Tommy Caldwell

Birth Name:

Thomas Michael Caldwell

Birth Date:

November 9, 1949

Birth Place:

Spartanburg, South Carolina

Death Date:

April 28, 1980

Place of Death:

Spartanburg General Hospital, Spartanburg, South Carolina

Age:

Cause of Death:

Auto collision

Cemetery Name:

Greenlawn Cemetery

Claim to Fame:

Music

Associates:

Toy Caldwell

Tommy Caldwell was a founding member and the bassist for The Marshall Tucker Band between 1973 and 1980. Caldwell composed several of their songs and played bass, percussion, guitar, as well as contributing backup vocals, though he sang lead on "Melody Ann" the only song on which he performed lead vocals. His last performance with the band was on April 18, 1980, ten days before his fatal accident. The performance is captured on the 2006 release, Live on Long Island.

Not-So-Fun Fact

Toy Caldwell, a founder and guitarist with The Marshall Tucker Band, lost both his brothers, Tim and Tommy in separate car accidents a month apart. Tim collided with a garbage truck and Tommy Caldwell’s Land Cruiser, despite wearing a seatbelt and equipped with a roll bar, clipped a parked 1965 Ford Galaxy on South Church Street in Spartenburg and flipped over. Tommy died six days later of massive head injuries.

The Marshall Tucker Band got its start in Spartanburg, S.C. when Gray teamed up with Tommy Caldwell and Toy Caldwell, Paul T. Riddle, George McCorkle and Jerry Eubanks, borrowing the name “Marshall Tucker” from a piano tuner whose name was found on a key ring in their old rehearsal space.

Cemetery Information:

Final Resting Place:

Greenlawn Cemetery

1300 Fernwood Glendale Road

Spartanburg, South Carolina, 29307

USA

North America

Grave Location:

Section D-4

Grave Location Description

From the cemetery entrance drive straight ahead towards the large statue and make the first right and continue around the border of the cemetery and take the 2nd right. If you come to a large mausoleum you just missed the turnoff for Tommy’s final resting place. Park after 100 feet and look for 2 large stone pillars and Tommy is buried 20 feet to the left of the “Moore” mausoleum approximately 75 feet from the road.