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Topic: Billy Hew Len Audio Archive |
Andy Volk
From:
Boston, MA
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Posted 29 Jul 2022 10:16 am |
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Mike Neer mentioned Hawaiian steel great Billy Hew Len in a recent thread. This reminded me that it's probably time to re-post a link to the Billy Hew Len audio archive.
https://archive.org/details/LenThree03
20+ years ago, the late steeler George Keoki Lake sent me a cassette tape of a hotel room conversation with Billy Hew Len. He didn't recall from whom this priceless gem originated. That's why the excerpt that appears in my book "Lap Steel Guitar" says "unknown source".
Years later, Chuck Wilson contacted me as he had all the tapes which it turned out, were recorded by the late Hal Smith in Hawaii in 1980 &'81. Chuck spent lots of time cleaning them up, I designed a cover, wrote liner notes and we donated the whole shebang to the HSGA as a fundraiser. Flash forward another 10+ years and the original audio DVDs were all long sold out so I put all the content on archive.org for all to enjoy. Billy was a master of the instrument who had an imaginative, swingy style and as you can hear in the archive, a generous, kind person.
Billy Hew Len backstage, circa April 1981.
Imagine the muscle control he must have had
to manipulate his bar using his entire arm.
_________________
Steel Guitar Books! Website: www.volkmediabooks.com
Last edited by Andy Volk on 29 Jul 2022 3:06 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Peter Krebs
From:
Portland, Oregon, USA
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Posted 29 Jul 2022 1:59 pm
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| This is SO killer! Thanks for posting, Andy! |
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Tim Toberer
From:
Nebraska, USA
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Posted 30 Jul 2022 4:43 am
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| Thanks for reminding me about this one, a treasure trove for sure! |
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Chuck Wilson
From:
Colorado, USA
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Posted 12 Aug 2022 8:28 pm
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Thank you Andy for your digitally posting them on the archive!
It was a fun project and you created a wonderful cover and notes.
I continue to be inspired by Billy's touch, warmth and humanity in his playing as well as stories about him from those still alive who knew him. |
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Joe Cook
From:
Lake Osoyoos, WA
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Posted 12 Aug 2022 8:54 pm
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| This is great! |
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Roger Fletcher
From:
United Kingdom
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Posted 13 Aug 2022 1:28 am
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| In that photo of Billy backstage he is playing a Fender 1000. I presume that is the one Leo Fender presented to JB, who then sold it to Billy. |
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Ethan Shaw
From:
Texas, USA
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Posted 13 Aug 2022 6:15 am
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| Thanks so much for making this available, Andy! |
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Andy Volk
From:
Boston, MA
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Posted 13 Aug 2022 6:25 am
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You're very welcome, all. We collectively have a responsibility to help preserve the history of our under-the-radar corner of the string instrument universe. I worry about this.
You can see Banjo magazines from 1900, British BMG magazines from the 30s - 70s, etc. but what happens to 25 years of the Steel Guitar Forum content when we're all gone? How does it get to the Smithsonian or National Archive as a searchable digital resource?
_________________
Steel Guitar Books! Website: www.volkmediabooks.com |
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David Matzenik
From:
Cairns, on the Coral Sea
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Posted 13 Aug 2022 1:17 pm
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| Andy Volk wrote: |
You're very welcome, all. We collectively have a responsibility to help preserve the history of our under-the-radar corner of the string instrument universe. I worry about this.
You can see Banjo magazines from 1900, British BMG magazines from the 30s - 70s, etc. but what happens to 25 years of the Steel Guitar Forum content when we're all gone? How does it get to the Smithsonian or National Archive as a searchable digital resource? |
I often consider this question, and not just for the Steel Guitar Forum. There was a guy waiting outside the supermarket yesterday, he was reading a book. Everyone elso was on a smart phone.
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Don't go in the water after lunch. You'll get a cramp and drown. - Mother. |
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