When it comes to a musical career, Buzz Cason did it all. He was a singer, songwriter, musician, sideman, recording artist, record producer, song publisher and author. 

In the late 1950s James E. ‘Buzz’ Cason was a member of the Casuals, Nashville’s first young rock and roll combo. They subsequently became Brenda Lee’s backing band and toured with her around the world. In the 1960s, after relocating to California, Buzz had a brief recording career under the name of Garry Miles and recorded a cover version of ‘Look for a Star’, theme song from the British film Circus of Horrors.

In Los Angeles he became the assistant to Liberty Records producer Snuff Garrett, producing acts including Bobby Vee, Gary Lewis, and the Crickets and playing alongside budding session musicians like David Gates, Leon Russell and J.J. Cale. The Crickets at the time were enjoying a career revival, and Buzz toured the UK with the group in 1964, playing guitar and drums and providing lead vocals. They performed at the Royal Albert Hall and appeared live on Ready, Steady, Go!

It was as a songwriter that Buzz had probably his biggest successes. He co-wrote the song ‘Everlasting Love’ with Mac Gayden and this became a big US hit for soul star Robert Knight and a number one hit in the UK for Love Affair and in recent times a hit for Jamie Cullum. Another big success was ‘Soldier of Love’, co-written with Tony Moon, a major cross-over hit for R&B star Arthur Alexander and also a massive US hit when revived by rock superstars Pearl Jam. However, the song had already gone global with The Beatles’ version, included in their Live at the BBC collection. Buzz joined forces as a co-publisher with fellow songwriter Bobby Russell and the partnership scored big with Russell’s compositions ‘Honey’, a signature hit for Bobby Goldsboro, and ‘Little Green Apples’, a biggie for Roger Miller. Other songs in Buzz’s hit list include numerous Stateside hits like ‘Sandy’ (Ronny and the Daytonas), ‘Popsicle’ (Jan and Dean), ‘Emmylou’ (Oak Ridge Boys), ‘Another Woman’ (T.G. Sheppard), ‘To Love’ (Placido Domingo) and ‘Love’s the Only House’ (Martina McBride). In 2012 Buzz was reunited with the Crickets when he participated in the band’s induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. In 2018 he got together with fellow singer-songwriter Billy Swan to record the album Billy & Buzz Sing Buddy, which features their own arrangements of Buddy’s classic songs recorded as their tribute to the man.

Living up to his name, Buzz maintained an industrious career in music as a performer and recording artist right up until his death in June 2024 aged 84. 

John Firminger