Greg Guidry liked to sing gospel and play piano. As a teenager, he formed a band with future Doobie Brothers keyboardist/vocalist Michael McDonald.
In 1977, with his friend and collaborator Rich Lang, Greg drove from his native St. Louis to New York City to pursue a career in the music industry. The pair wrote and recorded some demos and were soon signed to CBS Records. Their songs were recorded by the Climax Blues Band, Exile, Sawyer Brown, Reba McEntire and others. Greg sang backup on The Allman Brothers’ 1981 release Brothers of the Road.
Greg went solo in the early 80s and signed with Columbia Records. He released an album called Over the Line, which spawned the single “Goin’ Down,” an early entry into the then-unnamed “yacht rock” genre. The song hit Number 17 on the Billboard charts.
Greg continued his songwriting efforts into the 80s, but he didn’t release a follow-up to Over the Line for nearly two decades. Making up for lost opportunity, Greg actually released two albums in 2000 — Soul’d Out and Private Sessions. Neither one charted.
In 2003, Greg’s charred remains was discovered in the aftermath of a fire in his garage at his home in Fairview, Tennessee. After an investigation, his death was ruled a suicide. Greg was 53.