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Topic: Musician Attitudes................ |
Ray Montee
From:
Portland, Oregon (deceased)
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Posted 24 Sep 2011 9:19 am |
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When I first got into the business, the title of 'musician' did not set well with many families around the country. Lavish amounts of money without any visible means of support often suggested a questionable life style.
It all too frequently also meant 'drugs' and 'booze' in excess.
Many steel players of that day, were not the type one might be expected to want to hang out with. Not only were their vices evident, but they were cantanckerous(sp?) and in some cases, down right anti-social.
In those days, TUNINGS were a closely guarded SECRET and to ask was not the proper thing to do. With one exception, I can recall. Virtually everyone of Hank Thompsons' touring bands...had courteous, conversational steel players that readily shared their tunings with aspiring wanna-bes. One in particular stands out in my mind....PeeWee Whitewing.
TODAY, fortunately, I've found steel players like Norm Hamlett, Lynn Owlsly and Billy Robinson, along with other exceptionally fine musicians like lead guitarist Andy Riess and Ranger Doug of the Time Jumpers to be truly wonderful people.
Perhaps the trend is toward more and more wonderful
people playing steel guitar these days. Quite possibly, The STEEL GUITAR FORUM has played a key role in that. We are indeed lucky to play steel guitar in this day and age. THANKS b0b. |
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Alan Brookes
From:
Brummy living in Southern California
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Posted 24 Sep 2011 9:25 am
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I agree. It's incredible to me that established steel guitarists will take the time to interact and correspond with amateurs such as myself. Before he died I wrote to Don Helms and was delighted that he took the trouble to write me a long and chatty reply.
We have a lot to be thankful for in the Forum. How else would I have ever been able to get to know and make friends with that great all-time musician, Ray Montee ?  |
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Brett Day
From:
Pickens, SC
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Posted 24 Sep 2011 11:15 am
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Back in 2006, I played a show for the Nashville Tennessee Steel Guitar Association and the day after, there was a fish fry for steel players. I was walkin' around, seein' who all was there, when all of a sudden, on one side of me was John Hughey and on the other side of me was Don Helms-two of my steel guitar friends and heroes. We talked about steel for a long while and it was awesome to be standin' between those two guys. 2004, I played the same show for the first time, and that night, Paul Franklin walked in and started talkin' to me about steel guitar. And, in 2009, I had the opportunity to hang out with my buddy Tim Sergent, who plays steel for Dierks Bentley, and we talked a lot about steel, and another great moment was meeting Tommy White at the Opry....All these players are heroes and friends of mine now and always will be.
Brett |
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Larry Freeman
From:
Texas, USA
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Posted 24 Sep 2011 12:17 pm
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| Ray, I knew and worked with Bobby White who was absolutely a great guy and could crack some of the most spontaneous , hillarious one liners of anyone. He was always willing to share about the steel. Some of the others I've met who were equally as friendly and open were Bobbe Seymour, Tommy White, Doug Jernnigan, Russ Hicks, John Hughey, Buddy Emmons, Billy Robinson, Lynn Owsley, Jody Sanders, Bobby Bowman, Jerry Newberry, and Austin Stewart. There are so many who are genuinely great people and I have met a LOT who were not. It is good when you meet some picker you look up to and find them to be genuinely nice people. |
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Papa Joe Pollick
From:
Swanton, Ohio
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Posted 24 Sep 2011 12:26 pm
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| I've never met a steel guitar player that I didn't like... |
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Ron Whitfield
From:
Kaaawa, Hawaii, USA
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Posted 24 Sep 2011 12:39 pm
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| Ray, you'll remember those hard scrabble days were the kind that caused Hank Williams to call the steel bar "a singer's best friend", the stages were screened off and on Saturday night the boys rolled up their white sleeves. Must've been rough just to keep happy while playing perfectly. Tough times often equalled tough attitudes, hopefully we won't see that part of them again. |
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Henry Matthews
From:
Texarkana, Ark USA
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Posted 24 Sep 2011 9:54 pm
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All the Steel players that I've met with touring bands have all gone out of their way to be nice and spend a few minutes talking steel guitar.
Even though I never got to see Curley Chalker in person, I've heard lots of stories how cantankerous he was and a couple others that I won't name.
_________________
Henry Matthews
D-10 Magnum, 8 &5, dark rose color
D-10 1974 Emmons cut tail, fat back,rosewood, 8&5
Nashville 112 amp, Fishman Loudbox Performer amp, Hilton pedal, Goodrich pedal,BJS bar, Kyser picks, Live steel Strings. No effects, doodads or stomp boxes. |
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Dave Mudgett
From:
Central Pennsylvania and Gallatin, Tennessee
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Posted 25 Sep 2011 2:17 am
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The music biz is indeed fraught with many pitfalls. But as others have indicated, I've never met a steel guitar player in-person that I didn't like. Musicians who get into this instrument seriously are a unique breed of cat. My BS detector is rather sensitive, and I detect precious little of that when I'm talking with steel players in-person.
On soap box for a moment - we should remember this before we (I'm talking generically here, not anybody in particular) trade barbs on this forum. The forum is indeed a great resource, but we should always remember that our mutual musical interest in the steel guitar generally (and probably vastly) outweighs other trivial differences that sometimes come up. I suppose that sometimes it requires a more personal connection to see that, but we should work on it. Off soap box.  |
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Stephen Kuester
From:
Virginia, USA
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Posted 26 Sep 2011 1:24 pm
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| I don't know, I kind of like the sound of "lavish amounts of money", booze, and drugs. What about girls? That's probably why they were cantankerous. If you'd thrown a few ladies in the mix, I suspect them old boys would come up off those copedents. Just saying. |
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Bill Dobkins
From:
Rolla Missouri, USA
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Posted 26 Sep 2011 3:55 pm
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I played lead guitar for years. I got to the point where i couldn't stand to play anymore. I quit playing for 10 years until I got into Steel Guitar. It opened up a brand new world of music to me. A joy I never thought I'd find again. I've made some of the best friends I have ever had.
True the world of steel is without ego. Thanks to evryone for your friendship and to what this forum has done for all of us.
_________________
Custom Rittenberry SD10
Boss Katana 100 Amp
Positive Grid Spark amp
BJS Bars
Z~Legend Pro,Custom Tele
Honor our Vet's.
Now pass the gravy. |
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