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Topic: Whatever happened to Duncan Cameron? |
Jerry Overstreet
From: Louisville Ky
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Posted 27 Mar 2012 11:10 am
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....did a stint with the Amazing Rhythm Aces in the late 70's early 80's, post Byrd. Played Mandolin, Banjo, Dobro, Guitar, Steel guitar....vocals too, before becoming Sawyer Brown's guitar player.
For interested fans of Duncan, here's a clip of a tune he co-wrote, sang and played pedal steel on while with the ARA.
I think his steel solo at about 1:30 or so is pretty nice.
He played steel on this album and a couple more I think. Always enjoyed his pickin'.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lPXPadI0JPM
Last edited by Jerry Overstreet on 27 Mar 2012 6:44 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Dave Harmonson
From: Seattle, Wa
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Freddie Wooton
From: London, ky
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Posted 27 Mar 2012 4:58 pm
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Jerry, The last I've heard from him he was flying full time for FedEx out of Memphis. Fred |
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Jerry Overstreet
From: Louisville Ky
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Posted 27 Mar 2012 6:43 pm
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Thanks fellas. Now that you mention it, I do recall hearing something about this some time ago.
I guess there's a lot more security in flying for FedEx than trying to play music for a living. Best wishes and a big Thanks to him for all the music in past years. |
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Brendan Mitchell
From: Melbourne Australia
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Posted 27 Mar 2012 11:56 pm
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We were the support for ARA in Melbourne sometime in the 70's .He had given his steel to a local luthier to have something done to it........yeah I know , why would you ? Anyway his steel never made it back for the second night so he borrowed mine , I always wondered if he ever got it back or if it's still sitting in pieces in the guitar builders shop ! |
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Stephen Silver
From: Asheville, NC
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Posted 28 Mar 2012 5:28 am
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Duncan is a long long long time friend of mine since we first met in 1974. Monster player.
He is still living in Nashville, and is a pilot for Southwest based out of Midway Airport in Chicago. When not flying, he restores vintage WWII aircraft and just finished a nice early 60s restoration of a 356 SC.
I see him once or twice a year when he has a layover out in the bay area.
BTW, he wrote Homestead in the bathroom of our room in the Beverly Hills hotel in Toronto while we were on tour with Barbie Benton. To add to Duncan's list of instruments, he was the keyboard player with Barbie.
SS _________________ Life is mostly Attitude and Timing |
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Jerry Overstreet
From: Louisville Ky
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Posted 28 Mar 2012 5:20 pm
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Thanks Stephen. Tell him we miss his music and talk about him here from time to time. |
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Jerry Hedge
From: Norwood Ohio U.S.A.
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Posted 28 Mar 2012 5:51 pm
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One time, while on tour with Sawyer Brown, he came in to a music store I managed and bought a Gibson ES 295 body from me. He was crazy about those guitars!!! At the time he had a deal with G&L guitars. His main stage instrument was an ASAT with a 295 type paint job. He gave me passes and back stage passes for the show. What a nice guy!!! |
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Jerry Hayes
From: Virginia Beach, Va.
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Posted 29 Mar 2012 12:03 pm
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I met him years ago when he came to see my old bud Steve Silver at the Swizzle Stik in Huntington Beach, Ca. where Steve and I were playing. He's a master musician on anything he touches. After seeing him with a band in SoCal called "The Wild Oats" I went back to playing my lead guitar with a thumbpick and finger picks as I was impressed by what he was doing by playing that way. He could rip off some lighting fast licks with the three finger approach and I've played that way totally since then.... I saw him again some years back when Sawyer Brown came to Virginia for the "Chesapeake Jubilee" he was still playin' as good as ever.......JH in Va. _________________ Don't matter who's in Austin (or anywhere else) Ralph Mooney is still the king!!! |
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chris ivey
From: california (deceased)
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Posted 30 Mar 2012 8:00 am
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we opened quite a few concerts for sawyer brown one year with jj white. duncan was a very cool guy and great picker. i didn't realize he played steel, too. all the sawyer brownies were nice guys.
i've got another good friend who flies for fedex... |
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Jerry Overstreet
From: Louisville Ky
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Posted 30 Mar 2012 12:39 pm
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Chris, I think he plays everything. I've got just about all of the ARA albums and I know he played pedal steel on some of them. Offhand, Toucan Do It Too album, plays on a tune called "I Musta Died and Gone to Texas"... some basic C6 stuff but still pretty cool I think. [Edit to correct my huge mistake: It was not Toucan, but the "Rythum" album that had the "Texas" cut I referenced. Sorry.]
Wish I'd had the chance to meet him. I was at a Sawyer Brown concert, back when, which was part of a 3 headliner event along with Sammy Kershaw, John Anderson and SB, but the party I was with wanted to leave after the first 2.
I don't remember if Duncan was with them then or if it was still Bobby Randall on guitar.
Last edited by Jerry Overstreet on 30 Mar 2012 5:28 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Dave Harmonson
From: Seattle, Wa
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Jerry Overstreet
From: Louisville Ky
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Posted 30 Mar 2012 5:08 pm Boy, did I goof!
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Dave, I'm sorry. I gotta quit trusting my memory.
That's "Byrd" Burton on the Toucan album and Settin' you Free cut. My bad. I've got so many of the discs, I got confused on who played on which.
I just looked at the covers and the song I referenced Died and Gone to Texas is on the Amazing Rhythm Aces "How the Hell do you Spell Rythum" album from 1980. Here 'tis: click with a little SA Rose quote from Duncan.
My apologies to you and everyone else for the loss leader, but it's always good to hear Byrd too. Another monster player. |
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Freddie Wooton
From: London, ky
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Posted 30 Mar 2012 5:49 pm
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Jerry,Not meaning to change the subject but did you know that Byrd died a couple of years ago? He was an old friend of mine from back in the sixties when he worked at Hewgleys (not sure about the spelling)Music Store in Knoxville. Had a long bout with cancer. |
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Dave Harmonson
From: Seattle, Wa
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Posted 30 Mar 2012 6:04 pm
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Jerry, good to know as I forgot when Duncan took over the job as well.
I saw ARA about the time of their second album, Too Stuffed To Jump, and then was with the opening act in '79 at a show in Idaho after Duncan joined. Both great shows. _________________ www.facebook.com/countrydaveharmonson |
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Jerry Overstreet
From: Louisville Ky
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Posted 30 Mar 2012 6:04 pm
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Freddie, yes I heard. I was sad to hear he passed on. One of my heroes. Drummer Butch McDade succumbed also several years ago. Both were huge contributors to the band in both administrative and musical areas. |
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Jerry Overstreet
From: Louisville Ky
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Posted 30 Mar 2012 6:11 pm
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Dave, Too Stuffed may just be my all time favorite ARA album. The cut of "I'll be Gone" probably my favorite of all their tunes if I had to pick one. I was lucky enough to find out when some of their old albums were re-released on CD back in the 90's and was able to replace much of my worn out vinyl copies of their stuff.
When I think of ARA, I always think of our forum brother Chip Fossa who is also a big follower. I wish him well with his health struggle and hope he will be back to participate in these threads soon.
As another aside, the Rhythm Aces, Pure Praire League and the Flying Burrito Brothers came to Louisville in the 70's together to do a concert. I was in heaven. It wasn't too long after that I got my first steel guitar.
Back to Duncan. Great writer as well as musician. Hope he's enjoying his piloting job. |
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Dave Harmonson
From: Seattle, Wa
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Posted 31 Mar 2012 12:35 pm
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You bet. I wore out that album. Russell Smith is one of the best writers ever IMO.
Who else would come up with "If you don't wanna sell me no bacon don'tcha open up the store." _________________ www.facebook.com/countrydaveharmonson |
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