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Topic: The Ones Who Didn't Make it to the Top and Why? |
John Floyd
From:
R.I.P.
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Posted 10 Jan 2004 2:18 am |
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Glenn Barber
quote:
Country and rockabilly performer Glenn Barber was born in Hollis, OK, on February 2, 1935. From there, he and his family moved to Pasadena, TX, where the young Barber showed an early interest in music. Originally a guitar player, he also took up bass, drums, dobro, and mandolin. He first appeared on wax with the 1952 Stampede single "You Took the Twinkle Out of My Stars"; by 1954, he had a contract with the Starday label. Over the next few years, Barber would release numerous countrified rockabilly singles on the label, the last being issued in 1956, just as rock & roll was sweeping the country. From there, he and manager Pappy Dailey traveled to the D imprint, which issued four Barber singles during the remainder of the 1950s.
As the '60s arrived, Barber became a disc jockey and featured performer on Houston's KIKK. He and his band, the Western Swingmasters, appeared on the station five nights a week until 1968, when he signed with the Nashville outfit Hickory. There he made his full-length debut with 1970's A New Star. While with Hickory, Barber charted four times, taking songs like "Kissed By the Rain, Warmed By the Sun" (1969) and "Unexpected Goodbye" (1972) all the way to the Top 30. Another Hickory single, "She Cheats on Me," would later be recorded by Roy Orbison. Barber jumped to MMI in 1979, and penned the hit "Everyone Wants to Disco." It was his last charting single, and Barber turned to other interests in the 1980s and '90s, including painting and screenwriting.
I know a little something about this mans ambitions and talent. I did some road work with him in the 70's playing bass and he was / is a real talent. He had enough talent to take him to the top, but got into a bad deal with a publishing company and record label They used him as a writer and let the Artist side of him slide down the tubes.
He also Penned the Hit Single "Yes Mam, I found her in a Honky Tonk" and it was reverse written for Leona Williams to sing and put it in the Charts.
Glenn Was/is a Great Person with a Great Voice and Super Guitar playing Skills, He played A telecaster with Bigsby Palm pedals. His son Glenn Jr, Was/is a super Drummer and Sometimes we worked as just a trio.
His Hank Williams Medley Could raise the hairs on the back of your neck and was carefully researched out and accurate.
People, This is One who should have made it, but he didn't get drunk or do drugs, was married to one woman, had a great family, didn't get into the "Outlaw" Thing and had tons of talent. A fine man who I was proud to call Friend and We share the Same Birthdate.
The reason for the was/is analogy is the fact that I have been out of contact with him and his family since the late 70's. He and his son were great talents and no doubt still are.
This is something I have planned on saying for several years on the music forum and wanted to get it off my chest before one of us dies and it never gets said.
A Victim of the Nashville System!!!
There are others and I'll be mentioning them also.
In the meantime, I'm sure some of you know of others that have had careers destroyed by mis-management or other reasons.
Lets hear them!!
[This message was edited by John Floyd on 10 January 2004 at 02:39 AM.] |
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Stephen Gambrell
From:
Over there
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Posted 10 Jan 2004 2:48 am
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John, this oughta be an excellent, interesting thread. There are literally THOUSANDS of men and women out there, who should have made it . In bluegrass, I run across 'em all the time. But economics, lifestyles, integrity, or the toss of a coin, kept them out of the national spotlight.
I'll start with Woody Ledford! |
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John Floyd
From:
R.I.P.
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Posted 10 Jan 2004 3:46 am
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GO FOR IT!
I'd really like to know something more about one of my main guitar heroes other than the little I know about him from Saluda. He has had more influence on me in the past few years than almost any other Master Guitarist.[This message was edited by John Floyd on 10 January 2004 at 03:47 AM.] |
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George Kimery
From:
Limestone, TN, USA
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Posted 10 Jan 2004 5:01 am
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I think there are two things that have to happen for somebody to make it, besides the obvious of having the talent and the type of music that people want to hear. There is an intangible thing called "star quality" that some have and some don't. A top notch manager will see this in a person and will know how to cash in on it. If the person has that quality and good management, they make it. Another factor is simply the numbers. There is only room for so many "stars" in any given field. The public simply can't handle 10,000 country music stars, even if they are all equally talented. The old saying, a hit song doesn't care who sings it also applies. They must get the right song and get it promoted and have equally as good back up songs to follow the first one. Otherwise, they become a one song star and fade into oblivion. Sometimes a singers unique voice just makes one song special, but they never find another song that is a perfect marriage with their voice. Jeannie C. Riley and Harper Valley PTA and Jeannie Pruitt's Satin Sheets, and Terri Gibbs Somebody's Knocking I think are examples of this. I would be interested in hearing opinions from somebody in the artist management area that know what they are talking about. I am simply giving my opinion as a layman, which, along with a $1.00 will buy you a cup of coffee.
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Tony Prior
From:
Charlotte NC
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Posted 10 Jan 2004 5:24 am
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I would imagine that many know of or are a fan of Eric Johnson, the prodigy guitar player from the I believe Austin Texas area.
Eric is well known and famous..NOW..but there were many many years in the early days right after the TONES album that Eric was not allowed to record because of contractual agreements that were signed that clearly almost cost him a brilliant recording career. He somehow endured..but there are many many many that did not..all for the greed and the ego of those that handed over the pen to the artists..
"sign here..became a star..of course I didn't tell ya that I will be the one who becomes rich..and you may or may not..probably not"...
" What do you mean you don't agree with me ?..you don't need to..you are bound to everything I tell you to do for the next 100 years..see..it says that..right here..right above your signature"...
" Ok Billy Joel, go ahead and record with someone else, but I get all the money you earn for the next 10 years"..."I sure love this music business, I may get a real job someday"... |
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Walter Stettner
From:
Vienna, Austria
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Posted 10 Jan 2004 6:09 am
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That's an interesting topic that might go on and on! I have asked that question myself, why do some make it on the way to fame, and others, who are equally talented never do.
Probably it has to do with the famous "be at the right place at the right time"! Also, knowing the right people who can make connections are something very important.
This also caused human tragedies in the past, just consider the career of Mel Street who had so much talent and never made it real big, just because his style of pure country/honkytonk didn't really sell when he came up. Mel's tragic suicide in 1978 was also caused by his unsuccessful struggle for the big break in music business.
Regards, Walter
www.austriansteelguitar.at.tf
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Janice Brooks
From:
Pleasant Gap Pa
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Posted 10 Jan 2004 7:49 am
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He also Penned the Hit Single "Yes Mam, I found her in a Honky Tonk" and it was reverse written for Leona Williams to sing and put it in the Charts.
__________
Plugging Leona's new album Honorary Texan produced by Justin Trevino.
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Janice "Busgal" Brooks
ICQ 44729047
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Bill Llewellyn
From:
San Jose, CA
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Posted 10 Jan 2004 10:08 am
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A good present day candidate is Daisy Dern. www.daisydern.com She can sing, and she can write too.  |
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Joe Drivdahl
From:
Montana, USA
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Posted 10 Jan 2004 3:54 pm
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Or how about Kelly Willis. She's been kicking around for quite a while, but just can't quite get the big one.
jd |
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Roger Kelly
From:
Bristol,Tennessee
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Posted 10 Jan 2004 5:47 pm
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I never quite understood why Tony Boothe, Johnny Bush and Darrell McCall never became Bigger Stars. As far as Talent and Star Quality is concerned, I thought they had it.
Maybe they just weren't in the right place at the right time?
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Bob Hoffnar
From:
Austin, Tx
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Posted 10 Jan 2004 8:25 pm
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I play with some bands who are doing pretty well and they don't even know why.
Bob |
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Wayne Morgan
From:
Rutledge, TN, USA
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Posted 10 Jan 2004 8:57 pm
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| Hey Roger,, hope to see you at Peggy's on the 24th And also Johnny Bush is a big star to me |
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Tony Prior
From:
Charlotte NC
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Posted 11 Jan 2004 4:19 am
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In many cases for the above mentioned talents..they are signed with a management team who probably has several other talents signed as well. In a majority of these cases, the "OTHER" signed talents may have a good record deal wworking and a reasonable song on the airwaves so they will get more attention...maybe all of it..
While on my last NVille visit I met the guy who wrote Private O'Rielly, that song where the deceased soldier comes back to save the person who purchased his 66 Vette in a wreck...
Well this fella was singing in a club on Broadway ( Legends) and I asked him why he didn't cut the song..he told me that know one was interested in him singing, they gave it to someone else that already had a deal going.
It was sad, this guy, forgot his name, was a great singer..young, looked good, excellent stage presence,all that stuff..but no pending record deal..
music business 101...[This message was edited by Tony Prior on 11 January 2004 at 04:21 AM.] |
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Donny Hinson
From:
Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.
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Posted 11 Jan 2004 6:17 am
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| It was sad, this guy, forgot his name, was a great singer..young, looked good, excellent stage presence,all that stuff..but no pending record deal.. |
Well, he sold the song. (That's what songwriters do!) He didn't have to, he could have kept it for himself. Like they say in them Checkers commercials..."Ya gotta eat."
I think the Nashville "music machine" is more interested in making money than it is in making stars. Thom Shepherd's "Riding With Private Malone" is certainly a catchy song, and I'm sure it's done very well for both Thom and the singer (David Ball). Also (in hindsight), I'll wager that a lot of bigger star's A & R people wish they'd grabbed the song first. 
Neither Thom nor David should complain, though. They've both had a big "hit record".
We should all be as lucky. |
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Roger Kelly
From:
Bristol,Tennessee
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Posted 11 Jan 2004 7:54 am
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| Wayne.....hope to see you there too. Bring your Guitar and sit in with me for a set or two, if you'd like. I think Eddie has a Session that night. |
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Janice Brooks
From:
Pleasant Gap Pa
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Posted 11 Jan 2004 7:57 am
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Wood Newton is happy to be a songwriter and a big supporter of David Ball. He backed the deal for David to get his album on Dueltone.
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Janice "Busgal" Brooks
ICQ 44729047
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David L. Donald
From:
Koh Samui Island, Thailand
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Posted 11 Jan 2004 12:41 pm
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And lets not forget the many who died suddenly for a variety of reasons,
just as the brass ring was in their fingers. |
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Theresa Galbraith
From:
Goodlettsville,Tn. USA
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Posted 11 Jan 2004 1:37 pm
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| Who is Glenn Barber? |
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Charles French
From:
Ms.
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Posted 11 Jan 2004 5:38 pm
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Read 1st thread.
cf |
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Jerry Hayes
From:
Virginia Beach, Va.
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Posted 12 Jan 2004 6:24 am
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| How 'bout the great and unfortunately late Jerry Inman who worked around the Los Angeles area for many years. His health hadn't been all that great over the years but his voice was magnificent. He could really sell a country song as well as anyone out there. He told me once that he was the highest paid demo singer around as a lot of the songs he recorded first were covered by other major artists from Nashville and elsewhere. Jerry had an album once called "Lennon & McCartney, Country Style" or something like that where he did some great renditions of Beatle tunes. My favorite was the cut "With Love From Me to You" which was originally an up tempo thing which J.I. did as a ballad. Jerry used to front his band playing a 12 string electric fretted Dobro. At one time his great group consisted of Al Bruno on lead, Dale Bennett on bass, Archie Francis on drums, and either JayDee Maness or Carl West on steel. In an earlier time, J.I. was in the Palomino Club band with Gene Davis. Red Rhodes was on steel and Delaney Bramlett (Delaney and Bonnie and friends) was on bass. The piano player was Glen D. Hardin who later went on to work with Elvis and Emmylou Harris among others. Jerry was a truly great singer/entertainer and it's a damn shame he didn't make it big......JH |
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Herb Steiner
From:
Spicewood TX 78669
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Posted 12 Jan 2004 8:26 am
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Oh heck, I remember Jerry Inman really well. Great singer. I had the Beatles album he did, but I gave it to a buddy of his in Iowa. Jerry was originally from Iowa.
Wasn't Johnny "Tie a Yellow Ribbon" Carver also on Gene Davis' band? I recall seeing him with them.
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Herb's Steel Guitar Pages
Texas Steel Guitar Association
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Jerry Hayes
From:
Virginia Beach, Va.
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Posted 12 Jan 2004 9:56 am
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Herb, what a memory!! You're right on Johnny Carver. He was in Gene's band after Jerry though. That was really a great houseband for sure. I've got a CD which Gene did which featured Ralph Mooney on steel which ain't too bad either. I think it's called "The Toppa Sessions" or something like that.
Another good 'un from the LA area was my old boss from the Foothill Club, Billy Mize. Billy was a class act from the word go. He had a good run as a song writer with such songs as "Who'll Buy the Wine" recorded by Charley Walker, Jerry Lee Lewis, Mickey Gilley to name a few. "Make it Rain" recorded by Ray Price and Dean Martin among others. Billy had a great record in the sixties called "Don't Let The Blues Make You Bad" which was a great song and got a lot of airplay on the westcoast but I don't think it did anything nationally. For those who don't know, Billy was a pretty good steeler too. He was the staff steel player on the old Town Hall Party show after Marion Hall left, also he did some good sessions on steel such as Joe Carson's "Helpless" which had a pretty good steel ride on it. Have a good 'un...JH |
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Mike Sweeney
From:
Nashville,TN,USA
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Posted 12 Jan 2004 11:48 am
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Walter,
Your bringing up Mel Street is very ironic. Myself and some other players here in Nashville who, remember Mel when he was doing auto body repair during the day and working on WHIS t.v. in Bluefield, W.Va. and playing the clubs in W.Va.,S.W. Va., and east Tn. and eastern Ky. were commenting, that it was ALL our opinion that, given the time and what George Jones was doing to himself and career, if Mel hadn't killed himself, he would have taken over the honky-tonk side of country music.
Don't get me wrong, Ole George has straightened out and sings as great as ever and I would never say anything disrespectfull about him or his music, but, during the late '70's was his worst times personally and it carried over into his proffesional life, hince "No Show Jones".
Myself and several others think Mels suicide is one of the greatest tragedies country music has ever suffered and we lost so much when he died.
Mike[This message was edited by Mike Sweeney on 12 January 2004 at 12:03 PM.] |
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Rich Weiss
From:
Woodland Hills, CA, USA
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Posted 12 Jan 2004 4:13 pm
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Anybody remember Ethan Riley? He started out as a young kid, winning all the talent-night contests at the Palomino, as a singer. This was in the early 70's. He surfaced later as Glenn Campbell's pedal steel player. He was only about eighteen at that time. Then he formed a band called Little Buddy. I wonder what happened to him? He was very good.
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Doyle Weigold
From:
CColumbia City, IN, USA
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Posted 12 Jan 2004 5:26 pm
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| John,it's good to see your post on Glen Barber. I had the privilege of workin' with Glen in the 80's. He impressed me so much with the palm pedals, I couldn't wait to buy some. I never got as much from them as Glenn did but it was worth the effort. When Glen would say this is the way Curly Chalker would play, it sounded just like Curly. If he said this is the way Buddy Emmons would play, I swear it sounded like Buddy. If I'm not mistaken Glen played steel befoe he put the palm pedals on the Tele. And you're right about his Hank William's story. He is a super talent. I don't know if I have his address anymore or not. If I can find it I'll e-mail it to you. Doyle |
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