Billy Mize Inducted Into Hall of Fame

Dayna Wills · From: Sacramento, CA (deceased)

Hi,
For you guys who worked So. Cal. in the early years, (Herb Steiner) singer/songwriter Billy Mize was inducted into the Seattle Pioneers of Western Swing Hall of Fame Sunday Aug. 12, 2001. I met Billy when his group was the houseband at the Foothill Club in Long Beach. The next time I saw him he was opening for Haggard in Torrance in 1988. A few years later he suffered a stroke which cost him the use of his voice. I attended a benefit for him in Bakersfield about 10 years ago. This man is highly respected by his peers. Bonnie Owens, Haggard's saxman Don Johnson,even Buck Owens came with his whole group and did a set in Billy's honor.
He has CDs available taken from the LP he did with the Texas Playboys. Great stuff.
It was great to see him on the bandstand, pickin' 'n' grinnin'.

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c c johnson · From: killeen,tx usa * R.I.P.

Thanks for the info Dayna. I did some work with Billy in 1950 in Cal. Very little but he was a great shoeman. CC

c c johnson · From: killeen,tx usa * R.I.P.

SHOWMAN I mean; and I played with him very little. One of these days I'll learn how to construct a sentence. CC

Jerry Hayes · From: Virginia Beach, Va.

I did a couple of stints at Bonnie Price's Foothill Club in Long Beach (Signa Hill), California with Billy and Cliff Crofford which was some of my best memories of Southern California. In case some of you don't know, Billy was a fine steel player in his own right. The first time I ever saw him, he was the staff steel player on a TV show called "Town Hall Party". The bandleader was Joe Maphis and it featured Merle Travis and a bunch of other great talent. Billy wrote some great tunes like "It all depends on who'll buy the wine" recorded by Charley Walker, Jerry Lee Lewis, Mickey Gilley, just to name a few. On top of all his accomplishments he was one of the totally nice guys in the business. When I worked for him the first time, Jim Bob Sedgwick of the Forum was on lead guitar. Our bass player (Jimmy Lee Morris) was going to do a Joe Carson song called "Helpless" one night and I wasn't too familiar with it but it went alright. At break time Billy told me he'd played steel on the record and showed me how the steel break went. The next time we did it I thought I'd wow 'em with the record lick but I blew it to say the least. Anyhow, I just thought I'd put in my two cents worth about a great guy who I really liked. Thanks!

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Have a good 'un! JH U-12

Dayna Wills · From: Sacramento, CA (deceased)

Jerry,
I think we talked about the Foothill, and the Hillside Club where I worked. I hear the Hillside Club is now a hardware store. I also heard that the Foothill is gonna be a Salsa Bar?????
I was at the Hillside from 84 to 88, then I moved up north to Stockton.
Yes, Billy Mize is a nice guy. It hurts my heart that he can't sing anymore, for his sake and for all the rest of us who won't hear him again. Thank God we at least have him on CD.

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Jason Odd · From: Stawell, Victoria, Australia

Billy's great, after his stroke he started picking again, and of course he's been to various shows and bashes, his presence is enough for many people.
I'm glad he got inducted, Billy was one of the big figures on the West coast who never really had a hit or a decent record deal, he was Decca for a time in the 1950s, but Decca really had no idea what to do with their West Coast signings (note that Tex Williams, Billy Strange, Spade Cooley and Hank Penny all floundered on the label in the 1950s); and I noticed that Hag has Billy's 'Tommy Duncan' tribute CD for sale on his website. How cool.

Hooray for Billy!

Dayna Wills · From: Sacramento, CA (deceased)

Jason,
I got my CD from Billy at the award show. He signed it too. Some years back someone sent me a tape of the LP. I think I still have it somewhere, but I'm thrilled to have it on CD.

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John Floyd · From: R.I.P.

I worked a couple of weeks with Billy in Hawaii, right after I was discharged from the Navy in 1972. I stayed over for 2 weeks following my discharge just to get to pick with him. It was well worth it. He is one of the nicest people I have ever worked with and a Terrific Entertainer. They don't come any better!!!

Where can I buy a copy of this CD?

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John

[This message was edited by John Floyd on 17 August 2001 at 05:52 AM.]

Jim Bob Sedgwick · From: Clinton, Missouri USA

Billy Mize was one of the nicest guys I have ever had the pleasure to work for/with. One time on a new years eve, the band decided to swap instruments for one set. Most of us doubled on other instruments but not very well. I remember the piano player Ron Chandler decided to play the fiddle. He got a cigar and a white hat (ala Bob Wills). He could not play fiddle at all. He would scratch the bow across the strings (sort of like Charlie Daniels on the Devil Went down to Georgia), then scream Ahhh- Haaa and dump the lead off on me on Steel. I was a horrible steel player at that time. After the night was over, Billy called a band meeting and in a very conversational tone, quietly, informed us that he didn't think too much of the set. I have had band leaders scream at the musicians and not make nearly the impact Billy did. It's the only time he ever chewed out the Tennesseans. We all walked out feeling about 1 inch tall. Ohh, the memories (and the headaches, the next day)

Billy Mize is a class act and definitely deserves this award. He's super people.

Herb Steiner · From: Briarcliff TX 78669, pop. 2,064

Ron Chandler was a great musician. Sadly, he passed away a couple of years ago, after a long time of ill-health. Had great times picking with him when I was in Tulsa.

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Herb's Steel Guitar Pages
Texas Steel Guitar Association

Dayna Wills · From: Sacramento, CA (deceased)

Herb,
Amen to that. Ron was a great player. I dug jammin' with him too, when I was in Tulsa.

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Joe Casey · From: Weeki Wachee .Springs FL (population.9)

This indeed is good news.I had the pleasure of sitting in with Billy a few times and he is more than deserving of this honor.

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CJC

Jim Bob Sedgwick · From: Clinton, Missouri USA

I remember Ron was working at a music store. The name escapes me now. I had applied for credit for a Fender Tape echo. Ron called me at home to tell me to come pick up the unit. This was just after the Watts riots, in 1965. But, before he let me know about the echo unit, Ron, impersonating a southern black man from the "Union Hall" started ranting and raving at me. You have to realize that racial tensions in the LA area were at a very, VERY high level at this time. He says : "I unnerstand you runs the band for Billy Mize. Well, I also unnerstands you ain't got no black players in yo band." Only he did not say "black players." He used the other racially degrading term that is definitely not Politicaly correct, or morally correct, then or now. Well, we gonna send a black sax player to yo club and yo better hire him. Then he says: We also has a problem with yo piano player. We hears he don't play no black keys, just the white ones and we's filing a discrimination suit agains Billy Mize and the Foothill club, and you." Naturally by this time, I had figured out this to be some kind of scam, but I still did not recognize his voice. This guy, in addition to being a great piano player and entertainer, had a sense of humor that was unique only to Ron. He also did the most hilarious Bob Wills imitation I have ever seen. I'm sorry to hear that he passed away, tho I haven't seen him or heard from him in over 30 years. He just disappeared from Southern CA, and no one seemed to know where he went.

[This message was edited by Jim Bob Sedgwick on 26 August 2001 at 01:30 AM.]

[This message was edited by Jim Bob Sedgwick on 26 August 2001 at 01:35 AM.]

[This message was edited by Jim Bob Sedgwick on 26 August 2001 at 01:39 AM.]

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