John Meeks

Although he never achieved the renown among rockabilly fans of his predecessor, Cliff Gallup, Johnny Meeks was with Gene Vincent's Blue Caps far longer, and contributed an original song that ended up almost as much a key part of Vincent's repertoire, "Say Mama," as anything that Gallup played on. Meeks was also a member of the Champs, the quasi-instrumental outfit famous for "Tequila," and later played with Merle Haggard, Michael Nesmith, and other rock and country stars of the 1960s and 1970s. Johnny Meeks was born in Laurens, SC, and took up the guitar at an early age. He fi...