Chips Moman facts for kids

Lincoln Wayne "Chips" Moman (born June 12, 1937, died June 13, 2016) was a super talented American music maker. He was a record producer, a guitar player, and a songwriter. Chips Moman helped create many hit songs in different music styles. These included R&B, pop music, and country music.

He was famous for running his own place called American Sound Studios. There, he helped make famous albums like Elvis Presley's From Elvis in Memphis in 1969. He also produced the first album for the country supergroup The Highwaymen in 1985. Chips Moman even won a Grammy Award! He won it for helping write the song "(Hey Won't You Play) Another Somebody Done Somebody Wrong Song", a big hit for B.J. Thomas in 1975.

Chips Moman's Music Journey

Early Life and Music Start

Chips Moman was born in LaGrange, Georgia. When he was a teenager, he moved to Memphis, Tennessee. He played guitar in a band with a singer named Warren Smith. Later, he moved to Los Angeles around 1957. There, he played guitar for other bands, including Johnny Burnette's and Gene Vincent's. He also played guitar on many recording sessions at Gold Star Studios.

Making Hits in the 1960s

After some time, Chips Moman returned to Memphis. He started working with Satellite Records, which later became Stax Records. He helped them find an old movie theater that became the main Stax building. He worked as a recording engineer there. He also produced their very first hit song, "Gee Whiz (Look at His Eyes)" by Carla Thomas in 1960.

Chips Moman left Stax in 1964. He then opened his own recording studio in Memphis called American Sound Studio. At American Sound, he worked with a fantastic group of musicians. They included guitarists Reggie Young and Bobby Womack, bass players Tommy Cogbill and Mike Leech, and drummers Gene Chrisman and Howard Grimes.

This team recorded many famous artists. They worked with the Box Tops (who sang "Soul Deep"), Bobby Womack, Wilson Pickett, and Petula Clark. Chips Moman also became a songwriter. He teamed up with Dan Penn to write songs like "Do Right Woman, Do Right Man" for Aretha Franklin. They also wrote "The Dark End of the Street" for soul singer James Carr. Chips Moman also played guitar on Aretha Franklin's recording sessions in Muscle Shoals.

Big Success in the 1970s

By the late 1960s and early 1970s, American Sound Studio was one of the most successful studios in the country. They produced over 120 hit songs! At one point, more than a quarter of the songs on the Billboard Hot 100 chart came from his studio.

Chips Moman produced Elvis Presley's 1969 album, From Elvis in Memphis. Many people say this was one of Elvis's best albums. It included famous songs like "In the Ghetto", "Suspicious Minds", and "Kentucky Rain". During this time, Moman also had his own record label called American Group Records (AGP).

In 1971, Chips Moman left Memphis. He moved to Nashville. There, he produced and co-wrote the hit song "(Hey Won't You Play) Another Somebody Done Somebody Wrong Song" for B. J. Thomas in 1975. This song helped him win a Grammy Award. He also co-wrote "Luckenbach, Texas (Back to the Basics of Love)" for Waylon Jennings. He produced albums for other big stars like Willie Nelson, Tammy Wynette, and Ronnie Milsap.

Later Music Projects

Chips Moman later moved back to LaGrange, Georgia. There, he opened another recording studio. He recorded the very first demo of the famous song "Always on My Mind". Even though his studio didn't record Elvis's version, Moman later produced Willie Nelson's popular version of the song.

Moman also produced Highwayman. This was the first album by the country supergroup The Highwaymen. This group included Kris Kristofferson, Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, and Willie Nelson. The Highwayman album came out in 1985 and was a huge success for the group.

His Final Years

Chips Moman passed away on June 13, 2016, just one day after his 79th birthday. He died at a hospice in LaGrange, Georgia. He had been sick with a lung disease called emphysema.]]