Fred Shannon
From:
Rocking "S" Ranch, Comancheria, Texas, R.I.P.
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Posted 12 Mar 2009 4:45 pm |
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Here you go Jeff:
Subject: Bobbe's Tips
Attachments:
Hello fellow players,
We are having a Nashville music industry birthday party at Steel Guitar
Nashville this Saturday, day after tomorrow, for the great and legendary Jan
Howard. Jan had many hit records throughout the sixties. She was married to
legendary songwriter Harlan Howard that wrote most of the country hits
recorded in the fifties and sixties.
Jan pretty well had it made with a songwriter living in the same house with
her for all those years. Please come by Steel Guitar Nashville Saturday from
1 o clock to 5 o clock and let her know how you appreciated all her great hits
and how wonderful you thought Ralph Mooney was on all of them.
Jan is one of the few ladies left from the golden age of country music. I m
sure most of the studio musicians who worked with her over the years will be
here along with several stars that appreciate her and wish to honor her. This
will be a great birthday party for Jan.
Well, all of us in Nashville have been following and chasing rumors about the
Grand Ole Opry. I have heard from several very reliable resources that the
Opry has been sold and stands a very good chance of leaving Nashville,
Tennessee.
The television portion has been cancelled totally and some of the present
stars have been told they can t use their own bands anymore. Part of the
magic in watching the Opry was hearing the different great bands. What would
Porter, Ernest Tubb, Jimmy Dickens, Jean Shepard or Ray Price, be without
their bands.
I m not saying that the staff band isn t absolutely wonderful, but the
different flavors of the different road bands added a lot of extra spice to
the Opry as a show. This along with the comedians and instrumentalists that
have been gone for several years now, means the Opry doesn t have much of it s
original luster left.
We are witnessing the end of an era friends. It s happening right in front of
us, or let s say has already happened. It seems like the present management
of the Opry is saving every penny they can in their last few weeks to line
their pockets well before what s left of the Opry moves to Fort Worth or
wherever.
It seems like the present management s plan to change the Opry lineup to all
young people and to get rid of all the gray hairs didn t work out the way they
planned it. I think anyone reading this email could have told them that.
I personally don t mind the new rock n roll type of country music, as long as
it s separated from real country music with another name and kept separate
entirely, so that I have a choice of what I want to listen to. But I sure
miss the great golden era of pure country music.
Bluegrass music has survived by dissecting itself from so-called country
music. Why can t real classic country music survive by dissecting itself from
the new modern rock n roll country music? Somehow, I think it can and will.
Hank Locklin, oldest living member of the Opry, died at 91 years old. Ernie
Ashworth has left us also. Remember Talk Back Trembling Lips ? Two more
wonderful performers in the country music field have left us.
There are many new singers that still love to perform the older, great classic
country music. Let s support them the way that they deserve to be supported.
Great steel guitar, great fiddle, a few still use good upright bass and
acoustic guitars still have a place in their music and the guitar players
still appreciate the tone of their Gibson s and Fender s without running
through fuzz units and overdrive.
Of course, I know it s a lot easier to play with a fuzz tone on eleven and
just slam a chord or two hear and there, than it is to play with great tone
like Grady Martin did, or brilliantly fast like Hank Garland or Leon Rhodes.
I just really appreciate great musicians, their abilities to play and the
talents that they have to create exciting, great music without having to rely
on volume or the latest electronic gimmicks to help them sell their wares.
I m not talking about steel guitar here as much as I am about lead guitar,
because the effects that steel players use are mostly to enhance the great
tones of their guitars and the quality of what they are trying to portray.
Steel guitar is an instrument that is loaded with expression, soul and magical
sounds that let the listener know exactly what the player is saying. A steel
guitar is a magic instrument that is perfectly suited to conveying music with
swells, big chords, fast notes and whatever it takes to effect emotion on the
listener.
If you re a steel guitar player, you know what I mean. If you re a steel
guitar listener, you know what I mean. Many steel players have played other
instruments and become very accomplished on them before being bitten by the
steel guitar bug. And then of course, there a some that get bitten early
enough that that s where they start when their age still has a single digit.
I run across many players a week that are fifty years old or older that are
learning to play steel. Some of them were great musicians before they
converted to steel. Others were starting from day one. One thing they all
seems to have in common is their tremendous love for this crazy instrument.
All I can say is Bless them and let them be happy. I ll do what I can do.
More commentary on the state of the Opry. Here s an email I got from Marty
Martel. Read it for yourself.
Sent: Wednesday, March 11, 2009 12:34 PM
Subject: Keith Bilbrey Gone from WSM & Grand Ole Opry
I have been friends with Keith Bilbrey since I came to this town, and what
happened yesterday, his being relieved of his duties as an announcer with
WSM/AM and as an announcer on the Grand Ole Opry, is a sad, sad day in our
industry. I have stayed away from negative articles regarding Gaylord, and
specifically Pete Fisher, but the time has come for me to come out of
hibernation. I have not spoken with Keith at this time, because we know that
he is devastated on this unexpected sudden news. I will have an editorial
sent out within the next 24 hours as soon as I compile all the things that I
have stored in my memory bank over the past couple of years, regarding the
Gaylord Bunch. The have brought people into their organization who are yes
men, who will do or say anything to keep their job, and I believe that Pete
Fisher is one of those puppets. I don't blame him entirely, because he
doesn't know an ounce of history of this industry, only what he is told, what
he might read, or what he thinks. He just does what he is told and delegates
it out to his puppets, and they know who they are.
We are now waving goodbye to the Grand Ole Opry as she rides off into the
sunset. By now I thought some of the superstars would come in and kick
Gaylord out and keep The Mother Church of Country Music Alive and Well, but
that never happened. Hell Gaylord is in deep trouble even in the hotel
business, so why should they care about The Grand Ole Opry. Now they are
getting help for the Englishman Colin Reed because evidently he cannot do his
job either. Making millions in our economy is okay but what goes around-comes
around.
Now here are my questions. Why was Keith Bilbrey relieved of his duties, did
he get a severance pay or was he just let go, was he given two weeks notice??
Money has a way of making some people keep their mouths shut- so what really
happened with Keith Bilbrey. 34 years with one radio station and the
knowledge and experience that he has gained, plus his strong love of the Grand
Ole Opry, so my thinking is that someone got rid of him for specific reasons
and I would like to know why. Who knows the real truth-Pete, Steve, Colin or
who?????????????????????????????
Watch for my editorial. We all knew the Opry with its new "young blood," who
never appear except when they need to use the radio for promoting their
careers or specific projects or events, would never keep the Grand Ole Opry
alive. The writing was on the wall several years ago when they hired certain
people and we all know who they were. I wonder why Mike Henry and others were
not let go also?????????????????
The following is the news I rcvd this morning regarding Keith Bilbrey no
longer an announcer with WSM or the Grand Ole Opry.
Keith Bilbrey, one of the great WSM/AM announcers and Grand Ole Opry
announcer,after serving 34 yrs with WSM, was relieved of his duties yesterday
afternoon from the radio station that he has loved his entire life. This also
includes being the announcer on The Grand Ole Opry. The station assured him
that he had done nothing to provoke this, it was that they are doing away with
the midday show..it will be strictly voice tracked. As far as the Opry goes,
Mr. Pete Fisher (mgr of the Opry), only wants to use WSM employees as
announcers.
See our weekly specials www.steelguitar.net/weeklyspecials.html
Your buddy,
Bobbe
www.steelguitar.net
sales@steelguitar.net
www.youtube.com/bobbeseymour
www.myspace.com/bobbeseymour
Steel Guitar Nashville
123 Mid Town Court
Hendersonville, TN. 37075
(615) 822-5555
Open 9AM 4PM Monday Friday
Closed Saturday and Sunday
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