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Topic: Norman Hamlet |
Ron
From:
Hermiston, Oregon
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Posted 22 Nov 2001 9:10 am |
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I am listining to Merle Hags New cd Roots 1 and the intros of Norman make the hair stand up on my neck. If you dont have this cd go buy it today! It is Lefty Frizells music. Norman Stevens is playing the licks like he did on the origanal congs.
Merle is in canada on tour and Norman is doing the steel thing to a great oudunce!
Ron
Ron
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Michael Garnett
From:
Seattle, WA
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Posted 22 Nov 2001 7:34 pm
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I saw Merle and Norm here at "Chilifest" in the sprawling metropolis of Snook, TX last year. They were amazing, and I even got the opportunity to sneak past the cops to talk to Norm for a little while before the band left. What a guy. He even gave me a business card, and it's the second on my "Wall of Fame" right next to Willy's autographed bandana.
Garnett
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"The New Guy"
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Gary Walker
From:
Morro Bay, CA
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Posted 22 Nov 2001 9:51 pm
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| Having known Norm for over 40 years and seen him come from an obscure little California town and gain world notariety with Hag, he is and has always been a real sweet guy that just happened to have taken his great love of the steel and made a name for himself in this world of music, thanks, Gary |
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billy tam R.I.P.
From:
baton rouge, louisiana
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Posted 23 Nov 2001 10:58 am
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I've had the opportunity and privledge to open a few Merle shows and meet and talk with Mr. Hamlett. Very gracious and open as well as being the epitomy of professionalism. A very tasty player, seemingly playing just the right part for the song flawlessly. JMHO
billy tam |
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Ron
From:
Hermiston, Oregon
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Posted 5 Feb 2002 8:35 am
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I spent most of a week with Norman last month and we vidioed 4 1/2 hrs of him telling about his life from his earliest recolection to today. What a guy! We did two vidios the other is of his music life story!! In a little studio in a old remodeled school house he did the first recording of Barbra Mandrell that was made!! He dosent know what happened to it. He has had a fire at his home and lost most of his colection of music tapes and vidios. What a loss!! THe storys we heard inbetween camera takes were awsome! He told of one tour to Ireland where Biff and he were sitting in this restrent ordering food when the watris said are you sure you want to set by theis window, I dont recomend it. WWhen they asked why she said that the terrest were known to toss out bombs from a car at stores so they moved and a few days later it happened and some one was killed in the chairs they had sat. Norm said that the rebels called a truce when ever eniterment came and enemys would set side by side at a consert but later shoot each other when the eniterners were gone. He was told this happens all the time so they call a halt when enertainment is in town or no enaterment would come.
Thanks for the storys Norm!
Ron |
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Jason Odd
From:
Stawell, Victoria, Australia
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Posted 5 Feb 2002 3:15 pm
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Ron, I wonder if Gene Breeden in Tenn., has a copy of the early Mandrell sides, him and Norm were pretty tight and seeing that Gene always seemed to have had a studio of some sort over the years (a better one each move really), I imagine he might have a master or master copy somewhere.
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wayne yakes md
From:
denver, colorado
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Posted 8 Feb 2002 1:55 pm
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| To my ear, Norm plays a dynamite dobro too!! |
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Ron
From:
Hermiston, Oregon
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Posted 8 Feb 2002 9:37 pm
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Jason
If you could find out anything I know Norm would be glad for any thing you could get. He is a member of this forum so any one wanting to say some thing to him will be sure of getting a answer. He is on the road with Merle Hag right now but will be home in a week I belive . Yes a dobro player he is ! Any thing Merle has recorded since !1994 with a dobro has been with The Robro that I have made. The dobro playing he did on "for the record" on pay for view Tv in Los Vegus made my hair stand up on my neck .
Ron |
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Chris Forbes
From:
Beltsville, MD, USA
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Posted 9 Feb 2002 4:10 am
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| Is any of the albums that the strangers did sans Hag available? A local band does a smokin version of Stealin' Corn. They tell me all of the stuff on those albums was fantastic. Norm may not be the fastest picker out there but I don't think I've ever heard something that wasn't mighty tasteful come from his hands. |
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Ron
From:
Hermiston, Oregon
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Posted 9 Feb 2002 10:26 am
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Chris
I dont know if any are avable on CCD but the vinal can be found at times. Norm tells me that to be a good Steel player, and I emigne he is talking about back up playing because that is what he dose most for merle, is the less you play the better. If you know Norman you know how modest he is and to hear the things he dose is amasing. Roy clark was asked why he plays so fast and his reply is "I am looking for the notes and when I dind them I will stop" Well Norman has found all them! I belive that slow and sweet is better than all that showy fast stuff.
Ron |
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Chris DeBarge
From:
Boston, Mass
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Posted 9 Feb 2002 10:43 am
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I posted these pictures a while back, always worth another look. From the late 50's when Norm played with the Farmer Boys. Wonder where that Bigsby is now!?!?
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Larry Petree
From:
Bakersfield. Ca. USA
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Posted 9 Feb 2002 10:56 am
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Chris, as I remember Norm said he sold his Bigsby to a guy in Fresno Ca, named Rudy Farmer. He was going to make three single non-pedal guitars out of it. (what a waste)
Rudy later died and no one seems to know where it is now. I am sure Norm would like to know what has happened to it, as we all would. Larry |
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Ron
From:
Hermiston, Oregon
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Posted 9 Feb 2002 11:25 am
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lARRY
Sorry I never got to meet you when we were in Bakersfield. We had a hurry trip to visit Norman and did a couple of videos for him . Have you talked to him lately? He is on the road now I think. He probly is enjoying this tour more now that Redd Volkert is back with the band. Maby next trip we will meet
Ron |
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chas smith R.I.P.
From:
Encino, CA, USA
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Posted 9 Feb 2002 11:29 am
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quote:
Chris, as I remember Norm said he sold his Bigsby to a guy in Fresno Ca, named Rudy Farmer. He was going to
make three single non-pedal guitars out of it. (what a waste)
AAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! |
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Ron
From:
Hermiston, Oregon
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Posted 9 Feb 2002 12:14 pm
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Chas
Could you repppppppppppet that?
Ron |
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Jason Odd
From:
Stawell, Victoria, Australia
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Posted 10 Feb 2002 7:30 am
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The infamous Rudy Farmer, geez Chas, that's a name you must really dread.
It's like, yeah I'll strip down a limo to make a couple of small cars... what was that cat thinking?
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chas smith R.I.P.
From:
Encino, CA, USA
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Posted 10 Feb 2002 2:28 pm
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| Jason, with all due respect to Rudy, may he rest in pieces; who knew that these things would become so valuable. Have you ever seen photos of stock car races filled with '57 Chevys? I had a friend years ago who was on tour in the south and he saw a guy playing in a rock band with a Jackson guitar with a Bigsby neck, then again, the guy who routered his '57 flametop Les Paul probably wishes he hadn't. I'm not going to tell you of some of the ignorant things I did. |
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Jason Odd
From:
Stawell, Victoria, Australia
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Posted 10 Feb 2002 3:50 pm
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Chas, I do know, I chopped and cut some things that I really dread now.
I figured that at the time Rudy was thinking that he was really making something out of 'old fashioned triples'.. but still it's an incrediable thought.
I once moved into an apartment where an old lady had been moved out by the health board as she'd been in there for a year without coming out, even her dog used to crap inside and she only got the meels on wheels people to supply her. (dunno what she fed that poor dog).
Anyway, this cleaner guy paid me twenty bucks to help clean out the furniture so that I could move in. I remember that he swept her china across the sideboard and cupboards straight into an inustrial garbage bag which he then threw over the balcony into the back of his truck!
Then the furniture followed, vintage sowing machine and all. It got so bad I bought the rest of it to stop him!
Anyway, that's not one of my screw ups in altering and chopping things, nor is it how Rudy operated. But I guess it illustrates how one person's treasure is totally something else to the next guy.
Still, whenever I think of those Bigsbys....ow. |
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Ron
From:
Hermiston, Oregon
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Posted 10 Feb 2002 5:26 pm
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Yes we all have done some h----- things . I had a Borman President arch top guitar with purle around the top all over the pickup. It was carved spruce top riben mohaugy body 5 piece neck that I got in around 1960 at a auction for $10.00 and I thaught I could make it look better so I cut tear drops out where the f holes to make it look better then I put it out in the shed and the roof leaked ruing the thing so I threw it in the garbge dump. I tryed to save a vintage gold top from a body shop that painted it black
Oh well that is the way love goes!
Ron |
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Ron
From:
Hermiston, Oregon
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Posted 10 Feb 2002 5:29 pm
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This message was in my in box.
Hey Ron next time you talk to Norm tell him I know where his old ZB double 11 is!! See ya buddy John
I am following through and will see what is going on.
Ron |
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Chris DeBarge
From:
Boston, Mass
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Posted 11 Feb 2002 3:01 pm
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Just hope it's not two S-11's now!  |
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Ron
From:
Hermiston, Oregon
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Posted 12 Feb 2002 8:54 am
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Larry Petree Tells me Norm had several ZB s. Norm and Larry have sold most of them. One went to Switcherland . One is in Spokane. This is intersting to find where some went!
Ron |
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