Gary Primich was an American

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 blues

Blues

Blues is the name given to both a musical form and a music genre that originated in African-American communities of primarily the "Deep South" of the United States at the end of the 19th century from spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts and chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads...

 harmonica

Harmonica

The harmonica, also called harp, French harp, blues harp, and mouth organ, is a free reed wind instrument used primarily in blues and American folk music, jazz, country, and rock and roll. It is played by blowing air into it or drawing air out by placing lips over individual holes or multiple holes...

 player, singer, guitarist

Guitarist

A guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :The guitarist controls an extremely...

 and songwriter

Songwriter

A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...

. He is best known for his 1995 album, Mr. Freeze.

Biography

Gary Alan Primich was born in Chicago

Chicago

Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...

, Illinois

Illinois

Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...

, but grew up in nearby Hobart

Hobart, Indiana

Hobart is home to many thriving businesses in its downtown shopping district, including the historic Art Theatre.Hobart is also home to the Westfield Southlake Shopping Mall and many surrounding retailers and restaurants, although most businesses are required to list their addresses as Merrillville...

, Indiana

Indiana

Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...

. In 1984, after he graduated with a Bachelor's degree

Bachelor's degree

A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...

 from Indiana University

Indiana University

Indiana University is a multi-campus public university system in the state of Indiana, United States. Indiana University has a combined student body of more than 100,000 students, including approximately 42,000 students enrolled at the Indiana University Bloomington campus and approximately 37,000...

, Primich relocated to Austin

Austin, Texas

Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...

, Texas

Texas

Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...

.

While working at the University of Texas

University of Texas at Austin

The University of Texas at Austin is a state research university located in Austin, Texas, USA, and is the flagship institution of the The University of Texas System. Founded in 1883, its campus is located approximately from the Texas State Capitol in Austin...

, he started playing along with other musicians in local clubs

Nightclub

A nightclub is an entertainment venue which usually operates late into the night...

. In 1987, he met Jimmy Carl Black

Jimmy Carl Black

Jimmy Carl Black , born James Inkanish, Jr., was a drummer and vocalist for The Mothers of Invention.-Career: 1960s-1990s:Born in El Paso, Texas, Black was of Cheyenne heritage...

, and they formed the Mannish Boys. Their debut album

Album

An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...

, A L'il Dab'll Do Ya was issued on the Amazing Records label

Record label

In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...

, and although Black then left the band, Primich stayed with the Mannish Boys for another album, Satellite Rock. In 1991 Primich released his eponymous solo

Solo (music)

In music, a solo is a piece or a section of a piece played or sung by a single performer...

 debut album, and My Pleasure followed the next year. Amazing Records then folded, and Primich was contracted to the Flying Fish Records

Flying Fish Records

Flying Fish Records was a Chicago-based eclectic blues and country record label. It was founded in 1974 by Bruce Kaplan, former president of the University of Chicago's Folklore Society....

 label releasing Travelin' Mood (1994) and Mr. Freeze (1995). Mr. Freeze was named as one of the twenty best blues albums of the 1990s by the Chicago newspaper

Newspaper

A newspaper is a scheduled publication containing news of current events, informative articles, diverse features and advertising. It usually is printed on relatively inexpensive, low-grade paper such as newsprint. By 2007, there were 6580 daily newspapers in the world selling 395 million copies a...

, New City

New City

New City may refer to:*New City, New York*New City, Chicago, a neighborhood of Chicago*New City, Illinois*New City, Tijuana*New City , a 1975 album by Blood, Sweat & Tears-See also:*List of planned cities*Newton...

.

Constant touring allowed Primich to expand his fan base, and by 2000, he had a recording contract

Recording contract

A recording contract is a legal agreement between a record label and a recording artist , where the artist makes a record for the label to sell and promote...

 with the Texas Music Group. He issued Dog House Music (2002) and then Ridin' the Darkhorse (2006). Primich also recorded with Steve James

Steve James (blues musician)

Steve James is an American folk blues musician. A multi-instrumentalist, singer, and songwriter, James operates in the fields of acoustic and folk blues...

, Omar & the Howlers

Omar & the Howlers

Omar & the Howlers is a Texas based electric blues and blues rock band, formed in Hattiesburg, Mississippi in 1973 by the blues guitarist and singer Omar Kent Dykes. Three years later they moved to Austin, Texas. The band has regularly toured European countries.-Early years:Dykes grew up in McComb,...

, John "Juke" Logan

John "Juke" Logan

John "Juke" Logan is an American electric blues harmonica player, singer, pianist and songwriter. He is best known for his harmonica playing on the theme music for television programs and films...

, Marcia Ball

Marcia Ball

Marcia Ball is an American blues singer and pianist, born in Orange, Texas but who grew up in Vinton, Louisiana. She was described in USA Today as "a sensation, saucy singer and superb pianist.....

, Ruthie Foster

Ruthie Foster

Ruthie Foster is an American singer-songwriter of blues and folk music.Foster is from Gause, Texas and comes from a family of gospel singers. She studied music at McLennan Community College and then worked in the US Navy, where she started performing. Her debut was released in 1997 and she has...

, Mike Morgan and the Crawl, Nick Curran

Nick Curran (musician)

Nick Curran is an American rock n roll singer and guitarist. He has been likened to T-Bone Walker, Little Richard, The Sonics, Doug Sahm, Misfits, The Dinks and The Ramones.-Biography:...

, Doyle Bramhall

Doyle Bramhall

Doyle Bramhall was an American singer-songwriter and drummer, closely associated with the music of Austin.-Biography:...

 and Jimmie Vaughan

Jimmie Vaughan

James Lawrence "Jimmie" Vaughan is an American blues rock guitarist and singer from Dallas, Texas, United States. He is the older brother of the late Stevie Ray Vaughan....

.

In addition to his performance albums, in 1985 Primich released an instructional double CD

Compact Disc

The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,...

, Blues Harmonica: The Blues And Beyond. In June 1999, at the Montgomery Theater in San Jose

San Jose, California

San Jose is the third-largest city in California, the tenth-largest in the U.S., and the county seat of Santa Clara County which is located at the southern end of San Francisco Bay...

, California

California

California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...

, Primich undertook a performance and series of workshops with Howard Levy

Howard Levy

Howard Levy is a Grammy Award–winning, American harmonicist, pianist, composer, and producer....

, Magic Dick

Magic Dick

Richard "Magic Dick" Salwitz was the harmonica player for The J. Geils Band. In addition to the harmonica, Salwitz plays the trumpet and saxophone. He attended Worcester Polytechnic Institute in Worcester, Massachusetts, where he met John "J" Geils and Danny Klein and became a founding member of...

, Gary Smith, Lee Oskar

Lee Oskar

Lee Oskar is a Danish harmonica player, notable for his contributions to the sound of the rock-funk fusion group War, which he formed with Eric Burdon, his solo work, and as a harmonica manufacturer...

, Jerry Portnoy

Jerry Portnoy

Jerry Portnoy is an American harmonica blues musician, who has toured with Muddy Waters and Eric Clapton.-Biography:Portnoy grew up in Chicago's Maxwell Street neighborhood where his family owned a store...

, and Andy Santana

Andy Santana

Andy Santana is an American vocalist, songwriter, guitarist, and harmonica player. He has been performing since the 1970s.-Biography:...

. He was inducted in the Austin Music Hall of Fame.

In September 2007, Primich died at his home in Austin, at the age of 49, of acute heroin intoxication.

Discography

• Gary Primich (1991) - Amazing
• My Pleasure (1992) - Amazing
• Hot Harp Blues (1993) - Amazing
• Travelin' Mood (1994) - Flying Fish
  Flying Fish Records
  Flying Fish Records was a Chicago-based eclectic blues and country record label. It was founded in 1974 by Bruce Kaplan, former president of the University of Chicago's Folklore Society....
  
  
• Mr. Freeze (1995) - Flying Fish
• Company Man (1997) - Black Top
  Black Top Records
  Black Top Records was a New Orleans, Louisiana based independent record label founded in 1981 by brothers Nauman S. Scott, III and Hammond Scott. The label specialized in blues and R&B music. The first release was "Talk To You By Hand" by Anson Funderburgh & The Rockets...
  
  
• Botheration (1999) - Black Top
• Dog House Music (2002) - Antone's
• Ridin' the Darkhorse (2006) - Electro-Fi

External links

• [ Biography] at Allmusic
• Photographs and videos at NME.com