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Topic: Cas Walker Radio Show~Bonnie Lou & Buster~Guy Peeler~Steel P |
Fred Justice
From:
Mesa, Arizona
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Posted 17 Dec 2015 10:51 am |
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How many remember The Cas Walker Radio Show from Knoxville Tenn. back in the 50's & 60's ?
The singing act of Bonnie Lou & Buster was featured on that radio show and later on a TV show out of Knoxville.
Bonnie Lou & Buster's steel guitar player was a fella named Guy Peeler, went by "Pepi Jo"
Long story short, Guy Peeler built several steel guitars with the brand name (Pepi Jo)
My first PSG was a 8x2 D-10, I spent 11 months trying to get it in tune then sold it.
Anyone remember these folks?
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Email: azpedalman@gmail.com
Phone: 480-235-8797
Last edited by Fred Justice on 17 Dec 2015 6:25 pm; edited 2 times in total |
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Roger Kelly
From:
Bristol,Tennessee
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Posted 17 Dec 2015 3:37 pm
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I remember them Fred. Pepi or Guy Pealer was a very good Steel player for Bonnie Lou and Buster Moore.
I bought a Pepi-Jo Steel from Pepi and Joe Morrell back in the 50's. I don't remember what I gave for the guitar but I'm sure it was too much..LOL.
I thought that I had moved up from the home made pedal that I had on my D-8 Fender when I got my Pepi-Jo.
Later, when I found out about Fender making Pedal Steels I bought a Fender 2000. That was the first Professionally built Pedal Steel I ever owned. They were very heavy but really sounded good!
The Mountain Music Makers was what their group was called, played on WJHL-TV Johnson City, Tn for several years before moving to Knoxville.
I'm sure Stoney Stonechipher remembers them well, since he was playing all over Knoxville at that time.
How did you happen to buy a Pepi-Jo? I never thought they had a market beyond East Tennessee and Southwest Virginia? |
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Rick Campbell
From:
Sneedville, TN, USA
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Posted 17 Dec 2015 4:36 pm
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I remember them well. Bonnie Lou and Buster Moore were great people. The show also said included Lloyd "ding dong" Bell, Bonnie Lou's brother. Their TV show was sponsored by Jim Walters Homes. The Cas Walker show was where Dolly Parton got her start. I think the Everly Brothers were on there too. I used to get up at 4:00am in high school and drive to Knoxville and do the 6:00am show, and be back home in time for school. Peppy was a great player. LE White and Lola Jean Dillon were on the show. LE wrote a lot of Conways hits like "I Love You More Today" Peppy could do the kick off with a whole room full of tone. LE and Lola Jean wrote a lot of stuff for Loretta Lynn and Reba McIntyre like "Is This How It In When It's Over (today all over again) Ernie Ashworth worked On Bonnie Lou and Buster,
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I wish we still had these kind of shows.
RC |
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Brett Day
From:
Pickens, SC
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Posted 17 Dec 2015 5:31 pm
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| There was a place at Dollywood called Cas Walker's Gas Station in Dollywood's 50s area, Jukebox Junction. Wonder how many steel players played on Cad Walker's Show. |
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Fred Justice
From:
Mesa, Arizona
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Posted 17 Dec 2015 6:18 pm
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Roger you are correct, I did live in East Tennessee at the time, just out side of Oak Ridge in fact.
If you remember Their banjo player David West had a small music store and road side opry in Claxton TN.
David and I were good friends and he had this D-10 8x2 Pepi Jo sitting there on the floor.
David was a horse trader and when I moved back to Indiana I traded David 3 rooms of furniture, a shot gun, a non running 1964 Ford, and my beloved J-45 Gibson, Lord Lord what was I thinking?
Yes Rick and Brett, a lot of folks got their start from those folks.
The gal that was on Lawrence Welk for many years came from that local show.
Man, those were the days.
_________________
Email: azpedalman@gmail.com
Phone: 480-235-8797 |
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Roger Kelly
From:
Bristol,Tennessee
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Posted 17 Dec 2015 7:34 pm
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Yes Ava Barber got her start singing on the Bonnie Lou and Buster TV show and possibly Cas Walker's Show too...she was a regular with the Welk Show for several years.
I thought you must have been living somewhere in East Tennessee to have run across a Pepi-Jo Pedal Steel.
There were a lot of good singers and pickers that were from East Tennessee and Southwest Virginia.
When I was playing on WCYB's Farm and Fun Time in Bristol, Va, back in the mid 50's Billy Bowman from Johnson City was playing with Bob Wills, Sonny Burnette from Abingdon, Virginia was with Webb Pierce, Walter Haynes from Kingsport was with "Little" Jimmy Dickens, Big Jim Webb was with Red Sovine, Jim Smith fronted the Carl Smith Show.
Along with Garland Nash and Pepi. They all lived within 50 miles from each other growing up. I was hoping some of their talent would rub off on me but it was not to be. 
While I'm at it I want you to know how much I appreciate your playing and building such a fine Guitar.. You have a touch that sets you apart from most other players that is very easy to listen to.
I guess there's one good thing that came from you owning a Pepi-Jo Pedal Steel...it showed you how NOT to build a Pedal Steel.  |
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Mitch Drumm
From:
Frostbite Falls, hard by Veronica Lake
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Posted 17 Dec 2015 9:29 pm
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Here ya go; Guy Peeler on the left.
Did he make that guitar?
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Roger Kelly
From:
Bristol,Tennessee
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Posted 18 Dec 2015 3:24 am
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I don't think Guy or Joe had anything to do with building the guitar. I think Jerry Staley (sp?) who I believe worked for Marlen guitars at the time, built it.
Joe Morrell owned several music stores located in upper East Tn. and Guy Pealer managed the Johnson City Store at the time and was a well known steel player due to playing on Bonnie Lou and Buster's TV show. I'm not sure how many of those guitars were sold but I don't think it was very many.
In Mitch's picture:
Guy is sitting on the left, next to him kneeling is Benny Sims, Fiddle player, and Bonnie Lou, Rhythm Guitar and Singer, sitting on the end.
Standing from L-R is Alfred Pierce Bass Player and owner of City Music and Jewelry in Elizabethton, Tn.
next is Homer Harris "The 7FT. Smilin' Cowboy", who had a horse that played guitar and did a few tricks,
next is Lloyd "Ding Dong" Bell who sang and played Electric Guitar,
next to him is Buster Moore who played Mandolin, Claw Hammer Banjo, sang and played Comedy and was the Band Leader.
As Rick Campbell said in his post, Bonnie Lou was married to Buster Moore and Lloyd Bell was Bonnie Lou's brother.
There was one other member of the group that isn't in the picture who went by the name of Chuck
"The Carolina Indian" Henderson who played Electric Guitar and 5 String Banjo when Lloyd wasn't there.
Overall, they had a very professional group and was very popular in the Tri-Cities and 5 State Area that WJHL-TV covered. |
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Fred Justice
From:
Mesa, Arizona
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Posted 19 Dec 2015 11:28 am
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Folks, I had a most enjoyable visit on the phone this morning with Mr. Roger Kelly.
Mostly reminiscing about the old Pepi Jo steel guitars, and our time spent in East Tennessee.
Roger is one of the good guys. 
A very Merry Christmas to all.
_________________
Email: azpedalman@gmail.com
Phone: 480-235-8797 |
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Rick Campbell
From:
Sneedville, TN, USA
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Posted 19 Dec 2015 11:50 am
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| Roger Kelly wrote: |
I don't think Guy or Joe had anything to do with building the guitar. I think Jerry Staley (sp?) who I believe worked for Marlen guitars at the time, built it.
Joe Morrell owned several music stores located in upper East Tn. and Guy Pealer managed the Johnson City Store at the time and was a well known steel player due to playing on Bonnie Lou and Buster's TV show. I'm not sure how many of those guitars were sold but I don't think it was very many.
In Mitch's picture:
Guy is sitting on the left, next to him kneeling is Benny Sims, Fiddle player, and Bonnie Lou, Rhythm Guitar and Singer, sitting on the end.
Standing from L-R is Alfred Pierce Bass Player and owner of City Music and Jewelry in Elizabethton, Tn.
next is Homer Harris "The 7FT. Smilin' Cowboy", who had a horse that played guitar and did a few tricks,
next is Lloyd "Ding Dong" Bell who sang and played Electric Guitar,
next to him is Buster Moore who played Mandolin, Claw Hammer Banjo, sang and played Comedy and was the Band Leader.
As Rick Campbell said in his post, Bonnie Lou was married to Buster Moore and Lloyd Bell was Bonnie Lou's brother.
There was one other member of the group that isn't in the picture who went by the name of Chuck
"The Carolina Indian" Henderson who played Electric Guitar and 5 String Banjo when Lloyd wasn't there.
Overall, they had a very professional group and was very popular in the Tri-Cities and 5 State Area that WJHL-TV covered. |
Buster was also Hump Hammer. Homer Harris was one of the nicest guys you could ever meet. He used to bring the horse "Stardust" to school when I was a kid and do shows. It was one of the biggest things we had happen. It cost $0.25 to see the show, but he would tell the principal to let the kids that didn't have the money attend the show anyway. The world would a lot better place if we had more people like Homer Harris.
RC |
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Steve Allison
From:
Eatonton,Ga. U.S.A.
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Posted 19 Dec 2015 3:07 pm
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| Also in the mid 80s Little Roy Wiggins played with them on there show up around Pidgeon Forge if memory serves me. |
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Steve Allison
From:
Eatonton,Ga. U.S.A.
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Posted 19 Dec 2015 3:07 pm
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| Also in the mid 80s Little Roy Wiggins played with them on there show up around Pidgeon Forge if memory serves me. |
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Roger Kelly
From:
Bristol,Tennessee
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Posted 19 Dec 2015 5:48 pm
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Thanks for the kind words Fred. I enjoyed talking to you too.
Later on after talking to you, a good friend Eddie Trent, called and I was telling him about you buying a Pepi-Jo Steel.
Eddie bought my Pepi-Jo when he started learning to play. Eddie is one of the Best Steel Players in East Tennessee and as a matter of fact he Toured with Ava Barber for quite a while. Funny how things happened as you look back.
Rick, you are right about Homer Harris, he was a very nice guy and loved performing for the kids.
Steve, "Little" Roy Wiggins did play with Bonnie Lou and Buster at the Coliseum there in Pigeon Forge for quite some time. I'm sure he helped draw a crowd there too.
I remember Roy also had a small Music Store there along the Sevierville Hi-way before you get to Pigeon Forge. Roy later sold that piece of property to a Fast Food Chain for a hefty sum and I believe moved back to Nashville.
I was glad that I had the opportunity to talk with Roy many times and let him know how his playing with Eddie Arnold was what made me want to play Steel Guitar like him. He too was one of the good guys. |
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Steve Allison
From:
Eatonton,Ga. U.S.A.
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Posted 19 Dec 2015 7:46 pm
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| Roger you are right! I played rhythm guitar one time there with Little Roy by accident! Went to see his show and his rhythm man didn't show up so he asked me to fill in. What an honor. Merry Christmas to all... |
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