- published: 30 Mar 2011
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Jerry Obern Scheff (Born 1941) is an American bassist, perhaps best known for his work with Elvis Presley in the early 1970s as a member of his TCB Band and his work on The Doors' final recordings.
Scheff grew up in the San Francisco Bay area. After serving in the U.S. Navy he returned to California, ending up in Los Angeles as a session musician. His first big break was The Association's "Along Comes Mary" (1966), and that success led to numerous other record appearances: Bobby Sherman, Johnny Mathis, Johnny Rivers, Neil Diamond, Nancy Sinatra, Pat Boone, Sammy Davis Jr., Bobby Vinton, The Everly Brothers, and the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band. In 1971 he appeared on L.A. Woman, the final album recorded by The Doors with Jim Morrison.
In July 1969 Scheff became a member of Elvis Presley's touring TCB Band. He appears on Aloha from Hawaii (Elvis' 1973 live television concert), "Back In Memphis", That's The Way It Is, Elvis As Recorded At Madison Square Garden," and Moody Blue, among others, and continued working off and on with Presley until his death.[citation needed]
Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977) was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King".
Born in Tupelo, Mississippi, Presley moved to Memphis, Tennessee, with his family at the age of 13. He began his career there in 1954, working with Sun Records owner Sam Phillips, who wanted to bring the sound of African American music to a wider audience. Accompanied by guitarist Scotty Moore and bassist Bill Black, Presley was the most important popularizer of rockabilly, an uptempo, backbeat-driven fusion of country and rhythm and blues. RCA Victor acquired his contract in a deal arranged by Colonel Tom Parker, who would manage the singer for over two decades. Presley's first RCA single, "Heartbreak Hotel", released in January 1956, was a number one hit. He became the leading figure of the newly popular sound of rock and roll with a series of network television appearances and chart-topping records. His energized interpretations of songs, many from African American sources, and his uninhibited performance style made him enormously popular—and controversial. In November 1956, he made his film debut in Love Me Tender.