Gary Sanford Paxton, birthname Larry Wayne Stevens was born on May 18, 1939, and died on July 16, 2016.
He was an American record producer, recording artist, and Grammy and Dove Award winning songwriter.
Gary S. Paxton was a member of the Skip & Flip and The Hollywood Argyles and was the producer of two number one Billboard Hot 100 singles: “Alley Oop” for The Hollywood Argyles in 1960 and “Monster Mash” for Bobby “Boris” Pickett in 1962.
Apart from his early with Skip & Flip, Paxton was best known for his involvement in two novelty hits: the 1960 No. 1 smash “Alley Oop” — written by Dallas Frazier and cut quickly with a group thrown together by Paxton’s roommate Kim Fowley, The Hollywood Argyles and a 1962 No. 1 hit inspired by the Mashed Potato dance craze, “Monster Mash”, which Paxton produced and recorded with its author Bobby “Boris” Pickett and another assembled group billed as The Cryptkickers.
During 1965, he produced “Sweet Pea”, a hit for Tommy Roe, and “Along Comes Mary”, a hit for The Association, winning a Grammy nomination in engineering for his efforts.
In the next year, Gary produced another hit for The Association, “Cherish”, and another for Roe, “Hooray for Hazel”.
Paxton had scored his first country hit in 1967 with “Hangin’ On” by The Gosdin Brothers.
His gospel work was released through NewPax Records, another in his long series of labels, founded in 1975 as an outlet for his new ideas in songwriting and engineering.
The company, NewPax was closely linked with Paragon Associates, with which it eventually merged.
Gary S. Paxton was inducted into the Country Gospel Music Hall of Fame in 1999 on the basis of his innovation and accomplishments in the field and his production and writing for numerous noted artists in the industry.
He died at his home in Branson, Missouri.
Gary S. Paxton passed away at 77 years old.