| Author |
Topic: Who DIDNT Play for Wills ? |
James Sission
From:
Sugar Land,Texas USA
|
Posted 27 May 2005 12:21 pm |
|
| I was just wondering, I never really paid all that much attention to steel players until I decided to learn to play. But since I have been out listening to bands and checking out who is playing steel around Texas, I have to wonder, Just how many steel players did Bob Wills have ? I mean every band (so it seems) introduces the steel player as "here is ________, formerly of the Bob Wills band. Come on, really ? There is a steel for sale on ebay right now that is advertised as "Custom made by Ben Jack steel guitar player for Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys." What did he do, hire a local steel everywhere he played ? I know that when Gene Watson came to Houston recently, he hired some "fill in" pickers to play the gig, which was actually pretty obvious to me, but thats cool. Is that what the deal was with Wills ? He hired local talent on tour???....I was just wondering, it seems like I have met at least 15 steel players that palyed with his band.....James [This message was edited by James Sission on 27 May 2005 at 01:23 PM.] |
|
|
 |
Smiley Roberts
From:
Hendersonville,Tn. 37075
|
Posted 27 May 2005 12:35 pm
|
|
| Quote: |
| ...I have met at least 15 steel players that palyed with his band..... |
I haven't,but he's one of the few that I haven't worked with.
------------------
~ ~
©¿© It don't mean a thang,
mm if it ain't got that twang.
www.ntsga.com
[This message was edited by Smiley Roberts on 27 May 2005 at 01:36 PM.] [This message was edited by Smiley Roberts on 27 May 2005 at 01:37 PM.] [This message was edited by Smiley Roberts on 30 May 2005 at 01:35 PM.] |
|
|
|
c c johnson
From:
killeen,tx usa * R.I.P.
|
Posted 27 May 2005 12:37 pm
|
|
| I never played for Bob although I wanted to. As things worked out with Duece Spriggins getting me work with Spades bands as a sub I was sorta locked in. I heard that Bob had some satellite bands out but I was eating regular with Spade and getting extre work with Doye Odell, Dude Martin, Jess Williard, etc. I decided to stay put. I think I would have really enjoyed it though after talking to Leon, Noel, and Herby. CC |
|
|
|
George Plemons
From:
Corsicana, Texas, USA
|
Posted 27 May 2005 12:40 pm
|
|
| It's kind of like when someone in a band I was playing in asked me how many women in America can sing like Patsy Cline, the anwser is apparently all of them. I wish I had a dollar for every woman who wanted to sit in with a band I was playing with to sing a Patsy Cline song, and for every man that wanted to sit in that said they had played for Bob Wills...however the ones that I have met that really did play for him, everyone of those guys have been great musicians. |
|
|
|
Jon Light (deceased)
From:
Saugerties, NY
|
Posted 27 May 2005 12:50 pm
|
|
| I almost played with Bob Wills but I wasn't born yet. |
|
|
|
Gene Jones
From:
Oklahoma City, OK USA, (deceased)
|
Posted 27 May 2005 1:19 pm
|
|
I used to be introduced on stage as one of the few steel players alive who had "NEVER WORKED FOR BOB WILLS". 
However, it was an empty distinction because I would have been been proud to have had that credit on my resume.
www.genejones.com
|
|
|
|
Walter Stettner
From:
Vienna, Austria
|
Posted 27 May 2005 1:26 pm
|
|
In his early years, Bob had several legendary players working for him on a steady basis:
Leon McAuliffe
Noel Boggs
Les Anderson
Herb Remington
Billy Bowman
Bobby Koefer
In his later years, he didn't keep a regular band and often hired local players to play one nighters and dances.
Players who worked with him at some point were Gene Crownover, Vance Terry, Reece Anderson and Tom Morrell.
Even Lloyd Green and Pete Drake can be heard on one of his last recordings!
Kind Regards, Walter
www.lloydgreentribute.com
www.austriansteelguitar.at.tf
------------------
|
|
|
|
Ben Slaughter
From:
Madera, California
|
Posted 27 May 2005 2:11 pm
|
|
| A better question may be, how many fiddle players did he have?? I've heard of several, especially in this area. |
|
|
|
Charlie McDonald
From:
out of the blue
|
Posted 27 May 2005 2:28 pm
|
|
Bob Willets, who played steel on a few pickup gigs with Wills in Kansas City, told me that 'if every picker who said he'd played with Wills actually had, the band would have been 1500 strong.'
He told the story about Wills and the boys going to eat after a gig and encountering a group of men dressed up like them. Wills' rhythm guitar player (whose name slips my mind, but was a piano tuner in Tulsa) went over, and one of the guys introduced himself as the man he was looking at, who said 'Funny, that's my name too!'
Apparently there were many pretenders. |
|
|
|
Rick Garrett
From:
Tyler, Texas
|
Posted 27 May 2005 2:51 pm
|
|
Bobby Garret played for him for a couple of weeks. So I guess I really shouldn't post this.
Rick |
|
|
|
Donny Hinson
From:
Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.
|
Posted 27 May 2005 2:58 pm
|
|
If we add Joaquin Murphy and Kermit Whalin to Walter's list, that's over 15 steelers! 
NOt hard to believe, since Bob's career lasted so long. |
|
|
|
Al Johnson
From:
Sturgeon Bay, WI USA
|
Posted 27 May 2005 3:05 pm
|
|
the rhythm and lead guitar man was Eldon Shamblin he also tuned piano in off times
Al |
|
|
|
James Sission
From:
Sugar Land,Texas USA
|
Posted 27 May 2005 3:05 pm
|
|
| Its hard to for me to beleive they are all in Houston Texas |
|
|
|
Al Johnson
From:
Sturgeon Bay, WI USA
|
Posted 27 May 2005 3:10 pm
|
|
a little different kick--Merle Travis once wrote "if everybody went to school with Bob Wills that told me I went to school with Bob Wills, it had to be a very big school"
Al |
|
|
|
c c johnson
From:
killeen,tx usa * R.I.P.
|
Posted 27 May 2005 3:19 pm
|
|
| This is like the 442nd Inf Regt from HI in WW2. A regmt at that time was roughly 5000 men. Of all the people I have met that claimed to be in the orig 442, there would have been 125000 in the regt.Several 1000 passed thru the regt due to casualties but every one it seems claims to have been in the orig outfit. |
|
|
|
Joe Miraglia
From:
Jamestown N.Y.
|
Posted 27 May 2005 3:50 pm
|
|
| Was he hard to work for? Joe |
|
|
|
Roger Edgington
From:
San Antonio, Texas USA
|
Posted 27 May 2005 5:57 pm
|
|
| In the late 60's there was a place in Houston called Dancetown, USA. Bob Wills was doing some shows using local groups. We worked with him one night, The man had the best bladder in the world. We played for 2 straight hours before he took a break. Boy were we running when we got off the stage. |
|
|
|
Ron Whitfield
From:
Kaaawa, Hawaii, USA
|
Posted 27 May 2005 6:17 pm
|
|
'GO FOR BROKE'
Thanx for the mention of our local boys, C C. |
|
|
|
Al Marcus
From:
Cedar Springs,MI USA (deceased)
|
Posted 27 May 2005 7:03 pm
|
|
I wanted to go with Bob Wills as he was one of the only country bands that was swingin. Him and Spade Cooley. I liked to swing.
Just when I was getting a chance to audition, I got drafted for World War II and that is the end of the story.....al 
------------------
My Website..... www.cmedic.net/~almarcus/
|
|
|
|
Smiley Roberts
From:
Hendersonville,Tn. 37075
|
Posted 28 May 2005 1:11 pm
|
|
| Quote: |
| Was he hard to work for? |
Joe,
I had heard a story one time that,if you worked for Bob,& he pointed to you w/ his fiddle bow,you had better play everything you know. If you didn't,you were gone! Dunno know how true that tale is.
------------------
~ ~
©¿© It don't mean a thang,
mm if it ain't got that twang.
www.ntsga.com
|
|
|
|
Gene Jones
From:
Oklahoma City, OK USA, (deceased)
|
Posted 28 May 2005 1:52 pm
|
|
Another quote attributed to Bob Wills was that during an interview he was asked who was the best steel guitar player who had ever worked for him, he said:
"Whoever is working for me today" !
www.genejones.com |
|
|
|
Doug Seymour
From:
Jamestown NY USA (deceased)
|
Posted 28 May 2005 3:16 pm
|
|
| Smiley, his bio tells it that "you had to watch him out of the corner of your eye because when he pointed his bow at you it was your solo chorus!" Chances are it was a different sideman he'd call on each night, too. It has his discography in it. Great book by Charles R Townsend, U of Illinois Press. |
|
|
|
c c johnson
From:
killeen,tx usa * R.I.P.
|
Posted 28 May 2005 3:23 pm
|
|
| I was fortunate to serve with several members of the 442 in Japan after the war. As Bubba Mirikitane aways reminded don't forget the ichi puka puka i ma sho. (sp) |
|
|
|
Steve England
From:
Austin, TX
|
Posted 28 May 2005 7:58 pm
|
|
I know that in later years Bob toured with Tagg Lambert and hired mostly local players. There was also a lot of crossover between the Playboys and whatever bands Johnny Lee, Billy jack and Luke had at the time. If I'd have been around then and lucky enough to get the call to be a Playboy, even if just for a night I would grasp it and talk about it for the rest of my life. It's something to be proud of. I don't see anything wrong with that.
Now if they (or their bandleader) is lying through their teeth, that's another matter entirely. |
|
|
|
George Redmon
From:
Muskegon & Detroit Michigan.
|
Posted 28 May 2005 9:17 pm
|
|
Buddy Emmons's Picture on the front cover of his "Buddy Emmons Sings Bob Wells" LP, says it all..Yes, i realize they are two different photos of course. But Buddy had said, he wished he had played with Bob. Good enough for me... Buddy also mentioned that Bob used the best musicians he could find. So if it was a local musician..Had to have been someone decent. Of course keeping Wills straight was another thing i hear...i to have the Charles Townsend book..we call it the "Bob Wills Bible"....a great read...i have read it several times. for the ones out there that have the book...i especially like the foot race story of Leon, and the guitar player who was told to do something a little extra....so he put his guitar through the front of his amp...oh those were certainly the days. Now how does that old song go...
..and Bob Wills is still the king!
------------------
Whitney Single 12 8FL & 5 KN,keyless, dual changers Extended C6th, Webb Amp, Line6 PodXT, Goodrich Curly Chalker Volume Pedal, Match Bro, BJS Bar..I was keyless....when keyless wasn't cool....
|
|
|
|
