Big Jim Murphy

Lou Colbert · Post by **Lou Colbert** » 13 Jan 2013 7:46 am

I lost my brother-in -law, Big Jim Murphy, eight years ago today....Miss his music and especially miss his humor!!!!!

Herb Steiner · Post by **Herb Steiner** » 13 Jan 2013 7:55 am

Amen to that! His passing was just before the SWSGA show in Phoenix, which made the show a little less joyous for me.

Bob Blair · Post by **Bob Blair** » 13 Jan 2013 8:00 am

I met him a few times and enjoyed talking to him - musically he was a hero to me but he made you forget all that because of his unassuming way of talking to people. Last time I saw him was in Austin at the Continental and he not only remembered the other times we'd met (which I didn't really expect him to), he gave me a friendly hug and chatted like an old friend. One of the best players ever and an engaging and kind man.

Lou Colbert · Post by **Lou Colbert** » 13 Jan 2013 8:58 am

You guys think he will ever make the Steel Guitar Hall of Fame?????

Roger Rettig · Post by **Roger Rettig** » 13 Jan 2013 9:13 am

I met him at Gabe's one night on an early ('90s) visit to Nashville. What a warm human being he was and he made me feel right at home.

There was a depressingly small crowd in there that night and I remember thinking: 'With a player of this quality they should be hanging from the rafters!!!' He was wonderful.

Fred Jack · Post by **Fred Jack** » 13 Jan 2013 3:26 pm

I took my son-in law in the Continental a few years ago, and he himself is a genuine monster musician, fiddle,violin,telecaster,harmonica. Anyway, he sat in awe as Murph sat and talked to us at the same time he was playing and on the way home it was real quiet in the car and he finally spoke. "I have never heard so much music in my life in such a short time."
I said, Aleph,you can play that way. He replied,I know all the chords he used but never ever thought to use them the way he did. There will never be another Murph. He was a goodun.

Tony Glassman · Post by **Tony Glassman** » 13 Jan 2013 4:45 pm

Probably the most underrated and least known world class steel players ever.

Ray Campbell · Post by **Ray Campbell** » 14 Jan 2013 2:24 am

Many years ago I teamed up with Paul Jackson. Paul said we need a steelman and I know just the one and he's in WVA right now. Paul and I drove to Wheeling but could never catch up with Jim Murphy. Not too long before his passing I had my first chance to meet Jim. I told him we'd never met but that Paul and I had searched all over the East Coast for him. He said "If you know Paul, you know Bob Birdsong. Let's go talk." We talked for a long time and I came away with a lasting impression of a person who was real in every way. And he was a heckuva musician. The industry misses him. Yes, I think he'll be inducted into the HOF. Sooner will be better.

Gene Jones · Post by **Gene Jones** » 14 Jan 2013 9:32 am

In 1964 when we were all much younger, Jim replaced me on the Merl Lindsay Ozark Jubilee band when I gave up full time music for a career on the Oklahoma City Fire Department. He was already playing great but was just beginning to be recognized for his exceptional talent.

It's a good thing that he was replacing me instead of the other way around, because I would have declined to follow Jim on any job.

I was reminded of Bert Reviera's comment: "You've never known stress like replacing Curley Chalker on Hank Thompson's band"!

Jimmy Youngblood · Post by **Jimmy Youngblood** » 15 Jan 2013 7:39 pm

Met Big Jim at The Shy Clown Casino (Reno) and Anchorage Alaska.

RIP Jim

Russ Wever · Post by **Russ Wever** » 24 Jan 2013 8:56 pm

~> Click to listen.

Paul Graupp · Post by **Paul Graupp** » 25 Jan 2013 2:42 am

Russ: Thanks for posting that and reaffirming all the previous posts ! Been too long since I last heard it. BTW: How about that Sax player...He was pretty cool too !!

Regards, Paul

Lou Colbert · Post by **Lou Colbert** » 25 Jan 2013 4:46 am

Thanks to all of you for helping keep Murph's music alive...BY the way, he told me that when he went from steel to sax that he kept his picks on.

Tommy Shown · Post by **Tommy Shown** » 27 Jan 2013 3:45 pm

I remember Jim played in Johnny Paycheck's band. He did a KILLER job on 11 months 29 days.
Tommy Shown

Paul Graupp · Post by **Paul Graupp** » 28 Jan 2013 3:47 am

I saw him once working for Jeannie C Riley and he was a work of art. Big Murph, the link cited above, was from a Carl Smith album from a time frame where Carl was also using Curly Chalker.

Regards, Paul

Chris Templeton · Post by **Chris Templeton** » 31 Jan 2013 6:28 am

What a great player! That's the kind of picking that makes one want to learn the (pedal) steel guitar.

Ken Newman · Post by **Ken Newman** » 31 Jan 2013 9:52 pm

russ wever,,,
anyone know who the other players are on this track? would be nice to know for some of the folks in that era.

stay tuned, kennyx

Tim Whitlock · Post by **Tim Whitlock** » 13 Feb 2013 8:36 am

I had the pleasure of meeting Big Jim when my band opened for Asleep at the Wheel at the Boulder Theater in Boulder, CO. Jim and Ray Benson walked up to me right after sound check and Jim said to Ray: "See I told you it was a Fender 1000". He apparently identified my guitar by the sound as they walked into the theater. Jim offered to buy it from me but I had to decline. We talked steel guitar for a bit until showtime. A fine gentleman and a top shelf musician. I'm proud to have met him.

Larry Baker · Post by **Larry Baker** » 13 Feb 2013 3:12 pm

beautiful guitar, anyone know where it is now. Larry

Greg Cutshaw · Post by **Greg Cutshaw** » 13 Feb 2013 5:19 pm

I played that guitar when I was at Dick Millers trailor/workshop. Sounded a lot like a Sho-Bud but better mechanics. It was in for a minor upgrade. Bethel had some nice guitars on display at the ISG one year as well. Very friendly and easy to talk to people.

My Mothers Eyes - Murph on sax and steel with the Tunesmiths (Carl Smith) band!

chris ivey · Post by **chris ivey** » 19 Feb 2013 12:48 pm

one, if not 'the', coolest steelers ever!
very gracious to me at gabe's. love everything about him!

Ron Sodos · Post by **Ron Sodos** » 19 Feb 2013 3:20 pm

I was playing a gig way back in the late 70's at the Matador lounge in Anchorage Alaska. Paycheck and his band came in the bar cuz they were playing the Alaska State Fair. I had a chance to party with Jim and John that night. Jim got up and played my old Sho Bud and I have it all on cassette tape. It truly was an exciting night. He sure played my steel like it was supposed to be played. Funny thing he changed all my tone settings on the amp I was using and I never changed them til I sold the amp years later. LOL

Johnny Cox · Post by **Johnny Cox** » 21 Feb 2013 2:25 am

The last time Curly Chalker ever played was @ Gabes Lounge in Nashville. He called me and said,"I want to go set up next to Murphy." Well I went and loaded Curly and his gear in my vehicle and we were off. Curly and Murph had a blast that night. Not many steel players had the respect and mutual admiration of Curls but he loved Murph and I did too. Curly died within eight weeks of that night. He had a ball.

Bob Simmons · Post by **Bob Simmons** » 25 Feb 2013 1:30 pm

was that Murph on Carl Smith double album?

Bob Martin · Post by **Bob Martin** » 2 Apr 2013 12:55 pm

Big Jim, was the most inspirational musician that I ever had the pleasure to work with and we soon became best of friends. I learned more about music and how to play it in just over a year than I had in my entire career and I cried like a baby when I was told he had passed.

Jim and I were kindred spirits and would set and talk and pick for hours on end and many times on our day off at Gabes we would set out in my studio until the sun came up and even up til lunch, then go to work that evening

I sure miss ya Murph!!

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