Did Your Dad Play?

Jimmie Misenheimer · From: Bloomington, Indiana - U. S. A.

I'm setting doing nothing today, messing with the computer, and a question came to mind. Maybe this has been asked before, and if so I'm sorry. How many of your fathers (or mothers for that matter) were steel guitar players? My dad was a guitar man - pretty good too - but I doubt if he ever held a bar in his hand. Sally and I have no children, and out of 10 nieces and nephews, I have ONE (1, uno, ONLY one) who is somewhat interested in steel. Seems that I could have made a better impression on a few of them after 37-38 years!!!

Blue, 32, and a Shriner

Jimmie

chas smith R.I.P. · From: Encino, CA, USA

The first time I saw a steel guitar was when I was 15, I was getting my second electric 6 string and there was a Fender pedal steel in the store, (1963, Gardner, MA). My mother was a pianist and church organist as was her mother, so that's where I started. Dad was a veterinarian.

Al Marcus · From: Cedar Springs,MI USA (deceased)

My Dad died when I was 4 years old. But my Mother always encouraged me in my early musical career......al

Al Miller · From: Waxahachie Texas

My Dad Played non pedal steel for many yrs and in 1977 bought an emmons D-10 then I went to messing with it and here I am but he still plays in the bedroom. but I cant get him out with his guitar anymore to play. in his day he was tops and still has a pretty mean tone I learned alot from him and am proud to carry on his legacy

BOO

Charles Beshears · From: Leesburg, AL, USA

My Dad played steel and also guitar and
a good country singer. In the late 40's and
early 50's he copied Jerry Byrd and real
good at it. I played rythmn for him while
I was about 12. and fell in love with the
steel. and learned to play what he was
playing by watching him. I still love
the Drowsey waters the first one I
learned to play. He never played pedals
but seen to it i did. bought by first
fender in 1960. He is in heaven now.

Tony Prior · From: Charlotte NC

My Father, whom I really didn't spend much time with or see during my life played Accordian. He was very good and pretty much played by ear. It must have been an Italian thing...

I do remember him asking me what instrument I wanted to play when I was about 12 or 13, I told him guitar, he got me an Accordian.

I did start to learn how to play it but ditched it after my Mother and Brother got me my first Electric Gibson Melody Maker. when I was about 13. It must have been a rock and roll thing...

Bill Myrick · From: Pea Ridge, Ar. (deceased)

No one in my family even played music. It's kind of odd how some have came to be steel players ; for instance in Weldon's case, his older brother, Texas Eugene bought a steel guitar and never did much with it but Weldon took an interest in it and---you know the rest.

Rick Garrett · From: Tyler, Texas

My Dad played steel. To my ears there never was anybody who sounded better. he started with Jim Reeves when he was only a kid of 14. Unfortunately I didnt have the choice of spending a great deal of time with him but he did give me some lessons when I was a kid of about 11-13. Wish he was till with us today. I have a ton of questions I would ask him that I wanted to ask way back when, but didn't.

Rick Garrett

Gary Morrison · From: Centennial, CO, USA

Jimmie: My dad played steel! In 1940, before heading off to WWII, he had purchased a 1938 Gibson 6-string lap steel, which he still has today! I think it's an EH-150 model. He also played fiddle. When I was about 10 or so, I saw the guitar in his closet and asked him about it. He pulled it out and showed it to me. I started fooling around on it, and shortly thereafter, took my first lesson. This all happened in Burlington, NC, just a few blocks from the Emmons factory. After a year or so on the Gibson lap steel, I got my first pedal steel, a 1964 Emmons natural finish. My dad still has that guitar! The rest is history: I'm still trying to figure out the instrument!

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

My Dad played a little guitar, but I have a cousin that plays steel guitar up in Michigan. His name is Billy Vann.

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Carter D10 9p/10k
Richard Sinkler

DroopyPawn · From: Fox, OK, USA

I don't think my father has ever been sober enough to play steel. I don't think he plays anything. But my grandmother played violin the Long Beach Symphony Orchestra. I started with Uke then guitar, banjo, sax, bass, mandolin, dobro, pedal steel - probably in that order. Of course, I can actually play most of the other instruments. Steel is still a work in progress - but getting closer.

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Gary Shepherd
Sierra Session 12
www.16tracks.com

John Steele · From: Renfrew, Ontario, Canada

My father plays the bagpipes, but I developed an interest in music anyway.
-John

Mark van Allen · From: Watkinsville, Ga. USA

My dad learnedon an acoustic lap guitar in the early 30's from I think the Oahu program... I never really thought about it much until I got some sheet music in the Jazz band I was playing in in Jr High (French Horn) with guitar chords on it, got his old Lap guitar down out of the attic, it was a round neck and I took off the nut extender and learned to play "regular" style guitar on that. A Buddy of mine left it in the rain, then in the sun to dry (!) and that was sadly the end of that guitar. After a few years I was living on my own and got the steel bug. Finally about ten years ago my Dad asked me to get him a dobro and took some lessons and was enjoying playing again, but he let it go after a couple of years. Sad to say, through all of this I've never heard him play a note. He seems to like my playing...

Jimmie Misenheimer · From: Bloomington, Indiana - U. S. A.

There was always a "straight" guitar around, and being a typical kid, I wanted to do ANYTHING but what was right there before me. Dad was somewhat a man of few words. Once, when I was about 14, I brought home a mandolin. After a few "chink-chinks", and a stab or two at "Wildwood Flower", he stuck his head in the bedroom. "What the hell is that?",he asked.
"It's a mandolin dad" was my answer.
"Hell, I know that - but what are you gonna' DO with it?"
"Why, I'm gonna' learn to play to play it!"
He simply said "Why?"

Jimmie

John Bresler R.I.P. · From: Thornton, Colorado

My dad played non-pedal and got me started at about 9 or 10 years of age. He could play almost any instrument other than horns. He was a great guitar player and we played together until he passed on.

Drew Howard · From: 48854

When I was kid, Dad played harmonica in an old-timey string band. He came home with a Sears Silvertone guitar when I was 11, got lessons at Elderly the same year ('72, the year it opened).

cheers,
Drew

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www.newslinkassociates.com
www.drewhoward.com

Bill Llewellyn · From: San Jose, CA

My dad played clarinet and saxophone (dixieland and swing jazz) and could also play piano. I never saw him with any kind of guitar. He was an excellent overall musician and I regret not having any kind of recording of his playing. (To me, his clarinet playing was just as good as Benny Goodman.) My mom could sing but never played an instrument. Both my parents encouraged my music as I drifted through piano, ukulele, drums, guitar, and organ. As an adult I continued on to synthesizers, bass, and eventually pedal steel. I'm guessing it'll take 'till 2099 for me to get the PSG part half figgered out. Once I figure out PSG I think I'll go on to add the didgeridoo or something....

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Bill L | My steel page | Email | My music | Steeler birthdays | Over 50?

John Knight · From: Alaska

I'm a 2nd generation player. My dad played all over the country from 1949 to 1972 when he suffered a stroke that left him with out the use of his left arm. In 1998 he was inducted into the pioneers of western swing along my mom (rythum guitar and bass). My youngest daughter shows an interest in violin so I giver her as much support as I can.

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D 10 Thomas with 8&6, '61'D-10 Sho-Bud 8&3
S12 Knight 4&4
Nashville 400 and Profex II
81' Fender Twin JBL's
Asleep at the Steel

Gene Jones · From: Oklahoma City, OK USA, (deceased)

.....my dad didn't play except for a few chords on a standard guitar....but he was the song leader in our church for many years, and also was song leader for many revivals and meetings in southwestern Oklahoma during his lifetime...and in addition, he and my mother and two of my sisters formed a gospel quartet that performed on many occasions!.....my only regret is that they didn't live long enough to see me finally leave the clubs and return to the teachings of my youth! www.genejones.com

Jody Carver · From: KNIGHT OF FENDER TWEED

Did my Dad play???

If you call playing an art,his talent was extraordinary. His career is too much to mention.

He started in Vaudeville long before I was born.
He did a country "rural" act,with characters from out of "petticoat junction" His music was NOT his selling point,it was his presence as a front man etc etc.

Though he played guitar and bass among other
stringed instrumets,his strength was in his personality,he could sell anyone,his credits
are too many to list.

Here are a few.

First and only Country act to perform at Radio City Music Hall.

Rudy Valley Radio Show
Milton Berle TV show
Leon and Eddies Nightclub NYC
Village Barn NYC since 1932 as MC.
He played the washboard before Spike Jones was born.
Recorded Davey Crockett with Bill Hayes (the
original hit recording.

Sid Ceaser and Imogene Coco "Show Of Shows".
Had his own DJ show in NYC for over thirty some odd years promoting Western and Country
Music that he loved.

Recorded Mr.Sandman with Archie Bleyer and the Chordettes,,what did he play?? two sheets
of sandpaper rubbed together to get that sound you hear,

thats a fact.
Fred Allen Radio Show
Jack Benny Radio & TV show
Ken Murray TV Show
Perry Como TV Show
Frank Sinarta TV Show
Eddie Fisher TV Show
Bing Crosby TV Show
Dinah Shore TV Show
Enoch Light & The Light Brigade TV Show
There are many many others,,his songwriting
expertise was another,,

Co writer of "Blue Christmas with Billy Hayes
Co writer of Frosty the Snowman with Jack Rollins.

If you think I write long posts,,to tell you
of my dad with take 5 years on here.

His name Zeb Carver & His Country Cousins.

His name is legendary in the music business.

His co-writing with Jack Rollins and Billy Hayes came to an end when Jack & Billy asked
my dad if he would take his name off the songs listed above,not at the time realizing what these songs would become.

The reason?? easy..the answer simple.
Jack & Billy both had an aggressive song writer who was able to get connections to having these songs plugged.

My dad agreed and the rest is History.
He never regretted what he did,I would often ask him ih he was sorry he agreed to those terms,,his answer was NO, Billy Hayes and Jack Rollins were struggling to make a living writing music and they were NOT sucessfull. Since my dad was making a good living at that time,he felt bad that he may be holding something they would be entitled to.

His answer was,,Im lucky to have had the years I have had and God Bless Jack Rollins & Billy Hayes,they needed what they received and they deserved it. I asked him what did you get?? he said a son and a daughter and a wife that has been my whole life.

Jack Rollins writer of Frosty and Peter Cotton Tail passed away years ago,he was never able to live to see his dream come to what it is today. Billy Hayes I believe is gone as well..

To add to this,,My dad and myself were the FIRST to broadcast
"Blue Christmas" live over WOR radio back in 1950 network coast to coast,

Ditto with Frosty. We did this remote from the Village Barn n NYC over WOR.

There are many other songs my dad co-wrote
with Jack Rollins and Billy Hayes,they are too numerous to mention. One I like the best
was "That Miss From Mississippi" reccorded by Roy Rogers on RCA Victor with the Spade
Cooley band backing Roy,,and Joaquin taking a fantastic steel solo.

I will remember my dad in my Fender book,many will remember Zeb Carver for the man he was.There will never be another.

My dad passed away December 1,1986 at 85 years young,,,time of death 12:18 AM

My mom passed away December 1, 1991 at 86 years young,,,time of death 12:19 AM.

Long Story heh?? this is nothing,there are many more stories about Zeb Carver that I will tell in my Fender book.

I receive e mails that I brag,,but never about myself,but Im happy to brag of people I think much of and my dad was my favorite guy,I couldnt shine his shoes.
edited as I left out his Warner Brothers movie shorts with Don Ameche and Alice Fay.
Leo Carillo and Gene Autry. His movie shorts
are seen on History auto=biography TV.And
"Greats Of Vaudeville" He was a Giant,by comparison Im a ZERO 0" edited,,my wife Marilyn reminded me..My dad did the Jackie Gleason show and did a skit with Jackie & Art Carney,doing a knock off hillbilly thing
and playing "She'll be coming round the mountain,,and btw Frank,the old Rugged cross was one of my dad's favorites as well as Softly and Tenderly. So you see,,no matter how many years ago it was,I still remember.

Ask me what I did yesterday,,I forgot.

[This message was edited by Jody Carver on 30 December 2002 at 09:14 PM.]

Gene Jones · From: Oklahoma City, OK USA, (deceased)

Jody, I am impressed with your dad's credentials, and my dad would have been also. Thank you for sharing his professional life with us. www.genejones.com

[This message was edited by Gene Jones on 30 December 2002 at 09:56 AM.]

Reggie Duncan · From: Mississippi

Jody, thanks for sharing your story with us!
My Dad, JL Duncan, still plays pedal steel. He played lap steel with JC and the Jivecats in the middle 50s. Felt like this wasn't the road he wanted to take and quit playing out for many years. Played electric guitar at church when I was very young, and then bought a pedal steel in 1971. We both have been playing ever since!

Jody Carver · From: KNIGHT OF FENDER TWEED

Thank you Gene.
You are like my dad "The Eptitome" Of Class"
Thats what I like most about you.And you play GREAT TOO.

Bobby Lee · From: Cloverdale, California, USA

Rick Garrett · From: Tyler, Texas

Thanks for another great story Jody! WOW what a career your Dad had and its very cool that you're proud of that. As it should be for sure. Again, please let me know when your book is finished.

Rick Garrett

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