I think about Buddy Charleton at every gig

Bob Hoffnar · From: Austin, Tx

Every night when I'm on stage I make sure I play the last lick he showed me at some point. Its a tricky little C6 slant. I remember his patience and determination while we would spend hours working on how I hold the bar or use my thumb pick.

If I can make a steel guitar sound good at all its thanks to my lessons with Buddy.
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Bob

Donny Hinson · From: Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.

I marvel at the stuff he did, so pure a sound, and so genius in its simplicity. Whether it was backing ET on "Pass The Booze", or Cal's "The Honky-Tonks and You", it was always so uniquely tasteful. I learned volumes about how to play backup from him, especially the playing he did on the ET's "My Pick of The Hits", and the "Mr. & Mrs. Used-to-Be" albums, and they continue to be among my favorites.

Greg Cutshaw · From: Corry, PA, USA

I saw him mostly at Ponderosa park and Billy Byrd did a spot gig there too with ET. Back then when the steel played the lead player was silent! There was no monster bass subwoofers, power drums or even much more than Shure vocal masters with remote booster amps. Dynamics were huge! It was a great setting to hear the dynamics of his steel playing and the explosiveness of mighty Boo Wah. There was no YouTube or video or tab lessons back then so it was all magic how they did it. The Sharp compact stately black or rosewood PP Emmons guitars were part of the aura. My dad one time took along a local picker to see ET booked by Tommy Edwards at the Dennison Theater. He wasn't into ET and was a pretty good local picker and not easily impressed. They got there, the curtain went up and there was the 2x4's dressed to kill and the tightest band sound imaginable live. Well, Dads friends jaw just dropped and talked about that revelation for the rest of his life. You have to see guys like that live to appreciate the charisma. How many bands have a Cal Smith, Jack Green, Jack Drake, Leon Rhodes and ET on one stage? ET knew how to put on a show and share the stage and feature his band members, furthering all their careers. I did get to see Leon play steel while BC played lead back stage. Sorry I can't remember how we'll he played but it had to be a lot better than Donny Young playing steel for George Jones (awful that was). Wonder what happened to all those pristine reel to reel taped that guy made back in the 60's of all the top Nashville act around D. C?

Greg

Barry Blackwood · Posted 8 Mar 2013 11:00 pm

Well said, all.

Charles Curtis · Posted 9 Mar 2013 9:52 am

I believe that it was an article in the Washington Post, a few years ago, there was an article about Buddy Charlton and how most of his students went on to become professionals. I wish that some of those sessions had been taped.

Ronnie Boettcher · From: Brunswick Ohio, USA

Not to try and hijack this thread, but Greg mentioned the Dennison theater. I too was there with the house band, almost every week.(not on steel at that time) Also from your state of Pennsylvania, Jeanie Sealy came there to sing before going on to Nashville, along with Dottie West, with Bill West on steel.
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Sho-Bud LDG, Martin D28, Ome trilogy 5 string banjo, Ibanez 4-string bass, dobro, fiddle, and a tubal cain. Life Member of AFM local 142

Greg Cutshaw · From: Corry, PA, USA

Buddy Spicher, Jeff Wisor, Jeannie Sealy (Townville, PA), Bobbe Seymour and a few others all came from this area. Tommy Edwards played the washboard!

Greg

Stephen Cowell · From: Round Rock, Texas, USA

When I think of Mr. Charleton I think of his 'Panhandle Rag'... off the live ET album... superlatives fail me.
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Too much junk to list... always getting more.

Greg Cutshaw · From: Corry, PA, USA

It was a great blend of styles that he had. his work on a few Porter Wagoner's hits are some of my favorites.

Greg

Mike Neer · From: NJ

Plus he looked so cool in that suit and hat, which very few could pull off with such panache!
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Links to streaming music, websites, YouTube: Links

Jonathan Lam · From: Brooklyn, NY

And that neck handkerchief!

Greg Cutshaw · From: Corry, PA, USA

Here's some of my favorite ET cuts. The 1st two are Charleton and I believe the last two are Emmons. The first cut "I'm Looking High And Low For My Baby" was an early Charleton cut with Jimmy Day in the control room watching and giving Buddy the thumbs up on the replay. The second is a great cut with Wade Ray vocals.

The 3rd cut is Emmons playing a Ralph Mooney style break and the last is just to show (with Emmons I believe) how the early recordings put the steel up front.

Most of these recordings were made with Sho-Buds.

These cuts are available on the Bear Records Ernest Tubb sets but unfortunately the Bear mix cuts the steel way back in the mix and it's not nearly as prominent as it was on the otherwise identical above 45 rpm releases.

I'm Lookin' High And Low For My Baby

Won't You Ride In My Little Red Wagon

Letters Have No Arms

Through That Door

Greg

Donny Hinson · From: Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.

I think it's just amazing that most all that great Tubb stuff was done with an E9th with just 3+1.

Mike Schwartzman · From: Maryland, USA

Oh how I wish he was still here to take some more lessons from (especially on C6th). Yes indeed Bob...My feeling was that he was a kind and patient teacher.

I was fortunate enough to have a lesson with him within a year of his passing on. It was a double lesson from Buddy with a pal of mine who was a bit more of a beginner than I was at the time.

It was so cool to start the lesson with Buddy checking our most basic fundemental aspects of playing. He checked our seated position,our posture, our right hand position, and our bar grip/ pressure.

Every time I sit behind a PSG, I remember to straighten that posture and to keep that left hand a bit lighter on the bar... (No death grip). I miss him.
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Emmons Push Pull, BMI, Session 400, Home of the Slimcaster Tele.

Gary Lee Gimble · From: Fredericksburg, VA.

Bill Rowlett · From: Russellville, AR, USA

Greg,

Thanks for posting those song links. Like most of the others you have posted over the years, I would have never heard them if not for you.

Bill Rowlett

Donny Hinson · From: Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.

While we're posting his stuff, I'm going to throw out another of my favorites for y'all to hear. This song features Buddy Charleton playing one of the famous "double-strung" 16-string Sho~Buds. You have to have a good sound system and good ears to appreciate it, but the resulting sound is one I've always described as "hauntingly beautiful". (Those lower voicings just tear me up.) I asked Buddy about the recording once, and he told me he remembered it well because that guitar was really a bear to keep and play in tune.

Enjoy! Very Happy

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xA_QzXngkUI

Jack Hargraves · From: Missouri, USA

It's too bad we lost Buddy. He was truly one of the greats. I still love to listen to some of the stuff he did with E.T. He and Leon together............great!

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