Boz Scaggs

Biography

William Royce "Boz" Scaggs (born June 8, 1944) is an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist. He was a bandmate of Steve Miller in the Ardells in the early 1960s and a member of the Steve Miller Band from 1967 to 1968.
Scaggs began his solo career in 1969, though he lacked a major hit until his 1976 album, Silk Degrees×Silk Degrees18 February 1976 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 10 tracksA1What Can I Say3:02A2Georgia3:57A3Jump Street5:13A4What Do You Want the Girl to Do3:53A5Harbor Lights5:59B1Lowdown5:18B2It's Over2:52B3Love Me Tomorrow3:17B4Lido Shuffle3:43B5We're All Alone4:12, peaked at number 2 on the Billboard 200 and produced the hit singles "Lido Shuffle×Lido ShuffleFebruary 1977 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 2 tracksALido Shuffle3:40BWe're All Alone4:10" and "Lowdown". Scaggs produced two more platinum-certified albums in Down Two Then Left×Down Two Then Left3 November 1977 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 11 tracksA1Still Falling for You3:55A2Hard Times4:31A3A Clue3:59A4Whatcha Gonna Tell Your Man3:54A5We’re Waiting6:23B1Hollywood3:11B2Then She Walked Away4:06B3Gimme the Goods4:16B419934:05B5Tomorrow Never Came4:10B6Tomorrow Never Came (reprise)0:27 and Middle Man×Middle ManApril 1980 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 9 tracksA1Jojo5:51A2Breakdown Dead Ahead4:34A3Simone5:08A4You Can Have Me Anytime4:56B1Middle Man4:51B2Do Like You Do in New York3:44B3Angel You3:37B4Isn’t It Time4:52B5You Got Some Imagination3:56, the latter of which produced the top-40 singles "Breakdown Dead Ahead×Breakdown Dead Ahead29 March 1980 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 2 tracksABreakdown Dead Ahead4:06BIsn't It Time4:52" and "Jojo".
After a hiatus for most of the 1980s, he returned to recording and touring in 1988, releasing Other Roads and later joining the New York Rock and Soul Revue. Scaggs opened the nightclub Slim's, a popular music venue in San Francisco (it closed in 2020). He has continued to record and tour throughout the 1990s, 2000s and 2010s, with his most recent albums being 2018's Out of the Blues×Out of the Blues18 July 2018 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 12 tracks1Rock and Stick4:512I’ve Just Got to Forget You2:583I’ve Just Got to Know4:114Radiator 1104:095Little Miss Night and Day5:206On the Beach6:337Down in Virginia3:248Those Lies4:329The Feeling Is Gone3:3610Good Information5:111125 Years3:5312Good Lover3:54 and 2025's Detour×Detour17 October 2025 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 11 tracks1It’s Raining4:292Angel Eyes4:463Once I Loved3:534The Very Thought of You5:105I’ll Be Long Gone4:486Detour Ahead5:247I Could Have Told You4:408The Meaning of the Blues3:569Tomorrow Night4:2810Too Late Now3:4711We’ll Be Together Again3:23.
Scaggs is credited for helping the formation of Toto. For his 1976 album, Silk Degrees, he hand-picked musicians after taking suggestions from several people. These musicians were David Paich, David Hungate and Jeff Porcaro. The three were already friends and had frequently performed together on other albums, such as Steely Dan's Pretzel Logic. By going on tour with Scaggs, it solidified the prospect of starting a band. Columbia picked up on this talent by offering the new group a contract "without audition". Steve Porcaro described this as "a record deal thrown in our laps". Paich stated, "I'm not sure if Toto would have happened as soon, or quite the same way, without Silk Degrees". Their friendship has continued throughout the decades, shown by the varying collaborations and concerts performed together. Paich teamed up once more for Scaggs' 2001 album, Dig, contributing to 6 out of the 11 songs.

Early life, family and education

Scaggs was born in Canton, Ohio, the eldest child to Royce and Helen Scaggs. His father was a traveling salesman who had flown in the Army Air Corps during World War II. Their family moved to McAlester, Oklahoma, then to Plano, Texas (at that time a farm town), just north of Dallas. He learned his first instrument, the cello, at age 9. He received a scholarship to attend a private school in Dallas, St. Mark's School of Texas.
At St. Mark's, he met Steve Miller, who helped him to learn the guitar at age 12. A classmate wanted to give Scaggs a "weird" nickname. This started out as "Bosley", then "Boswell" and "Bosworth". The name was later shortened to Boz.

Early years

In 1959, he became the vocalist for Steve Miller's band, the Marksmen. After graduation in 1962, the pair later attended the University of Wisconsin–Madison together, playing in blues bands like the Ardells and the Fabulous Knight Trains.
Scaggs left school in 1963 to pursue a career in music. He signed up for the Army Reserve and formed a new band, the Wigs with John "Toad" Andrews and Bob Arthur. By 1965, the band joined the burgeoning R&B scene in London. Achieving little success, the group disbanded within a few months. Scaggs traveled throughout Europe, earning money by busking. He arrived in Stockholm, Sweden, where he recorded his first solo debut album, Boz, in 1965 with the Karusell Grammofon AB label, which failed commercially. He had a brief stint with the band the Other Side with Mac MacLeod and Jack Downing.
Returning to the US, Scaggs promptly headed for the booming psychedelic music center of San Francisco in 1967 after receiving a postcard invitation from Steve Miller to join his band. He appeared on the Steve Miller Band's first two albums, Children of the Future and Sailor in 1968. He left the band due to different music tastes and tension between himself and Miller at the time. Scaggs secured a solo contract with Atlantic Records in 1968, releasing his second album, Boz Scaggs, a year later. It was produced by Jann Wenner (co-founder of the magazine Rolling Stone) and features the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section and session guitarist Duane Allman. Despite good reviews, this release achieved only moderate sales. Scaggs briefly hooked up with San Francisco Bay Area band Mother Earth in a supporting role on their second album Make a Joyful Noise on guitar and backup vocals.
Scaggs signed with Columbia Records releasing the albums Moments×Moments1 May 1971 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 10 tracksA1We Were Always Sweethearts3:31A2Downright Women4:38A3Painted Bells4:03A4Alone, Alone3:41A5Near You4:54B1I Will Forever Sing (The Blues)5:16B2Moments4:35B3Hollywood Blues2:42B4We Been Away3:44B5Can I Make It Last (Or Will It Just Be Over) (instrumental)5:20 in 1971 and My Time×My TimeOctober 1972 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 10 tracksA1Dinah Flo3:03A2Slowly in the West3:56A3Full‐Lock Power Slide3:09A4Old Time Lovin’2:52A5Might Have to Cry4:03B1Hello My Lover3:23B2Freedom for the Stallion2:32B3He’s a Fool for You3:46B4We’re Gonna Roll2:52B5My Time2:56 in 1972. These first Columbia albums were modest sellers. Seeking a new more soulful direction, Columbia brought in former Motown producer Johnny Bristol for Scaggs' next album, Slow Dancer×Slow Dancer1974 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 10 tracks1You Make It So Hard (To Say No)3:312Slow Dancer3:143Angel Lady (Come Just in Time)3:294There Is Someone Else4:325Hercules4:046Pain of Love3:117Sail on White Moon3:148Let It Happen3:189I Got Your Number3:4310Take It for Granted4:20 (1974). Although the album only made No. 81 on the US Billboard Album Chart, it subsequently attained gold status, no doubt getting a boost from the huge success of Scaggs's next album, Silk Degrees×Silk Degrees18 February 1976 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 10 tracksA1What Can I Say3:02A2Georgia3:57A3Jump Street5:13A4What Do You Want the Girl to Do3:53A5Harbor Lights5:59B1Lowdown5:18B2It's Over2:52B3Love Me Tomorrow3:17B4Lido Shuffle3:43B5We're All Alone4:12.

1976–1981: the hit years

In 1976, using session musicians who later formed the band Toto, he recorded Silk Degrees, with Joe Wissert on producing duties. The album, which received a Grammy nomination for album of the year and a further nomination for Wissert as Producer of the Year, reached No. 2 on the US Billboard 200, and No. 1 in a number of other countries, spawning four hit singles: "It's Over", "Lowdown", "What Can I Say×What Can I Say1976 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 2 tracksAWhat Can I Say2:59BHarbor Lights5:55", and "Lido Shuffle×Lido ShuffleFebruary 1977 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 2 tracksALido Shuffle3:40BWe're All Alone4:10", as well as the poignant ballad "We're All Alone", which Rita Coolidge (who had performed backing vocals on an earlier Scaggs album) took to the top of the charts in 1977. "Lowdown" sold over one million copies in the US and won the Grammy Award for Best R&B Song, which was shared by Scaggs and David Paich. In Saturday Night Fever, John Travolta choreographed his dance to "Lowdown".
In an interview, Travolta states "The Bee Gees weren't even involved in the movie in the beginning, I was dancing to Stevie Wonder and Boz Scaggs." However, Columbia denied the song's use as there was another disco movie using "Lowdown" (Looking for Mr. Goodbar).
A sellout world tour followed. Scaggs was performing at Avery Fisher Hall (now the David Geffen Hall) in New York's Lincoln Center during the infamous July 13th New York City blackout in 1977. He was around 15 minutes into the concert when the power went out. Scaggs told the audience to save their ticket stubs as he would do a repeat concert on the Friday night, a few days after. Scaggs performed with Fleetwood Mac for a few concerts between 1976 and 1977.
His follow-up album in 1977 Down Two Then Left×Down Two Then Left3 November 1977 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 11 tracksA1Still Falling for You3:55A2Hard Times4:31A3A Clue3:59A4Whatcha Gonna Tell Your Man3:54A5We’re Waiting6:23B1Hollywood3:11B2Then She Walked Away4:06B3Gimme the Goods4:16B419934:05B5Tomorrow Never Came4:10B6Tomorrow Never Came (reprise)0:27 did not sell as well as Silk Degrees×Silk Degrees18 February 1976 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 10 tracksA1What Can I Say3:02A2Georgia3:57A3Jump Street5:13A4What Do You Want the Girl to Do3:53A5Harbor Lights5:59B1Lowdown5:18B2It's Over2:52B3Love Me Tomorrow3:17B4Lido Shuffle3:43B5We're All Alone4:12 and neither of its singles reached the Top 40. For Down Two Then Left, Scaggs continued working with future members of Toto as well as Ray Parker Jr, member of the band Raydio who would later write and perform the Ghostbusters theme song in 1984.
The 1980 album Middle Man×Middle ManApril 1980 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 9 tracksA1Jojo5:51A2Breakdown Dead Ahead4:34A3Simone5:08A4You Can Have Me Anytime4:56B1Middle Man4:51B2Do Like You Do in New York3:44B3Angel You3:37B4Isn’t It Time4:52B5You Got Some Imagination3:56 spawned two top 20 hits, "Breakdown Dead Ahead×Breakdown Dead Ahead29 March 1980 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 2 tracksABreakdown Dead Ahead4:06BIsn't It Time4:52" (No. 15, Hot 100) and "Jojo" (No. 17, Hot 100); and Scaggs also enjoyed two more top 20 hits in 1980–81, "Look What You've Done to Me", from the Urban Cowboy soundtrack, and "Miss Sun", from a greatest hits set, both reaching No. 14 on the Hot 100. "Miss Sun" was an unreleased Toto demo from 1977 .

Later career

Scaggs took a long break from recording as he felt making music had become a "career" and that music had "left him". He did attempt to make a new album in 1983, but "it didn't feel right". In 1985, he succumbed to feelings of anxiety and felt he had to get a record out as there was "something very big missing" in his life.
Scaggs' next album, Other Roads×Other Roads21 May 1988 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 11 tracks1What’s Number One?3:582Claudia4:083Heart of Mine4:134Right Out of My Head5:265I Don’t Hear You4:436Mental Shakedown4:107Soul to Soul5:038Crimes of Passion4:039Funny5:5110Cool Running4:1411The Night of Van Gogh4:20, did not appear until 1988 due to Columbia rejecting the record as "they didn't feel they had a strong hit single", making Scaggs spend more time perfecting the album. "Heart of Mine", from Other Roads, is Scaggs' last top-40 hit as of 2018. Also in 1988, he opened the San Francisco nightclub, Slim's, and remained the owner of the venue until the club's closure in 2020.
In 1992, Scaggs performed at Toto's tribute concert for Jeff Porcaro, along with Don Henley, Donald Fagen, Eddie Van Halen, George Harrison, and Michael McDonald.
His next solo release was the album Some Change×Some Change5 April 1994 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 10 tracks1You Got My Letter4:232Some Change6:113I’ll Be the One5:304Call Me3:185Fly Like a Bird3:366Sierra5:217Lost It5:528Time4:199Illusion5:2810Follow That Man5:52 in 1994. He issued Come On Home, an album of rhythm and blues, and My Time×My TimeOctober 1972 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 10 tracksA1Dinah Flo3:03A2Slowly in the West3:56A3Full‐Lock Power Slide3:09A4Old Time Lovin’2:52A5Might Have to Cry4:03B1Hello My Lover3:23B2Freedom for the Stallion2:32B3He’s a Fool for You3:46B4We’re Gonna Roll2:52B5My Time2:56: A Boz Scaggs Anthology, an anthology, in 1997.
In the summer of 1998, Boz toured as the opening act for Stevie Nicks.
After another hiatus from recording, his next album, Dig, received good reviews. However, the CD was released on an unfortunate date – September 11, 2001. In May 2003, Scaggs released But Beautiful, a collection of jazz standards that debuted at number one on the jazz chart. In 2008 he released Speak Low, which he described in the liner notes as "a sort of progressive, experimental effort ... along the lines of some of the ideas that Gil Evans explored." During 2004, he released a DVD and a live 16-track CD Greatest Hits Live that was recorded August 2003 at the Great American Music Hall in San Francisco. Dig was re-released in 2006, with the exception of the song "Get on the Natch".
After a break in recording, he undertook a series of shows across the US in 2008. Two years later he joined Donald Fagen and Michael McDonald for concerts entitled the Dukes of September Rhythm Revue.
His next album Memphis×Memphis5 March 2013 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube MusicTracklist · 12 tracks1Gone Baby Gone3:352So Good to Be Here3:153Mixed Up, Shook Up Girl3:444Rainy Night in Georgia4:345Love on a Two Way Street3:366Pearl of the Quarter3:287Cadillac Walk4:278Corrina, Corrina3:459Can I Change My Mind4:1910Dry Spell3:2411You Got Me Cryin’4:5512Sunny Gone4:32 was released in March 2013. It was recorded in that Southern American city at the Royal Studios. The album included some of his favorite compositions from other artists. A tour of the United States, Canada and Japan followed the release. Before the year ended, he added live dates across North America and Australia for 2014. In 2015, he released A Fool to Care, a compilation of mostly covers, including "Whispering Pines" with Lucinda Williams, and one original blues composition, "Hell to Pay", performed with Bonnie Raitt. The album rose to number 1 on the Billboard Blues Album chart and number 54 on the Billboard 200. In 2018, he released Out of the Blues, reaching number 1 on the Billboard Top Blues Albums chart.
In February 2024, he made his first post-pandemic visit to Japan, touring for seven shows in five locations throughout the country. From the stage of his Tokyo show, he announced that he would donate the guitars he used for his Japan tour to a charity auction to support the recovery from the 2024 Noto Peninsula Earthquake which had struck on New Year's Day that year.

Personal life

Scaggs married Donna Carmella Storniola, his first wife, in 1973. They had two sons, Austin and Oscar. Scaggs and Carmella divorced in 1980 and three and a half years later, Scaggs won joint custody of his sons. Austin is now a music journalist for Rolling Stone. Oscar died on December 31, 1998, from a heroin overdose. Carmella died in February 2017.
In 1992, Scaggs married Dominique Gioia. In 1996, they moved to Napa Valley and planted 2.2 acres of Grenache, Mourvedre, Syrah, and Counoise grapes. In 2000 they made their first wine, and in 2006 Scaggs Vineyard was certified organic. In 2016, Scaggs sold his plot to Newfound Wines.
In October 2017, the couple's house burned down in the Northern California wildfires. He and his wife were on tour at the time. He lost everything: the vineyard, cars, and sentimental objects such as decades worth of legal pads and cocktail napkins with lyrics on them.

Solo albums

• While the 1969 self-titled Atlantic album failed to chart upon initial release, it peaked at No. 171 when reissued in 1974. Three years later the album was reissued once again, this time as remixed by Tom Perry at Sound City in Los Angeles in October 1977. This version only bubbled under the Billboard 200, reaching No. 209, but the remix has been used for most subsequent reissues. In 2015 a 2CD was released combining both the 1969 original version and the 1977 remixed version. Rolling Stone ranked the original release at number 496 on its list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.