Johnny Paycheck Playing Steel With George Jones

Dave A. Burley · Post by **Dave A. Burley** » 7 Oct 2011 9:38 pm

In the early sixties I was playing guitar with a rock road band called the 'Ro-dans.' We traveled the clubs from Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin and Missouri. When playing at the Trocadaro Club in LaCrosse, Wisconsin, on our Sunday off, Bob Mazar and myself decided to go to a local venue for a George Jones and Patsy Cline show. Patsy was still on her crutches from an automobile accident. Donnie Lytle was playing steel guitar with George. Most know that Donnie went on to become Johnny Paycheck. Does anyone out there know how long Johnny played steel guitar with George and did he play steel with anyone else? Thanks,
Dave A. Burley

Tony Davis · Post by **Tony Davis** » 8 Oct 2011 3:40 am

Well I know that he used to work in Joe Diamonds band.....dont know what he played then because I know he also used to play Bass and guitar.
When he went on the road as Paycheck...Joe went with him as his Bass player
I'll check with Joe and get back

Larry Baker · Post by **Larry Baker** » 8 Oct 2011 5:01 am

I thought Paychecks name was Donnie Young???????????

Michael Douchette · Post by **Michael Douchette** » 8 Oct 2011 5:14 am

Paycheck was Donnie Young. Donnie Lytle is someone else, I believe.

Bill Francisco · Post by **Bill Francisco** » 8 Oct 2011 5:51 am

Johnny Paycheck,Donnie Young & Donnie Lytle are one and the same! Same guy, different time periods.

Tim Victor · Post by **Tim Victor** » 8 Oct 2011 5:51 am

Michael Douchette wrote:Paycheck was Donnie Young. Donnie Lytle is someone else, I believe.

This is why we got the Internet.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johnny_Paycheck
http://www.allmusic.com/artist/johnny-p ... /biography
http://www.dekedickerson.com/writingsamples.php
(Click "Donny Young" on that last one.)

He was born Donald Eugene Lytle on May 31, 1938 in Greensfield, OH. In 1958, he and fellow Ohioan Darrell McCall moved to Nashville and called themselves The Young Brothers. Donny was then known professionally as Donny Young until 1964, when he took the name Johnny Paycheck after "a top ranked boxer from Chicago who once fought Joe Louis for the heavyweight title."

Great reminiscence from Dave Burley to start out this thread!

There are some more first-hand comments on his playing in a thread from the old forum site, "What kind of steel player was Johnny Paycheck?":

http://steelguitarforum.com/Forum15/HTML/002266.html

Cal Sharp · Post by **Cal Sharp** » 8 Oct 2011 6:46 am

Donny was then known professionally as Donny Young

I think he borrowed that last name from Faron.

Bo Borland · Post by **Bo Borland** » 8 Oct 2011 6:50 am

or maybe from Mighty Joe Young..

Greg Cutshaw · Post by **Greg Cutshaw** » 8 Oct 2011 8:12 am

I did see Paycheck play steel guitar with George Jones. We used to travel hundreds of miles to see country music shows in some pretty obscure places. Johnny loved the steel guitar but he sure couldn't play one. Maybe he just needed more practice but that night he was horrible and did not belong on that stage behind that instrument.

Here is an unbelievable cut of Donny Young with Roger Miller and wall to wall vintage pedal steel:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sec7h9rmhX8

Greg

Alvin Blaine · Post by **Alvin Blaine** » 8 Oct 2011 10:25 am

Dave A. Burley wrote:Johnny played steel guitar with George and did he play steel with anyone else? Thanks,
Dave A. Burley

Like maybe Buck Owens?

Dave A. Burley · Post by **Dave A. Burley** » 8 Oct 2011 11:35 am

Sure does look like an old Fender 400 that Johnny is playing. I really didn't recognize that player as being Johnny but will take your word for it. Had to have been the late 50's.
Dave A. Burley

Barry Blackwood · Post by **Barry Blackwood** » 8 Oct 2011 1:21 pm

I've heard "On this Mountain Top," Donny Young with no Roger Miller. I believe it was on Mercury Records.

Don Euton · Post by **Don Euton** » 8 Oct 2011 5:35 pm

Johnny Paycheck also sang high harmony on some of Faron Yopung`s hits. On " Country Girl", and "Face To The Wall", you can hear him in the background.

Don Euton

Dave A. Burley · Post by **Dave A. Burley** » 8 Oct 2011 9:45 pm

If I'm not mistaken, the promotion agency that I was managing in the early 90's was the first to book Johnny on a three day tour right after his release. Johnny had a leased bus when he arrived but I don't remember any of the musicians. I know that the first show in Marion, Indiana was a huge success and even though he had breathing problems, you never would have known it when he was on stage. He is one of my all time favorites. I've really enjoyed all of the responses to this thread.
Dave A. Burley

Michael Douchette · Post by **Michael Douchette** » 8 Oct 2011 10:52 pm

Thank you, I stand connected.

(Man, I am beat........................)

Diane Diekman · Post by **Diane Diekman** » 9 Oct 2011 4:51 am

Johnny told Eddie Stubbs in an interview: "Oh, Donny Young. I came to town, and my real name didn't ring a bell, so I thought--I think I did that because of Faron. I'd never met him. I sort of liked that name, so I took Donny Young."

He then toured with Faron as the Country Deputies frontman for a few months, and he provided beautiful harmony on several of Faron's recordings.

Darrell McCall told me: "I called Faron and said, 'I understand that Donny Young has left and gone somewhere. He said yes. I said, 'Are you looking for a harmony singer?' He said, 'Yes, I am.' I said, 'I can do your harmonies.' He said, 'Can you do the harmonies like Donny Young?' I said, 'Yeah, him and I sang together quite a bit.' So that's how I got the job with Faron."

Cal Sharp · Post by **Cal Sharp** » 9 Oct 2011 6:47 am

Well I know that he used to work in Joe Diamonds band.

I played a gig last night with Diamond. Paycheck showed up in Denver with nothing but the clothes he was wearing, a white T-shirt with a pocket, jeans and loafers with no socks, and a steel guitar. He moved into Diamond's basement and went to work playing steel in his band until "Don't Take Her" hit.

Al Udeen · Post by **Al Udeen** » 9 Oct 2011 3:46 pm

In 58 I got a call from Donny Young, He was playing steel at the Flame Cafe in
Minneapolis for George Jones, He said Shot Jackson told him to call me & see if he could borrow my #3 Sho-Bud that I got in 57, Donny said that his Sho-Bud didn't arrive & asked to borrow mine, I brought my guitar every nite & waited till closing to bring my guitar home, It wasn't that I didn't trust him, Well you know? I don't believe he ever had a guitar! Several years later, I saw Paycheck at Possum Holler in Nashville,I asked him if he remembered me, He said yes, I borrowed your horn at the Flame Cafe, Such a long time ago!

Tommy Minniear · Post by **Tommy Minniear** » 10 Oct 2011 7:23 am

Cal Sharp wrote:
Well I know that he used to work in Joe Diamonds band.
I played a gig last night with Diamond. Paycheck showed up in Denver with nothing but the clothes he was wearing, a white T-shirt with a pocket, jeans and loafers with no socks, and a steel guitar. He moved into Diamond's basement and went to work playing steel in his band until "Don't Take Her" hit.

Cal,
You might check with Joe, but according to the "legend" I have heard down thru the years, Johnny must have been staying at Joe's when Billy Sherrill put the word out that if he could find him, that he could make a star out of Paycheck.?

Norbert Dengler · Post by **Norbert Dengler** » 12 Oct 2011 2:47 pm

payckeck with buck owens...

Norbert Dengler · Post by **Norbert Dengler** » 12 Oct 2011 2:49 pm

sorry for the double post with alvin

Cal Sharp · Post by **Cal Sharp** » 12 Oct 2011 3:13 pm

Cal,
You might check with Joe, but according to the "legend" I have heard down thru the years, Johnny must have been staying at Joe's when Billy Sherrill put the word out that if he could find him, that he could make a star out of Paycheck.?

Sounds right, I'll ax Joe.

Paul Norman · Post by **Paul Norman** » 7 Nov 2011 12:45 pm

I'll admit that I thought Paycheck's name was Donnie Young. I had never heard of Lytle. But here is a clip you may like.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johnny_Paycheck

Cal Sharp · Post by **Cal Sharp** » 7 Nov 2011 2:02 pm

Quote:
Cal,
You might check with Joe, but according to the "legend" I have heard down thru the years, Johnny must have been staying at Joe's when Billy Sherrill put the word out that if he could find him, that he could make a star out of Paycheck.?

Yep, Joe confirms that story.

Jerry Hayes · Post by **Jerry Hayes** » 8 Nov 2011 11:25 am

Back in my old SoCal days I remember JP from his days at the old Blue Room in La Puente. He worked the after hours and sometimes morning session(s). I remember going in there a couple of times and seeing him face down on his steel fast asleep from either too much partying or/or controlled substances. Whatever it was, when up and about he was a pretty fair player and an exceptional vocalist with a lot of soul. One of my favorite country recordings is his version of "For a Minute There"....He sang the hell out of it..........JH in Va.

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