Greg Trooper
American singer-songwriter

Greg Trooper
Greg Trooper at Paradiso, Amsterdam, Netherlands
Greg Trooper at Paradiso, Amsterdam, Netherlands
Background information
Born(1956-01-13)January 13, 1956
OriginNeptune, New Jersey, US
DiedJanuary 15, 2017(2017-01-15) (aged 61)
GenresAmericana, alternative country, folk-rock, folk
OccupationsMusician, singer-songwriter
InstrumentsAcoustic guitar, mandolin, harmonica, piano, vocals
Years active1992–2017
LabelsD'Ville Record Group
Koch Records
Eminent Records
Sugar Hill Records
52 Shakes Records
Websitegregtrooper.com
Musical artist

Greg Trooper (January 13, 1956 – January 15, 2017) was an American singer-songwriter, whose songs have been recorded by many artists, including Steve Earle, Billy Bragg, and Vince Gill.[1]

Early life, family and education

Trooper was born in Neptune Township, New Jersey, and raised in nearby Little Silver.[2][3] He received his first guitar when he was a junior high school student.[4] As a teenager in the early 1970s, Trooper would frequent the folk clubs of Greenwich Village, Manhattan, New York City, absorbing the burgeoning singer/songwriter and blues scene. In 1976, he moved to Austin, Texas, and then to Lawrence, Kansas, where he worked at a record store and the University of Kansas and attended classes[4] as he also continued honing his guitar, singing, and songwriting skills.

Career

While living in Kansas, Trooper performed at clubs, often with a set list heavy with Van Morrison songs.[4] In 1980, he moved to New York City where he formed The Greg Trooper Band in 1986[4] along with Larry Campbell on guitar, Greg Shirley on bass, and Walter Thomson on drums. During this time he recorded his first two records: We Won't Dance on Wild Twin Records in 1986, and the critically acclaimed Everywhere produced by Stewart Lerman. The title track to Everywhere would later be covered by Billy Bragg[5] on the 1991 album Don't Try This at Home. He also met songwriter/publisher Earl Shuman, who secured Trooper's first publishing deal with CBS Songs. Trooper's records caught the attention of Steve Earle,[3] who recorded Trooper's "Little Sister". Vince Gill recorded Trooper's "We Won't Dance" on his 1989 release When I Call Your Name.[3]

In the early 1990s, Trooper met fellow New Jerseyite and E Street Band bassist Garry Tallent who, like Trooper, would move to Nashville, Tennessee. Tallent produced Trooper's 1996 album Noises in the Hallway and released it on his D'Ville Record Group label. Popular Demons followed in 1998, on Koch Records and produced by Buddy Miller. After the release of that album, Trooper signed with Nashville indie Eminent Records, which released Straight Down Rain in 2001.

2002 saw the release of Trooper's first live record, Between A House and a Hard Place – Live at Pine Hill Farm, with Eric "Roscoe" Ambel at the controls. He moved on to the Sugar Hill Records label in 2003 with the release of Floating followed by the Dan Penn-produced Make It Through This World in 2005. Back Shop Live, another live recording, was released in 2006.

In 2008, Trooper moved back to New York City and in 2009 issued his previously unreleased 1995 recording The Williamsburg Affair. In 2011, he released Upside-Down Town on 52 Shakes Records. In August 2013, Trooper released his album Incident on Willow Street, also on 52 Shakes Records. According to Trooper, "In these songs, there seemed to be characters that were trying to break away from a bad situation into a better situation or trying to grow out of a stale and stagnant life into a richer life."[6]

Personal life and demise

Trooper resided in New York City and Nashville, Tennessee, as well as Texas and Kansas.[3] He had been married to Clair Mulally, an attorney, and he had a son, Jack.[3]

Trooper died of pancreatic cancer on January 15, 2017, two days after his 61st birthday.[7]

Discography

  • We Won't Dance (as The Greg Trooper Band) (1986)
  • Everywhere (1992)
  • Noises in the Hallway (1996)
  • Popular Demons (1998)
  • Straight Down Rain (2001)
  • Between A House and a Hard Place: Live At Pine Hill Farm (2002)
  • Floating (2003)
  • Make It Through This World (2005)
  • The BackShop Live (2006)
  • The Williamsburg Affair (2009)
  • Upside-Down Town (2010)
  • Incident On Willow Street (2013)
  • Live at the Rock Room (2015)

References

  1. ^ "Singer-songwriter Greg Trooper dead at 61". tennessean.com. Retrieved January 15, 2017.
  2. ^ Carter, Eric R. (October 2, 2010). "Greg Trooper Tunes Up Community Center". cranford.patch.com. Patch Media. Archived from the original on July 10, 2012. Retrieved April 3, 2012.
  3. ^ a b c d e Cuccaro, Richard (July 2011). "Greg Trooper: It's Real Like That". Acoustic Listings Guide. Archived from the original on March 27, 2012. Retrieved January 5, 2026 – via acousticlive.com.
  4. ^ a b c d Musser, Jim (May–June 2001). "Greg Trooper: a New Jersey yankee in King Acuff's court". No Depression. No. 33. Archived from the original on August 16, 2011. Retrieved January 5, 2025.
  5. ^ Mazor, Barry (March–April 2003). "Greg Trooper: Between A House And A Hard Place (McConigel's Mucky Duck) CD review". No Depression. No. 44. Archived from the original on October 3, 2012. Retrieved January 5, 2025.
  6. ^ "Episode 205". Americana Music Show (Interview). September 1, 2014 – via americanamusicshow.com.
  7. ^ Thanki, Juli (January 15, 2017). "Singer-songwriter Greg Trooper dead at 61". The Tennessean. Retrieved February 21, 2017.
  • Official website
  • Greg Trooper (in Dutch) at luckydice.nl
  • Trooper, Greg (April 5, 2005). "Greg Trooper interview with Melissa Block". All Things Considered. Interviewed by Melissa Block. NPR.
  • Mansfield, Brian (April 11, 2005). "CD review". USA Today. Archived from the original on March 15, 2012. Retrieved January 5, 2026.
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