Billy Mize on Steel?

Walter Stettner · From: Vienna, Austria

Bear Family Records in Germany has out a couple of new DVD's of the Town Hall Party in California from 1954 and 1959. Great music with artists like Tex Ritter, Wanda Jackson, Jim Reeves, Merle Travis etc.

Billy Mize is playing Steel. Of course you can't really identify what Steel he was playing, but I think the guitar had pedals (you can hear some typical pedal licks). Nevertheless it looks like he played it standing. Does anybody know what he played?

ere's the link if you are interested in these DVDs:
www.bear-family.de

Kind Regards, Walter
www.austriansteelguitar.at.tf

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Donny Hinson · From: Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.

I used to see pictures of him in the old Carvin catalogs pretty frequently. I believe he was one of their endorsers in the early '60s. They didn't make pedal steels until about '64, though.

Jim Bob Sedgwick · From: Clinton, Missouri USA

I worked with Billy on and off for about 7 years. He always played Fenders in those days. He was probably playing on a Fender 1000. Larry Petree would know for sure.

Smiley Roberts · From: Hendersonville,Tn. 37075

SOMEWHERE, I had a pic of Billy w/ Cousin Herb Henson,& he was standing behind a Bigsby. Couldn't tell if it had pedals or not.

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  ~ ~


  ©¿©  It don't mean a thang,   


  mm   if it ain't got that twang.


       www.ntsga.com

Walter Stettner · From: Vienna, Austria

Jim Bob,

You were right! Larry already sent me an e-mail which I am posting below:

"Walter, when Billy started playing on the Town Hall Party, he was playing a Bigsby, In 1957 he and I traded steels. He took my tripple neck Stringmaster, and I got his tripple neck Bigsby. Since he was then playing a Fender steel on Town Hall Party, Fender gave him a Fender 1000, plus an amp. They later gave him a Fender 2000, which he still has. He recently got a GFI D-10 keyless from his long time friend Gene Fields, who worked for Fender back in the Town Hall Party days.
He is still living in Bakersfield, and he comes out once in a while and plays rythum guitar with Red Simpson and I. You can post this info if you want to up date his where abouts.

Larry Petree"

Thanks for the info, Larry!

Kind Regards, Waltter
www.austriansteelguitar.at.tf

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Smiley Roberts · From: Hendersonville,Tn. 37075

Hey Larry,
Where's that Bigsby now?

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  ~ ~


  ©¿©  It don't mean a thang,   


  mm   if it ain't got that twang.


       www.ntsga.com

Larry Petree · From: Bakersfield. Ca. USA

Smiley, I sold it to Nat Maniscalco in San Diego. I saw him in Dallas last year, and he has moved to Idaho.

Johnny Baldwin · From: Long Beach, California, USA

Walter:
When I was a kid I use to sneak into the Foothill Club in Signal Hill, California and watch Billy Mize and Cliff Crofford perform. I remember that steel guitar that Billy played, it was taller than a kitchen table and he used a drum seat that looked more like a bar stool (about the same height).
Here are a couple of links showing Billy Mize and that "tall" 'ol steel. http://www.rockabillyhall.com/Bakersfield.html

http://www.bakersfield.com/static/FP/baksound/video.htm

Also check your email. I sent you a couple of pictures, (with the captions) one when Billy Mize was on the Cousin Herb Henson show in Bakersfield, California.

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[This message was edited by Johnny Baldwin on 06 July 2004 at 07:29 PM.]

Rick Jackson · From: Carson City, Nevada

Under Tales and Reflections in "That Bakersfield Sound" home page, there is a photo of Larry Petree looking young and pretty with the triple neck Bigsby.....rj

Jerry Hayes · From: Virginia Beach, Va.

I worked with Billy & Cliff Crofford at the old Foothill Club for a couple of years. When I first went there, Jim Bob Sedgwick was on lead guitar and vocals. Billy was (is) one of the nicest guys I ever worked for in my whole career. I rembember one night he did a tune called "Helpless" which was recorded by Joe Carson. It had a nice steel ride on the record but I couldn't remember quite how it went so I just played pretty straight on the melody. At break time Billy came over and told me what positions to play and strings to pick and all and in a couple of minutes I had it like the record. I asked Billy how he knew is so well and he told me that he was the steel player on Joe Carson's record. I remember Billy on Town Hall Party when I was in high school and how he played standing up. I think he actually had pedal extensions on his steel though. There was a picture on the wall of the Foothill which had Billy playing a Fender 1000 standing up with pedals and also had Gordon Terry in the band at that time. Billy was a great songwriter as well having written things like "Who'll buy the Wine" recorded by Jerry Lee Lewis, Micky Gilley, Charley Walker, and others, "Make it Rain" recorded by Billy and Ray Price. Other artists like Dean Martin had recorded tunes by Billy. All in all, he was a very good musician, singer, song writer, and most of all one helluva nice caring person. He should've been a huge star and in the eyes of a lot of California folks he was. He was also the host of Gene Autry's Melody Ranch TV show for a long time. I have a CD by Billy which is a tribute to Tommy Duncan and Bob Wills. It can be found on Merle Haggard's Website and is a good 'un to have. It features Merle doing the Bob Wills Ah Hah's and all and is pretty cool. It features Bob Will's musicians and best of all it has Billy's great voice. Working with Billy was a great learning experience for me. He'd never tell us what song he was doing or what key it was in. He'd just walk up to the microphone and strum his guitar and start singing. We all jumped in as best we could and I think that we actually got pretty good at it after a while. Have a good 'un...JH

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Livin' in the Past and the Future with a 12 string Mooney Universal tuning.

Jussi Huhtakangas · From: Helsinki, Finland

That's a great little steel lick on "Helpless", it's my favorite tune on the Joe Carson-cd.

John Daugherty · From: Rolla, Missouri, USA

Jerry, what a strange coincidence hearing the name "Joe Carson". I don't remember him but Ralph Mooney had a cousin by the same name. We called him "Little Joe". He would come in Georges Roundup every now and then and set in with his mandolin.
Billy left the Foothill club the same week I left the Roundup (1962). Red Gayle was playing bass for Billy and he called and asked me to audition for the steel players job (which I never did). I think Buddy Mize was also working in the band. He had just had some success with a song which was a takeoff on "Alley Oop". "Charlie Oop".
Do you know what happened to Red Gayle? He was a fine bass player. JD

Jerry Hayes · From: Virginia Beach, Va.

Hey John,
Was that mandolin player a little guy who played one of those 4 string Fender solid body mandolins? If so, I remember him. I used to play some at the old Skylite in Compton and he had the 1st shift on Sunday afternoons from 1 to 5 as I recall. He was a pretty good player if it's the same guy. We called him "Mandolin Joe"........As far as Billy leaving in 1962, I went to work for him in '78 so that's a while later. I remember that Bonnie Price (the owner) would let ol' Billy work anytime he wanted to. If you ever worked for her once and she liked you she'd let you come back to the band even if they didn't need you. Remember her big old house out back. She always let Billy park in her driveway instead of the club's parking lot. Have a good 'un...JH

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Livin' in the Past and the Future with a 12 string Mooney Universal tuning.

John Daugherty · From: Rolla, Missouri, USA

Jerry, I don't think that was the same "Joe". Little Joe Carson was Ralphs cousin and I never knew him to work professionally.
I had forgotten Bonnies name. You are so right. It was Bonnie Price (no relation to Helen "Peaches" Price). "Peaches" was one fine drummer. I worked a lot of jobs with her. Helen, Moon and I did a session together with a singer named Joe O'Connell. I never saw him before or after that.
Jerry, did you ever record at "Teds Studio"? The guy was famous and recorded in his garage. I did a session there with a black group called the "Cadets". They recorded a song called "Lookin For a Job". I don't know how it did.
Enough of this reminiscing. We opened a can of worms and jogged my memory. If I don't quit now, I'll be telling you about the time that Little Joe threw up on Moons guitar............

Jason Odd · From: Stawell, Victoria, Australia

Joe Carson was dead by 1964, so to be blunt, if the Joe Carson you knew was alive after 1964, then it ain't the same guy.
Carson recorded as early a 1954, did some sessions backed by Hank Thompsons Brazos River Boys, and recorded enough material for Liberty to have an official memorial album released in '64.

If Billy Mize left the Foothill in the early 1960s, he didn't stay away for long, I've interviewed sidemen from the Tennesseans and I've covered 1964 to the 1980s when Billy led the band.

John Daugherty · From: Rolla, Missouri, USA

Jason, I think it was April 1962 when Red Gayle told me Billy was leaving the Foothill Club.
The night that I went to the club to talk to Red, Buddy Emmons was sitting in with the band. I think Buddy would remember that night.
I am sure we are not talking about the same Joe Carson. I'll have to call Ralph and have him bring me up to date. I haven't talked with him in a long time..... JD

Andy Sandoval · From: Bakersfield, California, USA

This is good stuff, growin up in bakersfield I remember Billy playin on Cousin Herb's Tradin Post show a lot

looks like pedals to me

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loveridehd@aol.com
Carter D-10/C6 & E9, Oahu 6 string lap/C6, and two Resonators/open G

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