jim reeves steel player

Daniel McKee · Post by **Daniel McKee** » 11 Jul 2010 5:23 pm

i have heard a few songs of jim reeves that sound like they have a bigsby in them just to name a few highway to nowhere beyond the shadow of a doubt and old love letters.i could be wrong but i think the player on these songs was playing a bigsby.just wondered who it was and if it was a bigsby.

Bent Romnes · Post by **Bent Romnes** » 11 Jul 2010 6:10 pm

Daniel, I have heard that he used Jimmy Day, Bobby Garrett and last but not least: Pete Drake, whom I believe appeared on some of Jim's records.
Also, skim through this thread. Lots of info here:
http://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=126604
The Bigsby you say you hear could be Jimmy Day on his Bigsby

Brandon Wright · Post by **Brandon Wright** » 11 Jul 2010 8:40 pm

Lola Reeves was Jim Reeves cousin. I'm a distant relative i guess you could say. I guess i'd be Jim Reeves 4th or 5th cousin or something.

and thats my claim to honky tonk fame. haha

Brandon Wright · Post by **Brandon Wright** » 11 Jul 2010 8:41 pm

Lola Reeves was Jim Reeves cousin. I'm a distant relative i guess you could say. I guess i'd be Jim Reeves 4th or 5th cousin or something.

and thats my claim to honky tonk fame. haha

David Nugent · Post by **David Nugent** » 12 Jul 2010 3:03 am

I believe I read an article that stated that at the time of Jim Reeves' death, Buddy Emmons was his steel player. Buddy was a Bigsby player in the '50's and is pictured in Paul Bigsby's biography ("Paul Bigsby: The Father of the Modern Solid Body Electric Guitar" by author Andy Babiuk).

Roual Ranes · Post by **Roual Ranes** » 12 Jul 2010 5:23 am

I read somewhere that "Gentleman Jim" hated steels and threw one down a staircase at a studio. True???????????????????????

Daniel McKee · Post by **Daniel McKee** » 12 Jul 2010 7:07 am

i cant believe jim reeves hated steel guitars i dont think jimmy day owned a bigsby but i could be wrong.

Mitch Drumm · Post by **Mitch Drumm** » 12 Jul 2010 7:22 am

Those songs you mention had Sonny Burnette on steel---and he did own a Bigsby. They are from 1955.

Erv Niehaus · Post by **Erv Niehaus** » 12 Jul 2010 7:56 am

That was Bobby Garrett's guitar that "gentleman" Jim kicked down the stairs.

Bent Romnes · Post by **Bent Romnes** » 12 Jul 2010 8:55 am

Erv Niehaus wrote:That was Bobby Garrett's guitar that "gentleman" Jim kicked down the stairs.

I won't dispute facts that I by now have heard straight from the source. They speak for themselves. What we are not 100% clear on is why Jim did what he did. Who knows what sort of private dispute erupted between him and the aggrieved person in this case?

The fact remains that there was a lot of great steel on many of Jim's records. Jim had great control over his recordings. If he hated steel and steel players that much he could certainly have went for other instrumental arrangements.

I have to ask the question: Since Jim allegedly hated steel that much, could it be because it was the steel players themselves who had a problem with the direction that Jim was taking his music, which really required orchestra type backing and less steel?

I guess I am saying it takes two to tango.

A short while before Leo Jackson's death (Jim's lead guitar player) I had a couple of very interesting and poignant emails from him. The picture that Leo painted of Jim stands in sharp contrast to the accusations and innuendo I have read here.

Leo's description of Jim, was that Jim was a very fair and kind employer, as well as very nice to his fans.

All of us, me included, have done things that we would rather forget. Leveling accusations, innuendo and gossip about a person who has been dead for many years is not really fair of us to do.

Lets just concentrate on the good things that came from Jim Reeves - his beautiful voice, his choice of songs, his innovative and original arrangements and instrumentation.

Ray Minich · Post by **Ray Minich** » 12 Jul 2010 1:41 pm

I always liked Pete Drake's "signature" licks on Jim Reeves' tunes.

Bent Romnes · Post by **Bent Romnes** » 12 Jul 2010 2:31 pm

Ray, that's what turned me on to the pedal steel. I believe it was Pete playing a little something on "Bottle take Effect" by Jim.

Bent Romnes · Post by **Bent Romnes** » 12 Jul 2010 2:33 pm

Brandon Wright wrote:Lola Reeves was Jim Reeves cousin. I'm a distant relative i guess you could say. I guess i'd be Jim Reeves 4th or 5th cousin or something.

and thats my claim to honky tonk fame. haha

Brandon, did you get some of that rich baritone voice as well? Hehe now I'll bug you till you make a recording of one of Jim's songs

Daniel McKee · Post by **Daniel McKee** » 12 Jul 2010 2:37 pm

what kind of steel did jimmy day play with jim reeves.

Bent Romnes · Post by **Bent Romnes** » 12 Jul 2010 3:05 pm

Daniel, I believe he had the Bigsby. There are some clips on youtube with Jim , Jimmy and the Bigsby

Craig A Davidson · Post by **Craig A Davidson** » 12 Jul 2010 3:23 pm

David Nugent wrote:I believe I read an article that stated that at the time of Jim Reeves' death, Buddy Emmons was his steel player. Buddy was a Bigsby player in the '50's and is pictured in Paul Bigsby's biography ("Paul Bigsby: The Father of the Modern Solid Body Electric Guitar" by author Andy Babiuk).

At the time of Jim's death Buddy was working for Ray Price. No offense but where do you folks get your facts? The National Enquirer?

Bent Romnes · Post by **Bent Romnes** » 12 Jul 2010 3:33 pm

Craig, I heard the same as well..that Buddy did work for Jim. Who knows, maybe just a recording session or 2. He would have had time for the odd session even if he worked for Ray Price at the time.
Actually I am quite positive that I did not read it in the National Enquirer but on the Steel Guitar Forum I think...

Craig A Davidson · Post by **Craig A Davidson** » 12 Jul 2010 3:42 pm

Okay but doing a session is different than being an actual band member. I am just not referring to the above topic but I have seen other posts that seem to pull Buddy's name out of the air. Pete Drake also played on Jim's records but that didn't make him a band member. Forgive my attitude on these matters but it is a pet peeve of mine when people just spew facts about. Also at the time Reeves died Buddy was playing a Sho-Bud and was very close to playing his own brand. If it was a Bigsby it wasn't Buddy.

Bent Romnes · Post by **Bent Romnes** » 12 Jul 2010 4:02 pm

Actually, Jim didn't have a steel player in the Blueboys. The steel players talked about here were people like Day playing on the odd TV show and the odd session.
Yes, Buddy's name was mentioned earlier in connection with Jim Reeves. Something about Buddy "would be able to tell you all the stories about Jim" or something to that effect, according to that story teller.

Daniel McKee · Post by **Daniel McKee** » 12 Jul 2010 4:47 pm

jimmy day may have played a bigsby on the jim reeves recordings i just didnt know he ever had one.

Mitch Drumm · Post by **Mitch Drumm** » 12 Jul 2010 6:25 pm

Daniel:

To reiterate:

The steel player on the three recordings from 1955 you mention is Sonny Burnette, who played a Bigsby.

Not Jimmy Day.

Not Buddy Emmmons.

Not Pete Drake.

Not Bobby Garrett.

Les Anderson · Post by **Les Anderson** » 12 Jul 2010 8:28 pm

If road steelers count, a friend of mine's father worked with Jim Reeves for a spell. His name was Bobby Rhodes (he died in Vietnam).

Chuck Cusimano · Post by **Chuck Cusimano** » 12 Jul 2010 8:50 pm

I knew a steel player in Odessa Texas in 1973 by the name of Jimmy Lathem (sp??) who told me he played steel for Jim Reeves, and I believe he said it was him who played on a couple hits including "Bimbo". He also told us a few stories about being on the road with them. I guess Musicians have always been a group of people who knew how to have ...................FUN?... yeah, fun.

Clyde Mattocks · Post by **Clyde Mattocks** » 12 Jul 2010 10:07 pm

When Jim played a personal appearance at Grainger Stadium in Kinston, Pete Drake was, in fact, working the road with him. This was about the time Pete was popping up on everybodys' records, Roy Drusky, George Hamilton IV, etc. and playing the same licks on all of them. No offense intended in that statement, just that his signature was strong.

Bent Romnes · Post by **Bent Romnes** » 13 Jul 2010 4:15 am

Jimmy Latham, Bobby Rhodes and the aforementioned Pete Drake. They are coming outa the woodwork. Certainly doesn't speak of a singer who hated steel players...

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