Versatile musician enjoys acting gigs

This article was taken from The Commercial Appeal in Memphis, TN with their permission. To go directly to the article at The Commercial Appeal, go to gomemphis.com and search for Adam Sutton.

By Michael Donahue
Contact
October 22, 2004

Adam Sutton played drums in "Walk the Line," but he didn't play any music. He faked it. But, he said, "You have to actually be able to play to fake it that good, to know your part."

Sutton, 22, a composer, drummer, guitarist, bass and keyboard player, had the role of Roy Orbison's drummer in the movie about Johnny Cash filmed last summer in Memphis. He and the other band members didn't actually perform the music they were supposedly playing, he said. "They had drum pads on the drums and the bass drum pedal was broken, wouldn't hit. The cymbals were doubled up so they'd go 'tink, tink, tink.' We had the music playing through monitors. I was learning the music a couple of times before we filmed it."

Sutton and guitarist Johnny Holiday showed up at the production office after they heard about the Cash movie. Holiday was chosen to play Carl Perkins. About a week later, Sutton got the part of Orbison's drummer. "They didn't really come right out and tell me how to act or anything. They mainly dressed me up and said, 'Here you go.' "

Sutton wore 1950s era clothes and, "My hair was real slicked back. It was real weird how they had to have your hair so sprayed down. They use 'liquid concrete.' Every now and then they'd come up: 'What did you do?' (and re-spray:) SCCRRRRRR!! And I don't know how I could have messed it up 'cause it was just solid."

Also, he said, "I had to learn to drive a '53 Plymouth three on the tree. That was fun."

"Walk the Line" is Sutton's second movie. He had a bit part in "21 Grams." "I was just in this church scene. I was right next to Benicio del Toro singing: 'I got peace like a river.' They just put a little dirt on (my) cheek. I didn't even shave. I had a mustache."

Sutton began playing guitar when he was 3, and does a variety of styles. "I guess it's a mixture of rock and roll and blues and a type of jazz. But, really, what I try to include, and this is weird, is classical South Indian Carnatic music. That's my favorite. In my opinion, it's the most scientific and involved kind of (music). It's just been around so long and it's the original. You can tell it's coming from a people 4,000 or 5,000 years ago."

The late Memphis guitarist Shawn Lane was Sutton's mentor. Sutton met Lane, a Warner Bros. recording artist, through his dad, Tony Sutton, a musician and owner of The Cottage restaurant at 3292 Summer. Sutton describes Lane as "the teacher that I probably have to thank for my whole musical ability. Not talent-wise, but musical influence and inspiration. I guess because of his open-mindedness toward music as a whole and a worldly kind of look. Open-minded to try and play and listen to other music from other places that are just as good if not better. He took a lot of chances. You could tell by listening to him he wasn't trying to play it safe at all. I guess I like that in an artist."

Sutton, Lane and his dad were in a country music/pop band, Time Bandits, that played at the restaurant.

Sutton, who's written about 50 songs, has performed with many Memphis musicians and still sits in with various performers who play at The Cottage, where live music is featured five nights a week.

His plans include teaching music, but acting in more movies isn't out of the question.

"For a couple of weeks, I was in a different world," he said.

Listen Up spotlights area performers. Michael Donahue can be reached at 529-2797.

A Message Concerning Adam Sutton
By Jerry Mac

   Hello readers. This is Jerry Mac bringing you a little extra news about Adam Sutton, a very talent young man in the field of music. This little write up could be considered "a little shameless self promotion" due to the fact that I am going to be bragging about this young man that just happens to be related to me. He's just one of a few of my relatives that have chosen entertainment as his profession in life. I guess that it's only natural that he became a musician since his Dad, Tony Sutton, is one of the greatest guitar players that ever came from Memphis, TN. Tony is the son of my deceased brother, which makes Adam my great nephew.
   What could be more natural than Adam becoming a musicians after all the influences by my other family members in his life. Of course there is myself being in the business, and then there is my nephew, Kenny Wayne Baker (Adam's cousin), the owner of Thunderbolt Entertainment in Memphis, TN, and then there is Steve, my youngest brother (Adam's great uncle), that influenced Adam since Steve just happens to be one of the greatest drummers that ever came from Memphis, and then there is My nephew Joe (Adam's cousin) who is a great guitar picker that is making a name in LA and Hollywood for himself. If you happen to be in Hollywood, go by "Club Vodka" and say hello to Joe Sutton. Tell him his uncle Jerry said, "Hello.". Adam was, also, influenced by my son, Woody, who is a professional drummer. It appears that we could all get together and form a family band, but that will more than likely never happen, because each member of the family seems to march to the beat of their own drummer. However, Adam was in the Time Bandits that consisted of Adam on the bass, his dad, Tony, on the guitar, and his uncle Steve on drums. The band, also, included Shawn Lane on guitar with Gina Parker.
Jerry Mac

Anyone interested in booking Adam Sutton as a musician or as a part in a movie contact Jerry Mac at 610-518-1122 or by email at adamsutton@countrymusicplanet.com.

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