Hank Corwin

Jerry Overstreet · From: Louisville Ky

Whatever happened to Hank Corwin that used to play with Porter Wagoner? I really enjoyed his playing and he always seemed to have a smile on his face. I remember one night on the Opry, Hank and Weldon did twin steels on an instrumental rendition of Makin' Believe. It was a very special performance. I might have even captured it on tape.

Hal Higgins · From: Denham Springs, LA

Jerry....Hank is living on the Gulfcoast now, Gulfport, Biloxi area. He's been here for a while now. He doesn't even have a guitar now. I saw him at our DSSG&MA meeting a couple of months ago. Hank was one great steel man....he and I did quite a few package shows together in the 70's. I tried to talk him in to getting another guitar....but I guess, so far, no luck.

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Be Blessed........HAL
'85 Emmons LeGrande D-10,(8 & 6) Hilton Vol. Pedal, BJS Birthstone bar, Rack w/Evans Pre-amp, Lexicon MPX500; (2)1501-4 BW's in custom built cabs by T.A. Gibson, & Sound Tech PL802 Digital Power Amp.

Smiley Roberts · From: Hendersonville,Tn. 37075

Jerry,
Hank is one of my oldest & dearest friends. In fact Hank's the one that talked me into movin' to NashVILE,& if I ever run into him again,I'm gonna wring his neck!!

Last time I spoke w/ Hank,he was livin' in Fairview,Tn.,& him & his wife were raising "Show Malamutes". Now,I've heard that he's moved to La. or Ms.,& has become a "professional gambler". No verification on that though. Anyway,I'd like to see him again,myself. Hank was never a "speed merchant",but he could play ANY chord,on E9th,that YOU could play on C6th. He was a graduate of Julliard,& knows his stuff. Hope to find him one day. That's the best I can do for you,for now.
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(Well,there ya go Jerry. I guess I don't type as fast as Hal. Thanx for the update,Hal.)
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  ~ ~


  ©¿©  It don't mean a thang,   


  mm   if it ain't got that twang.


       www.ntsga.com

[This message was edited by Smiley Roberts on 20 August 2004 at 02:20 PM.]

[This message was edited by Smiley Roberts on 22 August 2004 at 12:37 PM.]

Earl Erb · From: Old Hickory Tenn

Hank and I played with Jim Ed Brown from 1970 until I got off the road in 1976. He was a great musician and we had a blast working together...we liked to do a lot of pop stuff and fortunately Jim Ed encouraged us to play what we liked.

Hal Higgins · From: Denham Springs, LA

Smiley.....I just started before you did (lol)......Hanks a great guy and an awesome picker for sure....If I happen to run into him again in the Gulfport, MS area, I'll tell him "howdy" for all of you....how's that

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Be Blessed........HAL
'85 Emmons LeGrande D-10,(8 & 6) Hilton Vol. Pedal, BJS Birthstone bar, Rack w/Evans Pre-amp, Lexicon MPX500; (2)1501-4 BW's in custom built cabs by T.A. Gibson, & Sound Tech PL802 Digital Power Amp.

Dave Robbins · From: Cottontown, Tnn. USA (deceased)

Hank could play more C6 stuff on the E9 than most poeple on the C6. I was always amazed with Hank's chord work and knowledge of chords. I ask him once how he could get all that chordwork from an E9 10 stringer and he remarked "Let the Bass player get the bottom note!"

Dave

Jerry Overstreet · From: Louisville Ky

Thanks for the info guys....I'm glad to hear he is doing well. I hate to hear he has quit playing steel altogether though.
Maybe he needs a break after all those years.

Chick Donner · From: North Ridgeville, OH USA

Reference Dave Robbins' post; that was because Hank has a Master's Degree in Music from Julliard and his instrument was bass.

thurlon hopper · From: Elizabethtown Pa. USA

Saw Hank with Little Jimmy Dickens in about 1967 and he sounded out of this world to me
then. They had come to Okinawa on a tour and
were at Camp Courtney EM club. Also had Leon
Sutton on guitar and him and Hank played some wicked stuff, Loved every second of it
and hope that Hank is doing well now. Thanks
for reviving some great memories. TJH

Smiley Roberts · From: Hendersonville,Tn. 37075

When I met him,(w/ "Tater") I believe Gene "Gino" King was playin' guitar. Gino would put the guitar back,behind his head,& pick,while kneeling down on one knee. "Tater" would sit on his other knee,& bounce around,like a "marionette".

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  ~ ~


  ©¿©  It don't mean a thang,   


  mm   if it ain't got that twang.


       www.ntsga.com

Fred Amendola · From: Lancaster, Pa.

I met Hank during DJ Convention in 1975, at "The Wheel." There was a lot of jammin going on. Paul Franklin, Mike Smith, Neil Flanz, Hank and on and on.
One afternoon in the Wheel, he talked me into bringing my steel in and get my feet wet. I had only been playin a couple years and was nervous. Hank was very complimentary on my playing and a really friendly guy. I always remembered and appreciated that.

Ron Elliott · From: Madison, Tennessee, USA

I met Hank when he was with Tater,..we used to watch him sitting behind the steel, little short legs and arms, little puggy body and I named him "FROG", the name stuck with him as all his close friends know. I love Hank, he's a good musician and a great friend. Lynn Owsley stays in touch him...he probably has a better insight on Hanks "doings". I know he's playing some cards and raising & selling his dogs. Ron

Doyle Weigold · From: CColumbia City, IN, USA

Smiley, you mentioned Gino King. He was with Little Jimmy Dickens in Topeka Ind. way back. Is he still around? I know this thread is about Hank that I remember and respect very much,but was curios when you brought up King's name Doyle

Jerry Overstreet · From: Louisville Ky

Ron, interesting post re: the nickname. I remember noticing that Hank's guitar was shorter than Weldon's on the Opry that I referred to.
Smiley, 'preciate all the history so far..as to the slow typing, that's OK, I don't read very fast anyway. You can see
it's taken me nearly 3 days to get this far!
Dave, please keep us posted on the happenings when you play the Opry...a lot of us don't get it on TV anymore and you guys that play it are our only link. Thanks all..looking forward to more Hank info. JO

Smiley Roberts · From: Hendersonville,Tn. 37075

Doyle,
Last time I saw Gino was a couple o' years ago,in St. Louis,at the SGHOF show. I don't know what his problem was,but he was "bloated",& was in a wheelchair. Almost didn't recognize him.

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  ~ ~


  ©¿©  It don't mean a thang,   


  mm   if it ain't got that twang.


       www.ntsga.com

R. E. Klaus · From: Montana, USA

Hank was one of my mentors when I lived in Nashville about 4 lifetimes ago. What really made his ablity to get so much out of the E9th special is how "limited" his setup was. To reduce detuning problems, his setup did not raise and lower the same string. If he raised a string he would not lower it. I lost contact with him when I left Nashville. I heard from some one that he quit playing because his hands hurt so bad that he couldn't play for more that a half hour or so.

Hank was working on an album. Does anyone know if he ever finished it?

R.E.

[This message was edited by R. E. Klaus on 22 August 2004 at 03:48 PM.]

Tiny Olson · From: Mohawk River Valley, Upstate NY

Hank played in a band in the Hudson Valley region of NY State before he went to Nashville. A few years after he moved away the band, which had been steel-less since his departure, hired me as their steelman. I was a teenager, in High School at the time. Shortly thereafter I too departed for Nashville.

I actually didn't meet Hank 'til the mid 70s when he was working for Jim Ed and I for Gene. We became friends right away.

Hank plays so great and he is a really good guy. Always played stuff that fit and with a super solid tone.

And you're right Dave, he does a ton of C6 type stuff on a standard, 10 string E9 guitar with 3 pedals and 3 knee-levers.

Chris "Tiny" Olson

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