Earl Clark

[b0b]

Anyone from Texas know a guy named Earl Clark? There's a good article about him in the Mineral Wells Index

[Mark Edwards]

Bob I met Earl Clark when he walked into the hat store I was managing about 3 years ago. He was wanting to buy a hat he could wear playing in his bluegrass band. I had just started playing the steel guitar about 3 months before and after speaking with him found out that he had played for Brad Paisley and several other well knowns in the past, and also had done some studio work in Nashville. I just happened to have my steel in the truck and what was supposed to be about a half hour shopping trip for him turned into a 3 hour lesson right there in the store.

Earl is one of the nicest, funniest individuals I have met and a pretty darn good musician. From the way he tells it, he got fed up with the Nashville scene, sold all his gear came back home to Mineral Wells, Texas. Picked up the mandolin and started a bluegrass band, plus opening a recording studio and has made it into a very promising and professional busy studio.

We have kept in touch since that first meeting, and he has been kind enough to show me some of the licks and tricks he remembers from the steel guitar. He's a little rusty but he's still got it and can smoke it on the steel as well as on the mandolin. Earl coached me through some of my first gigs, giving me words of encouragement and his (humorous) insight as to what to expect and what to do in certain situations i.e. if you screw up, throw up your hands, snap your head toward the lead guitar player and mouth "what the hell was that"....Earl is a good egg and has the compassion to help others in the music industry. Bob I'm glad you brought him up. If ever any of ya'll are down North Texas way look Earl Clark up at the "Ancient Tone Studio" he'll keep you laughing and informed.

[Bill Simmons]

Thanks Bob for the info. I wondered where he went. When Earl quit playing the steel about 5-6 years ago, I bought his beautiful blue laquer Mullen D-10. Great playing steel. When I picked up the steel, he already had some very nice recording...you could tell he really like the recording side of music.

[pdlstl]

Wow! I know this thread is 3 years old but I had never seen it until someone sent me link to it today.

Thanks Mark and Bill for the kind words! Mark if you're still around W'ford, give me a call. 817/874/9811/ Are you still playing?

Bill, did you buy my custom Pal-A-Seat also?

I'm still alive and kicking in Mineral Wells. Still fronting Blue Valley Bluegrass and running the studio.

The greatest thing thing about switching to mandolin is, no more:

Pedal steel
2 Nashville 400's
80 lb. rack
Pak-A-Seat

Now when I have a gig, it's just a tiny little mandolin case! My right arm has just about shrunk back to it's normal length!

Thanks guys!

Earl Clark