After playing a grueling schedule at the annual South By Southwest music Conference in Austin, TX � 4 shows in three days including our own AmericanaRoots.com Showcase � Gillam had arrived home late on March 20 and began to attend to last minute details for his trip to France, scheduled the next day. There he was to record songs for an album with the Philadelphia Songwriter collective "4 Way Street" (Ben Arnold, Joseph Parsons, Scott Bricklin). But that evening he began to feel ill but marked it up to indigestion more than likely brought on by the lifestyle of the road: little sleep, little exercise, poor diet and a little too much alcohol.
His wife convinced him to go to the emergency room where he found that the road life hadn�t brought only fatigue and indigestion, but a massive heart attack. �Let me tell you, this was THE scariest thing that's ever happened to me,� he says, now nearly two months into his recovery, �and as only a small percentage of men in their 30's and 40's survive a heart attack, I consider myself one of the luckiest guys on the planet and plan to make wise use of my time while I'm here.�
Gilliam�s love of music manifested at an early age and was fueled by his family. �When I was about 6 or 7 my dad bought a jukebox that was a coin operated record machine filled with fifty 45 rpm records, which he changed periodically.� The sounds of Waylon Jennings, Johnny Cash (�My dad's fave,� he says), Glen Campbell, Buck Owens and Bill Anderson mixed freely with those of The Beatles, Creedence Clearwater Revival, The Archies, The Monkees and Motown. His Aunt also contributed to his passion. �When I was about 12 years old I had an aunt who worked at a record warehouse, and since she knew I was obsessed with music, gave me a milk crate full of "cut-out" albums.� Included in that crate were Poco's Pickin' Up The Pieces, Johnny Winter and The Allman Brothers Live at the Fillmore East. Gillam gravitated towards this style and bands like the Byrds, Lynyrd Skynyrd and Buffalo Springfield.
As he entered his 20�s he began to choose a different musical path and joined bands with a much heavier repertoire. �I tried my hand at bunch of musical styles trying to find out what my true calling was: Hard Rock, New Wave, Punk, but when all was said and done I never really felt comfortable enough with any of them to sustain a career,� he says looking back over his early years as a musician.
In the mid-Nineties, Gillam decided to record his first solo album. When recording, he and producer/collaborator Joe Carroll noticed it was decidedly more �rootsy� than his previous efforts, �Joe and I both noticed that my music had a kind of a �country� flavor to it. Not a �Nashville� style country but more in a ‘70's �classic rock� style.� It was around this time that a friend turned him on to Son Volt and Wilco. �It was then I realized that there actually might be an audience and a place for me and my music,� he recounts, �and, as it turns out, there was quite a large community of like minded people who not only enjoyed music that was inherently country or country rock but was edgier and much more real than the �mainstream� country that was being made in Nashville.�
First Of All was released in 1998 and then, after a four year gap, was followed by Dallas in 2001. During that gap, Gilliam toured extensively (opening for such acts as Dave Matthews Band, Tom Petty, Son Volt and even Garth Brooks) and creating a grassroots fanbase.
His 2004 release, Shake My Hand, was received with open arms by critics and fans alike. Tom was nominated be the Americana Music Association in the Best New/Emerging Artists category at the 2005 ceremony (other nominees were Mary Gauthier, Hayes Carll, The Duhks, and Martha Wainright). While affirming his talent, Gillam doesn�t believe awards and praise can make a career: �Well it was extremely heartwarming to be recognized by my musical peers! But to be honest, awards don't open doors; talent, perseverance, most of all doing this for the right reasons do. And the right reason is because you love it and your passion for the music outweighs you inner voice that tells you that it might be better to get in a more stable and lucrative line of work!�
�I asked a priest one time how he decided to give his life to the church. He told me, �I didn't just decide one day to be a priest, it was a calling I have been hearing in my heart since I could remember.� Well, if you change the word Priest to musician, you'll know how I've felt since I was a child,� he relates. It is this passion for the music that is helping Gillam heal from his medical setback.
Gillam was in the process of wrapping up the loose ends on his new album when he suffered his heart attack. Due to the heart attack and recuperating time the album was set back a little. He also had to cancel shows, and for a full-time artist, that means a lose of income. Enter his friend and collaborator Joe Carroll who organized a benefit concert held on May 13. �To say I'm overwhelmed would be an understatement! These are people that I not only know, but really respect as well, and to have them give up their time to help me is a favor that I will NEVER forget. I know this might sound silly but I really just didn't know I had that many friends!�
The proceeds from the benefit will go to Tom�s medical expenses as he continues his recuperating and his doctor says he will be nearly back to normal within a month. And then it�s back on the road. �We have tour planned for the end of May, hitting Texas, Nashville and North Carolina,� he says joyfully. With his band, Tractor Pull, he will be playing the Americana Jam in New Braunfels, TX and, if everything seems right health-wise, they will continue to tour through the summer and into the Fall when his new CD will be released.
�Luckily the CD was recorded before the heart attack, and about 50% of the mixing was done,� he says, �Joe along with Tim [McMaster, bass guitar] and Dave [Latimere, drums] did some preliminary stuff while I was in the hospital and soon as the Dr. said it was ok I had someone drive me to the studio to help.� Obviously proud of this newest effort, Tom glows as he talks about it, �To be honest with you I'm so psyched about this CD I could just go on and on, but I'd rather you guys make up your own mind when you hear it!�
Purchase Shake My Hand at LoneStarMusic.com
Photos from Tom's appearance at our AmericanaRoots.com Showcase
(by TimelinePhotographic)
