"little Roy" Wiggins, Memory Time

[Morgan Scoggins]

I bought Little Roy's book and received it about a week ago. I was looking for additional song material to use with my E13 tuning.I did not know a lot about Roy, but I had seen some of his videos made before his death, on Youtube.
To my surprise, I have found his 12 song folio to contain some really great material. It is quite difficult to master, especially the harmonic riffs and the Brother Oswald style trills.But, with practice, I think anyone can learn this material.I started with "Cattle Call" wich is by far the easiest song in the book. After that, it gets harder, but I am about to complete learning " Who At my Door is Standing" and "Bouquet of Roses"
There is a really fine rendition of "Anytime" with some hot improvised lines. Most of these licks can be taken out and used in other songs.
I don't think Roy Wiggins has gotten the credit he deserves for what a wonderful player he was and what a great gentelman he will always be remembered for.
His book is well worth the small price and I highly reccomend it to all nonpedal players.

[Jack Stoner]

Roy was my inspiration and hero when I started playing steel in the late 40's. I would buy the Eddy Arnold records to hear what Roy was doing. In 1971, I was fortunate to work for Roy at his lower Broadway music store in Nashville. I also got to pick rhythm guitar for Roy when we would do shows at the music store on the weekends for the Opry Visitors.

Roy is a member of the Steel Guitar Hall of Fame and in the best tradition he is recognized by his peers for his talent and what he did and gave to the steel guitar.

[Benjamin Franz]

Hey Morgan, do you know if the book is a companion to the Roy Wiggins album of the same name?

[Morgan Scoggins]

Benjamin, I am not aware of a recording released by Little Roy of the same name as the instruction book. The book I have has full tab transcriptions for these 12 songs:
Bouquet Of Roses, It's A Sin, Who at My Door Is Standing, I Walk Alone,I'll Hold You In My Heart,Mommy Please Stay Home with Me,I'm Throwing Rice, Anytime, Cattle Call, Molly Darling, and Rocking Alone.
The tab arrangements are not just 16 or 32 bar solos, but full blown arrangements. A CD is included with the full versions of the songs, but no rythym tracks.
You can order the book from Scotty's or Mel Bay.

[Benjamin Franz]

Hey Morgan, I managed to dig up my copy of it. Lord knows if I can remember where I bought this Album.

[Jack Stoner]

A reversed picture on the album cover. Little Roy played right handed, not left handed like the picture.

[Morgan Scoggins]

I had no idea that an album with the same songs was released. I wonder if it has the same arrangements. The CD that comes with the book has only Roy's solos with a basic rythym section.I would bet the album has some lead guitar or piano, but who knows?

[Lee Gillespie]

This thread brought back memories. When I was about 14 I heard an Eddy Arnold record with Roy on steel. I had no idea what created that sound. I soon learned what a steel guitar was and immediately converted a Stella guitar with a raised nut. I had no idea how to tune it..but listening to a bunch of 78's I had bought, Roy raked across his strings and this is how I tuned the guitar. I then proceed to play a few notes on the 78 and would find it on my guitar... and worked my way thru the whole song. After a period of time I could play every note that Roy played on those 78's.... even the back up. Ahhh sweet memories. Even today at jams when someone wants to sing an old Eddy Arnold song..I can kick off the song almost like the orignal record. This usually brings a smile to the people in the jam.
Thanks Lee

[Butch Pytko]

Does anyone have pictures of Roy Wiggins & Eddy Arnold together on one of their concerts back in the 40's? I want to make a portrait/print of these heros that inspired me so much to learn steel guitar.

[Mitch Drumm]

Butch:

Here is the best I can find;

[Eddie Cunningham]

That is a beautiful picture !! Shows Roy with his old original 6 string Gibson playing her like a Dobro !! I loved his old sound !! Anybody remember Eddys old songs from 1944 = " Each minute seems a million years" ?? and "You must walk the line" ?? Roys steel made those songs !!! the old geezer , Eddie "C"

[Jack Stoner]

Roy was a Nashville "native" which made him different from most Opry musicicans even back in the 40's. He told me he copied his "ting a ling" lick from the Dobro players on the Opry and probably why he had it around his neck like a Dobro. He also told me that he and Jerry Byrd were the only two "electric steel" pickers that did recording sessions in the early 40's - but nothing was recorded in Nashville it was always somewhere else. He said they recorded the Eddy Arnold sessions in Chicago before recording studios were set up in Nashville.

My memory from working at Roy's music store:

[billchav]

Not trying to distract away from this thread,but was Clell Summey, that played with Roy Acuff prior to Pete switching over to the "Dobro" the first to hang his electric biscuit board around his neck?

[Ray Montee]

Roy's Gibson single neck steel guitar was just EXACTLY like Ray Montee's guitar. I wonder if he realize that when he purchased it?

[Eddie Cunningham]

At one time I owned a 6 string Gibson E-H 150 and it looked a lot like what Roy is playing ?? Is that what he and Ray M. played ??? Ray ???? AND Clell Summey , along with other Dobro players probably just slung their new lap steels over their necks in the style they were used too !!! the old geezer , Eddie "C"

[Mitch Drumm]

Here are a couple of pix of Clell and his alter ego, showing proper sling technique.

[johnely]

Hello, Mitch... John Ely here. Amazing shot of Little Roy Wiggins with Eddy Arnold. Do you by chance have a high-rez version I could use for a history piece I'm doing in the Hawaiian Steel Guitar Association newsletter?

I love it!

Thanks for your time, Mitch
johnely@hawaiiansteel.com