Hank Thompson Show

James Morehead · From: Prague, Oklahoma, USA - R.I.P.

Hank Thompson and The Brazos Valley Boys came to Denison, TX December 6th. Hank has been an entertainer for 70+ years now. He is truly a legend---last of "the old school" western swing artists. Of course ya'll know he has recorded with many artist along the way. Hank has that famous deep voice that is as pleasing to the ear as ever. Still playing that "Gibson Special" he bought back in the early '50's---and plays the fire out of it!! Hank sits down, rears back, and never bat's an eye---plays songs he's written back 70 years ago and never misses a word. There on stage is Hank on vocals and guitar(Hank does ALL the guitar leads and rythmes), Frank Bahrens on steel(MSA sunburst universal 12 string/ Peavey Nashville 1000), Ray Jones & Billy Mcbay doing the famous twin fiddles, Curtis Lovejoy on bass, and Wil Taylor on drums. Curtis and Wil covered vocals until Hank took the stage. Any and all of these fine musicians showed they enjoyed their fans and opening act musicians(We were lucky enough to open), by mingleing amongst the crowd and "talk shop" and do autograghs. Hank takes time during break to do autograghs and take pictures with any of the fans. Infact, the Brazos Valley Boys covered half the second set while Hank finished autographs and pictures--he doesn't want to disappoint anyone! When Hank sings, you feel he is singing to you alone---he's got that kind of karisma. It was a great experience for all. I was proud my son of 17, got to see this living legend, and see the art of REAL entertaining in action.

[This message was edited by James Morehead on 11 December 2003 at 06:41 AM.]

Gene Jones · From: Oklahoma City, OK USA, (deceased)

James, your post sure took me back about 55 years when at age 17,the same age of your son, me and two of my friends drove an old decrepit 1937 Ford with half a windshield from Granite, Oklahoma, to Wellington, Texas, to see the newest and most popular upcoming star of the day, Hank Thompson. His two big hits at the time were "Green Light" and "Whoa Sailor". In my wildest dreams I wouldn't have believed that 15 years later the band I was playing steel with would be on a "package show" tour together with Hank & The Brazos Valley Boys!

www.genejones.com

Paul Graupp · From: Macon Ga USA

Ditto on that for me too, Gene !! I still recall standing there watching Bob White playing when Hank came on stage, picked up his guitar and proceeded to play Merle Travis to a T. My jaw went to the floor and Bob asked me : You've never seen him play ?? And I hadn't.....

Regards, Paul

Jim Smith · From: Midlothian, TX, USA

Sounds like it was a great show!

I fill in on steel with "The Boys" sometimes on their "non-Hank" shows, and unfortunately have never met Frank. BTW, the bass player's name is Curtis Lovejoy.

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Jim Smith jimsmith94@comcast.net
-=Dekley D-12 10&12=-
-=Fessenden D-12 9&9=-
-=Emmons D-12 push pull 9&4 (soon to be 9&9)=-
Stereo Steel rig w/Boss GX-700
IVL SteelRider w/JV-880

Al Johnson · From: Sturgeon Bay, WI USA

Hank Thompson was born in 1925. First hit record Humpty Dumpty Heart. 38 weeks on the charts. 60 songs in the top 40 over his career. Saw him once in September 1968. Curley Lewis and Keith Coleman on twin Fiddles. Bert Rivera, steel guitar, I believe. Yes, Hank Thompson one of the finest, greatest talents in music. Period.
Al

James Morehead · From: Prague, Oklahoma, USA - R.I.P.

Gene, That's way cool. I wasn't very familiar with Hank's tunes until September of 2002. Just a few tunes like "Sixpack To Go", "Count Them Chickens" "Honkytonk Angels" and such. I heard alot of the, but never connected them to the name. Hank was coming to our opry and we learned his show off the music he sent ahead. I played bass behind Hank that night. What a kick!! My son Wade(age 16 then), had the honor of carrying Hank's guitar to him when he got seated on stage, big thrill for a kid!!! Then last weekend, a little over a year later, Wade opened for Hank, co-fronting our band and singing with a pretty little blonde gal named Kayla(at the ripe old age of 15)who can sing like a bird and saw a fiddle real fine. I played bass again. Wade did the guitar work. So, it's interesting how these experiences are so similar, (meaning yours and our experiences, Gene) with the same artist, but so many years apart. Kind of a mind bender!! We are so proud to see these young people "pick up the torch"!! (Do I sound like a proud Daddy??HA!!)>>>>Paul, If I am not mistaken, I believe Merle played guitar with Hank for awhile in the beginning.>>>>Jim, Thanx for the correction on Mr. Lovejoy's spelling, it's fixed. At least I got the "L" right!! HA! By the way, If'n you ever need me to fill in for you while you are fillin' in for "The Boys", just holler. Give me a little notice though, so I can get someone to fill in for me!! HA!

Larry Robbins · From: Fort Edward, New York

Should a tear betray your eye...if a memory
slips too far...dont tell them that your crying just say" smokie the bar"
Damn....they dont write em'like that any more do they? Theyll' never be another like
him....while the ashes are falling from the smoke that you inhale...........

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Sho-Bud ProII
"there's been an awful murder, down on music row!"

Bob Carlson · From: Surprise AZ.

Hank used to play the ballroom in Dakota City Iowa back in the early fiftys. Went to see him around four times. That big ol guitar he plays is a Gibson Super 400...built to his specs.

I can't remember the name of the guy that fronted his shows, but I do remember a girl i'd never heard of named Wanda Jackson that wore skirts with fringe on then. Sharp. And he was known for his Travis style picken which he did mighty fine. That was the reason I went to see him.

Bob

Craig A Davidson · From: Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin USA

Bob, Could it have been Billy Gray? I also worked with him a few years back and my Mom thought I had hit the big time cause she is such a Hank fan. It was fun. We even got introduced as Brazos Valley Boys.

Bob Strum · From: Anniston Alabama

"You stole my heart, and that's a sin, but in this case...I hope you win, love thief, that's what you are." I don't remember the year, but I ate it up. I still have the 45!!

Paul Graupp · From: Macon Ga USA

I was trying to think of Billy Gray's name when I posted earlier but couldn't bring it back !! One of the lyrics I always had a fondness for was:

My tears have washed I love you
From the blackboard of my heart...

I had a lot of extended play 45 rpm recordings of the "BAND" and Bob White always had a major role in the instrumentals. Listening to them, I could hear the things he had been telling me about steel guitar. Those were some excellent lessons from a master musician and teacher.

Regards, Paul

Gene Jones · From: Oklahoma City, OK USA, (deceased)

Yes Paul, those times past always seem to run together....I was trying to remember long ago when I saw Hank & the Band with Billy Gray fronting, at the Mint in Los Vegas....it was sometime in the 1950's! Important events long gone.....and memories fading.
www.genejones.com

Bob Carlson · From: Surprise AZ.

Craig...Billy Gray it was. All I could think of was Claude Gray and I new that wasn't right. He sang..I'll Just Have A Cup Of Coffee Then I'll Go.
But i've never had any trouble remembering the name Wanda Jackson. We were both a few years younger in the early fiftys.
I played standard guitar back in those days and I wacthed them then like I do steel players now.

Bob

Roger Shackelton · From: MINNESOTA (deceased)

Gene Jones, When you saw Hank & The Brazos Valley Boys in the late 1940s, that may have been Lefty Nason on the steel guitar. I believe he invented that Hank Thompson sigature lick that we all know so well.

I always liked the Westen Swing style of Hank Thompson and the Brazos Valley Boys, with Bob White on steel and Hank playing the Merle Travis style guitar.

Roger

Bob Tuttle · From: Republic, MO 65738

I remember going to see Hank Thompson sometime in the early '60s. I can't remember the name of the club, but it was somewhere in the LA/SoCal area. I was fortunate enough to have the night off. Billy Thompson (no relation to Hank) was fronting the band for him, and Curly Chalker was playing steel, a Fender 1000. He had his C6th tuning on the outside neck and I don't think he even had strings on the other neck. All the steel players in the area, who weren't working that night, were gathered around Curly's end of the bandstand with their portable tape recorders. Unfortunately, I didn't own a recorder at the time.

About 7 or 8 years ago I got to back up Hank at a local show he did in Christoval, TX, about 20 miles south of San Angelo. We were playing in the park on a large concrete slab. ABout 45 minutes into the first set it came the biggest thunderstorm and downpour you ever saw. We frantically covered all the equipment with tarps and ran into a building in the park and waited until the storm passed. After the rain let up, everyone went back outside and we continued the show. It was great fun and one of those events you never forget.

Gene Jones · From: Oklahoma City, OK USA, (deceased)

You are probably right about that being Lefty Nason in 1949, because I can still remember those signature licks and trying to learn them later.

During the early 60's I had the pleasure of touring with Hank & The Boys on a show (two bands) just after Bert Rivera had replaced Chalker. (Chalker had hated having to play those "hillbilly sounding" signature licks). I remember Bert telling me that "you'll never know what nervous really is until you've had to fill Chalker's shoes on Hank Thompson's band"!

Of course Rivera was and is no slouch himself and he filled those shoes very well.

www.genejones.com

[This message was edited by Gene Jones on 13 December 2003 at 04:57 AM.]

James Morehead · From: Prague, Oklahoma, USA - R.I.P.

Gene, I have an album by Big Don Walser and the Pure Texas Band. Don is from Texas, of course, and is one top notch yodeler---something else that seems to be dying out. Anyways, Don features Burt Rivera on this album on a real nice swing number called "September In The Rain". Don Starts the track by saying; "One of the best, our steel guitar player, Austin's own BURT RIVERA!" I'm a beleiver. If I could ever just play a fifth of what ya'll can play------

Mark Krutke · From: Tomahawk, WI USA

Eddie Rivers, from Beaver Dam, WI, played his triple-neck Fender with Hank a few times, also.

[This message was edited by Mark Krutke on 13 December 2003 at 07:43 PM.]

Jody Sanders · From: Magnolia,Texas, R.I.P.

Hank Thompson's steel players were the best. Curley Chalker, PeeWee Whitewing, Bob White, Bobby Garrett, Dusty Stewart, and Bert Rivera to name a few. Was voted the top band for 13 years in a row. Hank is still a great entertainer and a super nice guy. Jody.

Harley Morris · From: Riverside, California, USA * R.I.P.

I had the pleasure of playing fiddle (one of them) with Hank on his "Hall of Fame" Tour, back in 1990. We had a great time, and the memories of it will last for my lifetime. We had some excellent pickers on that tour, so I will name them here: Paul Marshall, Bass, Archie Francis, Drums, Al Parrett, Pedal Steel, myself, and Oscar Whittington on twin fiddles. Regards, Harley Morris

Charles Tilley · Posted 21 Dec 2003 4:17 am

I remember when Hank lived on Redonda Street near White Rock Lake in Dallas, Texas. He was just about 22 years old and just getting his foot in the door. I would go over to his house and visit him in his studio there on Redonda. I heard him sing some of his first hits with just him and his guitar. Never knew what was ahead of him at that time. We were both a little green behind the ears I think. He and Dorothy were so nice to be around.

If my memory serves me right, he had a radio program in Dallas on the Gordon McClendon station. I don't remember the call letters. Might have been KVIL. He sang a song I wrote on that station "Your Name and Mine Carved in a Heart" I'd give most anything to have a copy of that but it has disappeared. I do still have the patent paper from Peer Publishing though.

MAN, what times to be alive. It passes us by so quickly we don't even understand what we are involved in. History in the makin' fer sure though.

Mt best to Hank and I hope he never quits being Mr. Texas Swing.

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Charles Tilley , President
"East Texas" Steel Guitar Association
Bullard, Texas
1973 MSA D-10 Classic, RV3, Nashville 400

Al Marcus · From: Cedar Springs,MI USA (deceased)

I remember seeing Hank Thompson at Santa Rosa, Calif in 1963. I was teaching guitar there at the time.

I went to see Curly, but Bert Rivera had just replaced him. He was nervous and understandably, not relaxed that night.

There was Dancing so I could stand right in front of the Bandstand. We talked a little during the break.

I always liked Hank Thompson, as he gave the steel players a chance to get a little swingey...Merry Christmas........AL

(edited to correct date, as per Jussi, that was a long time ago)
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My Website..... www.cmedic.net/~almarcus/

[This message was edited by Al Marcus on 27 December 2003 at 08:40 PM.]

Joe Casey · From: Weeki Wachee .Springs FL (population.9)

I really don't know or have met a bigger fan of Hanks then meself...Growing up in sacramento He was my first taste of Country Music....I finally got to meet him at a CMA Party 20 something years ago....Wish he would hit the Florida area I'd welcome the chance to see and hear him again.

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@^@

Roger Shackelton · From: MINNESOTA (deceased)

I saw Hank and the Brazos Valley Boys for the first time at the famous "Flame Cafe" in Minneapolis in 1973. Bert Rivera played a D-10 Sho-Bud, Baldwin guitar.

Roger

Dale Thomas · From: West Branch, IA

There is no band that made a bigger influence on me as far as arranging for various instruments than H.T. and The Brazoz Valley Boys. As a young band leader and steel guitarist in the late 50s, I remember seeing Hank in Stanwood, Iowa. I was really impressed that he came on stage before the show and tuned Bob White's stand up pedal Bigsby. He was not just a star, he was a great musician. Bob was still in the bus out back. About 40 years later, I too, had the opportunity to play steel behind Hank a couple of times as he traveled awhile sans band here in Iowa.

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