Weldon Myrick, A Great Steeler

Paul King · From: Gainesville, Texas, USA

I awoke early this morning after another crazy dream. However, if I am going to dream it might as well be about the steel guitar. I was in a pizza joint where they had a jukebox. I was looking for the Johnny Bush version of "Whiskey River." Although I do not drink nor cared much for the lyrics, the steel playing on that song is first class. Weldon Myrick played on that project and that turnaround has some hot licks. I have tuned into the Grand Ole Opry many times just to see Weldon play. My uncle from west Texas remembers him playing clubs before Weldon ever moved to Nashville. I told him at the time Weldon had been the staff steel player on the Opry for years he was not surprised. Although Weldon will not remember my uncle, he sure left an impression on him years ago. Look at the website Weldon has and all the recordings he has played on and the number one songs he has played on is truly amazing. Weldon has earned and deserves the respect he gets. My only complaint is that I have never met him personally or heard him in person. I hope that will change before too much longer. Weldon Myrick certainly has my respect...Paul

Tommy Detamore · From: Floresville, Texas

Weldon Myrick was one of my first steel guitar heros. When I got the job with Moe Bandy in the early '80's I enrolled in "The School of Weldon" in a big way, as he played on most of Moe's records. I always loved his tone and ideas, always served up with such taste and elegance. When I started to do the Opry I had several opportunities to visit with him, and he was always so kind and supportive. Once at a Moe Bandy session he let me sit beside him and watch him cut, and would patiently answer my barrage of questions between takes. When I think of Weldon Myrick, I think of the statement "The bigger they are, the bigger they are."

Donny Hinson · From: Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.

Weldon was always one of my heroes, playing all that good stuff back in the '60s with perfect intonation...back before compensators, before digital tuners, and before the terms "cabinet drop" and "axle flex" were even heard of. Always tasteful and commercial, the stuff he did still amazes me, and he's a heckuva nice guy, to boot!

Carl West · From: La Habra, CA, USA (deceased)

Donny,
couldn't have said it better. One of my favorites as well.

Carl West

Kevin Hatton · From: Buffalo, N.Y.

My first time at the Opry he took me out on stage before the show and took pictures of me sitting at his steel and various other shots. He epitomizes class and style. A real country gentelman.

Fred Shannon · From: Rocking "S" Ranch, Comancheria, Texas, R.I.P.

Being from Weldon's adopted home town, he really came from around Jayton, Texas I think, I can tell you he set the standards pretty high for all the steel players in West Texas...Every older country music fan in this area judge your performance by Weldon's past....It's tough being able to never being able to measure up. But I can also tell you that here in this town he is still thought to be the ultimate gentleman.

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The spirit be with you!
If it aint got a steel, it aint real

John Macy · From: Rockport TX/Denver CO

Weldon's playing had a huge influence on me when I was starting out, and I still catch little "Weldonism's" in my playing. Being a West Texas boy myself made it even sweeter.

Think I'll go cue up the Area Code 615 reissue right now...

C Dixon · From: Duluth, GA USA

Two of the greatest thrills of my life were:

1. When I found out it was Weldon who played on Connie Smith's incredible hit. "Once a Day"; way back younder

and,

2. When Weldon graciously agreed to appear at the Steel Guitar Extravaganza show in Atlanta.

My favorite female country singer on this earth is Connie Smith. And one of the reasons for this is her love for the steel guitar, AND her love for the steel guitar players; which she makes a concerted effort to mention often when she is performing.

THE steel player that was in a large way responsible for her tremendous success and appeal was Weldon Myrick.

His simple, yet awesomely beautiful playing put him in that enviable "Melody" hall of fame; like Little Roy Wiggins, Jerry Byrd Lloyd Green and Buddy Emmons. And others of course.

I never dreamed the Lord would bless me with the privilege (and honor) of sitting right next to him at the show, as he played "Once a Day" for the fans; after I asked him to play it.

That shall go with me to my grave.

May Jesus bless this incredible player (and man); and all of you,

carl

Terry Wood · From: Lebanon, MO

Weldon was always near the top of my list of Steel Greats!

His "Pedalman L.P." now available on CD is GREAT!

Thumbs up for Weldon!

Woody
Rev. 12:11

Ron Page · From: Penn Yan, NY USA

Perhaps it's the nature of steel players in general, but I've found that so many of the great players we meet at the shows are remarkably humble. Weldon certianly fits that description.

Weldon really has played on a lot of great records. Many of them I own including JB's Whiskey River, Moe Bandy's Cheatin' Situation and Alan Jackson's Here In The Real World.

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HagFan

[This message was edited by Ron Page on 24 March 2003 at 12:31 PM.]

Tiny Olson · From: Mohawk River Valley, Upstate NY

Add my name to this list of Weldon fans.

Weldon has always been one of my very favorites and was a big influence on me when I started playing. I first met him in the 70s while I worked for Gene Watson and what a treat it was. He's simply a great guy.

Some of my favorite Weldon stuff was done on the Johnny Bush RCA albums in the early 70s. But there were tons more of great stuff too.

He's also one of the few folks who's guitar sits tall enough for me to fit beneath. A big man in talent and human relations, is he.

Chris "Tiny" Olson

Jeff Evans · From: Cowtown and The Bill Cox Outfit

Plus, he's country, y'all. He wasn't scared of some 3&5 crying at the umpteenth fret. And, along with Hal, he owns the 2nd string.

On the other side of the aisle, how about his "Right or Wrong" ride?

Tom Kaufman · From: Denton, Maryland, USA

There's not a whole lot more that I can say about Weldon's playing that I can add to what's already been said here..only to say that I sure enjoyed his playing on the Grand Ole Opry when he was still part of the Opry Staff band! Back during that time, Jeannie Seely used to do "another Bridge To Burn; she had Weldon backing her up on the steel. I don't know which was better..Jeannie's singing or Weldon's playing! I remember the first time I heard her sing it; it was on one of the Friday Night shows; it literally blue me away! Had the pleasure of meeting him at one of the "Steeling For Hearts" shows..I think it was a couple of years ago. A fine gentleman..and humble!

John Cox · From: Texas, USA

Wow!
My kind of picker too.You guys remember the
cool licks he recorded with Gary Stewart
back in the 70's!Good stuff!

Ron Page · From: Penn Yan, NY USA

quote:
On the other side of the aisle, how about his "Right or Wrong" ride?

Jeff, what a great way to put it -- the other side of the isle. At times it does seem like partisan politics.

Thanks for the reminder, John. I have an old Gary Stewart album -- Out of Hand -- that I replaced with the CD. Fantastic steel is nearly as constant as great vocals on that album; right up front on every cut.

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HagFan

[This message was edited by Ron Page on 25 March 2003 at 07:41 AM.]

Paul Graupp · From: Macon Ga USA

Carl: What I recall most vividly from the ASGE was Weldon standing there by the stage watching Hal playing. It was as if he were just one of us and that actually is the truth about this Gentle Man.

Nor will I ever forget the words he used to express his loss at Big Jim Webb's death: "just went behind the curtain."

Those words grabbed my heart and just like his playing on Three Little Fingers by Bill Anderson and I'll Come Running by Connie Smith, they will go with me to my grave.

Regards, Paul

[This message was edited by Paul Graupp on 25 March 2003 at 10:00 AM.]

[This message was edited by Paul Graupp on 25 March 2003 at 10:01 AM.]

Paul Warnik · From: Illinois,USA

The most worn out record (45 rpm) in my vinyl collection is the J Bush version of "Whiskey River"-I ran the needle through it trying to copy Weldon's break on that one-to this day (like almost thirty years later) I still dont have it right

Larry Miller · From: Dothan AL,USA

Steve Hinson · From: Hendersonville Tn USA

Actually,it's"Five Little Fingers"...but who's counting?...

Butch Foster · From: Pisgah, Alabama, USA

Never been the same after hearing his break on "Then & Only Then" & "I'll come running". Later, " You and your sweet love" was added to the list. What a great artist!

Paul Graupp · From: Macon Ga USA

Boy is my face RED !!

I was actually so fixated on thoughts of the ASGE and Weldon/Hal that I lost count of things. Steve: You're from down here....Tell 'em we know how to count on our fingers !! I checked Lil' Caleb's hand and he has five little bitty fingers so I guess that's the right figure.

And Larry: You know the problems I used to have with WWBP. He hardly ever had more than three strings on his bass at any one time so many that's where I got confused !!

Twice edited for the correct spelling of fixated and it still doesn't look right...Three ??

Regards, Paul

[This message was edited by Paul Graupp on 28 March 2003 at 01:03 PM.]

[This message was edited by Paul Graupp on 28 March 2003 at 01:04 PM.]

[This message was edited by Paul Graupp on 28 March 2003 at 01:07 PM.]

Harry Hess · From: Blue Bell, PA., USA * R.I.P.

No doubt about it, Weldon Myrick deffinitely is one of the true greats. I loved that Gary Stewert stuff to, still got that album with "She's Actin' Single". All of Weldon's work is great.

Regards,
HH

Alvin Blaine · From: Picture Rocks, Arizona, USA

A couple of months ago I bought the "Area Code 615" CD. It has both Area Code 615 albums on one disk, 23 songs. I had the original "Area Code 615" Album when it first came out because I was a big Bobby Thompson fan. For the past month this is the only CD I've been listening to in the truck and now I can't get over the stuff that Weldon Myrick plays. To go back 30 years and listen to the "Nashville A Team" play blues, funk,pop and soul is kind of fun. Anyone that doesn't have this CD and loves Weldon Myrick's "other side of the isle" playing, you should go find it now.

Bob Hayes · From: Church Hill,Tenn,USA

Here's my take..... Me ..beeing a nobody but just an older guy that's been trying to play the PSG for almost 30 years ..and getting no where fast....I was at the Bell Cove in Hendersonville ,Tn a couple of years ago for the quarterly JAM.
The headliners for the NTSGA jam was....John Hughey, Hal Rug, and Weldon Myrick. I helped them carry thier gear in..all of them are friendly, funny,and just plain gentelmen..and they All played together.. You know they all play country...but they "Smoked on Jazz and Western swing".I think one of Weldon's best was on the stuff that he did with Reba (MHO). But they played,had fun, answered quesions,sold thier tapes,CD's and whatever.and talked..Yes ..Weldon IS a REAL person and a very nice man as well as most of the top pickers are.,They are working guys..trying to make a living..and having fun doing it. You can tell when you see them and talk to them at all of the steel shows around the world. The Steel Guitar community..is just that! A community..of people..just trying to get by and have fun doing it. If they were not out entertaining and mixing with the people...how would they know ..WHAT. the people want..So ..by all means..if you know that one of you're favorites or heros are going to be in you're area...go out and see,meet,,and support them.
You will not be disapointed
Grouchyvet

[This message was edited by Bob Hayes on 31 March 2003 at 06:46 AM.]

[This message was edited by Bob Hayes on 31 March 2003 at 06:53 AM.]

Jonathan Gregg · From: New York City

This thread reminded me of my Connie Smith greatest Hits CD, which I dug up and was knocked out by again, and I spent a few fun days figuring out some of those jumpin' licks.
I was also inspired by a few posts to seek out Gary Stewart's Out of Hand, but I have to admit that for me it pales in comparison to the sizzling stuff on the Connie disc. Anyone wishing to upgrade from their vinyl can buy my copy.

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