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About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (July 6, 2007)
Jg.JUStpUt JULY 6. ¿M/ music One Day at a Time The musical life of Galloway 8 Luckett by Rebecca Ragain arb Galloway has been playing guitar since about age 4. Actually, it was a toy guitar at that time. But it didn’t take long for her to graduate to the real thing and begin a musical career spanning about 40 years, depending on when one starts the official count. Today, Galloway lives and performs in Portland, where she grew up. She is nearly inseparable from her partner in life and music, Donna Luckett. Luckett plays bass in their musical duo, called Galloway & Luckett, which performs at coffeehouses, farmers markets and hxikstores as well as at events like Portland Pride and the Waterfront Blues Festival. The Saturday and Sunday Hillsboro farmers markets are a summer favorite. In addition, the two are often hired to play at private gigs such as commitment ceremonies and awards dinners. Luckett, who manages booking and organizational details, says the group averages a gig per week throughout most of the year. At this point in the couple’s career, Luckett rarely has to call ven ues and ask for gigs: “We’re well known in some of these places, so when they start bxxiking music they call us, which is really nice." The couple are kxtking forward to a tour of England, Ireland and Scotland this fall. In addition to several scheduled performances, Galloway is excited to sit in on some informal jam sessions at the pubs. Except for the scheduled performances in Europe, Luckett plans mostly to sit back and watch. “I don’t jam. Barb’s the real connoisseur of music.” In fact, it was Galloway who taught Luckett how to play bass, and a smattering of rhythm guitar. There is no doubt in Luckett’s mind as to who is the primary musician of the couple, who have been together for 18 years now. “I’m a really solid bass player. She’s taught me well. However, 1 feel like she’s really the artist and lead musician.” The self-described talker of the two, Luckett adds that her role is “promoting and focusing on Barb’s talents.” There is certainly ample talent to support. Galloway plays the guitar, mandolin, accordion and bass. She switches genres with ease, being proficient in jazz, blues, country and bluegrass. In a review published in The Oregonian, Marty Hughley wrote that Galloway’s 1997 debut album, When I’m with You, was “worth waiting for.” He called the album “a fitting document of what’s been a quietly we 11-respected career" and described her guitar playing as “exemplary” and “tastefully executed.” . Flatpicking Guitar Magazine recently featured Galloway in a special issue focusing on 16 women who play the acoustic steel string guitar in the flatpick style. Galloway wrote both the instrumental and vocal parts for most of the songs on the couple’s two self-pr<xluced CDs and is working on tunes for a third. When writing, she draws inspira tion from her observations about life. Sometimes she wakes up in the middle of the night with an idea for a song. Galloway is also a respected music teacher at Watz Up Hillsboro Music Co., where she usually has a waiting list. Her students stay with her for years, in part due to her unique Galloway was featured in Flatpicking Guitar Magazine's first Women willingness and ability to teach them to play almost any style Flatpickers Edition in September 2006. of music that interests them, from heavy metal to gospel. “Some Istudents] have joined bands, gotten to the point where that comes up.” She also has to he careful not to overtax herself and they’re pretty g<xxl and sent me a CD,” says Galloway, clearly pleased performs while seated on a stool instead of standing. by her pupils’ success. In the nine years since the disease took hold, Galloway & Luckett If anything outshines Galloway’s talents as a musician, composer has yet to turn down a gig because of the disability. With the organi and teacher, it is her courage and strength as a performer. Throughout zational help and emotional support of Luckett, who specializes in most of her career, female lead guitar players were rare enough in the disability accommodation in her career as a vocational counselor, industry that Galloway grew accustomed to being described as “the Galloway is able to keep performing her music. girl that plays guitar.” People made assumptions about her skills as But it isn’t easy. a musician because of her gender, especially in the Now, when a group of musicians is jamming on stage, Galloway earlier years, but she didn’t let them get her down. has to talk herself into joining them. It isn’t the level of musical tal “I just play my music. Most of the time the men ent that is intimidating, it is the stairs that separate her from the stage. will come rfp to me and ask, ‘Whoa, how did you do’ What if she falls on her way up? such-and-such...! just be myself and play.” Galloway says: “Now it’s me having to push myself to get up there Now that Galloway finds the public generally to be and do that. It’s a struggle, but either I do this or I don’t.” more accepting of the idea that a woman can be a great However, once Galloway starts to perform, everyone who listens guitar player, she has a new challenge to face. In 1998, loses any preconceptions they had about people with disabilities, says she was diagnosed with a little-known degenerative dis Luckett. “She takes things day by day, and she proves who she is each time she plays. "© order called Familial Spastic Paraparesis. (For more Barb Galloway (left) and Donna Luckett are partners in life and music. information visit the Spastic Paraplegia Foundation online at www.sp-foundation.org ). In addition to other physical complications, Galloway has gradually been losing the ability to walk. Nowadays, she gets around with a walker or an electric scooter. Galloway explains that the disease is progressive, “so you learn as you go how to deal with the next issue G alloway & L uckett performs 10a.m. July 15 at the Hillsboro Sunday Farmers Market in the parking area between Orenco Station Parkway and Northeast 61st Avenue, just off Cornell Road. For more information visit www.gallowayandluekett.com. R ebecca R again is a freelance writer who regularly covers dance and music for Just Out. She can be reached at rebeccaragain@yahoo.com. 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