Greg S. Bowen
Biography
Greg in Maine
Born in Florida, Greg started playing guitar & writing songs at the age of 14. He returned to the Sunshine State many years later and still lives there. While attending college in Virginia , he ventured to Nashville Tennessee with tapes of his early compositions. There Greg had the fortune of playing songs for Dr. Hook's International Management office and met legendary renaissance man Shel Silverstein , author of “A Boy Named Sue”, “Cover Of The Rolling Stone”, “The Unicorn Song” and best-selling children's books. Shortly thereafter Dr. Hook recorded & released Greg's song “Sexy Energy”, as flip-side remake of “Walk Right In” single and it also appeared on their “Makin' Love and Music” album. The single went to #1 in Australia, New Zealand, Denmark and Sweden. Sexy Energy appears on EMI Music's “Dr. Hook 36 All-Time Greatest Hits”--available on the internet at www.timelessmusic.com and on EMI's Collection - Dr Hook CD ( England , Import ) at www.cduniverse.com . Greg returned to Virginia, then moved west to Los Angeles California.
Greg had a grand time in Hollywood, performing his songs at The Improvisation, Troubadour, The Comedy Store & many other showcases. He became a member of The American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA) and was hired for a twelve second spot on NBC’s show “Real People”. This vibrant interlude reran for six years. Greg teamed up with Emmy Award recipient television writer Rowby Goren (Laugh In, Hart To Hart (Christmas show), Three’s Company, Alice) and they launched the Santa Monica Ca cable TV game-show “Show Biz Quiz” that broadcast for a year. Greg, the Talent Coordinator, was a contestant himself on many episodes. He wrote the theme song “Someone Left A Pizza Out In The Rain”. Each week Hollywood’s up and coming performers would showcase their talent, sing the song and play quiz games with Rowby. Greg secured twenty-five other television and film extra jobs while in Los Angeles. You can still see the close-up of him pointing north (or was it south), when the police car stops and asks Greg (in sunglasses) which way the giant alligator went, in the classic film “Alligator”. The first actors strike then hit Hollywood shutting down productions, so Greg returned to Nashville after he got a call from Carla Lockhart. She told him Dr. Hook had recorded another one of his songs, in a Denmark recording studio and were on their way back to America with the master tapes. One of his last Hollywood performances is most memorable, not because of anything he did on stage at The Improvisation that night--but because of what happened afterwards. Greg had just finished his 15 minute 9:00pm spot and was at the bar talking to proprietor Bud Friedman. Greg ordered a jack&coke from Kevin Nealon (Saturday Night Live) who was the Improv’s bartender then. In walks Bob Dylan who proceeds with his lady friend to the cashier collecting cover charges. Greg said to Bud, hey that’s Bob Dylan wow--they watched as Bob talked with the cashier for a moment then Bud said to Greg, I should’ve put you on stage 15 minutes later. Bob was 10 feet from the bar-stools but Greg could hear his Minnesota accent--so the next thing he sees is Bob Dylan turning around and leaving looking annoyed. Greg went out front and watched Bob & the dark-skinned lady get into a blue Plymouth station wagon--they drove away on Melrose to Zuma Beach he reckoned. Back inside the original Improvisation club, Greg asked Bud who had already asked the cashier what happened. It turns out she hadn’t recognized Mr. Dylan, who said he only wanted to get a cheeseburger and didn’t want to pay cover-charge for the show. She advised this was against policy and Bob left. In Hollywood Greg had met Ricky Nelson, Robin Williams, Tom Waits, Steve Martin, John Sebastian, Sandra Bernhard, Mac Davis, Sid Caesar, Jay Leno, Dr. John and Florence Henderson to name a few.
Back
in Nashville Greg was elated that Dr. Hook were in town rehearsing for
their World Tour which featured Greg’s song “The Turn On a.k.a. Sex
Drive” as the show-opening number. “Sex Drive” first released in
England as the flip-side of the “Hearts Like Yours and Mine” single,
was then changed to “The Turn On” by order of Casablanca Records who
thought the original title was too risqué--this was funny but not funnier than the song itself--“Women turn me on, tacos turn me on, wine-coolers turn me on, I’m talkin' 'bout my sex drive…”. Now with new
title, Greg’s song then became flip-side of the “Baby Makes Her Blue
Jeans Talk” single (reaching #1 in Australia, Denmark, South Africa) and
was the 2nd track on Dr. Hook’s “Players In The Dark”
album. Greg was fortunate to see them perform his song live at the 9th
Annual Charlie Daniels Jam in Nashville. Next day The Tennessean newspaper
reported that Dr. Hook’s performance of “Sex Drive” drove the crowd
to a frenzy! After reading Kris Kristofferson had a janitor job
at Columbia Records, which led to him getting
Johnny Cash to record his
songs, Greg tried to follow suit. He secured a second job as a “gofer”
for Producer Ron Haffkine, who was recording Lou Rawls’ album at
Alabama’s brand new Music Mill Studios. Songs to be recorded however
were already selected for this project--including the first taping of
“Wind Beneath My Wings”. One of Greg’s funniest recollections is
when he was sent out to pick up 40 fried chicken breasts and beer&soda
for Mr. Rawls & studio musicians & engineers. When he tried to
place the order at Church’s Chicken drive-thru, the attendant inside
refused him--she thought he was being profane when he asked for 40 chicken
breasts. So he went inside and explained to the manager that yes he really
needed this for Lou Rawl’s recording session. Greg performed at the
Bluebird Café, Zanies and other Nashville showcases. He was featured on
the local news singing his “When You’re Cool The Sun Is Always
Shinin’” song--he had those L.A. sunglasses on again and a blue
feather boa. He later gave this to Alison Clement at The Cowboy Arms Hotel
& Recording Spa, for good luck with her dreamy vocalizations. Next
Greg launched his “Ladies Put On Your Summer Dresses!” showcase
series. As winter came in Music City, Greg returned to Florida for Christmas--to be with family. In his four Nashville years Greg also met Dolly Parton, Johnny Cash, Greg Allman, Marty Stuart, Elvis Costello, Brenda Lee, John Prine, Sinbad, John Hartford, Dobie Gray, Steve Goodman, Al Kooper, Millie Jackson, Roy Orbison, Jerry Lee Lewis and others. After
New Year’s Greg was saddened to hear Dr. Hook officially broke up,
because of rumored sour grapes with some of their management executives,
as they were the perfect outlet for his material. He stayed in Florida
becoming a Marketing Director and ventured into the cruise vacation
business. Greg still visits Nashville at least once a year, recording new
songs and seeing old friends. In Florida over the years he’s met Barry Gibb (Bee
Gees), Garth Brooks, Jimmy
Buffett, Peter Frampton, John Anderson (Seminole Wind) and Mark Farner of Grand Funk Railroad. Greg and his wife enjoy traveling. Hawaii
& Maine are next on their vacation list. If you know artists that are
recording who need entertaining songs please refer them to this website or
email Greg at Greggybsongs@bellsouth.net.
He’ll thank you in a song.
In August of 2002, Greg resigned from the cruise vacation industry in Miami/Ft Lauderdale. With his wife and help from Mayflower movers, they relocated to the rolling hills of Nashville, Tennessee--after saying goodbye for now to family in South Florida. They've chosen to give three or four of their Earth years to the Music City Biz--Greg is hopeful of having new artists record his songs. Before the move they did get to Hawaii and visited Volcano National Park, but did not set up camp there. Travel highlights since then include: skiing on Mount Sunapee, New Hampshire and jamming with the New England Rock Revue; overnighting in Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona and seeing Elk in the woods there; visiting Acadia National Park, Maine--looking for moose watching whales go by counting lobster traps after eating blueberry pie in Bar Harbor; swimming & scootering around Key West, Florida--before drinking pineapple wine & eating snapper right out of the water.
