Toy served as The Marshall Tucker Band’s lead guitarist, principal songwriter and a founding member. He was active with the band from 1972 to 1983. Aside from his duties on lead guitar, he sang lead vocals on their signature song “Can’t You See.” Toy was also the sole writer of this aforementioned southern rock classic. He was also a dear friend of Charlie Daniels.
In addition, he was also the sole writer of such Marshall Tucker Band singles as “Heard It in a Love Song,” “Take the Highway,” “Hillbilly Band,” “24 Hours at a Time,” “This Ol’ Cowboy,” as well as “Blue Ridge Mountain Sky,” among countless others.
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He passed away at the age of 45 on February 25, 1993, in Moore, South Carolina. The cause of his death was reported as cocaine overdose. Toy was also the older brother of The Marshall Tucker Band co-founder and bass player Tommy Caldwell, who had passed away in an automobile accident on April 28, 1980, at the age of 30.
Lead singer, co-founder and sole original member Doug Gray has always credited a great deal of The Marshall Tucker Band’s success to Toy Caldwell, and rightfully so. Toy truly was the heart and the soul of the band, and the pride of Spartanburg, South Carolina.
