Marv Weyer was born in Pontiac, MI, and showed an aptitude for the guitar from a very young age -- his hero was no less a figure than Django Reinhardt. His father was a bandleader and as a boy he played with his father's group. By the time he was in high school, Weyer was part of a trio called Nick & the Jaguars, which was notable for generating an early forerunner of what became known as the surf guitar sound, and also for being the first white act signed to Motown Records, in 1959. He also made appearances on local television in Detroit, and seemed on track to potential stardom when he joined the United States Marine Corps.
Weyer did a tour in Vietnam and later served in California, where he became part of the Mandrell Family Band. He played with Bud Isaacs and Merle Haggard and eventually got to Nashville where he worked with Barbara Mandrell, Ray Price, et al. In the 1970s, he returned to Michigan and continued playing in jazz and country bands, and later formed a musical partnership with veteran Western bandleader Eddie Jackson, which lasted until the latter's death in early 2002.
Since the 1990s, Weyer has begun to record under his own name on occasion. In addition to his country and jazz work, Weyer is listed in the directory of the Rockabilly Hall of Fame, and in 2005 his two Motown sides with the Jaguars from 1959 were reissued on CD. His sound and playing in the latter group have also been emulated by the contemporary rock group the Gories. ~ Bruce Eder, Rovi
