R.I.P. Tommy Harvell

Bobby Rountree · Post by **Bobby Rountree** » 11 Dec 2009 3:49 pm

Tommy Harvell, long time bass player for Hoyle Nix and later Jody Nix, passed away Tuesday Dec 8th, in a San Angelo hospital.
A Memorial service will be held at a later date.
I never met a person that loved to "pick" any better than Tommy....any time any place. He loved Bob Wills music, and knew everything Bob recorded and all his musicians.
Tommy is survived by his wife,Elsie, and two sons.

Fred Shannon · Post by **Fred Shannon** » 11 Dec 2009 4:32 pm

Well Tree, I'm just devastated. You know 'TRex" and i had a special relationship. He was the one that put me on to steel in 1948. He wanted to play bass and man could he play bass. Nearly came up to your speed. I haven't heard from Jody yet, but he'll be calling soon. I hope the benefit for TRex is the biggest Texas can put on. He certainly deserves it. Now all the Harvell's are gone. Just kills me.

phred

Bob Tuttle · Post by **Bob Tuttle** » 23 Dec 2009 11:36 am

I've been out of town for a couple of weeks and just saw this. I played a lot of gigs with Tommy over the past fifteen years or so. He was one of a kind. He hated to take intermissions. He always said "I came to pick, not to take breaks". Rest in peace old friend.

Dugg Collins · Post by **Dugg Collins** » 26 Dec 2009 5:36 pm

Tommy was a very nice man and very talented. Jody told me he worked several positions in Hoyle's band. He will be missed.

Danny Letz · Post by **Danny Letz** » 27 Dec 2009 4:10 pm

Didn't Tommy play some steel? I could swear I saw Hoyle while I was in college in Lubbock and I think it was Tommy on steel with either a guitar or a tenor banjo proped up against the steel. I know he could play mucho plenty bass.

Fred Shannon · Post by **Fred Shannon** » 27 Dec 2009 6:49 pm

Tommy could play mucho steel guitar. I have the old 6 string Rickenbacker he was using while he was playing steel with Uncle Hoyle. I've had it reconditioned and the chrome parts redone. It looks like a new one now. I worked with Tommy and his brother Noel Jr., known as "FatBoy", one heck of a drummer. Tommy was better known as a bass picker but he could play several instruments. Never saw him on fiddle; disgression better part of valor when he was with Senor Nix.

phred