Hank Thompson ---Tomorrow Night (1949)

Roger Shackelton · Post by **Roger Shackelton** » 13 Aug 2011 5:23 pm

Here is one of Hank's earliest recorded songs from 1949. The steel player is most likely Lefty Nason. ?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q5yTw7Z9 ... re=related

Jody Sanders · Post by **Jody Sanders** » 14 Aug 2011 6:49 pm

Those were the days. Thanks Roger for the post. Jody,

Tom Harris · Post by **Tom Harris** » 15 Aug 2011 10:14 am

The steel player on this recording may have been "Dusty Stuart",as he played for Hank from 1948-1949,,"Lefty Nason" was with Hank In 1946-1948,
to me Hanks best steel players were PeeWee Whitewing and Bob White,,I think they both were with Hank from 1953-1955...
Tom Harris.....

Roger Shackelton · Post by **Roger Shackelton** » 15 Aug 2011 2:47 pm

HI TOM,

I believe you are correct about Dusty being Hank's steel player in 1948 & 1949.

I spoke to Bob White several times & he told me he played with Hank from 1953 to 1960.

Roger

Tom Harris · Post by **Tom Harris** » 15 Aug 2011 4:11 pm

Howdy Roger,I failed to mention Bob White staying with Hank after Peewee left in 1955,,your right Bob did stay with Hank untill late 59 or early 60,he stayed with Hank longer than any other steel player..
Tom

Roger Shackelton · Post by **Roger Shackelton** » 15 Aug 2011 5:14 pm

According to Hank, Bob White was his favorite Steel Guitarist

Jody Sanders · Post by **Jody Sanders** » 15 Aug 2011 7:41 pm

Bobby Garrett was also one of Hank's favorite steel players. He played on 3 live albums, plus many more sides for Hank. Jody.

Tom Harris · Post by **Tom Harris** » 16 Aug 2011 5:36 am

Yeah Jody,Bobby Garrett played on " Live At The Golden Nugget" album,,He was a super player,,I read some where that Hank said about Bobby Garrett,,"I finally got A steel player that knows how to play",,wheather or not he actually said it,,I'm not sure,,I loved Bobby's arrangement of "Rose City Chimes",,I think Bobby Garrett was next to the last player for Hank,,I'm thinking that "Bert Riverra" was the last one while Hank had "The Brazos Valley Boys" In the late Sixties,I know Ole Hank had some sho nuff good players,,He has always been my Idol In Country Music..
Tom.....

Chris Lucker · Post by **Chris Lucker** » 18 Aug 2011 1:21 pm

Tom Harris wrote:Howdy Roger,I failed to mention Bob White staying with Hank after Peewee left in 1955,,your right Bob did stay with Hank untill late 59 or early 60,he stayed with Hank longer than any other steel player..
Tom

That would explain why PeeWee Whitewing returned to Hank Thompson briefly for the December 1959 Capitol (Hollywood) Six Pack To Go sessions. Or did those sessions have two steelers?

Chris Lucker · Post by **Chris Lucker** » 18 Aug 2011 1:34 pm

I looked through my Bigsby notes, and found this text from an email Dusty Stewart sent me last year. As to the context, I was inquiring about the Bigsby steel that Hank Thompson had bought for Lefty Nason, and was asking how Dusty's name came to be placed on the apron:
Here is Dusty's reply:

"Hi , Chris; I bought it (the Lefty Nason Bigsby) from Hank thompson, when I Started to work with him, in about, April, of 1951. and I played it and kept it until about- 1997- or `98. at such time I sold (gave) it to ____________ , with (current band)! I did ; some time ago, about the late 60`s ; cut the metal necks to help with expansion and contraction, with cold & heat!!!
And yes; Hank had bought it for Lefty, but Lefty did not pay for it, so I bought it from Hank....

About the Name-Inlay;; Hank toured through California-in`51 where we went to Mr. Bigsby`s Shop, he then removed Lefty`s name, and Inlaid Mine !!!
`Will send some Pix. when I get a little more time....Thanks Chris.
DUSTY STEWART

Billy Tonnesen · Post by **Billy Tonnesen** » 18 Aug 2011 1:52 pm

I knew four differen't Musicians who had worked for Hank at differen't times with his Road Band back in the early years. I got the feeling that one of the reasons they did not stay long was, like many Road Bands, there wasn't enough money paid to stay on the road and also maintain a Family at Home. I wonder what the average pay for a Sideman is for today's Road Musicians.

Tom Harris · Post by **Tom Harris** » 18 Aug 2011 4:19 pm

Chris,,I did read somewhere that PeeWee did a session in 1959 with Hank,I think,,he mentioned that that was his last recording with Hank,and it was "Six Pack To Go",Don't know If Bob was still with Hank or not,,the recording don't sound like It has 2 steel's playing on It,,I have a C D of Tom Morrell's "time warp top hands" with Bob White,PeeWee Whitewing,,Buddy Braddock and Jerry Byrd,titled "No Peddlers Allowed",,lawdddd,them boy's know they played some good ones on that C D,,my fav. of the C D Is "Tulsa Strait Ahead",,PeeWee told me He had a lot of fun being back with Bobby on that recording...
Tom Harris...

Chris Lucker · Post by **Chris Lucker** » 18 Aug 2011 10:28 pm

I did not mean two steels playing at the same time, but two steel players on the album -- on separate songs.

PeeWee needed to buy a Bigsby for the Six Pack sessions as he no longer had the PeeWee Whitewing Bigsby.

Tom Harris · Post by **Tom Harris** » 19 Aug 2011 5:36 am

Chris,,I miss understood what you ment about the 2 steel players,,not sure If Bob was on the Album,,On the C D i got Of Tom Morrell and the Time Warp Top Hands,PeeWee Is playing The Bigsby Tripple neck 8 string that Noel Boggs once owned,Bob Is also playing a Bigsby,I think the Bigsby that Bob Is playing has two 8 string necks and one 10 string neck,according to the Info on the C D......
Tom Harris....

Chris Lucker · Post by **Chris Lucker** » 19 Aug 2011 11:37 am

The second Bigsby that PeeWee owned he bought for the Six Pack sessions. He was living at home in San Jose, I think, at the time and was not really playing much steel. He needed a Bigsby, found one, bought it, and sold it again after the Six Pack sessions.

Chris Lucker · Post by **Chris Lucker** » 19 Aug 2011 11:50 am

[quote="I think the Bigsby that Bob Is playing has two 8 string necks and one 10 string neck,according to the Info on the C D......
Tom Harris....[/quote]

One of my Bigsbys has that configuration -- 8 - 10 - 8 with eight pedals. It is a 1956, which you can tell without even looking at the date stamp because of the swirls jeweled into the necks. Interestingly enough, it appears to have Joaquin Murphey's non extendable stand up legs because they are stamped JM, JM, JM and M. Isn't nineteen fifty six is the year that the Joaquin Murphey triple was reworked by Bigsby and the Murphey plaque was removed, the acorn tone pot hole plugged and the Marvin Erickson name was inlaid on the front apron?

Chris

Gene Jones · Post by **Gene Jones** » 21 Aug 2011 2:36 pm

In the winter of 1963-64,I was working with the Merl Lindsay Band and we were on a package-tour together with Hank's Band. Bert Rivera was with Hank and had just replaced Chalker. I don't remember who played steel with Hank in the interim period after 1960 when Bob White left and before Curly Chalker was hired? Does anyone know?

Jim Bob Sedgwick · Post by **Jim Bob Sedgwick** » 22 Aug 2011 10:08 am

After Bert Rivera left Hank, Bobby Boydd (Southern California filled the steel spot) for about 18 months. As was stated, Everyone loved the gig, but it just didn"t pay enough to support a family. Bobby Boydd told me they worked about 17 days a month on gigs. Bobby thought, OK, I can fly home for a few days and be with my family. What Hank didn't tell the band was they would work about 4 to 5 days a week. If the gig ended in New York, the band would lay over for a day or so, then travel to the new gig. Bobby said he wouldn't be able to get home but about once every 3 months. As you can see, this would definitely put a strain on anybody's marriage. Bobby said he really hated to quit, but life with your family is more important than playing gigs.

Gene Jones · Post by **Gene Jones** » 22 Aug 2011 11:31 am

Yeah, during that era road band-leaders used an IRS loophole that allowed about half of your pay to be classified as "expenses", thereby, no taxes withheld, but, it was still a brutal existance, especially for the married guys. Single musicians with no responsibilities were about the only ones who could survive life on the road.

Jim Bob Sedgwick · Post by **Jim Bob Sedgwick** » 22 Aug 2011 3:50 pm

Amen to that, Gene. I can tell, you've been there.
Remember the old musician joke. Quote: " I am sick and tired of crazy, gready, dumb a$$ club owners. The boredom of the road, poor pay, horrible diet, lack of access to repair persons when equipment goes bad, ETC ETC. Answer " why don't you quit then?"

Musician.... What? give up SHOW BUSINESS?

Billy Tonnesen · Post by **Billy Tonnesen** » 22 Aug 2011 7:26 pm

It's like the Guy in the Circus who had to follow the Elaphants around with a shovel. When asked why he didn't quit, he also said: WHAT ! AND GIVE UP SHOW BUSINESS !