Billy Earl McClelland (September 19, 1950 – October 3, 2013) was an American session guitarist and songwriter.[1] [2]
Born in Cusseta, Alabama, United States,[2] McClelland left high school to go to Nashville, Tennessee, and was signed by a record label. As a session guitarist in Nashville, he worked with B.J. Thomas, Willie Nelson, Tony Joe White, Hank Snow, Townes Van Zandt, Brenda Lee, and Mel Tillis. He wrote songs for Hank Williams Jr., Waylon Jennings, Jerry Jeff Walker, T.G. Sheppard, Sawyer Brown and Delbert McClinton.
Eventually, he released a rock-oriented record on Elektra. A second album, 'Ready or Not', remains unreleased by the label.
Later, McClelland moved to Memphis, Tennessee at the urging of Skip McQuinn. While there, his passion for the blues led him to produce the first Big Bill Morganfield recording, engineered by Mike Durff and Tyler Bell.
McClelland continued to be a regular in clubs and festivals throughout the Southeast. McClelland also worked with Bo Diddley and Albert Collins. His album Judgment Day (2000) received critical acclaim from all of the major blues magazines.
McClelland helmed Mojo:Saint, a contemporary blues project, along with veteran drummer David Brazeal and bassist Jack Hall [Wet Willie].
He was inducted into the Alabama Music Hall of Fame.
McClelland died on October 3, 2013, from complications after a heart attack at the East Alabama Medical Center in Opelika, Alabama.[3] He was aged 63.