Waddy Wachtel

2.1. Childhood and Musical Education

Robert Wachtel was born on May 24, 1947, in Jackson Heights, Queens, a neighborhood within the New York City borough of Queens, to a Jewish family. At about nine or ten years old, Wachtel began learning to play the guitar. His first teacher, Gene Dell, insisted that Wachtel learn to play right-handed, despite his natural inclination as a left-handed individual. By the age of 14, Wachtel had begun writing his own songs. He also possessed absolute pitch, a rare ability that likely contributed to his musical development.

Wachtel furthered his musical education under Rudolph Schramm, who was then the head of the NBC staff orchestra and later taught music at Carnegie Hall. While Schramm initially encouraged Wachtel to take piano lessons, Wachtel remained focused on the guitar. Schramm agreed to provide him with guitar lessons three times a week, covering rhythm, melody, and harmony, thereby expanding Wachtel's ability to play any style of guitar and learn to read and write musical scores.

2.2. Formation of Early Bands and Transition to Session Work

After gaining experience performing with various local bands in the New York area, Wachtel formed his first band, The Orphans. This band played a diverse range of music, including garage rock, surf rock, and covers of The Rolling Stones' songs, performing in Connecticut and New Hampshire. The Orphans eventually secured a regular gig as a bar band in Newport, Rhode Island. During this period, Wachtel spent a year studying jazz guitar with Sal Salvador, focusing on improvisation and soloing, which further honed his musical skills.

Following the disbandment of The Orphans, Wachtel formed another group called Twice Nicely. Acting on the advice of Bud Cowsill, a member of The Cowsills, Wachtel moved Twice Nicely to Los Angeles in 1968. Although they recorded several demos, Wachtel decided after two years to pursue a career as a session musician. Around this time, The Cowsills also approached Wachtel with an offer to produce and participate in the recording of one of their albums. In 1979, Wachtel also formed the band Ronin with musicians Dan Dugmore, Rick Marotta, and Stanley Sheldon. They released a self-titled debut album on the Mercury label and toured as an opening act for the Rossington-Collins Band.

3.1. Extensive Session and Producer Work

Wachtel's career as a session and touring musician began in earnest in 1972 when Warren Zevon invited him to play guitar on The Everly Brothers' album Stories We Could Tell, followed by a subsequent tour. This marked the beginning of a long and significant professional relationship with Zevon. By 1973, Wachtel played with Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks on their first album, Buckingham Nicks, and joined them for the accompanying tour. Later, after Nicks and Buckingham joined Fleetwood Mac, Wachtel contributed rhythm guitar to their 1975 self-titled album on the track "Sugar Daddy". In 1975, he was also invited to record on Kenny Rankin's album Inside and Fleetwood Mac's Fleetwood Mac.

Throughout his career, Wachtel has appeared on hundreds of albums, lending his talents to a vast array of artists. His versatility and technical proficiency have earned him a high reputation within the industry, enabling him to work with numerous musicians across different styles. Notable artists he has collaborated with include:

In addition to his extensive session work, Wachtel has also held significant roles as a record producer. His production credits include albums for artists such as Stevie Nicks, Keith Richards, Jackson Browne, Bryan Ferry, The Church, Sand Rubies, George Thorogood and the Destroyers, and Warren Zevon. His ability to produce and co-produce music has further cemented his reputation as a multi-talented musician.

3.2. Co-writing and Arrangement Contributions

Wachtel's influence extends beyond his instrumental performances to his significant contributions as a co-writer and arranger. He notably co-wrote several songs with Warren Zevon, including the hit "Werewolves of London" (1978), which he also produced. Another collaboration with Zevon resulted in the song "Things to Do in Denver When You're Dead", featured on the album Mr. Bad Example. Wachtel performed on all seven of Warren Zevon's albums released between 1976 and 1992, producing or co-producing three of them.

He also shares co-writing credits with Stevie Nicks on tracks such as "Annabel Lee" and "I Don't Care". Wachtel's musical sense, technique, and strong composition and arrangement abilities are highly regarded in the industry, making him a sought-after collaborator.

3.3. Activities Since 2000

Since the year 2000, Wachtel has maintained a highly active career, continuing to perform and collaborate on various projects. He formed the **Waddy Wachtel Band** in 2000, which has performed regularly in the Los Angeles area, notably at The Joint from 2000 through 2013. The band's lineup has included Phil Jones, Rick Rosas, Bernard Fowler, and Blondie Chaplin, among others, and continues to gig with some personnel changes while retaining Fowler and Chaplin. Many famous artists have appeared with the Waddy Wachtel Band as special guests.

In 2010, Wachtel performed on the televised Grammy Award show, backing Taylor Swift's live presentation. During Swift's duet with Stevie Nicks on the song "Rhiannon", Wachtel was featured on lead guitar.

Since 2020, Wachtel has been performing with a group of other Southern California classic rock veterans in a band called "[https://www.immediatefamilyband.com/ The Immediate Family]". This group includes Danny Kortchmar, Leland Sklar, Russ Kunkel, and Steve Postell. In 2020, The Immediate Family released their album Turn It Up To 10. Wachtel's longstanding partnership with Keith Richards began in 1988, contributing to Richards' solo debut album Talk Is Cheap and subsequently joining Richards' backing band, the X-Pensive Winos, for tours and on the follow-up album, Main Offender. On October 12, 2024, Wachtel appeared as lead guitarist with Stevie Nicks as the musical guest on Saturday Night Live.

7.1. Child Pornography Possession Case

In 1998, Robert Wachtel was arrested on suspicion of possession of child pornography after images were discovered on a computer he had at home. A detective from the Los Angeles juvenile sex crimes division reported that Wachtel had produced copies of the computer-stored images, which he kept in his bedroom. Wachtel subsequently pleaded no contest to the charges and was placed on probation for three years.

Musician Brett Tuggle, who was a bandmate with Wachtel in Stevie Nicks's backing band and later became a member of the Waddy Wachtel Band, publicly defended him. Tuggle stated that he believed Stevie Nicks would not have kept Wachtel in her band if she thought he was guilty of any wrongdoing, implying a suggestion of innocence.

8.1. Musical Contributions and Professional Standing

Robert Wachtel is highly regarded for his exceptional talent, versatility, and technical proficiency across various musical styles. His ability to seamlessly adapt his guitar playing to diverse genres, coupled with his strong skills in composition and arrangement, has earned him a stellar reputation within the music industry. He is recognized for handling a wide range of musical demands, from garage rock and surf rock in his early career to sophisticated session work for some of the biggest names in rock, pop, and country music.

Wachtel's consistent and high-quality contributions have led many prominent artists, including Warren Zevon, James Taylor, Jackson Browne, Stevie Nicks, and Keith Richards, to repeatedly seek out his collaboration for both studio recordings and live performances. His significant impact as a session musician, co-writer, and producer underscores his enduring professional standing and his crucial role in shaping the sound of numerous acclaimed albums over several decades.