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Topic: the "old" Jerry Byrd Fan Club |
Ray Montee
From:
Portland, Oregon (deceased)
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Posted 14 Dec 2003 12:24 pm |
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Are there any of you guys still around, living or dead?
How many current Forumites were former members of the grand ole JB Fan Club under the leadership of Millie Annis, Grand Rapids, Mi.?
Upon reviewing old issues of Steel Guitar Echoes, fan club journals, it would appear there are some of you right here on the Forum.
Buddy Emmons was one, Wallace Pfeifer, Al Stotler, C.C. Johnson, Carl Dixon, Ed Webster and how many others.
Just curious.........how many loyal JBFC
members are still alive and supporting our MAIN MAN................
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Al Johnson
From:
Sturgeon Bay, WI USA
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Posted 14 Dec 2003 12:56 pm
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I don't play steel but I listen very well.
I did belong to the fan club of Millie Annis, she did a great job. From what I remember Jerry Byrd was very in on the club and appreciated the back up. I only saw Jerry in person once in the earlier 1950s playing steel on tour for George Morgan they sounded great together. Of course Jerry sounds great with everybody. Al |
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Ray Montee
From:
Portland, Oregon (deceased)
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Posted 14 Dec 2003 1:06 pm
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| Hey Al......how many other "names" might you recall from the days of the JBFC? I recall now seeing a pix of some lil' kid named Terry Bethel, had blond hair and double neck lap steel with an all adult band. He's on the Forum too, isn't he? |
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Billy Easton
From:
Nashville, TN USA
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Posted 14 Dec 2003 1:22 pm
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Hello Ray....
I too belonged to the JB Fanclub when Millie Annis was president, and used to get the newsletters, and sometimes (This might bring back a memory or two) they would enclose some copies of black and white snapshots of Jerry and fans, or other musicians. I still have those pictures...seems like one was of JB and Zeke Turner, Louis Ennis, etc. If I looked I still may have my old membership card somewhere. I was just a teenager, but surely enjoyed and appreciated JB so much!! Have a great holiday season.
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Billy Easton
Casa Grande, AZ
Southwestern Steel Guitar Association
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HowardR
From:
N.Y.C.-Fire Island-Asheville
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Posted 14 Dec 2003 2:05 pm
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| Quote: |
| Are there any of you guys still around, living or dead? |
I'm thinking the dead guys probably wouldn't be around. I could be wrong though...... |
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c c johnson
From:
killeen,tx usa * R.I.P.
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Posted 14 Dec 2003 4:16 pm
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| I think Dwight Harris is still alive and in Fla. Al Stotler is living. Al lost his wife this yr. |
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Kenny Dail
From:
Kinston, N.C. R.I.P.
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Posted 14 Dec 2003 7:05 pm
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Post some of those pictures here so those that did not have the advantage of the JBFC can at least enjoy some of the pictures.
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kd...and the beat goes on...
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c c johnson
From:
killeen,tx usa * R.I.P.
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Posted 15 Dec 2003 3:50 am
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| correction. Time goes by so fast. Al Stotler lost his wife three yrs ago. Thanks to Keoki Lake for letting me know. CC |
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Bill Creller
From:
Saginaw, Michigan, USA (deceased)
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Posted 15 Dec 2003 2:23 pm
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I met Al Stotler in Honolulu last spring at the HSGA convention. In fact we hung out together a bit, and I found out that he is one of Jerry's oldest friends. He is quite a character too. Nice guy.
Bill |
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Jody Carver
From:
KNIGHT OF FENDER TWEED
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Posted 15 Dec 2003 8:05 pm
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. Happy New Year.  [This message was edited by Jody Carver on 28 December 2003 at 11:12 AM.] |
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Paul Graupp
From:
Macon Ga USA
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Posted 16 Dec 2003 2:32 pm
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Ray: What about...
Eddy Roan ?? |
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George Keoki Lake
From:
Edmonton, AB., Canada
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Posted 17 Dec 2003 10:57 am
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CC...Al Stotler lost his first wife a few years back, remarried, then lost his second wife (both to cancer) about 2 years ago as I recall. He is a very strong person. One has to be strong to go through something like that. Jerry and Al are very close friends. Al has always stated he "doesn't play the steel guitar", however I suspect otherwise. I'm sure he is an excellent steel guitarist in his own right.  |
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Ray Montee
From:
Portland, Oregon (deceased)
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Posted 17 Dec 2003 11:11 am
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Paul, sorry but I don't recall that person.
There are so many familiar names in those old copies of Steel Guitar Echos. What a joy to be able to go back and review them from time to time.
I do believe I saw a snapshot of Mr. Stotler
playing a lap steel.......besides he at one time had a sizeable colleciton of JB instruments. He's a really nice man. |
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Ray Montee
From:
Portland, Oregon (deceased)
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Posted 17 Dec 2003 12:40 pm
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"EDDY ROAN"! I do believe I recall who that was. I do believe he is a current and active FORUM Member.
PLEASE! WHo can tell us more about him?
Please! WHo KNOWS more about him?
I've heard on good authority that he is a great steel guitarist. I truly hope this isn't another "premature publishing" of the facts. |
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Paul Graupp
From:
Macon Ga USA
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Posted 17 Dec 2003 5:04 pm
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Jody: Can you really hear me breathing ??
I'll try to hold it down a little....
Regards, Paul   |
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Ray Montee
From:
Portland, Oregon (deceased)
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Posted 18 Dec 2003 8:48 am
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Anybody YOU KNOW....create a stage name for his musical playing performances? Besides
Eric, that is....
Has it brought them success? It did for Speedy West.... Who else? |
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Paul Graupp
From:
Macon Ga USA
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Posted 18 Dec 2003 1:19 pm
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It sure didn't work for me !!!
And I'm ashamed to admit now, after hearing about how Lil' Roy Wiggins was treated; that Eddy Arnold was my hero when I was a young man just starting out in steel guitar. Where I got the last name of Roan God only knows...
Thankfully, I never pursued the name or issue as I was too busy listening for Jerry Byrd songs on the radio after sending out who knows how many postcard requests for his recordings to be played.
At least when I got to writing for real steel guitar issues, I used my own name and have never looked back in regret over that childish effort for identity. I hope no one else will either.
Regards, Paul |
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Ray Montee
From:
Portland, Oregon (deceased)
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Posted 18 Dec 2003 5:18 pm
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| Paul.....everyone that has ever met you, LOVES YOU! Your efforts on behalf of steel guitar while unknown by many, has made a positive impact on our kind of music. THANKS to YOU! |
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DeWitt Scott
From:
St. Louis, Missouri, USA * R.I.P.
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Posted 28 Dec 2003 1:49 am
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I was a member of the Jerry Byrd fan club. Speaking of Dwight Harris...I used to publish a magazine, Steel Guitar International "SGI", and Dwight would write an article from time to time. One of his articles was in the form of an ad advertising the "Stereo Bar". The bar photo had an open slot through the middle of it and would pick up the sound from both sides of the string thus create a stereo effect. Dwight told about the advantages it has. Of course it was a hoax but I did get some inquiries about the price and availability of the bar. SGI was mostly articles about the players with little or no ads. It started off with my wife, Mary typing the four or so pages and by the time I discontinued it…it had 32 pages and still typed on a typewriter but printed at a local print shop. I had over 2300 members and printed it quarterly for 16 years. I ended it in October of 1994. I still have several complete copies but threw out boxes and boxes of back issues. How easy it would be to put it together now using a computer.
Paul Graupp was the person that encouraged me to continue my efforts in promoting the steel guitar. And I am so glad I took his advise. Maybe now he should encourage me to write a book about my experiences with the steel guitar and the people that play them. Scotty's Music has been a part of the steel guitar world back when you rarely seen the name "steel guitar" in print. Now look at what is happening with the steel guitar. When I organized Midland Records back in the early 1970's I was dedicated to put the names of the musicians on the back liner.
Paul made an impact with his magazine articles and I'm sure many other people contributed along the way (Tom Bradshaw for one) but the Steel Guitar forum has brought the steel players together far more than any of us could have possible done. We had to advertise by magazines and postal letters. Then Fax, then computer and then e-mail. Now the Forum. My hats off to b0b as I know anything that has to do with the steel guitar is a labor of love! You don’t make regular trips to the bank.
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Jesse Pearson
From:
San Diego , CA
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Posted 28 Dec 2003 7:59 am
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| Dewitt, thanks for all your efforts, you are one of my main teachers on non pedel along with Jerry and all the greats around the forum who answer our questions. It was Dewitt's basic Lap steel book that got me started, that tone on the CD! I bought Dewitt's book before I even owned a steel and started it on bottle neck, but soon ran into a Magnatone and now I can play Country and Hawaiian non pedal. I can't believe how much I've learned about steel guitar and music in general just from getting into steel and reading the forum alot. Thanks guy's, your the best. |
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c c johnson
From:
killeen,tx usa * R.I.P.
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Posted 28 Dec 2003 8:26 am
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| Ray, do you remember George Kinsman, Red Moser, Frank Nespozjani(sp?), Adelaide ?, Frank Miller, Norm Koontz. If I can remember any more members I'll post |
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Ray Montee
From:
Portland, Oregon (deceased)
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Posted 28 Dec 2003 10:21 am
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"CC"...all of those names are unfamiliar to me. I've spent many hours this past year, attempting to read virtually every contribution to the STEEL GUITAR ECHOS Journals.....and it's a BIG JOB.
Lot's of names do jump out at you tho', as you read thro' those pages. What a job Millie used to do; pasting all those little black and white photo's in EVERY JOURNAL and printing all those thousands of pages of copy on mimeo-graph. That alone would have driven the average person nuts. They were messy and unforgiving of errors.
And Scotty..........A lot of us feel a book of your many steel guitar related experiences would make for interesting reading; things you've done; where you've traveled to; folks you've met. You've become
world known and made MAJOR contributions to the steel guitar while providing some of the best musical entertainment to thousands of fans. What a show you managed to put together. It takes a special kind of guy to do what you've accomplished and so well!
And your family too! We all know that they were in their supporting your dreams. Our hats off to each everyone of them.
Thanx for sharing in this post. |
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Paul Graupp
From:
Macon Ga USA
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Posted 28 Dec 2003 1:20 pm
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Just as the after holiday blues were setting in and I realized how Christmas Broke I was; here comes DeWitt Scott with words that would warm an iceberg !! No amount of money could ever buy what he does for steel guitarist's; myself included. We go back so far and I owe him so much; to see him write that I may have inspired him is too much for words alone. I have always felt like I was the outsider and the real heart of steel guitar was there on Midland Avenue in St Louis. That will never change.
But time changes and I have become old and disenchanted with playing. While I still write on the Forum and feel Sccoty's tribute to b0b is fully qualified and well deserved, I have felt the glow that started with the purchase of my first steel guitar slipping away.
And then here he comes and makes my world shine again like it did back then. How could I ever repay him for all he has done for me ?? I thought at first I would e-mail this to him because others might think I was trying to butter him up in some manner or fashion. Then I realized, he would know better than that and this is the place to tell him of my high regard and esteem for all he has been to all of our musical lives.
Scotty; It is good to hear from you or about you in any format and that happens almost every day. You are as constant as the memory of my father and I respect you in the same way. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for always being DeWitt Scott !!
Regards, Paul
Edited to include an endorsement of what Ray said about you writing a book. I would encourage you in that direction in any manner I could ever devise !! It would be on a par with Jerry Byrd's recent book and tell the world who you are and where you have been...PG.[This message was edited by Paul Graupp on 28 December 2003 at 01:27 PM.] [This message was edited by Paul Graupp on 28 December 2003 at 01:59 PM.] |
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Jody Carver
From:
KNIGHT OF FENDER TWEED
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Posted 29 Dec 2003 8:59 pm
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Back when I was a Fender rep on the east coast I covered 13 states until CBS took over
then I covered 2 states..Paul Graupp was an important part of Fender at that time.His Fretts publication was something Fender dealers would look forward to receiving.
I myself still have a number of his writings
and to this day still enjoy the talent and compassion of the writings of Paul.
When CBS no longer saw a need for Fretts and the old guard at Fender was no more,,many dealers asked Why?
Paul ought to re-issue his Fretts publications Im sure many on this Forum would love to read what Paul wrote.
It would be a good thing for bOb to consider
What ya say Sheriff?? edited Sheriff give it some thought..it may suprise all of you who are not familiar with this mans talent.
You heard it from Scotty..now your hearin it from me. [This message was edited by Jody Carver on 29 December 2003 at 09:01 PM.] |
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Paul Graupp
From:
Macon Ga USA
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Posted 30 Dec 2003 12:24 pm
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Jody: b0b is one step ahead of us !! He has the combined Fretts articles in a book published by Tom Bradshaw. It was a part of that wonderful donation Tom made to the Forum and all of us. It is listed in the PSGP Link b0b has posted on several of these Forum headers and it's called Pushin' Pedals.
I appreciate you mentioning it and remembering it for that matter. Since Tom has shown us how to be generous I could do no less and proceeds from the book will remain on the Forum,
Regards, Paul  |
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