Last year, I took a gig with Lucky Tubb, great nephew of Ernest Tubb, on a whim. It was a one-night stand, shall we say, but I had really never played a true Honky Tonk-type of gig and I wanted to. So, I put my steel in the car and drove up to Kingston, NY to do the gig. Now I'd never heard Lucky's music before, I only knew the style he played, according to how it was described to me.
I arrived at the venue, and after knocking back a drink I introduced myself to the band. I got to talking with Lucky and he had told me about his steel player who passed away earlier in the year. Said his name was Steve England. I stopped him and led him over to my gear, whereupon I opened up my case and showed him the steel that had belonged to Steve. You want to see a fellow turn white as a ghost? Well, he did right then and there. It was a actually a really nice moment and a memory that'll stick with me for a while. He told the story to the crowd, as well. In fact, Lucky just called me today and asked me to play a few area gigs with him next week, which is how I thought of this story. Besides, he asked me, "How's Steve's steel?"
It just goes to show you: these instruments will be passed from hand to hand in the course of their lifetimes. They almost always do outlive us, so take care of them, put your soul into playing them and hopefully someday someone else will enjoy them to their fullest, doing with them what they are meant to do--play music.
(I will warn you, though, the Clinesmith comes with me to the grave....
)
