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Topic: Frank Hardcastle |
Jerry Roller
From:
Van Buren, Arkansas USA
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Posted 1 Apr 2004 1:02 pm |
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Joe, the last time I saw Daddy Frank was at his home in Rogers, Arkansas. As far as I know he is still living in Rogers. He filled in for me a couple of times at the Little O Opry when I had to be out of town.
Jerry |
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Jerry Hayes
From:
Virginia Beach, Va.
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Posted 3 Apr 2004 10:36 am
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I remember Frank Hardcastle when he lived in Southern California. He used to play with an old friend of mine (now deceased) named Toby Minter who played drums and sang. They had a pretty good trio which was just steel, bass, and drums. What a way to go, no guitar player to get in the way...JH
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Livin' in the Past and the Future with a 12 string Mooney Universal tuning.
[This message was edited by Jerry Hayes on 03 April 2004 at 10:36 AM.] |
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Fish
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Posted 6 Apr 2004 8:03 pm
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Frank Hardcastle is a hero to me. I used to hear him play regularly in 1972-73 in my hometown of Oxnard, California at the Stallion Club in Wagon Wheel Junction and also at the Ban-Dar in Ventura. As Jerry Hayes mentioned, the band was a power trio with just steel, bass and drums, called “Toby Rean and the Common People.” Playing a sunburst Fender 2000, Frank’s tone was sensational and he would dazzle listeners with his endless melodic vocabulary and extraordinary technique. He was a true master in every sense of the word, on par with any of your favorite hall-of-famers. He just wailed on the steel guitar, and I cherish the cassette tapes I recorded of him playing back then.
I remember Frankie’s command well, particularly on “Steel Guitar Rag,” and on country songs like the uptempo waltz “Hello Mrs. Johnson.” He could rock on the E9th pedals so fast in his own unique variations of the West Coast Mooney style and he would always leave me grinning from ear to ear. I recall he played an A6th tuning on the back neck and E9th on the front, plus Frank occasionally played a mean electric lead guitar, too.
Once, the great Rose Maddox came to town and hired the Common People as her “pick-up band.” The guys followed her famous left-hand cues and signals flawlessly, without rehearsal, and Rose brought the house down that night. Frank’s musicality that night was completely mind-boggling. Whatta pro.
Several players inspired me early on to study the steel guitar, especially the great Rusty Young, the incomparable Lloyd Green, the always-creative Sneaky Pete, and the coolest of them all, Buddy Emmons. But it was Frankie Hardcastle who taught me how to play the darn thing correctly, how to think like a musician rather than just copy licks, how to wear the cowboy hat and the horseshoe diamond ring. He was very patient with a naïve kid way back in 1973, and I’ll be forever grateful to him for it.
Wherever you are, Frankie, I sure hope you’re having fun with the steel guitar and I genuflect in your general direction. Thanks for everything.
---Steve Fishell |
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GaryHoetker
From:
Bakersfield, CA, USA
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Posted 7 Apr 2004 1:11 pm
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| In the late 60's, Frankie was the steeler for Lewis Talley's group, the Tallywhackers (I'm not kidding),the house band at Pat and Charlie's, located in Ridgecrest, CA. Frankie played a Fender 1000 then and came as close to the "Mooney" sound as possible. He is a great talent and you could tell he really enjoyed entertaining. |
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Terry Bethel
From:
Hollister, Missouri (deceased)
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Posted 7 Apr 2004 8:53 pm
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I worked opposite of Frankie when he was in the John Wills band in Las Vegas. The reason I liked his playing so much was, he played everything off the wall. I used to go listen to him play his shift, and then Dick Miller and I would play ours. He is a great player and didn't play any thing stock, HE BURNED!!!
Would love to hook up with him again, anybody got his address out there?
Terry Bethel |
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