An Evening with Gary Wright
Tonight, October 16, 2014, at Mechanics Hall, Worcester, MA 8PM.
Gary Wright is best known for a pair of songs that were hits in 1976: “Dream Weaver” and “Love Is Alive.”
But his musical career actually began earlier. In point of fact, Wright sang on “The Ed Sullivan Show” in the late 1950s, when he was starring as the child lead in the Broadway musical “Fanny” with Florence Henderson.
When Wright later became friends with George Harrison, that subject would occasionally arise to their mutual amusement. “We would joke about the fact that I played ‘Ed Sullivan’ before he did,” Wright says.
The fact that Wright serves as a link between Henderson and Harrison (as well as Harry Nilsson, Ronnie Spector, Ringo Starr, B. B. King, and others) indicates just how rich a life in music he has enjoyed.
“I realized I could write a book,” says Wright, who was born in Cresskill in 1943. “I’ve written over 300 songs, and the creative process is the same. In a book you don’t have to worry about rhythm and rhyme.”
The result: “Dream Weaver: A Memoir,” published by Penguin/Random House Publishers. Wright is currently touring with a multimedia show based on the book, and his next stop is the Presbyterian Church in Chatham Saturday.
The performance includes Wright reading from the book and a slideshow that features rare photos. “It’s a chance for me to do the songs I love playing,” he says.
Despite his success as a child actor in the 1950s, Wright was reluctant to become a professional musician. “
I loved music, but it wasn’t a secure career,” he says. He thought about become a doctor before deciding to study psychology in Berlin.
However, Wright continued to play in bands occasionally. While he was in Europe, he met producer Chris Blackwell, who encouraged him to continue with music.
Wright went to London, where he formed the rock band Spooky Tooth. He later recorded a solo album with session musicians that included Klaus Voormann on bass.
Voormann encouraged Wright to play on a session he had scheduled with George Harrison. The resulting album, “All Things Must Pass,” established Harrison’s solo career following the break-up of the Beatles.
The album also marked a friendship that lasted until Harrison’s death in 2001. “George wasn’t the ‘Quiet Beatle,’ ” Wright says with a laugh. “When he started, he would talk at length about anything. He was a very smart man.”
Wright and Harrison bonded over a common interest in spirituality. “Music is powerful, but the quest for truth has been an important part of my life,” Wright says.
The success of Wright’s song “Dream Weaver” came as a surprise.
“I thought ‘Love Is Alive’ would be the hit from that album,” he says. “That was released as the first single, and it went nowhere.”
“When we recorded the song ‘Dream Weaver,’ we added electronic effects. I thought it would be a trippy song for album radio. But then it became a single.” The song hit Number One and was followed by a successful re-release of “Love Is Alive.”
Since then, Wright has tried to push expectations by incorporating elements of world music, including rhythms from South America and India.
As a musician, Wright is intrigued by some younger artists.
“But it’s so hard to break into this business,” he says. “Formats are so tight, and that’s not conducive for creating great music.”
A belief in the power of music remains a constant in Wright’s life. “Music should be uplifting,” he says. “Even a song that starts negative can turn to trust and hope and faith. People need to have solace, and music can be that beautiful force.”
DREAM WEAVER: A MEMOIR TOUR
WHAT: Gary Wright, the musician behind the 1970s hits “Dream Weaver” and “Love Is Alive,” reflects on his long and varied career, which includes a run as a child actor in the Broadway show “Fanny” and a friendship with George Harrison. Wright’s multimedia show coincides with the release of his autobiography, “Dream Weaver: A Memoir.”
Ticket information on website.
Symply FarGone
Worcester Herald lifestyle reporter follow me on TWITTER and GOOGLE+
