Thank You SWSGA

Mike Sigler · Post by **Mike Sigler** » 21 Jan 2012 11:57 pm

What a great time this year, with so many great players, I feel truly blessed to be a part of the show again this year! Thanks to all the great players that helped me out on my set... I enjoyed meeting and seeing some old & new friends. Thanks to Blackie Taylor for the loaner guitar. and To My buddy Joann for the ride from the airport... God Bless all the folks that put this great show on.. and again, Thanks for allowing me to be a part of it.. Now back to the Ice & Snow !

MS

Austin Stewart · Post by **Austin Stewart** » 22 Jan 2012 12:13 pm

I too wanna thank the SWSGA for allowing me to be a part of this great show. I had a ball! It's nice to be around such nice people, and great friends. I have known the people at the SWSGA for most of my steel playing experience. I was at the first show they had, and have only missed one show sense then. They have been so nice, and have given me the privilege of playing their show 8 times. I speak in behalf of the Ozark Jubilee as I say thank you so much for making us a part of your show!

Austin G. Stewart

Mike Sigler · Post by **Mike Sigler** » 22 Jan 2012 2:24 pm

Austin
Thanks for the help, i owe ya one... it's nice to have family to lean on!

Michael McGee · Post by **Michael McGee** » 22 Jan 2012 3:32 pm

I'm back home in my easy chair as of just a bit ago, and want to extend my sincere thanks to the SWSGA for their invitation to play this year's show. It was my privilege, and I thank you for your friendship and hospitality. God Bless, jmm.

Patrick Hickey · Post by **Patrick Hickey** » 22 Jan 2012 5:43 pm

I had way too much fun this year. Lots of great players. Mike and Austin, great sets along with everyone else who played. Thanks Billy, Joe, Denny and all those who worked so hard so the rest of us could have too much fun.

Patrick Hickey · Post by **Patrick Hickey** » 22 Jan 2012 6:53 pm

I forgot to thank the band, Roy Rosetta, Ray Harrison, Paul Polish and Chuck Back for making my Thursday afternoon set sound so good. Thanks Auge, John, Doug and the rest of the sound crew also.

Ron Scott · Post by **Ron Scott** » 22 Jan 2012 8:11 pm

It was my first time at this show and I thought the playing was great,of course if they could just play some fast stuff

. Ron

Tom Wolverton · Post by **Tom Wolverton** » 22 Jan 2012 10:32 pm

Such nice people. Such fine players! This was my first steel show ever. Now I am spoiled. Thanks to the club. You worked hard to make this show run so well. Kudos to all!

Jeremiah Hanley · Post by **Jeremiah Hanley** » 23 Jan 2012 7:52 am

My, what fun it is to read this thread and hear about all the good times you all had! That's what the steel guitar has done for so many people....it's brought a lot of fun and fellowship, with new and old friends! Reading what Austin Stewart and Mike McGee wrote, makes me live vicariously with all that happened! My reason for not coming to the Phoenix show is miles, money.....well, just to be honest with you, I need some good ole fashion "get up and go"!! With my many, many years on the road, I like to travel between my recliner and my pack-a-seat!

Can you imagine my wife telling people that I'm a lot of fun to be around? You see, she's still a traveler at heart, from Seattle to Miami, San Diego to Maine. She's ready to go! We really enjoy reading all the reports of the good times in Phoenix!
Old-man Hanley

Jim Cohen · Post by **Jim Cohen** » 23 Jan 2012 8:13 am

I add my thanks as well to all the fine folks at SWSGA whose hard work and dedication pulled off another outstanding weekend of great music and camaraderie. Thanks, too, to the great (and I mean Great) house band who knocked it out of the park every time and the guys who backed me up on my set (Rick Schmidt, Peter Freiberger, Paul Polish and Roy Rosetta) who woodshedded my uncommon tunes in advance of the show (and then didn't miss a beat when I threw two completely different tunes into the setlist at the last minute). You guys are the best!

Finally, a very special thanks to everyone who gave such a warm welcome to my wife, Jane, on her first visit to the SWSGA. She felt immediately accepted into a wonderful, warm community of friends (and said she'd never been hugged so much in her life! LOL). Jane and I are already looking forward to returning in January 2013!!

Jimbeaux

Peter Freiberger · Post by **Peter Freiberger** » 23 Jan 2012 9:39 am

It was a wonderful show! Kudos to all who worked so hard to make it so great. We missed Dan Tyack (snowed in in Washington) but having JayDee back was extra special.

Chuck S. Lettes · Post by **Chuck S. Lettes** » 23 Jan 2012 10:38 am

Let me add my thanks to the list. Saturday was a bit hectic as I was running the Non-pedal Session, but I did get to hear some of the fine steel players in the evening. Thank you Billy, Troy, Peggy and Joe, as well as the many members of the SWSGA for putting together a fun weekend for all of us. I look forward to spending the weekend in sunny Phoenix next year.
Chuck

Skip Edwards · Post by **Skip Edwards** » 23 Jan 2012 11:33 am

Absolutely! A great show and a fun hang, seeing old friends and making new ones.
Not to mention all the great playing.
Thanks to Billy & Joe and the SWSGA... you guys really know how to throw a party.
Till next year...

Terry Bethel · Post by **Terry Bethel** » 23 Jan 2012 3:24 pm

What a show it was. Every player had something different to add to the players before him. Thanks to the SWSGA for inviting me back, I had a great time and the South Western Steel Guitar Orchestra, all of you played great. Roy, Paul, Billy and you Chuck Back for all the help with the charts I did not write and bring with me. To the Newberry's and Stewert's for bringing me with them in the Motor home, to me it felt like a bus. You know what I didn't have to drive, I got in the big chair and relaxed all the way their and back.
I had the honor of playing two days I used Jerry Newberrys sound system and my new 705 pickups in My Mullen G2. Now I have to save my pennys, nickels, dimes and dollars to get me a sound system like that, man what a sound.
I better get out of here. Check out the www.ozarksteelguitar.com website for our upcoming shows,

Thanks again everybody

Terry Bethel

Rick Schmidt · Post by **Rick Schmidt** » 23 Jan 2012 3:27 pm

I too want to thank Billy Easton and the SWSGA for putting on such a fantastic show this year! Everyone was so generous and kind, going out of their way to make me really feel like part of the family. I was so honored to be onstage as a small part of the band for so many inspiring musicians! I want to mention some of the real heroes of the show....Roy Rosetta, Paul Polish, Denny Sarver and Chuck Back...who played marathon sets as the core band for 3 days with very little relief, and still kept laying it down with enthusiasm and energy for ALL the steelers! Ray Harrison also did a great job as the "Voice" of the SWSGA!

The stage, sound, video and lighting crew also did a killer job in the same marathon fashion. Rounding it out was Joe Naylor as the entertaining head Emcee! Thanks guys.

I wish I had more time between my duties to check out more of the the vender's, but I wouldn't have changed anything. It all looked and sounded fantastic.

See you next year....if the creek don't rise and the Mayan calendar is forgotten.

Rick

p.s. Peter and Skip.... you're in the chute next year! Kevin Ryan and Steve Catermole too.

Joe Naylor · Post by **Joe Naylor** » 23 Jan 2012 4:12 pm

I just got back from getting most of the stuff back to their rightful owner and a few more trips of stuff for tomorrow.

I want to thank each and ever musician and all those that helped with the show. I am not going to start listing in fear of missing someone.

I have so much fun being around so many great people and getting to talk to so many.

Thanks to everyone for the kind words.

Denise just to be sure to thank Billy for letting her sing on his set she just loves music in general but being able to sing with great musicians tops it off.

Yep we are working on next year and have some ideas for improving the sound and a few other things already in the works.

Joe Naylor (and Denise)
www.steeleat.com

Roy Rosetta · Post by **Roy Rosetta** » 23 Jan 2012 8:54 pm

WOW !! What a great show. Barbara and I got home about three o'clock this afternoon a bit tired but certainly satisfied that we had been to a great show. I'd like to thank the SWSGA (Billy, Joe, Peggy, Troy and Denny) for allowing me to be a small part of the show. All of the players were great and I'll not begin to name names for fear of forgetting someone. The staff band members were great musicians all, which made my job even more easier and fun. Barbara and I are looking forward to next year and a return to "The Valley of The Sun".
Thanks again SWSGA,
...Roy and Barbara

Bob Case · Post by **Bob Case** » 24 Jan 2012 6:12 am

What a great weekend. Great music and an incredible sense of community - good friends old and new. Thanks to the SWSGA folks and all involved.

Bill Cunningham · Post by **Bill Cunningham** » 24 Jan 2012 10:59 am

Most of what I wanted to say has already been said, but anyway.....

Thanks so much to the SWSGA for consistently putting on one of the top shows in the country. The new facilty was great and there is not a better, more diverse line up of talent on any show in the nation.

It is a real honor for me to get to play some bass in a rhythm section with the likes of Roy, Paul, and Chuck. And I still have to pinch myself to be sure it is real that I am playing behind so many great steel players, some that have been my heros since listening to them way back when I was in high school and beginning to play steel guitar.

Thanks Billy and Joe for convincing me, after 3 or 4 years, to actually play a set. I hope you will allow me again in 2013.

And you can't say enough about hanging out with so many old friends and the new ones we seem to make every time. See most of you in Dallas in a few weeks!

Bill C.

Jerry Foster · Post by **Jerry Foster** » 24 Jan 2012 7:26 pm

I just want to say how great the show went,I thank everyone involved in putting on this great event. it was great to get to play on your show. I was hoping for a video of my set, but thats ok.

I had a blast and thanks so much to the Backup Band. you guys are truly the best in the business,bar none.God Bless, Jerry F.

Joe Naylor · Post by **Joe Naylor** » 24 Jan 2012 8:20 pm

Just to let everyone know we are going to mail DVD's of each act.

The duplicating machine flat quit working but we have the master.

We are also planing to have a CD set of the "Best of 2012 SWSGA"

We met with the hotel and are planning some additional improvements for next years show. Contract is signed.

We have had 2 sound engineers that will help us with the sound system too.

Joe Naylor
www.steelseat.com

Mike Sigler · Post by **Mike Sigler** » 24 Jan 2012 9:43 pm

Joe, you all are #1 in my book, thanks for everything..
Mike

Joel Johnston · Post by **Joel Johnston** » 24 Jan 2012 10:17 pm

I would like to add my thanks to the SWSGA and a personal thanks to Mike Sigler for allowing my Dad and I to jam with him in the GFI room and for his generosity in asking me to back him on bass during his showcase. Mike - I am so glad to have had the chance to get to know you and I look forward to seeing you again at future shows. You are not only an impeccable steel guitarist, but also an outstanding individual!

Mike Sigler · Post by **Mike Sigler** » 24 Jan 2012 10:19 pm

Joel,
It was my pleasure to have you and your dad in the room jamming, i sure enjoyed my self, and hope we can do it again soon!
My Best to You and Pa
Mike

Glenn Taylor · Post by **Glenn Taylor** » 27 Jan 2012 1:08 pm

It was great to be there and display my pedal steels. Lots of good folks, thanks for having me. All the best to you all.
glenn

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