Butch Pytko
From:
Orlando, Florida, USA
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Posted 5 Jul 2015 8:05 pm |
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Tonight I saw the 2 hour documentary--URBAN COWBOY: THE RISE AND FALL OF GILLEY'S. It reminded me of when I lived in Houston from 1977 to 1987 and the times I went to Gilley's in Pasedena, right next door to Houston. The documentary pretty much covers how Gilley's came about and how mainly Mickey Gilley and Johnny Lee became famous along with the stars of the movie Urban Cowboy, which was filmed there.
One of my great memories was seeing Buddy Emmons with Ray Price there. Here's some photos of the concert in 1979.
I think this is where Buddy is playing his great arrangement of I LOVE YOU BECAUSE on C6. I think this is the SKH Buddy played for a time. Also, that's Tony Booth in the background who was also with the show. The place was packed and I managed somehow to get up front, along with many other local steel players--what a great show!
Another great memory at Gilley's, and I wish I had photos, was meeting Larry Bob who was the house band steel player. I assume Larry Bob was his first name--can't remember his last name. Anyway, sometimes I would go to Gilley's on a free night to hear Larry Bob play. He had a D-10 Marrs, and I remember he had a very mid-range tone that I always thought sounded like the tone that Lloyd Green had. He was a real nice guy, great player, and liked talking about steel guitar and the great players. I remember seeing him at a steel guitar concert--it might of been one of the Buddy Emmons concerts--anyway, at the time, some of the country/western clubs were closing down in the early 80's, and I remember Larry Bob saying Gilley's was "THE LAST WATERING HOLE". It was almost a phophecy--as Gilley's closed in 1985. I remember when the other local musicians and I said--"IS IT REALLY TRUE, GILLEY'S IS CLOSED?"
I remember Johnny Lee's Club was either directly across the street from Gilley's or not too far from it. Anyway, it was close enough for me and many others to stumble across the street from Gilley's to Johnny Lee's. Some how these 2 shot glasses, among others, got stuck to my fingers on my way out! |
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