Growing up in Mississippi during the 1960s, Ty Tabor can’t recall the exact first time he was exposed to the blues because in that era and setting, that style of music permeated so much throughout every setting that he knew it before he was likely conscious of it. Born into a musical family, Tabor played bluegrass from a young age with his mom and dad, which gave him a peek into the world of blues and greatly shaped his playing from an early age. Though he’d be more likely to pinpoint the moment he first heard the Beatles, the blues played a large role in shaping his first experiences in music, and eventually, his signature tone and sound he’s developed on the guitar in King’s X, his solo work, and other musical collaborations. It’s no surprise then that he’s recently collaborated with Carmine Appice, who he first met during a tour with Blue Murder and Billy Squier, on Cactus’ recent Temple of Blues recordings over the last few years, the most recent of which features Ty playing slide guitar on a cover of Howlin’ Wolf’s “300 Pounds of Joy.”
But these last few years, despite being able to tour with King’s X on their new record Three Sides of One (2022) and participate in such collaborations, have not been easy for Ty. A very serious car accident on the way to the studio to complete work on a new solo record in 2022 left him with a traumatic brain injury. Beyond the significant physical injuries he suffered, perhaps the most devastating and long-term issue he faced afterwards was an inability to create new music, which was the driving force and purpose in his life since those early days in Mississippi. As Ty recounts it, this sudden loss of ability led to frustration and uncertainty, as his passion and livelihood was in question. Only recently has he come to a place where he’s finding himself able to create once again, nearly four years removed from the event that drastically altered everything for him.
I had a chance to catch up with Ty to speak about this event and his new collaboration with Carmine Appice, plus a number of other topics, including:
- his first experiences with the blues growing up in Mississippi, how playing bluegrass from an early age influenced his guitar playing, how the other guys in King’s X turned him on to Cactus, and the group’s tour with Blue Murder and Billy Squier.
- what it was like playing slide guitar for the first time in years on “300 Pounds of Joy,” the entertaining video shot for the song, his longstanding relationship with Carmine Appice, and memories of recording the Guitar Zeus album.
- his collaborations with Derek Sherinian and John Myung from Dream Theater, a story about Dug Pinnick and his influence on the release of Ty’s solo album Shades, the car accident that changed everything for Tabor while recording the follow up to it, and how he is finally feeling his creativity return recently.
- tentative talks about new King’s X material, why “Mississippi Moon” was never released as a single, a plea to play “She’s Gone Away” live, an explanation of Ty’s stage outfit, and reflections about his relationship with Dug Pinnick and Jerry Gaskill and King’s X longevity as a band.
You can watch the entire interview HERE:
Now that the worst is hopefully behind him, Ty seems to have more optimistic outlook on the future of all his projects. With the creativity flowing once again, fans can look forward to him putting the finishing touches on that solo album he had been working on when things went awry, and when the time is right, hopefully a new King’s X album. In the meantime, he’ll be continuing to do what he does best, which is writing, singing, and playing some of the best and most underrated music the rock and metal world has heard alongside his brothers Dug and Jerry. And I’ll be there to see them every time they come around town.
Check out Cactus' cover of Howlin' Wolf's "300 Pounds of Joy" on YouTube or by watching the Rocky-themed video linked below. Details on how to order Temple of Blues II can be found underneath the video.
Cleopatra Records
King's X have tour dates coming up in November and December throughout the southeast and midwest. To catch them live, find ticket information on their website.
