1977 steel guitar players

Herb Steiner · Post by **Herb Steiner** » 26 Jul 2009 8:15 am

Thanks, Mike. I thought it was Dumplin', but it was 32 years ago, and the mem'ry cells sometimes don't shine so bright anymore.

I do remember Paul from that year's DJ convention, because that's when I met him and he and Mike Smith told me to put a D string on #1 on C6 "if I wanted to play modern music or in a minor key."

Al Marcus · Post by **Al Marcus** » 26 Jul 2009 8:18 am

Herb-Thanks for Jogging my memory a bit about Tom Bradshaw. I do remember him in the SGHOF.

Closing in on age 88, I stiil remember the history of steel guitar in my memories, but slip up once in awhile. If I remember, Smiley was in the one week advanced Teacher's class with me at Jeff Newman's in Nashville in June 1977. Just a great bunch of guys, I was the oldest player there at 55.

Tommy White, I remember when you were a young 15 and when playing your terrific LP, of those jazz tunes, I thought Geez, this guy is Goood. I still got the LP.....al.

Hook Moore · Post by **Hook Moore** » 26 Jul 2009 8:29 am

Al, you were right about Tommy, he is good. :):)
Hook

Tom Bradshaw · Post by **Tom Bradshaw** » 26 Jul 2009 10:45 am

The 23rd picture in the series (the fellow with the mustache and holding up what looks like an effects device), is Melvyn T. Reiter of Brooklyn, NY. He's holding what he claims to be the smallest steel guitar in the world. He could have been correct. I did a feature story on him in the last issue (No. 6/7) of Steel Guitarist magazine. Melvyn was an interesting and nice guy with the need for an ego-boost. I satiated that for him by doing the article on his "invention".

The 16th and the last picture in the series is of Pat Brunnemer. Pat was a student of the three Harlen Brothers (who invented and built the Multi-Kord pedal steel)and is the foremost authority on the history of this firm.

The Harlen Brothers did far more for the instrument than just invent the pedal guitar. I've always felt (and have advocated) that those brothers be inducted into the Steel Guitar Hall of Fame. I would think that their inventing the pedal steel, alone, would be sufficient enough to qualify them for induction, but they also operated (for years!) a school for the players of the steel guitar and subsequently of their pedal steel invention. ...Tom

James Stewart Jr · Post by **James Stewart Jr** » 26 Jul 2009 7:17 pm

PRICELESS !!!!!!!!!!!!!!! James,Jr.

DeWitt Scott · Post by **DeWitt Scott** » 27 Jul 2009 2:45 pm

Goodness. What a fun time seeing those old photos of the early days of the steel guitar shows. I don't remember me ever being that slim except when I married Mary 57 years ago and I had a 29" waist! I see Check Beekley on his 14 string Sho Bud. What a player he is.

I have old photos dating back to the 1940's. But mostly photos from the 1950's to todays date.They will probably goe the same route as the many, many hours of live steel recordings I have on reel to reel, cassettes, mini disk, DAT, CD, VHS videos and now on DVD videos. They will just deterate as time goes goes by or simply get thrown out or as Mary always has said, "I will have Scotty buried in an oversize Peavey box will all the above items in it". Oh my...Scotty

Augustus Odell · Post by **Augustus Odell** » 27 Jul 2009 4:15 pm

All the pictures from 2-25 were taken at the Ramada Inn in Nashville Tn. June 8, 1977. I will post the names of the steel guitar players in order within the next few days.

Chris LeDrew · Post by **Chris LeDrew** » 27 Jul 2009 6:37 pm

Incredible pics! Wow.....

My question, however, is.....how did Cope manage to get all these players off on the same night, especially during the summer??

Glenn Suchan · Post by **Glenn Suchan** » 28 Jul 2009 5:32 am

I think the 11th picture in the series is Blake Fourgerouse (sp). He was a student of Zane Beck, following in Randy Beavers' footsteps. Randy can verify my guess. I've often wondered what happened to Blake, as I never hear anything about his pickin' exploits. As a boy, he played excellently in duets with Zane.

Keep on pickin'!
Glenn

Jim Cohen · Post by **Jim Cohen** » 28 Jul 2009 5:38 am

Here ya go. The internet is an amazing thing...

http://www.zoominfo.com/people/Fougerou ... 37605.aspx

Glenn Suchan · Post by **Glenn Suchan** » 28 Jul 2009 5:48 am

Cool!

Thanks, Jim!

Keep on pickin'!
Glenn

Larry King · Post by **Larry King** » 28 Jul 2009 6:17 am

Glenn.....I spoke with Blake in 2000 [I think}, asking him to cover a job with us. At that time , he explained that he was on "staff" at a Baptist church in Rogers , Ar . His agreement with the church and his personal conviction kept him from playing any place that served alcohol. My feelings were of regret and respect, both at the same time.

Bob Maickel · Post by **Bob Maickel** » 28 Jul 2009 3:21 pm

Neat display of photos and it was a terrific convention. I attended, but #23 is not me as Tom Bradshaw explained, it was Melvin from Brooklyn.(I guess all us NYers look alike)If the list were from 1978 A photo of me might have been visible since it was the first year I played on the ISGC program and for some unexplainable reason my set made the 11 pm TV news that day.

Joe Finley · Post by **Joe Finley** » 28 Jul 2009 6:18 pm

Yep Glen that is Blake.
I first met Zane and Blake around this time.
What a picker. Blake and I never got to play on the same stage but heard each other and visited about Zane's tuning. He was one of the first to be brought up playing the tuning. His last playing job was at the show in Eureka Springs before and went to bass at the church.

Henry · Post by **Henry** » 29 Jul 2009 11:42 am

Russ Wever · Post by **Russ Wever** » 29 Jul 2009 11:55 am

Henry ~
Left-to-right:
Russ Wever, Jelle Biel, Koos Biel, ? ,
Gabe from the Netherlands, ? , Scotty .
The pic is too fuzzy to
get a bead on the ? guys.
The year, late '76 or '77.
~Russ

Scott Hay · Post by **Scott Hay** » 29 Jul 2009 6:12 pm

What a line up!!!!

..... apparently I need a vest.

Craig A Davidson · Post by **Craig A Davidson** » 30 Jul 2009 4:45 am

Isn't the one pic of the big guy with the beard and you can't see all his face Jimmy Vest? There is a V in the initials on the front of his guitar.

Brian McGaughey · Post by **Brian McGaughey** » 30 Jul 2009 6:50 am

Who's the fellow in the 3rd pic?

And is the guy wearing the headset mic Jeff Newman?

Russ Wever · Post by **Russ Wever** » 30 Jul 2009 9:34 am

Third pic is Scotty
and Jeff Newman is
wearing the headset.
~Russ

Augustus Odell · Post by **Augustus Odell** » 30 Jul 2009 1:06 pm

Here they are [1-Jimmy Yates , Little Jimmy Dickens, Me][2- Me and Jimmy day][3-Scotty Dewitt][4-Mike Smith][5-Paul Franklin][6- Big Jim Vest][7- Mike Smith][8- Paul Franklin][9- Paul Franklin][10- Zane Beck][11- Blake Fourgerouse ][ 12- Buddy Emmons][13-Shot Jackson][14- Doug Jerrigan][15- LLoyd Green][ 16- Pat Brunnemer][17-Randy Beavers][18-Hal Rugg][19- Jimmy Day][20- Jimmy Day and Buddy Emmons on bass][21 Check Beekley][22-Jimmy Crawford][23-MelReiter][24-Jeff Newman][25-Pat Brunnemer} I will tell you more soon .Gus

Cal Sharp · Post by **Cal Sharp** » 30 Jul 2009 1:39 pm

That's Jan Jones drumming behind Vest, and maybe Hank Whitesell w/Chick... Might be Charlie Watts, though.

Larry Hutchison · Post by **Larry Hutchison** » 30 Jul 2009 6:14 pm

Gus,

My friend, these are absolutely Priceless. I believe that is Jan Jones, playing drums with Big Jim Vest. Jan Played bass with Whitey and I in Port Huron.

Thanks for the great photos

Larry Hutchison
Peoria, Illinois

Theresa Galbraith · Post by **Theresa Galbraith** » 31 Jul 2009 4:36 am

I didn't see Mike Smith.

Jim Cohen · Post by **Jim Cohen** » 31 Jul 2009 5:26 am

I would have sworn that #21 was Johnny Cox. Oh well.

The Steel Guitar Forum

1977 steel guitar players

It's Melvyn T Reiter

Photos

Classic pix from 1977

St.Louis 1977