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Topic: Opry Steelers.....1950's picture from the Ryman. |
Eddie D.Bollinger
From:
Calhoun City, Mississippi
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Posted 15 Aug 2008 9:00 am |
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I know the obvious noteables in this pic. (Chet, Hank
Snow, etc.)
However, there are 2 steel men, the fiddler, and the
gent holding the Bigsby guitar. Can anyone help me
with names on those or any of the others, if possible.
This is a small portion of a much larger cast picture
from the Opry. I assume in the 1950's. I would have loved to have been in the audience that night.
That would have been tough considering I was born in
1966.
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Bill Hatcher
From:
Atlanta Ga. USA
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Posted 15 Aug 2008 9:17 am
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| Chet is on the far right with his D'Angelico guitar. My guess is that the fellow to his left with the Bigsby guitar is Billy Byrd?? |
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Eddie D.Bollinger
From:
Calhoun City, Mississippi
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Posted 15 Aug 2008 9:45 am You guys are right!
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The Guitar man is indeed Billy Byrd.
I researched the guitar after y'all said his
name.
Here Tis'
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Walter Stettner
From:
Vienna, Austria
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Posted 15 Aug 2008 11:04 am
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The steel player in front of Billy Byrd, could that be Don Davis?
Kind Regards, Walter
_________________
www.lloydgreentribute.com |
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Eddie D.Bollinger
From:
Calhoun City, Mississippi
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Posted 15 Aug 2008 11:21 am
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Here is a pic of Don Davis. I can't tell if its him or not. Thanks, Walter, for the input. You may have
it just right.
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robert kramer
From:
Nashville TN
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Posted 15 Aug 2008 12:55 pm
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Grandpa Jones is on the far left wearing his stage hat. He is just above the man in the dark suit holding the Gibson Archtop. Sam McGhee is next to him audience right.
Between Billy Byrd and Chet is a man wearing a hat identcal to Byrd's. This could be Texas Troubadour Jack Drake.
In the center of the photo is a man in a dark suit. Just above and in back of him could be Freddy Hart. |
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Eddie D.Bollinger
From:
Calhoun City, Mississippi
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Posted 15 Aug 2008 7:27 pm
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Thanks, Robert!
I hope to add other segments of this large photo
so you guys can help me decode it, so to speak. |
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Steve Alcott
From:
New York, New York, USA
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Posted 15 Aug 2008 8:52 pm
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| Front row, third from left in light colored suit holding a guitar is Hank Snow. |
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Joe Rogers
From:
Lake Charles, LA USA
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Posted 15 Aug 2008 9:57 pm
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I am pretty sure the fiddle player is Jerry Rivers who played with Hank Williams' Drifting Cowboys. If that is so, could the steel player on the right be Don Helms? Hard to tell with his head down.
Joe Rogers |
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Charles Davidson
From:
Phenix City Alabama, USA
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Posted 15 Aug 2008 10:27 pm
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Joe,not sure but don't think that's Jerry,almost sure that's not Don.DYKBC.
_________________
Hard headed, opinionated old geezer. BAMA CHARLIE. GOD BLESS AMERICA. ANIMAL RIGHTS ACTIVIST. SUPPORT LIVE MUSIC ! |
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Cody Campbell
From:
Nashville, Tennessee
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Posted 15 Aug 2008 10:55 pm
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Fiddler looks like Jerry Rivers to me.
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Looks a little like Marty Robbins between (and behind) Hank Snow and the steel player standing with the lap steel. |
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Charles Davidson
From:
Phenix City Alabama, USA
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Posted 15 Aug 2008 11:05 pm
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Don't know who ALL those guys are,but I'm 100 percent sure of one thing,that was the PLATINUM era of REAL country music.DYKBC.
_________________
Hard headed, opinionated old geezer. BAMA CHARLIE. GOD BLESS AMERICA. ANIMAL RIGHTS ACTIVIST. SUPPORT LIVE MUSIC ! |
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Joe Rogers
From:
Lake Charles, LA USA
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Posted 16 Aug 2008 6:10 am
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Charles, take a look at the following photos. Look at Jerry's smile and the shape of Don Helm's forehead and jawline. Again, I am not sure about it being Don, but that guy is a dead ringer for Jerry. By the way, in the bottom photo, Don is kneeling all the way to the right.
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Roy Ayres
From:
Riverview, Florida, USA, R.I.P.
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Posted 16 Aug 2008 6:25 am
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Walter,
I'm pretty sure that you are right about the steel guitarist sitting down being Don Davis. With his head tilted down, it's hard to tell by his face. However, as far as I know, Don and I were the only two steelers on the Opry when I was there in the late 40's and early 50's who had a National double 8.
The guy in the second row on the extreme left appears to be Grandpa Jones.
_________________
Pioneers of Western Swing HOF, Seattle 2005
Western Swing Music HOF, Sacramento 2006
International Steel Guitar HOF, St.Louis 2007
Visit my Web Site at RoysFootprints.com
Browse my Photo Album and be sure to sign my Guest Book. |
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Ray Montee
From:
Portland, Oregon (deceased)
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Posted 16 Aug 2008 7:31 am Next to Grandpa......................
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Could the fellow to the right of Grandpa Jones, the one with the big dog-house bass, be BROWNIE REYNOLDS?
And, near the right hand side of the photo at the very top of the frame, the lady in the little checkered dress, could that be a Youngish Kitty Wells? |
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George Duncan Sypert
From:
Colo Spgs, Co, USA
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Posted 16 Aug 2008 8:04 am
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Ray Price might be the fellow behind the one holding the fiddle. Looks like his cheek bones.
George |
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Eddie D.Bollinger
From:
Calhoun City, Mississippi
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Posted 16 Aug 2008 8:50 am
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Thanks everyone for the help on this.
I do know that Kitty Wells and Ray Price are
in another portion of the photo that I will
post Monday. This is a great history lesson
for me. This was indeed a great place in time. |
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Danny Spinks
From:
Hendersonville, TN, USA
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Posted 16 Aug 2008 8:56 am
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The second steel player in the picture, standing beside Hank Snow, appears to be the same as the one in this video.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LQunHYfQs5U
Last edited by Danny Spinks on 16 Aug 2008 10:48 am; edited 1 time in total |
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Eddie D.Bollinger
From:
Calhoun City, Mississippi
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Posted 16 Aug 2008 8:59 am
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Also Cody,
Marty Robbins is in part of the photo that I haven't posted yet. He is clowning in the picture
with Mack MaGaha. To be posted when I get to the office Monday. |
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robert kramer
From:
Nashville TN
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Posted 16 Aug 2008 9:39 am
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| From the photo on page 517 of Hank Snow's biography "The Hank Snow Story" I am able to identify the guitar player all the way on the left (with the Gibson Archtop) as Hillous Butrum. The steel player to the left of Hank Snow is Buford Gentry. (Both are Rainbow Ranch Boys) The other two musicians in dark suits aound Hank Snow must also be Rainbow Ranch Boys. Immediately to the left of Hank: Bass player James "Sleepy" McDaniel? Immediatley to the right of Hank: Fiddle player Tommy Vaden? |
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Gere Mullican
From:
LaVergne, Tennessee, USA (deceased)
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Posted 16 Aug 2008 11:01 am
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| I believe the steel player below Billy Byrd to be Johnny Seibert. |
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Walter Stettner
From:
Vienna, Austria
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Posted 16 Aug 2008 12:30 pm
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Eddie,
Do you know when the picture was taken?
Kind Regards, Walter
_________________
www.lloydgreentribute.com |
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Eddie D.Bollinger
From:
Calhoun City, Mississippi
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Posted 16 Aug 2008 6:16 pm
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I am sorry Walter. I don't know the date. I was
given the picture recently and it appears to be
a rather bad copy of a cast picture with maybe a
100+ people on stage at the Ryman. |
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Roy McKinney
From:
Ontario, OR
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Posted 16 Aug 2008 7:19 pm
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| Chubby Wise was one of Hank's fiddle players for years. Don't know if that is him or not, will have to dig out some old records/tapes. |
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Roy Ayres
From:
Riverview, Florida, USA, R.I.P.
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Posted 17 Aug 2008 4:27 am
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My Nashville buddy, Kelso Herston, emailed me the following:
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| I think I identified some others. The guy with the archtop on the left is Randy Hughes. He was the pilot of the plane that Cope and Patsy died in.Over Hank Snows's left shoulder looks like Gordon Stoker of the Jordaniares.Behind Billy Byrd looks like Gene Martin (Bennie's bro) |
Roy
_________________
Pioneers of Western Swing HOF, Seattle 2005
Western Swing Music HOF, Sacramento 2006
International Steel Guitar HOF, St.Louis 2007
Visit my Web Site at RoysFootprints.com
Browse my Photo Album and be sure to sign my Guest Book. |
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