| Author |
Topic: Current Merle Haggard band |
John Goux
From:
California, USA
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Posted 12 Feb 2016 2:46 am |
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Does anyone know who is playing steel with Merle these days?
I'd like to know all the band members I saw tonight. It doesn't seem to be on his site, and searches here mostly discuss previous players.
The concert I saw tonight was Merle and Kris K together, in Los Angeles. Every band member was great.
The steel player used a double neck GFI Ultra, 2 large Peavy amps and an Alesis effect.
Sounded excellent but was not mixed loud enough for my taste.
The lead player was great as well, a natural colored T style through a SF Deluxe, I believe. Quite loud in the PA. Great Roy Buchanon style tone.
Kris had a guitarist who was very good as well.
Merle seems to be in good spirits.
Thanks, john |
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Tommy Detamore
From:
Floresville, Texas
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Posted 12 Feb 2016 4:37 am
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Steel guitar-Norm Hamlet
Lead guitar-Ben Haggard
Bass-Taras Prodanuik
Drums-Jiim Christie
Piano-Floyd Domino
Fiddle-Scott Joss
Sax-Renato Caranto
Background vocals-Theresa Haggard
_________________
Tommy Detamore
Quilter Labs, Goodrich Sound, Source Audio, Neunaber Audio, and Stringjoy Authorized Dealer
www.cherryridgestudio.com
www.steelguitartracksonline.com |
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Skip Edwards
From:
LA,CA
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Posted 12 Feb 2016 7:45 am
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Hey John...I was there. Sorry we missed each other.
Taras is no longer on the gig. Doug Colosio (who used to play keys for Hag) is covering the bass chair.
I also would've liked to have heard more steel, but then again, Norm has always been the master of restraint, making every note count.
He sounded wonderful, as did everybody on stage. |
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Tommy Detamore
From:
Floresville, Texas
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Posted 12 Feb 2016 7:48 am
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Thanks for the correction Skip. I saw Taras with Hag a few months ago but haven't talked with him since. Didn't know he was gone....
When I saw them they sounded great. A band with dynamics! What a concept!
_________________
Tommy Detamore
Quilter Labs, Goodrich Sound, Source Audio, Neunaber Audio, and Stringjoy Authorized Dealer
www.cherryridgestudio.com
www.steelguitartracksonline.com |
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Skip Edwards
From:
LA,CA
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Posted 12 Feb 2016 7:55 am
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"Dynamics?? I'm playing as loud as I can!"
The change was recent, in the last couple weeks or so. Surprised me... I was expecting to see T-Man there. |
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John Goux
From:
California, USA
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Posted 12 Feb 2016 9:52 am
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Hi Skip!
So that was Norm Hamlet. No wonder he sounded so good. I was up in the balcony. I thought that sounded like Jim Christie, that shuffle is unmistakable. But I haven't seen him in so long, we all look a bit different, don't we?
Norm played lovely stuff all night. I had to come down front after the show to see what he was using. The GFI was clear and fat. He gets a great tone.
Thanks guys.
John |
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Larry Welter
From:
Wisconsin, USA
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Posted 12 Feb 2016 11:40 am scott joss
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I own a peavey amp flight case scott joss once owned I think when he was with Dwight yoakum,,,he played thru two peavey Nashville amps I was told by his brother,,,
_________________
a few guitars,(Rickenbacker /610/ 40,s lap steel, 2007 emmons legrande,student Gs emmons,,,nashville 112
....,peavey classic 30 ,Nashville 400,,a few effect pedals,,everything except talent,(everyone wants to go to heaven,but no one wants to die to get there,) "steven jobs"? |
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Mark Eaton
From:
Sonoma County in The Great State Of Northern California
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Posted 12 Feb 2016 12:01 pm
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My wife and I were at the Santa Rosa show on Wednesday evening.
This was cool - sitting behind me was The Strangers bass player from 1965-1990, Dennis Hromek, who lives in nearby Sonoma. Nice fellow! He told me that Merle had just fired Taras from the band, and this was only the second gig on bass for Dennis.
Good show, sort of a low key vibe, which is fine with me. Crackerjack band and Norm was killing it on the GFI. I had a straight on shot of him from the 10th row and really enjoyed that.
Merle came out to a massive standing ovation and he was visibly touched. He said that with all his health issues he's had this double pneumonia was by far the worst thing he'd ever experienced. He started kind of slow, you could tell he was lacking energy. Early in the set after a song he stopped and turned around, took off his hat and faced the band. I'm thinking, "this might already be it for the evening." He was talking to his son on electric guitar and they grabbed a clear plastic tube and hooked it up to his nose. He said "I was running out of air," and there was apparently an oxygen tank behind one of the amps.
But as the set went on he perked up and seemed to be really enjoying himself. The Haggard humor and wit came out. Maybe he had something else going on in that oxygen tank! 
I haven't seen him play in many years and I'm sure glad we went.
I had this flash during I'm A Lonesome Fugitive that this was sort of a musical equivalent of watching Abraham Lincoln give a speech.
_________________
Mark |
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Brett Day
From:
Pickens, SC
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Posted 12 Feb 2016 12:26 pm
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| Norm's been playing steel for Merle for 51 years. He joined The Strangers in 1965 |
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Mark Eaton
From:
Sonoma County in The Great State Of Northern California
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Posted 12 Feb 2016 1:22 pm
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| Brett Day wrote: |
| Norm's been playing steel for Merle for 51 years. He joined The Strangers in 1965 |
Ralph Mooney was there in the earliest days of the Strangers. Norm came on board in 1967 after the famous incident of Moon stealing the tour bus and then being sent home. One of the more bizarre episodes in the annals of country music.
Merle even asked Norm the other night after introducing him as his band leader how long it had been and what year did he join the band and Norm replied, "1967." When asked how he has lasted so long he said, "Merle tells me what to do - and I do it."
_________________
Mark |
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Skip Edwards
From:
LA,CA
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Posted 12 Feb 2016 6:55 pm
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"a musical equivalent of watching Abraham Lincoln give a speech"
Well said, Mark. And right on... |
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Mark Eaton
From:
Sonoma County in The Great State Of Northern California
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Posted 12 Feb 2016 7:18 pm
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Thank you Skip. I knew you would appreciate it.
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Mark |
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Ernie Renn
From:
Brainerd, Minnesota USA
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Posted 14 Feb 2016 11:27 pm
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I asked Norm if he planned to ever leave the band. He said that being bandleader, who is in charge of the hiring and firing, he never had the heart to fire himself.
I'm proud to say he's my friend...
Me and Norm talking before the show at the Minnesota State Fair - 9-7-15.
_________________
My best,
Ernie
www.BuddyEmmons.com |
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