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Topic: who are the NJ players? |
Ron Victoria
From:
New Jersey, USA
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Posted 29 May 2008 4:00 pm |
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Over the past years I've met or communicated with some of the garden state players. I was wondering who's a Jersey steeler?
ron |
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Stu Schulman
From:
Ulster Park New Yawk (deceased)
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Posted 29 May 2008 4:29 pm
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I know of a guy named Buck Dilly.When I was beginning on steel guitar I would watch him on a gold top Les Paul with a Bigsby,and a volume pedal play the baddest stuff I've ever heard in my life,I'm sure he's just as great on steel.Stu
_________________
Steeltronics Z-pickup,Desert Rose S-10 4+5,Desert Rose Keyless S-10 3+5... Mullen G2 S-10 3+5,Telonics 206 pickups,Telonics volume pedal.,Blanton SD -10,Emmons GS_10...Zirctone bar,Bill Groner Bar...any amp that isn't broken.Steel Seat.Com seats...Licking paint chips off of Chinese Toys since 1952. |
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Ron Victoria
From:
New Jersey, USA
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Posted 29 May 2008 4:32 pm
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| Buck is in south Jersey, Stephen up north, and Ben and Ron in central. |
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Donny Hinson
From:
Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.
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Michael Douchette
From:
Gallatin, TN (deceased)
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Jim Sliff
From:
Lawndale California, USA
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Posted 30 May 2008 5:13 am
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Ed Bierly ("ebb") is in NJ.
_________________
No chops, but great tone
1930's/40's Rickenbacher/Rickenbacker 6&8 string lap steels
1921 Weissenborn Style 2; Hilo&Schireson hollownecks
Appalachian, Regal & Dobro squarenecks
1959 Fender 400 9+2 B6;1960's Fender 800 3+3+2; 1948 Fender Dual-8 Professional |
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Jussi Huhtakangas
From:
Helsinki, Finland
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Posted 30 May 2008 5:43 am
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| Anyone remember Ronald "Ronnie" Toth from Jersey??? I have his old Sho Bud. |
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Don Sulesky
From:
Citrus County, FL, Orig. from MA & NH
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Posted 30 May 2008 9:22 am
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| Jack Stanton is in NJ and not on that list. |
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Jack Stanton
From:
Somewhere in the swamps of Jersey
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Posted 30 May 2008 11:37 am
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Don,
Thanks for remembering!
Also on the list:
John Ciano
Ben Lawson
Ted Russell
Bo Borland
Gordon Wells ( where are you Gordon?)
Jim Heffernan
until recently John Swain
Back in the day "Bronco" Bob Carlucci
Tomatoes aren't the only killer things grown in the Garden State! |
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Bob Carlucci
From:
Candor, New York, USA
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Posted 30 May 2008 3:54 pm
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.. I'll tell you, its been years .. I have been out of Jersey since 91..The competition there was pretty fierce.. MANY great players!!!... I would think I was really cool because I could ace Panama Red, and then I would see Stanton and Swain ace stuff from Emmons and Chalker albums and I would go home with my tail twixt my legs like a whipped pup..
In all seriousness, there were some great bands and lots of really good steel players as Jack said "back when".. Many of us steel guys would change chairs too... I followed Swain into a few bands and vice versa... I miss those days... Jersey was LOADED with gigs years back... 6 nights a week if you could handle it... I doubt its like that anymore.. By the time i left in 91, it was hard to even work steady weekends.. Most be real tough these days... bob
_________________
I'm over the hill and hittin'rocks on the way down!
no gear list for me.. you don't have the time...... |
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Bob Carlucci
From:
Candor, New York, USA
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Posted 30 May 2008 4:07 pm
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btw, Marc Muller who tours[ed] with Shania Twain is a Jersey steel player also.. He may not remember it but we did many shows together in NJ rock clubs back in the 70's.. I was in a band called Badlands and he was in a band called Molly Cribb...
Giant venues in those days too.. late 70's.. It was nothing to get 1500-2000 screaming 18 year olds out on weekend nights and 600-700 on a weeknight.. At one point, my band was paid minimum $900 on weeknights $1200 on a weekend night...those were the kind of numbers a decent local band could do in NJ.. It died a horrible death in the early 80's when the drinking age went back to 21.. actually a GOOD thing in retrospect... I miss NJ  bob
_________________
I'm over the hill and hittin'rocks on the way down!
no gear list for me.. you don't have the time...... |
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Bob Grado
From:
Holmdel, New Jersey
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Posted 30 May 2008 4:41 pm nj players
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| Dont forget Bob Miano who's currently with The Brian Clayton Band. I heard him play at Jenkinsens in Point Pleasant a couple of weeks ago.. This guy knows how to pick.. no doubt about it. |
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Boo Bernstein
From:
Los Angeles, CA
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Posted 30 May 2008 4:59 pm
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Although I've been gone 30 years, I started my career playing the bars of Jersey! John Ciano, Ben Lawson and Gordon Wells were also on the circuit back in those days. I "moonlighted" throughout my whole tenure at Rutgers ... a far cry from the Ivy Halls!
When I left one of the local bands, Country Heritage, I was replaced by Chris "Tiny" Olson. Within a year-and-a-half, I was playing with Freddy Fender and Chris was playing with Gene Watson! Ben Lawson -- didn't you also play with Tim Gillis back in the day?
Regards to all of you who are keeping the pedal steel fires burning in the Garden State.  Boo
FYI, my brother has a funky band called the VooDudes who are still a staple of the Jersey music scene. |
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Ben Lawson
From:
Brooksville Florida
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Posted 30 May 2008 6:03 pm
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Hey Boo I met your brother a few years back. We were on a show at the Edison Municipal Ctr. (Cop Shop).
I was with Tim Gillis in the early '80's. Then Church St Station in Orlando for a couple years '90-92 on and off with Johnny Rodriguez around then also. Back in N.J. in late '95 and trying to get out of here ever since.
Gordon Wells is still here doing a single on guitar and I think he's still playing steel with a group out of the Lambertville N.J. area.
I haven't seen Jack Stanton in years but we stay in touch on the forum and an occasional email.
I'm back with Tim again and just joined a group that does the "Twitty Fever" show in Pa. I'll be doing that when the Gillis band is not booked.
Let me know when you'll be back for a visit. |
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Pete Burak
From:
Portland, OR USA
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Posted 30 May 2008 9:30 pm
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| Ben Lawson wrote: |
Gordon Wells is still here doing a single on guitar and I think he's still playing steel with a group out of the Lambertville N.J. area.
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Did Gordon play for "Cowtown" in the late 70's-ish timeframe???
I'm a Jersey steeler myself, from Cranford, NJ.
I took my first steel lessons from the steel player for the band "Cowtown" (wish I could remember the guys name, but I think it might have been Gordon), while our banjo player took lessons from their banjo player.
I was in 10th grade and carried a Sho-Bud Pro-1 in its case to lessons on a Schwinn Varsity 10 speed, balanced between my legs and extending out over the handle bars!
(uhhh... uphill... both ways!  ).
That was after carrying it by hand to the first lesson... and it wasn't close to where I lived (in steel carrying terms that is).
I lived in Cranford and he lived in Westfield.
Funn Stuff!
pete b. |
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Stu Schulman
From:
Ulster Park New Yawk (deceased)
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Posted 30 May 2008 11:29 pm
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Gone with the Schwinn!
_________________
Steeltronics Z-pickup,Desert Rose S-10 4+5,Desert Rose Keyless S-10 3+5... Mullen G2 S-10 3+5,Telonics 206 pickups,Telonics volume pedal.,Blanton SD -10,Emmons GS_10...Zirctone bar,Bill Groner Bar...any amp that isn't broken.Steel Seat.Com seats...Licking paint chips off of Chinese Toys since 1952. |
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Jack Stanton
From:
Somewhere in the swamps of Jersey
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Posted 31 May 2008 5:29 am
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Pete,
I don't think Gordon Wells was the steeler for Cowtown (though I could be wrong)> I remember that band- they were my favorite of the local country rockers.
While Bob Carlucci was playing for thousands of screaming girls, I was playing in a trio (steel, rhythm guitar, bass) 6 nights a week in Manville, NJ (then known as the Nashville of NJ- the town had probably 8-9 bars in a 6 block radius that had live country every night), wearing a leisure suit, and playing every intro, fill, break and tag 5 sets a night. Got to play two instrumentals a set. Sure helped my chops! |
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Bo Borland
From:
South Jersey -
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Posted 31 May 2008 6:22 am
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I guess we can add Josh Dubin to the nj list didn't he live in NJ while he was workingout of NY?
also Ted Wallace and Don Brown and Don knows lots more. Also Bobbe lived right across the river north of Wilmington at Hurleys back in the day and what about Doug Jernigan he lived here for a while too.
I miss the old days here in South Jersey. I'm still gigging almost every week but have not played a club gig in NJ for a couple years only some outdoor and private shows.
By the way ...
Can we discuss having South Jersey secede from the rest of the state? |
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Bob Carlucci
From:
Candor, New York, USA
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Posted 31 May 2008 7:06 am
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The original Cowtown steel player was Jim something or other... Stan Taylor was steeler for Kinderhook Creek.. They were both well known bands... They were on the same circuit I was ....Mothers,Zaffys,Towpath,Forest Lodge, more than I can even remember.. Lots of 18 year old honeys... ah me.... bob
_________________
I'm over the hill and hittin'rocks on the way down!
no gear list for me.. you don't have the time...... |
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Pete Burak
From:
Portland, OR USA
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Posted 31 May 2008 8:16 am
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What was that bar in Clark, NJ?... I saw The Badlands Band there, prolly 'bout '80 timeframe.
Ziphero's? |
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Stu Schulman
From:
Ulster Park New Yawk (deceased)
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Posted 31 May 2008 9:50 am
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Bo,Josh used to live in an apartment building in Union City N.J. across the hall from our friend Buddy Miller.On one of my visits home to N.Y.Josh got me a gig playing guitar with him at a bowling alley near the Rahway Prison.The singer "I can't remember his name" grew up with Eddie Rabbit.
_________________
Steeltronics Z-pickup,Desert Rose S-10 4+5,Desert Rose Keyless S-10 3+5... Mullen G2 S-10 3+5,Telonics 206 pickups,Telonics volume pedal.,Blanton SD -10,Emmons GS_10...Zirctone bar,Bill Groner Bar...any amp that isn't broken.Steel Seat.Com seats...Licking paint chips off of Chinese Toys since 1952. |
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Ben Lawson
From:
Brooksville Florida
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Posted 31 May 2008 1:28 pm
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The guy that was "THE STEEL PLAYER" in N.J. from the '60 on is still the MAN. Gene Shible probably got more guys interested in playing steel here than all the rest of us put together. He played in "Johnnys Hillbilly Heaven" six nights a week for years. I would sit right next to the stage and watch him every night. When I got my first steel I called him and he helped me tune it over the phone.
We spent many hours together back then with Gene showing me things that got me playing.
He's still the best in my book.
If I'm not mistaken Gene helped Jack Stanton and Gordon Wells when they were starting out. Many others too but I don't remember them all.
Ben |
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Don Brown, Sr.
From:
New Jersey
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Posted 1 Jun 2008 9:21 am
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Hi Bo,
| Quote: |
| Can we discuss having South Jersey secede from the rest of the state? |
I absolutely agree 100% on the above!
Oh! Thanks as well.. I can't bring up the list, but I'm probably not on any list. Reason being:
I learned a long time back that belonging to the union was NOT the way to go especially in South Jersey, nor a whole lot of other places.
I joined, only to find out I couldn't play in clubs who were non union, and most all of them were non union.. So, I had my name removed as quick as possible. But yes! There was always a ton of work, and just as many great pickers. I lived it, and then seen it's downslide, shortly after the new country started coming into play. And I am thankful I got to be around during the "Hey Day years" of "REAL Country music."
Although I enjoyed playing top 40, rock, a stint (side job) in Disco, etc, etc. Country music was my music of choice then and it still is now. It's only sad to say, there isn't much real country left anymore. And most of the ones who start out that way, don't last long, unless they change their venue. As GJ says, it's a damn shame that it's got to this, but it has.
I feel sorry for the ones who would have loved to been living in the era, but missed out on it.. Let me say this, "It was definitely one of the best trips in the world!!!!" Barr none!
Don  |
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John Ciano
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Posted 1 Jun 2008 10:55 am
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Hello my Brothas!
As Don ,Bob C. and Jack mentioned '70s-'80s were a terrific era for country rock and country bars and steel players. So great that every one of us thought that it was only a matter of time before we were rich and famous. But any of us that do have money now made it from doing something other than playing steel guitar.
In retrospect we were so fortunate to have so many venues in which to play to develope and practice our craft. Being "in the trenches" 4-5 nights a week seasoned us more than any woodshedding could accomplish. I have also been blessed with having made life long friendships with youz guyz.(a little jersey lingo there) |
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Ben Lawson
From:
Brooksville Florida
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Posted 1 Jun 2008 11:00 am
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| Hey Ciano, how ya dooin'? |
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