New Music Show In Pigeon Forge, TN with Herby Wallace

Herby Wallace · Post by **Herby Wallace** » 28 May 2002 2:34 pm

Well I can't believe it but I finally landed a music theatre here in Pigeon Forge willing to add steel guitar and I don't have to play or try to play other instruments just to get the job! I know I have a bad attitude, but that's just the way it is!

Anyhow, if any of you happen to be in this area, I will be playing at Southern Nights Theatre seven nights a week starting this Saturday, June 1st. I have been rehearsing and I do think it will be a good show. There are several good singers in the show and my bass player buddy, Ben Brogdon is also going to be playing. The show will offer a wide variety of music, including traditional country, western swing, gospel and even some pop standards. The theatre is located right on the Parkway in Pigeon Forge. The show starts at 8:00 p.m.

I will still be taking off from time to time for steel guitar show.

Herby Wallace

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Frank Estes · Post by **Frank Estes** » 28 May 2002 2:39 pm

Great news!!! So, I guess this means you can cancel all those banjo lessons now!

JB Arnold · Post by **JB Arnold** » 28 May 2002 3:39 pm

Hi Herby!

Amen,Amen, Amen.....See, this willmake a nice tag to that article we worked on in Dallas....

JB

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Fulawka D-10 9&5
Mullen Royal Precision D-10 8 & 5
"All in all, looking back, I'd have to say the best advice anyone ever gave me was 'Hands Up, Don't Move!"
www.johnbarnold.com/pedalsteel
www.buddycage.net

Larry Bell · Post by **Larry Bell** » 28 May 2002 4:26 pm

Great news, Herby
I couldn't believe it when we were packing up at the Michigan show and Ben told me about that sad state of affairs. Musicians of your quality should never have a problem finding work. You're both tops in my book.

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Larry Bell - email: larry@larrybell.org - gigs - Home Page
2000 Fessenden S-12 8x8, 1969 Emmons S-12 6x6, 1971 Emmons D-10 9x9, 1971 Dobro

Buck Grantham · Post by **Buck Grantham** » 28 May 2002 5:54 pm

That's great Herby !!!! And you really got a great bass man too. Wish I could be up there to hear you all play. Tell Ben hello for us.

Bob Cox · Post by **Bob Cox** » 28 May 2002 6:34 pm

They should feel lucky to have been blessed with one of the finest in the buisness.I already no what the best show will be bar none.Your Da Man!!

George Kimery · Post by **George Kimery** » 28 May 2002 6:43 pm

Congrats, Herby. I will definately be there to hear you. I have a good friend, David Fee, that is just now opening another theater in Pigeon Forge. For a second, I thought you might had landed a gig there. It is called the Black Bear Jamboree Dinner Theater and Show. I spent some time with David and he explained the show to me. It sounds like it will be good food and a great show with something for everybody. Sort of a mix between a Country Bear Jamboree, comedy variety acts, and a live musical show. David owns the Comedy Barn and has been very successful, so this is his 2nd Theater venture in Pigeon Forge. He had Charlie King playing acoustic guitar, keyboards, and steel in the Comedy Barn, but according to Charlie, made him quit playing steel because he didn't want him sitting down on stage!!!! The exception is the drummer, and he is on a riser behind glass!!!

Vernon Hester · Post by **Vernon Hester** » 28 May 2002 10:51 pm

Good news Herby, We will be back up there in a fews weeks, looking foward to hearing you. About time they put the Steel Guitar back in the shows. It is bad news if you are going there to hear some Steel Guitar, some of those folk treat it as a no- no instrument.
Vern

Pat Jenkins · Post by **Pat Jenkins** » 29 May 2002 3:45 am

Hey Herby, fantastic news. Hopefully we'll be down in the next little bit to take in the show. congratulations and "Break a leg". Pat

Bob Hayes · Post by **Bob Hayes** » 29 May 2002 3:52 am

Herby,
That's GREAT NEWS for you and Ben.(But Can Ben Smoke that CEEGAR on the Stage??) You know that your my main Idol and I hope good freind...And that venue will save you GALLONS of GAS....But on the other hand ..It's almost like a day job!!!!! How are you going to handle that!!! All kiding aside...With my season pass at Dollywood..I'll be over there often to come in and listen to my gerue..Maybe I can pick up a few licks..if you ever get down to normal speed pickin!!!!
Any way Congrats..and I guess we won't see you at Mountain City!!!
Bob Hayes..the (not so) Grouchyvet

Louie Hallford · Post by **Louie Hallford** » 29 May 2002 8:17 am

Great news,and its about time. Now I will come back to Pigeon Forge/Gatlinburg.

Missed you at Tulsa.

Wayne Morgan · Post by **Wayne Morgan** » 29 May 2002 8:39 am

Herby congrats,
Thats a real plus for me, I'm only 40 minutes away. See you there,,,,,,,,,,
Wayne

Keith Hilton · Post by **Keith Hilton** » 29 May 2002 8:51 am

I am happy for you Herby, it could not happen to a nicer person. Most shows care more about how many instruments you play, rather than how good you are on a particular instrument. In far to many cases, all that is required is a "warm" body setting there behind a steel guitar. This show "now" has a "REAL" steel guitar player, instead of a warm body that sings, dances and doubles on banjo.[This message was edited by Keith Hilton on 29 May 2002 at 09:52 AM.]

Hal Higgins · Post by **Hal Higgins** » 29 May 2002 10:13 am

Herby...congratulations on the new gig. I wish you the best..You're a great player, and deserve this....take care and be blessed. HAL HIGGINS

Herby Wallace · Post by **Herby Wallace** » 29 May 2002 1:54 pm

Well, I appreciate all the great comments about the new job in Pigeon Forge. You know as I've said before, many people think I have a bad attitude, but I honestly have never had a problem finding a music job until the past 3 or 4 years, and like Keith Hilton said, it doesn't seem to matter how one plays, but how many instruments you can play or how young you are or how you look on stage. Since I am 54, am overweight and have gray hair probably makes a difference.

Anyhow maybe this will work out and I am getting to play quite a bit, of course, still no instrumentals in the show though.

George, speaking of David Fee and the Black Bear Jamboree, Ben Brogdon and I both auditioned for that job and I spoke with David Fee and Charlie King both, but it didn't do any good. Charlie at first talked like I had the job and then they never called back. I guess I need to practice a little more!

Herby Wallace

P.S. So the Black Bear Jamboree is another new show that won't have steel guitar. Same old story. I still don't know why they didn't hire Ben. I guess he is too old and doesn't look good enough in jeans!

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Tom Pickett Jr · Post by **Tom Pickett Jr** » 29 May 2002 1:55 pm

Congrats herby, dido what everyone has said,my concern was you might be losing some licks or speed, you know just sittin' around. LOL wish you and yours the best

Steve Feldman · Post by **Steve Feldman** » 29 May 2002 2:29 pm

Since I am 54, am overweight and have gray hair probably makes a difference.

Have you thought about getting a couple of tattoos?

JACK HEERN · Post by **JACK HEERN** » 29 May 2002 6:41 pm

Herby;
I never thought of you as being overweight. If you were 6ft 11 inches tall it might help. I also resent you refering to the albino hair as GREY because I have albino hair also, what there is left. I too am not tall enough. Oh well, so much for pumping you up. Congrats on the gig and getting to work with Ben !! They couldn't have done beter on bass. How long should I wait be fore I hit you for a loan?... Can't think of anything good to say about your steel playing....Dad always said if you can't say something good to keep still.

Jack

Keith Hilton · Post by **Keith Hilton** » 29 May 2002 6:59 pm

Life is full of discrimination because of age, tattoos, or because you don't have a pretty face. I saw a lot of employment discrimination when I came home in 1970 a service connected disabled Vietnam Veteran. I learned not to let discrimination bother me. I am 58, ugly, and proud of it! My wife finally talked me into coloring my hair, losing weight, saying more people would be calling for me to play music with them. Since coloring my hair and losing weight I havn't had more calls to play music! I do feel better with the weight loss. Because of the black shoe polish I use on my hair, I have to be really careful when it rains--HERBY!

Kurt Graber · Post by **Kurt Graber** » 29 May 2002 7:45 pm

Bad Attitude??
Lets face it Herby, you have dedicated your life to this instrument. For those of us that have seen you perform know that you do it all and can play anything. When you are at the top of your profession, whether a athlete, business professional or whatever, the compensation/jobs should not be a problem. I have no problem seeing your frustration. Yea, you deserve to vent a little and I hardly call it a bad attitude.
Glad to see you landed the gig, but the bottom line is you deserved it.

Neil Flanz · Post by **Neil Flanz** » 30 May 2002 7:10 am

Herby, CONGRATULATIONS!!!! I know when I saw you last week how dissappointed you were about them wanting a utility player. Wishing you all the best!

John Hughey · Post by **John Hughey** » 30 May 2002 6:20 pm

Hey Herby,
Man, I'm so proud for you and Ben. I hope Jean and I can get off up there to see you.
Jean says congrats and she's proud for you as long as you don't miss too many steel shows. She says that she won't have anyone to "boss"!!!!LOL.
Anyway, we are glad for you and Ben and hope it works out to be a pleasurable and lasting job. Take care and hope to see you soon.
John & Jean Hughey

Walter Haynes · Post by **Walter Haynes** » 30 May 2002 7:28 pm

Herby,
Glad somebody realized there was a great steel man in Pigeon Forge. Guess my 5 years at Memories probably soured their taste for steel guitar! Anyway, when we get up that way we'll certainly drop in for the show. Smoke 'em my friend. God Bless-----

Walter Haynes

Walter Jones · Post by **Walter Jones** » 30 May 2002 7:28 pm

Way to go Herbie and tell Bennie that Karen and I says Howdey. Now here is the way around the grey hair situation. One time we had to apply for new ID cards for the Fire Dept here in Athens. I filled out the hair color as Silver, I was called in the office by the Fire Chief and he explained that silver was not a hair color and quickly gave me the colors I could choose from. Being somewhat of a maverick I listened intently and then asked him if he was going to put "bald" on his ID card. End of the office visit, end of story and from then on my ID card listed hair color as "Silver".

I hope we can make it down this summer to see you guys, have a good one.

Bob Hayes · Post by **Bob Hayes** » 31 May 2002 5:52 am

Herby,
I forgot to ask...how are you going to DANCE when you're sitting down in Back of that Mulins? And I have never seen Ben Stand up...let alone Dance!!!!!