Big Jim Murphy

Gary Schwartz · From: Minnesota, USA

Just sharing a photo I shot of the great Big Jim Murphy at the Minnesota State Fair. I don't remember the year or who he was playing with!

Bob Watson · From: Champaign, Illinois, U.S.

Gary, thats a great picture of Big Jim Murphy. I'm proud to say that I've had the pleasure of playing that Steel. Murph was as good as it gets. Thanks for posting this. Smile

Chubby Howard · From: Franklin, Ohio, USA

Great Player and Great Friend !!!!!! Might of been when he was with Johnny Paycheck ???
_________________
www.myclassiccountry.com/programs/chubby-howard-show

Steel Guitar Hall of Fame in 2015

Jack Aldrich · From: Washington, USA

With his tenor sax perched beside him, it may have been when he was in Asleep At The Wheel.
_________________
Jack Aldrich
Carter & ShoBud D10's
D8 & T8 Stringmaster
Rickenbacher B6
3 Resonator guitars
Asher Alan Akaka Special SN 6
Canopus D8

Chubby Howard · From: Franklin, Ohio, USA

he played his stand up steel no pedals and sometimes his Bethel steel with the wheel
_________________
www.myclassiccountry.com/programs/chubby-howard-show

Steel Guitar Hall of Fame in 2015

Ron Sodos · From: San Antonio, Texas USA

I was playing the Matador lounge in Ancohrage AK for 5 months in 1979. I had only been playing steel 2 years at the time. Green as could be. Jimmy Dale was singing and I guess he had played bass for Doug Kershaw some years before that. Anyway Paycheck was playing the Alaska state fair and came in the club with Murphy after his show. Well when Paycheck saw Jimmy on the stage it was like old home week. I guess they were starving musician room mates in the early days and knew each other like brothers. The party was on!!
The rest of the weekend was nuts. I became educated in the ways of the world. OMG What a time. Murphy played my steel, Paycheck played my steel. Murphy changed my tone settings all around and I learned how to adjust the tone for a steel guitar. LOL
I will never forget that weekend.

Tony Glassman · From: The Great Northwest

What a monster player. His work on Carl Smith's 20 Year Anniversary album ( along with Chalker) convinced me to trade my S-10 in for a D-10. He is still an inspiration for me.

Joe Goldmark · From: San Francisco, CA 94131

Totally underrated. There's some great YouTube of Murph with Redd Volkaert. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8b5qW0L-7_w There's four of these, each better than the last. Redd said he used to lose his place listening to Murph!

What a monster player.

Richard Sinkler · From: aka: Rusty Strings -- Missoula, Montana

Back in 1983, my band spent a week in Nashville. Not far from our hotel was a hotel that had a bar, if I remember right, was on the top, or near the top floor. Jim told me the band consisted of all road players who were off the road, so the band makeup changed periodically. I had my Kline at that time and he'd never seen one up close. I was scared to death to play in front of him, but made it out, and I'm still alive. On the break after my band played, he and I talked about steel guitars, and we checked out each other's guitars. I remembered he was playing a Bud, but don't know if it was that one in the picture. Every time I have seen him (with Vassar Clements, and some videos), he was always playing a Bud, so I would assume he had at least a few.
_________________
Carter D10 8p/8k, Dekley S10 3p/4k C6 setup,Regal RD40 Dobro, Recording King Professional Dobro, NV400, NV112,Ibanez Gio guitar, Epiphone SG Special (open D slide guitar) . Playing for 54 years and still counting.

Jack Aldrich · From: Washington, USA

john buffington · From: Owasso OK - USA

Once while working in a club in Tulsa, Ok., Hank Thompson was in town doing a show. After his show was over, Big Jim and some other pickers came out to the club we were working and began "partying". At the end of the night we ended our set with Big Murph. I had no idea he was in the audience. After we finished he came up to me and said, "I didn't think anyone knew that song, hell of a job" and grinned real big. Afterward he sat down to my guitar and jammed for a couple of hours. I'll never forget that evening. Later he invited me to his music store in Broken Arrow and we became friends there after. The guy was an incredible musician. He was playing a ZB Custom at that time.

Charlie McDonald · From: out of the blue

Asleep was the only band I ever saw in Tulsa at Cains that couldn't stop playing when the night was over.

Paul Wade · From: mundelein,ill

what a player Smile

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IvonApgwq1M

Gary Schwartz · From: Minnesota, USA

In regards to the photo, It is not Murphy with Paycheck. Maybe with Asleep At Wheel, but I don't remember a non-pedal steel. Could it have been Murphy with Clinton Gregory?

Jerry Overstreet · From: Louisville Ky

Several years back, late 90's or early 00's, I used to get to Nashville quite often. Several times I enjoyed Murph's picking while he was playing at Gabe's. IIRC, he was playing a Bethel D10 at the time and of course smokin' on the sax too with that fabulous group there. Great times, really enjoyable visits.

Don't know about the stage shot, but I believe he did play the Sho-Bud with the Wheel sometimes as well as a D8 Stringmaster?

Ron Sodos · From: San Antonio, Texas USA

I didn't know Jim Murphy played with the Wheel. I know his brother Wally Murphy played with the Wheel for a while. I saw them here in Albuquerque in the 80's and Wally was playing with them.

Bob Watson · From: Champaign, Illinois, U.S.

Some of the best C&W music I have ever heard was when I lived in Nashville and Murph and Redd Volkaert were playing in the house band at Gabes with Ron Sweet, who was a tremendous Country singer. Everyone in the the band was top notch. I made it over there as often as I could and have some great memories. If I remember right, Murph had 2 different Sho Buds and then picked up the Bethel. He always sounded great on both necks and Sax. The last time I saw him play was with Asleep At The Wheel in Decatur Illinois where he was playing a Fender non pedal steel and Sax. We had a great visit afterwards. I've always thought that he was one of the greatest pedal steel players ever to play the instrument. I feel lucky that I got to know him. He had a great sense of humor.

Redd V · From: Galax Va

Thanks Bob,

Nice but true quote!
"I've always thought that he was one of the greatest pedal steel players ever to play the instrument. I feel lucky that I got to know him. He had a great sense of humor."

I sure miss him & his music
Redd

Ray Uhl · From: Riverside, Missouri, USA

I was playing at the Moose Lodge in Topeka KS and Hank Thompson was the featured guest. I had/have a Pre CBS Twin and had a 15"JBL playing my Emmons Bolton. Big Jim loved that amp and wanted to buy it on the spot. I still have it. When Thompson's group came on I hid the steel and amp and crawled under a table, I had never heard of him before, but was that an eye opener. After that I saw him at the ISGC in St. Louis. This was the 70's. A very friendly guy.

Jim Pitman · From: Waterbury Ctr. VT 05677 USA

I've always loved the freaky stuff he did on the 6th neck (Joe's link). Underated indeed. I became aquainted with him when he played on Vassar Clement's records and later toured with same.

John Brabant · From: Calais, VT, USA

Big Jim also did a tour with The Earl Scruggs Review in the mid-1970's, playing pedal steel and sax. There was an album cut from this tour on vinyl that I used to have and Jim can be heard throughout the recording. Another possibility for the posted photo of Jim?
_________________
John Brabant
1978 Emmons D-10 P-P

J R Rose · From: Keota, Oklahoma, USA

I was working in St.Cloud, Minn. in the summer/late summer of 1996 and went to a corn festival in some small town West, S/W of their and saw Paycheck and Big Jim Murphy do a afternoon show. What a player. I had not been playing very long and what he did just blew me away. Paycheck also gave him a solo on the sax. Not saying that this is from that time but maybe could be.
The stage and all look a lot like it. Sorry to say I have no pictures from that time. I have the CD of him and Redd and it is outstanding. Thanks, J.R.
_________________
NOTHING..Sold it all. J.R. Rose

John Brabant · From: Calais, VT, USA

Hi JR. What is the title of the Redd V CD you have? Would be interested in picking up a copy.
_________________
John Brabant
1978 Emmons D-10 P-P

Jon Light · From: Saugerties, NY

Redd's CD is called Telewacker .

Gary Roda · From: Stockton, California USA

In the early 80's, I was on the road with Lacy J. Dalton. We played a show at Dartmouth College with AATW, and first met Wally Murphy. I remember Wally's enthusiam when he took me on their bus to show me a practice board he kept in his bunk to stay busy and work on right hand stuff. At the time, Wally was playing and enthusiastic about Dekley steels, he introduced me to Jim Gurley, who built me a great guitar I played for many years afterward. Wally turned me on to Big E's redition of 'Once Apon A Time In The West'; he was knocked out, as were we all, by Buddy's use of the EBow (I still have the vinyl album of his performance at Scotty's convention!).

But Wally saved his highest praise for his big brother Jim. We played several shows with Paycheck that tour, and I was blown away by Big Jim's firery playing in that group; just Johnny, Jim, bass and drums, and they sounded HUGE. Hanging out with Jim was a real slice; he was a wonderful character and monster player. I believe he was using the picured 'Bud on that tour; at least the one I saw him with also featured the pot leaf inlay on the front apron. High Times indeed!
_________________
'87 Emmons LeGrande SD10 (4x5), '97 Carter D10 (8x5), Quilter Steelaire, '89 Nashville 400, Cube 80XL, Steeler's Choice Easy Rider, lotsa cool memories

Forum Index > Steel Players	Goto page 1, 2 Next	Next oldest topic :: Next newest topic