Straight out of Oak Hill: Randy Gilkey’s “Remedy”
Randy Gilkey of Oak Hill plays one of his songs while his dog Ace keeps watch. Gazette photo by LAWRENCE PIERCE
More than 2,000 Americans have died in Iraq. The country is facing record-setting debt. And Junior says the bird flu could really put the hurtin’ on us.
But don’t despair. Randy Gilkey has the “Remedy.”
The classic “Remedy” is one of the songs on Gilkey’s first solo CD titled “Party Ready.” Each of the songs he selected or wrote has a bluesy, rockin’ feel. You can find shades of Leon Russell in a few tunes.
Aside from the classics he covers, Gilkey wrote all the other songs and plays all the music himself. With the help of engineer Bill Thomas, he recorded the CD in his home studio in Oak Hill, Gilkey’s Garage, and added all the other parts.
Gilkey is well-known in the area for his piano playing. Many will recall his playing with the Carpenter Ants. (Gilkey played “Johnny Be Good” at a John Kerry campaign appearance in West Virginia along with the Ants.)
He does a good job of selecting songs. “Sleepless Nights” makes a good fit with his song, “Little Affairs.” He grew up listening to his father’s Chuck Berry records, and started playing boogie-woogie piano when he was just a child. He chose Berry’s “School Days” for his CD and plays it for all it is worth.
While still an infant in a hospital incubator, Gilkey lost his eyesight. If people gain other senses when one is taken away, Gilkey’s ear for music is supersonic. He concentrates and memorizes music. He has worked as a studio musician and played on dozens of albums and opened for such acts as Junior Brown. Now 29, he is able to support himself full-time with music.
I like the whole CD. But “Remedy” has a good beat and you can dance to it. I give it a 98 on ‘Rate-A-Record.’ Gilkey sings out wonderfully: “You hold the key, you got the remedy! Once I was blind, now I see!”
For now, “Party Ready” is only available (for $10) at shows where Gilkey plays. But he hopes to have it available in stores soon. He can be reached at gilkeysgarage@yahoo.com.
— Susan Williams
