Upside - Down Town

Career

His earliest musical influences included singing cowboys and Satchmo— Louis Armstrong. Trooper was later inspired by artists such as Otis Redding, Bob Dylan and Hank Williams. His music therefore contains elements of Memphis soul, Greenwich Village folk and Nashville twang.

In the late 1980s, Greg released his first album in New York: 'We Won’t Dance'(1986), followed by 'Everywhere' in 1992. These albums attracted attention in Nashville: Steve Earle recorded the song “Little Sister”, and Trooper was able to sell his songs in Nashville.

He then moved back south and in 1996 released 'Noises in the Hallway'(produced by former E Street Band bassist Garry Tallent and released on Tallent’s D’Ville Records label).

This was followed in 1998 by 'Popular Demons', produced by Buddy Miller and released on the Koch label, featuring guest appearances by Steve Earle and Emmylou Harris.

Trooper subsequently signed with Eminent Records in Nashville and released 'Straight Down Rain'in 2001, which was originally intended to be produced by Buddy Miller.

Due to Miller’s busy schedule, however, he had to step aside. Gurf Morlix was also unavailable, and on Miller’s advice the production ended up with the relatively inexperienced Phil Madeira.

In 2002, a live album was released, recorded during a concert at Pine Hill Farm in Durham, North Carolina, which Trooper gave in June 2000.

On the Sugar Hill label, Trooper released 'Floating' in 2003, once again produced by Phil Madeira.
This was followed in 2005 by 'Make It Through This World', produced by soul legend Dan Penn (known as the writer of classics such as “Dark End of the Street,” “Do Right Woman,” “Woman Left Lonely,”and “Sweet Inspiration”).

The gap before the next studio album was filled by a second live album, 'The BackShop Live'(2006).

After an accident in 2007, Greg recovered and completed an album with Eric Ambel that they had originally recorded together with his touring band in a studio in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, back in 1995. 'The Williamsburg Affair'(2009) was released on his own label, 52 Shakes Records.

A year later, on the same label, a truly new studio album followed: 'Upside-Down Town', which he was able to finance thanks to donations from fans.

In September 2013, 'Incident on Willow Street' was released, followed in October by an extensive tour through the Netherlands and Belgium.

The last album Greg released during his lifetime was 'Live at the Rock Room' (2015).

Roelof Passies wrote about this album in Blues Magazine:

“With this album, Greg Trooper once again proves that he belongs among the absolute top in the singer-songwriter genre. Together with Chip Dolan (Hammond organ and accordion) and Jack Saunders (bass), he delivers a fantastic live performance. A must for every lover of pure Americana.”

MY

STORY

Greg Trooper was born on 13 January 1956 in Neptune, New Jersey. He was the son of David S. Trooper (for many years the art director of Reader’s Digest Books) and Rita Myer Trooper, owner and pastry chef of Rita’s Pastriesin Red Bank, New Jersey.
Greg grew up in Little Silver.

As a child and teenager, he began singing early on, and at the age of fourteen he learned to play guitar and harmonica. Together with friends, he attended as many live shows in New York City as possible. Music became the one thing that truly interested him, and from a young age he knew what he wanted: to follow in the footsteps of his musical heroes.

He left school and moved to Austin, Texas, in the early 1970s. There, in the club circuit, he saw and heard Townes Van Zandt, Guy Clark, Jerry Jeff Walker, Willie Nelson and other greats of the early 1970s. He later moved to Lawrence, Kansas, where he attended the local college and studied English and music. It was here that he wrote his first songs.

After completing his studies, he moved back to New York in the early 1980s. He worked clubs and bars in New York City and along the East Coast, where he developed as a musician and built a loyal following. Soon after, he began touring throughout the United States and Europe, signing contracts for writing and recording his music.

In 1990, Greg married Claire Mullally, a singer and lawyer from Brooklyn. They had a son, Jack. In 1995, due to a record deal, the family moved to Nashville, where Jack grew up and they enjoyed the city’s rich musical culture.

In 2007, while traveling to a songwriting workshop in Vermont, Greg collided with a moose crossing the road. He barely survived the accident but ultimately recovered. The family left Nashville and returned to the northeastern United States, settling in Rockaway Beach, not far from New York City.

In 2015, Greg Trooper was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. In the period that followed, he continued to perform whenever his condition allowed. He passed away on 15 January 2017, shortly after his 61st birthday, at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City, in the presence of his wife Claire and son Jack.

Greg was a true family man. His close bond with his son Jack inspired friends and acquaintances to strive to be better parents themselves. He had a deep love for live music, films and baseball. His humor was disarming, and through his warmth, involvement and passion he was a great source of inspiration to those around him, who affectionately called him “Troop.”

Greg and the Netherlands

Greg had a special relationship with the Netherlands. A stay at a hotel on the River Amstel, just outside Amsterdam, inspired him to write one of his most beautiful songs, “All the Way to Amsterdam.”

He had — and still has — a loyal following of fans and admirers and was a much-loved presence on the Dutch Americana scene. Through his Dutch agency, Lucky Dice, he performed here regularly. These appearances ranged from larger shows, such as the long-established and much-loved Blue Highways Festivalin Utrecht and the Rhythm & Blues Night at De Oosterpoort in Groningen, to intimate performances at 'In the Woods' in Lage Vuursche and The Blue Room Sessions.

Audiences often consisted of a mix of die-hard fans who knew every word of his songs and newcomers who were immediately struck by his immense talent.

And this applied not only to his musical abilities; Greg’s often humorous introductions and storytelling were just as memorable and beautiful as the songs themselves.

Discography

We Won't Dance (1986)

Everywhere (1992)

Noises in the Hallway (1996)

Popular Demons (1998)

Straight Down Rain (2001)

Between a House and a Hard Place: Live at Pine Hill Farm (2002)

Floating (2003)

Make It Through This World (2005)

The BackShop Live (2006)

The Williamsburg Affair (2009)

Upside-Down Town (2010)

Incident On Willow Street (2013)

Live at the Rock Room (2015)

Up on the bandstand (2024)