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Topic: Tommy White, My favorite steel player |
Johnny Cox
From:
Williamsom WVA, raised in Nashville TN, Lives in Hallettsville Texas
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Posted 15 Sep 2011 9:38 am |
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We all have guys that have knocked us out through the years. Buddy Emmons, the king, Charlton hooked me, Chalker curled my hair when I had some, Reece made me aware that jazz was made for steel guitar, Hal was the ultimate in innovation, Weldon blew my mind and I could go on and on. But Tommy White is the one and only guy that has it all. He plays everything you could ever want. Great innovative Tommy White E9th, or he can give you all the Buddy, Lloyd, Weldon, Paul, Hal or anyone else you want. When it comes to C6th he covers all that too. Buddy, Reece, Curly, Paul and everything else including the Tommy stuff that he creates. Tommy should be working way more than he is and should be getting way more credit and accolades for his work than he has received. But that's Gnashville. Tommy White is the best steel guitar player on the planet, period and he don't get his due. He is my friend and my brother and I love him and everyone needs to know how good he is. But as we all know life and Gnashville ain't fair. Tommy, your the best, there is not a steel guitar player anywhere that can hold a candle to you.
_________________
Johnny "Dumplin" Cox
"YANKIN' STRINGS & STOMPIN' PEDALS" since 1967. |
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Herb Steiner
From:
Spicewood TX 78669
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Posted 15 Sep 2011 9:44 am I'm gonna go out on a limb as well...
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John, +1. And I don't usually leg-hump anyone. But I saw Tommy play when he was 12 years old and I knew he had it in him even then.
There are many great ones from the past and in the present, and Tommy sings a special song to me as well. All the chops and so much soul. Thanks, TW.
_________________
My rig: Infinity and Telonics.
Son, we live in a world with walls, and those walls have to be guarded by men with steel guitars. Who's gonna do it? You? You, Lt. Weinberg? |
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Lem Smith
From:
Long Beach, MS
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Posted 15 Sep 2011 9:59 am
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Tommy's steel guitar playing is amazing. One of the true masters of the instrument. Even more than a fantastic musician, Tommy is also one of the nicest, most humble and down to earth people you'll ever meet. While Tommy is indeed a hero of mine, it's not hero worship that causes me to say these things. I say them because they are the truth, and I count myself very fortunate to be able to say that Tommy is not just one of my steel guitar heroes, but he's also a dear friend.
Last edited by Lem Smith on 17 Sep 2011 2:27 pm; edited 2 times in total |
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Michael Douchette
From:
Gallatin, TN (deceased)
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Ken Byng
From:
Southampton, England
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Posted 15 Sep 2011 10:29 am
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He is a brilliant player, and not just on steel guitar. Tommy is exceptional on Dobro- I know because I bought a bluegrass CD on the strength that Tommy was on it. He is world class on several instruments, and that is testimony to the hard work that he must have put in over the years.
_________________
Show Pro D10 - amber (8+6), MSA D10 Legend XL Signature - redburst (9+6), Sho-Bud Pro 111 Custom (8+6), Emmons black Push-Pull D10 (8+5), Zum D10 (8x8), Hudson pedal resonator. Telonics TCA-500, Webb 614-E,
Last edited by Ken Byng on 15 Sep 2011 10:32 am; edited 1 time in total |
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Hook Moore
From:
South Charleston,West Virginia
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Johnny Cox
From:
Williamsom WVA, raised in Nashville TN, Lives in Hallettsville Texas
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Posted 15 Sep 2011 11:18 am
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Let me go on record saying that I think Tommy is the greatest steel guitar player alive.
_________________
Johnny "Dumplin" Cox
"YANKIN' STRINGS & STOMPIN' PEDALS" since 1967. |
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Tommy White
From:
Nashville
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Posted 15 Sep 2011 11:31 am
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Johnny,
Those are the kindest words anyone has ever spoke about me that I know of and I know they are sincerely heartfelt. Facts are, you are also one of the greatest on the instrument as we desire to hear it played. Both of us having been exposed to and having learned from the inventors and masters has everything to do with how we play the instrument. As with most skills and art, any creative ideas I have or have had were sparked from or are mostly extensions of what was before.
As far as Nashville goes, I feel I've been most fortunate to have supported and raised my family playing steel guitar here. I've had my share of successes and setbacks in 40 years of playing steel guitar but, I'm still working and intend to for years to come. I still love the instrument and feel it still has a viable place in commercial music.
Herb, your posts mean so much to me, especially considering what a player and gentleman with tons of experience you are.
This post has overwhelmed me and I can't say thank you enough. Love and peace to all of you fellas.
TW |
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Herb Steiner
From:
Spicewood TX 78669
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Posted 15 Sep 2011 11:47 am
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I gotta tell a story on Tommy... and I hope he doesn't mind. 
It was the night of my first ever performance at ISGC, Saturday night at 10pm, right after Hal Rugg. I was at a party at Dr. Yakes' room before my set, and I was pretty nervous about playing to a full house at St. Louis.
Tommy and I were talking at the party and he asked if I was nervous, it being my first time. I said "yeah... kinda." 
He said "awww, man... it's nothing, a piece of cake. You're gonna knock it out, man... don't worry about a thing."
I breathed a sigh of relief and thanked him.
"Besides," he said while staring right into my eyes, "I'm gonna be in the front row, listening to every (expletive) note you (expletive) play!!!"
My jaw dropped, he waited a pregnant second, then started laughing and hugged my neck.
I felt honored. 
_________________
My rig: Infinity and Telonics.
Son, we live in a world with walls, and those walls have to be guarded by men with steel guitars. Who's gonna do it? You? You, Lt. Weinberg? |
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Mark Eaton
From:
Sonoma County in The Great State Of Northern California
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Posted 15 Sep 2011 11:53 am
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Tommy, the only time I've seen you play live was October of last year when you were with Vince Gill here in Santa Rosa at the Wells Fargo Center.
Vince was verbally "sparring" with some obnoxious women in the audience who no doubt had partaken before the concert in copious amounts of our number one liquid product here in Sonoma County but once we got past that my wife and I thoroughly enjoyed the show and your playing was stellar!
Your take on "Look At Us" would have done Buttermilk John proud. 
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Mark |
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Andy Volk
From:
Boston, MA
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Herby Wallace
From:
Sevierville, TN, R.I.P.
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Posted 15 Sep 2011 12:23 pm Tw
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I first met Tommy and his father in Louisville, KY when Tommy was around 10 or 11 years old and just learning to play. The next time I heard him was a couple of years later at Sho-Bud on Broadway jamming during a DJ Convention and I have been a fan ever since. Like Johnny said, Tommy has it all and I have some similar feelings about Nashville as there is never any justice in music as they say. Even though I worked the road for over 12 years, I never wanted to move to Nashville and play the game. Don't get me wrong, there are still some great players in Nashville who have done well like Paul Franklin and Brent Mason and others, and I do appreciate it when players like them do well as they deserve it, but there are so many that never received the recognition they should have received. For example, my late great friend, Thumbs Carlille is the finest guitar player I ever worked with and he was as they say starving to death in Nashville and he moved to Chattanooga in 1983 and we worked together until he died in 1987. By the way, he has told me many times back then that Tommy was also one of his favorite players. I better shut up as I always get carried away when I get started, but again Tommy you have it all-soul, touch, tone, taste and so much more.
Herby Wallace |
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Roger Crawford
From:
Griffin, GA USA
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Posted 15 Sep 2011 12:27 pm
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| Tommy White. Nuf said! I was going through my desk drawer a minute ago and found the 1983 program from the ISGC. Tommy played that show, and his picture is in there. Nice beard! |
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Peewee Charles
From:
Waterloo,Ontario, Canada
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Posted 15 Sep 2011 12:52 pm Tommy White
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| A true master of touch, taste, soul & such innovative ideas...Man, you blow me away with your playing Tommy....Ps Thanks for signing the bottom of my new Showpro....it inspires me every time I unpack it for a show.... |
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Tommy White
From:
Nashville
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Posted 15 Sep 2011 1:38 pm
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Herb, you're a mess. Lol. You've got to stop telling on me  |
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Paddy Long
From:
Christchurch, New Zealand
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Posted 15 Sep 2011 2:11 pm
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I have a LP that Tommy did when he was a teenager - had long hair and was attempting to grow a moustache His playing was oustanding even then --
Certainly my favourite player today, along with Paul
_________________
14'Zumsteel Hybrid D10 9+9
08'Zumsteel Hybrid D10 9+9
94' Franklin Stereo D10 9+8
Telonics, Peterson, Steelers Choice, Benado, Lexicon, Red Dirt Cases. |
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Jamie Lennon
From:
Nashville, TN
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Posted 15 Sep 2011 3:09 pm
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Toomy White is one of my fave players and a hero !
Everytime I have met him he has been really nice !
Jamie
_________________
Mullen Guitars, Little Walter Amps, Benado Effects, D'Addario Strings
www.georgettejones.net |
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Brett Day
From:
Pickens, SC
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Posted 15 Sep 2011 3:12 pm
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Tommy and I became friends in November of 2000, the year after I started playin' steel. Went to the Opry and heard him play and I was totally blown away by his playin'. I actually sat on the Opry stage, so I heard his steel clearly-he was playin' a blue Derby D-10 at the time. That's one Tommy White experience I'll never forget. Then I got a cd of a John Michael Montgomery song he played on called "The Little Girl".
Brett |
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Frank Estes
From:
Huntsville, AL
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Steve Palousek
From:
Holland. Texas, USA
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Posted 15 Sep 2011 4:04 pm Dumplin said it all!
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| In my opinion, there are not enough people really smart enough musically to know how good he really is. |
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Tommy White
From:
Nashville
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Posted 15 Sep 2011 4:09 pm
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| Herby Wallace, you are a living legend. I'll never forget meeting you and seeing an Emmons guitar for the first time at the little music store next door to my dad's barber shop in late 1969 or early 1970! Such a gentleman willing to spend time with me and dad. What an odd but fortunate event that was for me. I had been practicing on my steel in the back room of the barber shop between shining shoes all day when the owner of the music store stepped in and announced, "Herby Wallace is in my store demonstrating the new Emmons pedal steel guitar". My dad and I must have behaved like children on Christmas morning. Dad put the 'Shop Closed' sign in the window immediately. Absolute fate. Thank you so much for your kindness and all your great steel playing through so many years and many more years to come! |
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ebb
From:
nj
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Posted 15 Sep 2011 4:09 pm
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bucky pizzarelli is a huge fan!
we had quite a discussion about it last time i saw him |
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Tommy White
From:
Nashville
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Posted 15 Sep 2011 4:59 pm
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I must tell the story of how I met Johnny Cox. My dad and I drove to to Nashville on Friday afternoon after closing dad's barber shop to experience my first what was known then as DJ convention. We arrived at Sho-bud guitar company on Broadway to a warm welcome from my dad's friend Shot Jackson. Shot said , make yourselves at home , go upstairs, there are some folks you should meet. Just as I set foot on the second floor , I saw and met my dear brother Johnny Cox. We were immediate kindred on sight. Neither had heard the other play and didn't need to as to know we both loved the instrument and could play it. We spent that weekend horning in every place we could. Dragging Sho-Bud guitars everywhere. We even had a jam session in the Sho-Bud showroom way past midnight with Buddy Emmons playing bass for us! I've never had so much excitement, wonderment and fun since. Johnny and I have been best friends/family for over 40 years without ever a cross word.
Over the next few years we saw Hal Rugg experiment with a keyless Sho-Bud, met Paul Franklin and heard Doug Jernigan, Julian Tharpe , Curly Chalker and so many others that we all owe a great debt of gratitude to for the contributions of making modern pedal steel guitar what it is.
Steve Palousek, you are an amazing player! Thank you so much.
This has been such an enjoyable day for me because of Johnny's posting.
I would like to thank Bob for such a place to share about steel guitar! |
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Paul King
From:
Gainesville, Texas, USA
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Posted 15 Sep 2011 5:38 pm
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| Some people in life are destined to be great at what they do. Tommy White is in that catergory. Tommy was born to be a great steel player and certainly has a huge fan base. He is one of the few I could sit and watch for hours. Top that off with a man that is humble with the gift he has been given. He has taken the spot that Weldon Myrick held for years and has done a superb job. He sure is a legend in my books. |
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Billy Knowles
From:
Kenansville, N. C. 28349 usa
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Posted 15 Sep 2011 5:39 pm Tommy
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| Tommy White is as good as it gets and should be in the SGHOF. |
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