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Topic: Ray Montee Is Here |
Jeff Au Hoy
From:
Honolulu, Hawai'i
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Posted 13 Sep 2004 5:29 pm |
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Last edited by Jeff Au Hoy on 13 Sep 2019 3:03 am; edited 1 time in total |
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Ron Whitfield
From:
Kaaawa, Hawaii, USA
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Posted 13 Sep 2004 6:15 pm
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Great post and pix, Jeff! If that doesn't get a bunch of SGF'ers on a plane to the islands, I don't know what will.
It was a dream of mine to have these one time SGF adversaries get to this point, and it has materialised beyond belief. I give them both a lot of credit for getting past the BS, and now it looks like we'll have to turn on the hose to seperate them!
Jeff was really cool by setting it up for Ray at the Ilikai, bringing an old Mag amp just as Ray requested, and then had beautiful leis at the ready for him and Sally, Ray's wife. Class acts all around!
Ray deffinitely has the 'right stuff', and showed it that night, even tho the odds were against him. He done good. And what a lucious tone Ray get's out of his once broke neck Rick, yum! I don't know what he did last night (he wasn't at the Marriott for Martin Pahinui and Bobby Ingano), but I hope he get's in a lot of lix while he's here. He deserves it.
While it looks as tho Ray won't get to meet face to face with Jerry Byrd this time (Jerry is going into surgery soon, or already has), Jerry did surprise Ray with a phone call to him at the hotel, and it made Ray's whole trip worthwhile.
Stay tuned!
5-0
[This message was edited by Ron Whitfield on 13 September 2004 at 07:18 PM.] |
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George Keoki Lake
From:
Edmonton, AB., Canada
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Posted 13 Sep 2004 7:04 pm
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Glad you guys are giving him the Aloha Spirit in a BIG way. I have never met Ray in person, but I'm sure we will indeed meet someday soon as he lives just down the street from me....yes, it is a long street from Edmonton to Portland ! Ray plays a very sweet "jb" style of steel with touches of Murph if you ever get him going. I wish I had a tone like his, but unfortunately it's my name on the driver's license, not his. Auwe!
Have fun Skip...the days go by far too quickly in lalaland.  |
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Mike Neer
From:
NJ
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Posted 13 Sep 2004 7:20 pm
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| That's really sweet guys!!! |
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Gerald Ross
From:
Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
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Posted 13 Sep 2004 7:33 pm
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Yay Ray!
Nice aloha spirit Jeff!
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Gerald Ross
'Northwest Ann Arbor, Michigan's King Of The Hawaiian Steel Guitar'
Gerald's Fingerstyle Guitar Website
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Jeff Strouse
From:
Jacksonville, Florida, USA
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Posted 13 Sep 2004 8:17 pm
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Ray, I hope you and the Mrs. have a wonderful time in paradise!!!!
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Kenny Dail
From:
Kinston, N.C. R.I.P.
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Posted 14 Sep 2004 4:46 am
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Jeff...tell Ray his old friend Kenny Dail is envious of his playing ability and all the bouquets he is getting. Couldn't happen to a nicer guy. Tell Ray and Sally hello for me.
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kd...and the beat goes on...
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Pete Burak
From:
Portland, OR USA
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Posted 14 Sep 2004 6:40 am
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Go Ray!
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Michael Misetich
From:
Irving, Texas, USA
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Posted 19 Sep 2004 6:53 pm
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As a youngster in Portland, OR in the early 1960s, I took non-pedal steel and standard guitar lessions from the same teacher; one half hour of guitar and a half hour of steel lessions every Saturday.
The local steel player whose smooth Jerry Byrd influenced style I attempted to copy was a guy named Ray Montee. Every week I watched and listened to Ray play his Bigsby quad on the "Circle 8 Hoedown" television program behind a front man named Heck Harper. Harper was the local "star".
In 1963 Harper's band, including Ray backed the first half of one of the largest Opry package shows ever to hit Portland.
Carl Smith, George Jones, Carl Butler, Webb Pierce were just a few of the artist on the show that played for over 15,000 fans.
Ray played all of the intros, breaks and fills virtually note for note off of the stars' records. I was in the front row and watched every lick.
What made Ray different from the high profile, Nashville steel players of the day was that he did not abandon the Byrd influenced style and take up the "whiney",
"twist the cat's tail" pedal sound that was in vogue at the time.
My steel teacher told me that when I became good enough to play regular gigs there wouldn't be any place to play a non-pedal steel, unless I planned to move to Hawaii.
But, there was Ray Montee and he was on television, and I wanted to play just like him. Jerry Byrd, Bud Issacs, Speedy West, Don Helms and Roy Wiggins were all my favorites. But they lived and worked far away. Ray was local and I could see/listen to him every week.
Many years later while in the Northwest on business, I decided to see if Ray Montee was still around Portland. I called the number in the book and, sure enough, it was Ray Montee.
Ray turned out to be one of the nicest people that I have met in the steel guitar community, and I am please to call him my friend. Also, after all these years, he still had that smooth as silk touch.
A few years later, I located a pre-war 7 string Rickenbacker in a local Portland music store and called Ray. When the store manager found that it was Ray Montee, Heck Harper's steel player buying it he knocked $50 off of the price.
That started something since today Ray has a room full of Ricks.
Ray, here's hoping you have a great time pickin'and grinnin'in the Islands.
Please e-mail me when you return. |
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Jeff Au Hoy
From:
Honolulu, Hawai'i
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Posted 20 Sep 2004 11:04 am
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Last edited by Jeff Au Hoy on 13 Sep 2019 3:04 am; edited 1 time in total |
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Bob Hickish
From:
Port Ludlow, Washington, USA, R.I.P.
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Posted 23 Sep 2004 5:25 pm
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Jef
Keep us posted on Ray's music
over there , he has fans over here
to . if you get a chance to visit
with him ! ask him about his time
as an Airline pilot .
BH |
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Jeff Strouse
From:
Jacksonville, Florida, USA
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Posted 24 Sep 2004 8:56 pm
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Well, now that Ray is back, everyone check out the sound clip at the bottom of this page before he has a chance to update the best fan site on the web.
Ray, that is some great singin' and beautiful steel playin'! This is what good country music is all about, IMHO.
http://www.jerrybyrdfanclub.com/AboutRay.htm
I wish I could have been there to hear you in Hawaii!
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