Red Rhodes Steel Guitar Rag, 1963

Dave Zirbel · Post by **Dave Zirbel** » 2 Feb 2010 6:04 am

Was Red playing a Fender steel at the time and on the Lp Steel Guitar Rag?

thanks
Dave

Herb Steiner · Post by **Herb Steiner** » 2 Feb 2010 6:32 am

Yes, most definitely. I used to watch him on TV all the time during those years.

Dave Zirbel · Post by **Dave Zirbel** » 2 Feb 2010 6:36 am

Thank you Herb!

John Bresler · Post by **John Bresler** » 2 Feb 2010 7:28 am

Dave:

Red's Fender steel is still being used in gigs around the Grants Pass, Oregon area. I saw it being played with the door hinge knee lever's and all.

I forgot Al's last name, but he is a forum member and was a good friend of Red's.

Dave Zirbel · Post by **Dave Zirbel** » 3 Feb 2010 6:22 am

What TV shows was he on Herb? Wonder if there is any footage on youtube.

Stephen Silver · Post by **Stephen Silver** » 3 Feb 2010 6:39 am

I recall seeing Red on Cliffie Stones Town Hall Party way back then.

SS

Billy Tonnesen · Post by **Billy Tonnesen** » 3 Feb 2010 10:49 pm

Red played T.V. shows with Gene Davis from the T.V. Studio. I can't remember the year but he had me fill in for him when he went on vacation for two weeks at the Palomino and the Studio T.V. show. The T.V. show might have been sponsered by Cal Worthington, the car dealer. Red was playing a Fender 1000 at this time.

Stephen Silver · Post by **Stephen Silver** » 3 Feb 2010 10:58 pm

ah Cal Worthington.....I'll eat a bug if you don't buy this car.

What a character. I grew up in Huntington Park where his dealership was (I think it was up on Slauson Ave....go to the fork in the road and cut off your Slauson!)

ss

Herb Steiner · Post by **Herb Steiner** » 4 Feb 2010 7:37 am

Red was with Gene Davis on the Sunday afternoon 3-hour extravaganza, "Cal's Corral," sponsored by Cal Worthington. Cal also sponsored the 1/2 hour weeknight show "Country Music Time," but if memory serves, Carl Walden was the steel player and Norm Whistler was the fiddler/bandleader.

Billy T., correct me if I have the steel player wrong for the weeknight show.

Billy Tonnesen · Post by **Billy Tonnesen** » 4 Feb 2010 1:37 pm

Herb:
It is getting harder for me isolate when things and people happened back in the 50's and 60's.
I do remember when I subbed for Red at the Palomino for two weeks, a fine young singer named Jerry Inman had won a Palomina talent show and got to sing with the band for the time I was there. Jerry went on to get a band of his own and did some recording. I think he worked for a time at the old "Red Barrel" in Hawaiian Gardens, Ca.

Jason Odd · Post by **Jason Odd** » 9 Feb 2010 5:49 am

Dave,

I see those Red Rhodes Crown LPs are often listed as early 60s to mid 60s LPs. However, judging from the catalogue number of them, and compared to other Crown titles within the numerical sequence, ie close to the same numbers, they are most likely 1964 to 1965 releases.
Also, the Crown imprint seems to have been mostly inactive through 1966, and the label tended to get artists to record as much material as possible.
Eg, for the related Custom label (Crown and Custom were budget subsiduraries of the Modern label) Red Rhodes & The Detours recorded three albums in one day in 1968.

I wouldn't put anything later than '65. Red is listed as a ZB customer in 1965, but it's fair to say that the bulk of the Crown material predates that purchase. One might suppose there’s a good chance that Red did not receive the guitar until the following year due to the turnaround time on these custom steels.

Prior to the ZB, Red worked with Fender steels, when he upgraded his Fender one was sold directly to Al Gershen, who is indeed the fellow who relocated to Oregon, and no doubt the very person that John Bresler refers to earlier in this topic.

Herb Steiner is of course right in his observation in regards to Red using his Fender on television, he used it on television shows Cal's Corral, Country Music Time (listed as a cast member with the Gene Davis band in December of 1963), Star Route, the obscure Hollywood Jamboree and the super obscure Country A-Go Go, which supposedly aired on a New York station in 1965.
As Herb noted, the cast for Country Music Time changed, and Red wasn't on there as much as say, Cal's Corral. neither Country Music Time, or Cal's was taped, so no luck there. None of the other shows had much success, Star Route was probably the most successful, first filmed in a couple of pilot episodes in the early 60s, then a whole batch of episodes in 1964. Molly Bee who'd been a part of the first pilot episode was set to host the show in pre-production in late '63, but by 1964 the show featured Rod cameron as host, the Gene Davis as bandleader, and regulars The Collins Kids and Glen Campbell on each episode. As it was filmed in Canada and Hollywood, there were two different house bands, Gene Davis led them all, the west coast version was the core of the Palomino band with Red Rhodes on steel.

Ths show was taped and intended for syndication, but never took of. People who tape TV shows have various episodes of Star Route, which was edited into a film with a new host filmed to link the musical segments. The show was a variety type, with a featured star in each episode.

A look on youtube will produce clips taken from the Hank Thompson episode, usually a Wanda Jackson and Bob Wills clip as well.
The Roger Miller episode is a must-see, and highlights can be seen here: http://www.rogermiller.com/video.html

This episode of Star Route seems to be a total west coast production, so it's Red and the whole Gene Davis gang, there's a poolisde chat with Roger Miller and his then manager Lee Hazelwood, it's a whole bunch of fun really.

Star Route aired as late as 1965, but they hadn't even filmed all the planned episodes in 1964, it just didn't sell like they'd obviously hoped.
I've never seen Hollywood Jamboree from late '64.. but once again the Gene Davis band with Red, was the house band. Episodes used to appear on trade lists, but back then I never traded as the US and Australia had different video formats.

And on a last note, Billy I would assume that Jerry Inman's prize winning streak at the Palomino and his guest shot is how he ended up in the Pal' band in 1962-1965.. (less some time when he left for a spell to push his solo records). Jerry did have the band at the Red Barrel, 1965-1967, a brief stint back at the Pal' in '67 when Red led the band, he worked with Johnny Western's roadshow in '69, the Ace's Club on and off in 1970-71 and of course led the Palomino Club house band in the mid 70s.

J.

Herb Steiner · Post by **Herb Steiner** » 9 Feb 2010 7:17 am

Jason, my friend, you are truly amazing! Happy b'day, btw.

Jason Odd · Post by **Jason Odd** » 10 Feb 2010 3:52 am

thanks for the b-day wishes Herb, I don't get around to the forum much these days, but when I do, usually I see an interesting topic. This time, two different posts on Red Rhodes.. very cool.

Did you hear that one of Red's and Jay Dee's protge's Ethan Reilly passed away in January?
The same week as Red's and Ethan's old bandmate Archie Francis, very sad.

J.

Stephen Silver · Post by **Stephen Silver** » 10 Feb 2010 7:10 am

Ethan, damn.....he was a fine steel player and a really great singer.

SS

Herb Steiner · Post by **Herb Steiner** » 10 Feb 2010 7:31 am

Yes, Billy Graham emailed me with the bad news about Ethan. Really sad, he had friends here in Austin as well.

tom anderson · Post by **tom anderson** » 13 Feb 2010 1:52 pm

The Roger Miller link above is wonderful. Red doesn't really seem to be playing on the songs he accompanies Roger on, but he seems to really be enjoying himself. Scrolling through the other Roger Miller video clips reminds me what a great country songwriter he was.

Jason Odd · Post by **Jason Odd** » 14 Feb 2010 2:05 am

Re: Star Route.. I can't work out whether it's a sync issue, or whether or not some tracks were pre-recorded, like on Shindig, and the vocals were live..

Dean Richard Varga · Post by **Dean Richard Varga** » 22 Feb 2010 8:16 am

Hopes its O.K. I jump in.

A girl I had a crush on in the late sixties(I was 13)lived next to Red on Ranchito st just north of Sherman way in the Valley.

Once I got my license, I drove passed his house almost every day going to visit friends. I started playing steel in 1973 after seeing Rusty Young in Poco live and
a gospel bluegrass group Brush Arbor at church. The steel players name was Jimmy Rice. This group Brush Arbor won ACM "vocal group of the year" in 1974.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YrqsvZLiSkU

I shopped at Red Hollywood store for a guitar, but ended up buying an Emmons from John Bidasio at Vally Arts.

I started taking lessions from John at Valley Arts in January of 1973. The student that took lessons right after me was Ethan Reilly.What a tallented kid. A quick study on everything. I was young but,jeeze, he was just a kid.

J.D. Manness was playing in the house band at the Palimino
The band was Jerry Inman and the Palimino Riders.

In 1974 J.D. left to tour with Ray Stevens and Ethan became the steel player for the "Pal"

He left in 1976 to tour with Glen Campbell.

Kinda lost track of him in the late seventies.

Red did some work on my steel about a year before his passing. What a great guy.

My,how the time slips away....

Ethan Reilly and Red Rhodes-RIP

quite the charcters ,the both of them.

Jerry Cobetto · Post by **Jerry Cobetto** » 6 Oct 2016 1:56 pm

I could write much about Red Rhodes. He was originally from my home area - St. Louis Metro-East (Illinois side of St. Louis). To be exact, Red was from East Alton, IL. I knew a few older musicians, like Jack Laux, who was also from our area, and went to L.A. about the same time as Red. Back in the mid-80's, Red came to our area to visit family, etc., and he and Jack came by a club that I and Jack's son, John, were playing at. Red played my steel on a few tunes, but I don't think he liked playing my Miller Custom (what I played back then) too much. LOL! Some of that could've been due to the fact that Red employed a different tuning (E-diatonic) on his guitars, as well as, I'm sure, a different copedent. Red was a great, unique and very talented individual. He is still missed after all of these years!

Joachim Kettner · Post by **Joachim Kettner** » 9 Oct 2016 12:09 am

Sounds a lot like Red Rhodes:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_6qlh_7-jkA
Is it him?

Cartwright Thompson · Post by **Cartwright Thompson** » 9 Oct 2016 4:28 am

[quote="Joachim Kettner"]Sounds a lot like Red Rhodes:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_6qlh_7-jkA
Is it him?[/quote]

http://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopi ... c161c5a31e

Jack Aldrich · Post by **Jack Aldrich** » 9 Oct 2016 2:16 pm

I bought my '74 S10 3/4 ShoBud wood neck from Red in 1975. His new inventory seemed to be mostly ShoBud's, be he had used Emmons' and ZB's, as I recall.

Wesley Medlen · Post by **Wesley Medlen** » 9 Oct 2016 4:53 pm

I got to see some of them shows in 60 or 61. I was stationed on the USS Nereus sub tender in Long Beach to service nuclear subs Cal Worthington had The Maddox and Rose on a lot with guest such as Carl Smith etc. Wes (golly I must be getting old to remember that)