Boz Scaggs facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Boz Scaggs
Scaggs in 2015
Background information
Birth name	William Royce Scaggs
Born	(1944-06-08) June 8, 1944 (age 81) Canton, Ohio, U.S.
Origin	Plano, Texas, U.S.
Genres	Blues jazz R&B soft rock
Occupation(s)	Singer songwriter guitarist
Instruments	Guitar vocals
Years active	1963–present
Labels	Concord Columbia Atlantic Virgin 429 Records
Associated acts	Steve Miller Band, Toto

William Royce "Boz" Scaggs (born June 8, 1944) is an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist. He is known for his unique blend of blues, jazz, and R&B music.

Boz Scaggs started his music journey in the early 1960s. He played with Steve Miller in a band called the Ardells. Later, he was part of the Steve Miller Band from 1967 to 1968.

His solo career began in 1969. However, he didn't have a big hit until his 1976 album, Silk Degrees. This album became very popular, reaching number 2 on the Billboard 200 music chart. It featured famous songs like "Lido Shuffle" and "Lowdown".

After Silk Degrees, Scaggs released two more successful albums: Down Two Then Left and Middle Man. These albums also sold very well. Middle Man included popular songs such as "Breakdown Dead Ahead" and "Jojo".

Scaggs took a break from music for most of the 1980s. He returned to recording and touring in 1988 with his album Other Roads. He also joined a group called the New York Rock and Soul Revue. Scaggs even opened his own music club in San Francisco called Slim's, which was a popular spot for live music until it closed in 2020. He has continued to make music and perform throughout the 1990s, 2000s, and 2010s. His most recent album, Out of the Blues, came out in 2018.

Boz Scaggs also played a role in forming the famous band Toto. For his 1976 album Silk Degrees, he chose talented musicians like David Paich, David Hungate, and Jeff Porcaro. These musicians were already friends and had played together before. Touring with Scaggs helped them decide to start their own band. Columbia was so impressed that they offered Toto a record deal without an audition. David Paich believes that Toto might not have formed so quickly or in the same way without Silk Degrees. Scaggs and Toto members have remained friends and worked together on many projects over the years. For example, David Paich helped with six songs on Scaggs' 2001 album, Dig.

Early Life and Education

Boz Scaggs was born William Royce Scaggs on June 8, 1944, in Canton, Ohio. He was the oldest child of Royce and Helen Scaggs. His father was a traveling salesman and had served in the Army Air Corps during World War II.

His family moved several times, first to McAlester, Oklahoma, and then to Plano, Texas. Plano was a small farm town north of Dallas at that time. Scaggs started learning music at age 9, playing the cello. He received a scholarship to attend a private school in Dallas, St. Mark's School of Texas.

At St. Mark's, he met Steve Miller. Miller helped him learn to play the guitar when Scaggs was 12 years old. A classmate gave him the nickname "Boz," which stuck. It started as "Bosley," then "Boswell," and "Bosworth," before being shortened to "Boz."

Music Career

Starting Out

In 1959, Boz Scaggs became the singer for Steve Miller's band, the Marksmen. After finishing school in 1962, both Scaggs and Miller went to the University of Wisconsin–Madison. There, they played in blues bands like the Ardells and the Fabulous Knight Trains.

Scaggs left college in 1963 to focus on his music career. He formed a new band called the Wigs. In 1965, the band moved to London, England, to join the growing R&B music scene there. However, they didn't find much success and broke up after a few months. Scaggs then traveled around Europe, earning money by playing music on the streets. He ended up in Stockholm, Sweden, where he recorded his first solo album, Boz, in 1965. This album did not sell well.

Joining the Steve Miller Band and Solo Success

Scaggs returned to the U.S. in 1967 and moved to San Francisco. Steve Miller invited him to join his band, the Steve Miller Band. Scaggs played on their first two albums, Children of the Future and Sailor, both released in 1968. He later left the band because he and Miller had different musical ideas.

In 1968, Scaggs signed a solo contract with Atlantic Records. He released his second album, Boz Scaggs, in 1969. This album was produced by Jann Wenner, who co-founded Rolling Stone magazine. It also featured famous musicians like the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section and guitarist Duane Allman. Even though it received good reviews, the album didn't sell a lot of copies.

Scaggs then signed with Columbia Records. He released albums like Moments in 1971 and My Time in 1972. These albums sold moderately. For his 1974 album, Slow Dancer, Columbia brought in Johnny Bristol, a producer known for his work with Motown. Although Slow Dancer didn't climb high on the charts initially, it later became a gold-certified album, likely helped by the huge success of Scaggs' next album, Silk Degrees.

The Hit Years (1976–1981)

In 1976, Boz Scaggs recorded Silk Degrees with session musicians who later formed the band Toto. The album was a massive success. It was nominated for a Grammy Award for Album of the Year and reached number 2 on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart. It was also number 1 in several other countries.

Silk Degrees produced four hit songs: "It's Over," "Lowdown," "What Can I Say," and "Lido Shuffle." The emotional song "We're All Alone" also became a hit for Rita Coolidge, who had sung backup on an earlier Scaggs album. "Lowdown" sold over a million copies in the U.S. and won a Grammy Award for Best R&B Song for Scaggs and David Paich. In the movie Saturday Night Fever, John Travolta danced to "Lowdown."

After the album's success, Scaggs went on a sold-out world tour. During a concert in New York City in 1977, the power went out due to a city-wide blackout. Scaggs told the audience to keep their tickets, and he performed a makeup concert a few days later. He also performed with Fleetwood Mac during this time.

His next album, Down Two Then Left (1977), did not sell as well as Silk Degrees. However, his 1980 album Middle Man brought him back to the top. It had two top 20 hits: "Breakdown Dead Ahead" and "Jojo." Scaggs also had two more top 20 hits in 1980–81: "Look What You've Done to Me" from the Urban Cowboy movie soundtrack, and "Miss Sun" from a greatest hits collection. "Miss Sun" was originally a song that Toto had recorded but not released.

Later Career and Recent Activities

Scaggs performing in 2006

Boz Scaggs took a long break from recording music after 1981. He felt that making music had become too much like a "career" and that he had lost his passion for it. He tried to make a new album in 1983, but it didn't feel right. By 1985, he realized he needed to make music again because "something very big" was missing from his life.

His next album, Other Roads, was released in 1988. Columbia Records initially rejected it, saying it didn't have a strong hit song. This made Scaggs spend more time making the album perfect. "Heart of Mine" from Other Roads was his last top-40 hit. Also in 1988, he opened his San Francisco nightclub, Slim's, which he owned until it closed in 2020.

In 1992, Scaggs performed at a special concert honoring Jeff Porcaro of Toto. Other famous musicians like Don Henley, Donald Fagen, Eddie Van Halen, George Harrison, and Michael McDonald also performed.

Scaggs released his album Some Change in 1994. He followed this with Come On Home, an album of rhythm and blues music, and My Time: A Boz Scaggs Anthology, a collection of his songs, both in 1997. In the summer of 1998, he toured as the opening act for Stevie Nicks.

After another break, his album Dig received good reviews. However, it was released on September 11, 2001, a very sad day in U.S. history. In 2003, Scaggs released But Beautiful, an album of jazz standards, which quickly became number one on the jazz charts. In 2008, he released Speak Low, which he described as an "experimental" album. He also released a live DVD and CD called Greatest Hits Live in 2004, recorded in San Francisco.

In 2010, he joined Donald Fagen and Michael McDonald for a concert series called the Dukes of September Rhythm Revue. His album Memphis came out in 2013. It was recorded in Memphis and included some of his favorite songs by other artists. He toured the U.S., Canada, and Japan after its release. In 2015, he released A Fool to Care, which included mostly cover songs and one original blues song, "Hell to Pay," featuring Bonnie Raitt. This album reached number 1 on the Billboard Blues Album chart. In 2018, his album Out of the Blues also reached number 1 on the Billboard Top Blues Albums chart.

In February 2024, Scaggs visited Japan for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic. He performed seven shows in five cities. During his Tokyo show, he announced that he would donate the guitars he used on his Japan tour to a charity auction. This auction would help support recovery efforts after the 2024 Noto earthquake that happened on New Year's Day that year.

Personal Life

Boz Scaggs married Donna Carmella Storniola in 1973. They had two sons, Austin and Oscar. Scaggs and Carmella divorced in 1980. Three and a half years later, Scaggs gained joint custody of his sons. Austin is now a music journalist for Rolling Stone magazine. Sadly, Oscar passed away on December 31, 1998. Carmella passed away in February 2017.

In 1992, Scaggs married Dominique Gioia. In 1996, they moved to Napa Valley, California, and started a vineyard. They planted different types of grapes and made their first wine in 2000. In 2006, their Scaggs Vineyard became certified organic. In 2016, Scaggs sold his vineyard.

In October 2017, the couple's house burned down in the Northern California wildfires. Scaggs and his wife were on tour at the time. They lost their vineyard, cars, and many personal items, including decades of his song lyrics written on notepads.

Awards and Nominations

Boz Scaggs has received several awards and nominations for his music.

In 2019, Scaggs was honored with the Texas Medal of Arts.

Discography

Albums with the Steve Miller Band

Solo Albums

• While the 1969 self-titled Atlantic album failed to chart upon initial release, it peaked at No. 171 when reissued in 1974. Three years later the album was reissued once again, this time as remixed by Tom Perry at Sound City in Los Angeles in October 1977. This version only bubbled under the Billboard 200, reaching No. 209, but the remix has been used for most subsequent reissues. In 2015 a 2CD was released combining both the 1969 original version and the 1977 remixed version.

• Rolling Stone magazine ranked this album at number 496 on its list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.

Compilation Albums

Singles

See also

In Spanish: Boz Scaggs para niños

• Notable alumni of St. Mark's School of Texas
• List of celebrities who own wineries and vineyards