett.
There will be a Celebration of Life Service held Saturday, January 17, 2015 at 2 p.m. at Hope Baptist Church in Olive Branch, MS. Jack is preceded in death by his parents Richard and Juanita Holder and brother, Doug Holder. Jack leaves a host of family and friends that will all miss him and his pranks very much. In lieu of flowers gifts in memory of Jack Holder may be made to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. Online condolences may be made at www.BrantleyFuneral.com Brantley Funeral Home Olive Branch (662)895-2310.
Published in The Commercial Appeal on Jan. 17, 2015
∼Richard Jackson "Jack" Holder Jr. of Olive Branch, MS, a Memphis guitarist and producer who starred in bands Black Oak Arkansas and Cobra as well as numerous other local bands of the 1970's and '80s before becoming an in-demand sideman for such national acts as Tracy Chapman and Buddy Guy, died Wednesday of complications from cancer. He was 62.
Throughout his four-decade career, Mr. Holder was known as the consummate "parts player," said producer/engineer Dawn Hopkins, who worked with Mr. Holder at the Sounds Unreel Recording Studio beginning in the 1990s. "Jack could play it all, and, just as importantly, he knew when not to play," she said. "We lost a great one." Hopkins describes Mr. Holder as one of a generation of talented musicians who came out of Frayser in the 1960s. According to his friend Eddie Smith, Mr. Holder was winning local talent contests at age 8, and when he was 10, the talented multi-instrumentalist and engineer was playing all the parts on records made on his own homemade multitrack recording rig.
Mr. Holder broke out in the late '60s as a member of the garage band Shadden & The King Lears, soon to change its name to Picadilly Circus. In the early '70s he was part of The Hot Dogs, who vied with labelmates Big Star for attention on the fledgling Ardent Records. After The Hot Dogs broke up, Mr. Holder joined Black Oak Arkansas, contributing heavily to 1977's Race With the Devil and 1978's I'd Rather Be Sailing. When Black Oak broke up in 1980, Mr. Holder formed Cobra featuring the late Jimi Jamison on vocals. The band recorded just one album, 1983's First Strike, but it catapulted Jamison to his gig with the hit-making band Survivor. Meanwhile, Mr. Holder began to focus on working behind the scenes. Throughout the '80s, he helped helm projects by several Memphis acts that made national waves, including The Breaks, Rob Jungklas, Good Question, Jimmy Davis & Junction, and John Kilzer.
"Jack kind of touched all of those things," said Jon Hornyak, executive director of the Memphis chapter of the Recording Academy. "In the '80s, if there was a big act, Jack was at the center of it."
Later in the decade, Mr. Holder began renting his services to national names. He was integral to Chapman's first two records, made several albums with country star Travis Tritt, and played with blues artists including Buddy Guy, Albert Collins, Jimmy Thackery, Deborah Coleman and Ana Popovic.
Mr. Holder is survived by his wife, Debra; daughter, Elana, and son, Tucker Holder and sister Nancy Fawcett.
There will be a Celebration of Life Service held Saturday, January 17, 2015 at 2 p.m. at Hope Baptist Church in Olive Branch, MS. Jack is preceded in death by his parents Richard and Juanita Holder and brother, Doug Holder. Jack leaves a host of family and friends that will all miss him and his pranks very much. In lieu of flowers gifts in memory of Jack Holder may be made to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. Online condolences may be made at www.BrantleyFuneral.com Brantley Funeral Home Olive Branch (662)895-2310.
Richard “Jack” Holder, 62 of Olive Branch, MS, passed away on January 13, 2015. There will be a Celebration of Life Service held Saturday, January 17, 2015 at 2 p.m. at Hope Baptist Church in Olive Branch, MS. Jack is preceded in death by his parents Richard and Juanita Holder and brother, Doug Holder. He is survived by his wife, Debra Holder; 2 children Elana and Tucker Holder and sister, Nancy Fawcett. Jack leaves a host of family and friends that will all miss him and his pranks very much. In lieu of flowers gifts in memory of Jack Holder may be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Online condolences may be made at www.BrantleyFuneral.com Brantley Funeral Home Olive Branch (662)895-2310
Published in The Commercial Appeal on Jan. 17, 2015
∼Richard Jackson "Jack" Holder Jr. of Olive Branch, MS, a Memphis guitarist and producer who starred in bands Black Oak Arkansas and Cobra as well as numerous other local bands of the 1970's and '80s before becoming an in-demand sideman for such national acts as Tracy Chapman and Buddy Guy, died Wednesday of complications from cancer. He was 62.
Throughout his four-decade career, Mr. Holder was known as the consummate "parts player," said producer/engineer Dawn Hopkins, who worked with Mr. Holder at the Sounds Unreel Recording Studio beginning in the 1990s. "Jack could play it all, and, just as importantly, he knew when not to play," she said. "We lost a great one." Hopkins describes Mr. Holder as one of a generation of talented musicians who came out of Frayser in the 1960s. According to his friend Eddie Smith, Mr. Holder was winning local talent contests at age 8, and when he was 10, the talented multi-instrumentalist and engineer was playing all the parts on records made on his own homemade multitrack recording rig.
Mr. Holder broke out in the late '60s as a member of the garage band Shadden & The King Lears, soon to change its name to Picadilly Circus. In the early '70s he was part of The Hot Dogs, who vied with labelmates Big Star for attention on the fledgling Ardent Records. After The Hot Dogs broke up, Mr. Holder joined Black Oak Arkansas, contributing heavily to 1977's Race With the Devil and 1978's I'd Rather Be Sailing. When Black Oak broke up in 1980, Mr. Holder formed Cobra featuring the late Jimi Jamison on vocals. The band recorded just one album, 1983's First Strike, but it catapulted Jamison to his gig with the hit-making band Survivor. Meanwhile, Mr. Holder began to focus on working behind the scenes. Throughout the '80s, he helped helm projects by several Memphis acts that made national waves, including The Breaks, Rob Jungklas, Good Question, Jimmy Davis & Junction, and John Kilzer.
"Jack kind of touched all of those things," said Jon Hornyak, executive director of the Memphis chapter of the Recording Academy. "In the '80s, if there was a big act, Jack was at the center of it."
Later in the decade, Mr. Holder began renting his services to national names. He was integral to Chapman's first two records, made several albums with country star Travis Tritt, and played with blues artists including Buddy Guy, Albert Collins, Jimmy Thackery, Deborah Coleman and Ana Popovic.
Mr. Holder is survived by his wife, Debra; daughter, Elana, and son, Tucker Holder and sister Nancy Fawcett.
There will be a Celebration of Life Service held Saturday, January 17, 2015 at 2 p.m. at Hope Baptist Church in Olive Branch, MS. Jack is preceded in death by his parents Richard and Juanita Holder and brother, Doug Holder. Jack leaves a host of family and friends that will all miss him and his pranks very much. In lieu of flowers gifts in memory of Jack Holder may be made to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. Online condolences may be made at www.BrantleyFuneral.com Brantley Funeral Home Olive Branch (662)895-2310.
Published in The Commercial Appeal on Jan. 17, 2015
∼Richard Jackson "Jack" Holder Jr. of Olive Branch, MS, a Memphis guitarist and producer who starred in bands Black Oak Arkansas and Cobra as well as numerous other local bands of the 1970's and '80s before becoming an in-demand sideman for such national acts as Tracy Chapman and Buddy Guy, died Wednesday of complications from cancer. He was 62.
Throughout his four-decade career, Mr. Holder was known as the consummate "parts player," said producer/engineer Dawn Hopkins, who worked with Mr. Holder at the Sounds Unreel Recording Studio beginning in the 1990s. "Jack could play it all, and, just as importantly, he knew when not to play," she said. "We lost a great one." Hopkins describes Mr. Holder as one of a generation of talented musicians who came out of Frayser in the 1960s. According to his friend Eddie Smith, Mr. Holder was winning local talent contests at age 8, and when he was 10, the talented multi-instrumentalist and engineer was playing all the parts on records made on his own homemade multitrack recording rig.
Mr. Holder broke out in the late '60s as a member of the garage band Shadden & The King Lears, soon to change its name to Picadilly Circus. In the early '70s he was part of The Hot Dogs, who vied with labelmates Big Star for attention on the fledgling Ardent Records. After The Hot Dogs broke up, Mr. Holder joined Black Oak Arkansas, contributing heavily to 1977's Race With the Devil and 1978's I'd Rather Be Sailing. When Black Oak broke up in 1980, Mr. Holder formed Cobra featuring the late Jimi Jamison on vocals. The band recorded just one album, 1983's First Strike, but it catapulted Jamison to his gig with the hit-making band Survivor. Meanwhile, Mr. Holder began to focus on working behind the scenes. Throughout the '80s, he helped helm projects by several Memphis acts that made national waves, including The Breaks, Rob Jungklas, Good Question, Jimmy Davis & Junction, and John Kilzer.
"Jack kind of touched all of those things," said Jon Hornyak, executive director of the Memphis chapter of the Recording Academy. "In the '80s, if there was a big act, Jack was at the center of it."
Later in the decade, Mr. Holder began renting his services to national names. He was integral to Chapman's first two records, made several albums with country star Travis Tritt, and played with blues artists including Buddy Guy, Albert Collins, Jimmy Thackery, Deborah Coleman and Ana Popovic.
Mr. Holder is survived by his wife, Debra; daughter, Elana, and son, Tucker Holder and sister Nancy Fawcett.
There will be a Celebration of Life Service held Saturday, January 17, 2015 at 2 p.m. at Hope Baptist Church in Olive Branch, MS. Jack is preceded in death by his parents Richard and Juanita Holder and brother, Doug Holder. Jack leaves a host of family and friends that will all miss him and his pranks very much. In lieu of flowers gifts in memory of Jack Holder may be made to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. Online condolences may be made at www.BrantleyFuneral.com Brantley Funeral Home Olive Branch (662)895-2310.
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