Former Marshall Tucker Band Member is Still Rockin’! RONNIE GODFREY
By Michael Buffalo Smith Ronnie Godfrey has been a staple in the
rock and roll worldf for many years as a founding member of the Capitol Records band Garfeel Ruff, and later, as amember of the Marshall Tucker Band. Ronnie has a great new CD out, and we caught up with him from his Nashville home for an interview.
Ronnie, tell me about where you were born and raised. I was born, totally blind, in Greenville South Carolina on August 11, 1952.
When did you first become interested in being a musician? From the time I was eight, I began to hear the word talent every time I sang or played the piano. My music teachers, at the South Car- olina school for the deaf and blind, tried to encourage me but I was stubborn and only in- terested in playing with my friends and misbehaving. Finally, when I was about 15, it hit me; music was a wonderful thing and I re- ally had a gift. I began, at that point, to work harder and I have made music my life ever since.
When did you start writing songs? It was about that same time that I wrote my first songs; experiments though they were, I knew I wanted to be a writer and as time went on the songs got better and better. In 1975, Billy Joe Royal recorded a song I wrote called “Time Don’t Pass By Here” for Scepter Records, published by The Lowery Group and I began to get songs published on a regular basis from that point on.
When did you and your brother Rickey form Garfeel Ruff? In 1974, I joined the band called Garfeel Ruff and, in 1978, we signed with Capitol Records. We scored a movie called The Hitter, which I wrote and sang the title track for, and made a record called Garfeel Ruff and another one called Born to Play.
Garfeel Ruff was huge around Upstate South Carolina. Then you ended up in the Marshall Tucker band, right? In 1981, I joined The Marshall Tucker Band and we made three records for Warner Broth- ers which I am very proud of. I wrote or co- wrote six songs which were recorded by the band, and played such venues as The Univer- sal Amphitheater in Hollywood.
When did you relocate from Greenville, SC to Nashville? In 1988, I moved to Nashville.
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