RIP William "Billy" Tonnesen

Steve Tonnesen · Post by **Steve Tonnesen** » 1 Mar 2014 11:02 am

It is with a heavy heart that I announce the passing of William "Billy" Tonnesen.

He left us peacefully last Saturday, February 22 at his home in Buena Park, California.
Struggling with bladder cancer over the last several years he finally called it quits.

I know that he really enjoyed participating in your forum and many of you will miss him.
If any of you would like to attend his memorial/funeral it will be at the Veteran's Memorial Cemetery in Riverside, California at staging area #4 on Friday, March 14th at 10:45am.
He will be receiving full military honors.

His ashes will be interred at the memorial cemetery minus a small portion which will be scattered in the mountains behind my home in Carpinteria, California where he loved to come and visit.

My father was well respected in the country western swing era, playing the lap steel as well as the pedal steel. I know he would appreciate your attendance, as would I.

If any of you have any questions please feel free to call me at 805-684-1415 or email at stonnesen@newspress.com

Thank you
Steve Tonnesen
Eldest son

Dave Hopping · Post by **Dave Hopping** » 1 Mar 2014 11:35 am

I'm so sorry!

Craig Stock · Post by **Craig Stock** » 1 Mar 2014 12:10 pm

Steve, My condolences to you and your family.

I always loved to read your father's posts about the California scene that is now long gone. Being an East Coaster, I have been envious of the life he must have lived and the time.

Know that your Dad made a big impact on us Forumites and we will miss seeing his name, thankfully, we can revisit him in the archives part of this Forum.

Craig Stock, Westfield, NJ

Craig Stock · Post by **Craig Stock** » 1 Mar 2014 12:22 pm

Found this bio by Billy which is really interesting and incredible.

http://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=180866

Dave Zirbel · Post by **Dave Zirbel** » 1 Mar 2014 12:26 pm

Condolences Steve. I never knew him in person but will miss his presence on the forum.

Steve Tonnesen · Post by **Steve Tonnesen** » 1 Mar 2014 12:26 pm

Thanks Craig.
My dad has been part of something very special over the dacades and I know when he had to stop playing due to physical limitations the fire went out.
He did however still live vicariously through this forum and when he came to visit always wanted to check in with the forum and share with me and my wife all the great people he played with.
It means a lot to get responses from you and others here.
Take care and don't lose the fire.

chas smith · Post by **chas smith** » 1 Mar 2014 12:45 pm

I had the good fortune to meet him when he came to a show at Steel Guitars of North Country. It was a great moment.

Abe Levy · Post by **Abe Levy** » 1 Mar 2014 1:03 pm

I really loved reading his posts too. I think he was at the last la steel jam but I didn't get to meet him. Wish I would have! RIP

Doug Beaumier · Post by **Doug Beaumier** » 1 Mar 2014 1:17 pm

Very sad news. I always enjoyed Billy's posts here on the Forum. He had so many interesting stories and so much steel guitar knowledge, and he was always was always willing to share his knowledge with us.

Bryce Baker · Post by **Bryce Baker** » 1 Mar 2014 1:18 pm

I was never fortunate enough to meet him, but I always
enjoyed his work, especially with Ole Rasmussen. Always
felt he deserved more recognition than he got. He was one of my favorites, along with Murphey and Boggs. Always looked forward to his posts on the forum.

Chuck S. Lettes · Post by **Chuck S. Lettes** » 1 Mar 2014 1:21 pm

My condolences, Steve. I always enjoyed Billy's posts and got to talk with him once in a while. Lots of insights and history-one of the good guys.
Chuck

Steve Tonnesen · Post by **Steve Tonnesen** » 1 Mar 2014 1:22 pm

Craig Stock wrote:Found this bio by Billy which is really interesting and incredible.

http://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=180866

Wow! thanks for that Craig.
I'll probably take a little something from all these responses and work it in to his ulogy.
My wife will be excited to read this.

Ron Whitfield · Post by **Ron Whitfield** » 1 Mar 2014 4:24 pm

Steve, can you recall where in Bell your father lived? Maywood/Bell is my old stomping grounds as well and would like to maybe see the old home via maps.google Was Billy a Bell High alum?
I was really hoping his absence wasn't health related, but he gave us a good ride here at the SGF and answered a number on old questions I had about my younger days in SE LA where he'd already made his mark.
Most sincere condolences to all the family, send him off with plenty of music.

Steve Tonnesen · Post by **Steve Tonnesen** » 1 Mar 2014 4:53 pm

Ron Whitfield wrote:Steve, can you recall where in Bell your father lived? Maywood/Bell is my old stomping grounds as well and would like to maybe see the old home via maps.google Was Billy a Bell High alum?
I was really hoping his absence wasn't health related, but he gave us a good ride here at the SGF and answered a number on old questions I had about my younger days in SE LA where he'd already made his mark.
Most sincere condolences to all the family, send him off with plenty of music.

Yes, I vaugley remember as I was only about 4-5 years old and lived just a mile or so from my grandparent's house on Carmelita in South Gate?
Maybe bell?
God, what a throwback.
He was working at the Red Barrel which burned down with one of his favorite guitars and also appearing on a Sunday Country Western show.
It's all a blurr, but I can still remember him introducing me to Rodger Miller (Dang-me_Dang_me) which at the time was my favorite song. Maybe the Country Corral?
Thank you for your reply and maybe some of you "old timers" can fill in the blanks.
Damn, this makes me miss him even more

Chris Lucker · Post by **Chris Lucker** » 1 Mar 2014 5:18 pm

My sincere condolences. I met Billy through Chance Roulette, or Whit Wilson, and it was my pleasure to watch him play, have him teach me a couple little tricks, and simply sit with him to watch Jeremy Wakefield and the Lucky Stars.

Billy will always be remembered as a kick in the pants. We will miss him.

Steve Tonnesen · Post by **Steve Tonnesen** » 1 Mar 2014 5:35 pm

Chris Lucker wrote:My sincere condolences. I met Billy through Chance Roulette, or Whit Wilson, and it was my pleasure to watch him play, have him teach me a couple little tricks, and simply sit with him to watch Jeremy Wakefield and the Lucky Stars.

Billy will always be remembered as a kick in the pants. We will miss him.

Thank you Chris.
I truley appreciate your reply.
I'm going to log off, its been a long day and the overwhelming outpouring of responses makes me feel good.
All of you...
Thanks, and I hope some of you can attend on March 14th.
Cheers to dad

Mike Neer · Post by **Mike Neer** » 1 Mar 2014 7:57 pm

I am so sad to hear this news. Billy was an amazing guy and player and I'm so grateful that he chose to come here and share his stories and wisdom. My deepest condolences to his family.

Walter Stettner · Post by **Walter Stettner** » 2 Mar 2014 12:34 am

That is really sad news. My condolences to the family and his loved ones. I never had the honor to meet him in person, but he posted frequently on my little "Clip of the Week" game here on the forum, always providing a little historic story that I was looking forward to read.

Billy, thanks so much for the little moments we shared here on the forum and rest in peace.

I will miss you!

Walter Stettner
Vienna, Austria

Jerome Hawkes · Post by **Jerome Hawkes** » 2 Mar 2014 4:21 am

Always enjoyed Billy's posts about the old days and his amazing experiences. He was a treasure around here and will be missed.

Ron Whitfield · Post by **Ron Whitfield** » 2 Mar 2014 3:36 pm

Steve Tonnesen wrote:I lived just a mile or so from my grandparent's house on Carmelita in South Gate?
Maybe Bell?

That would be Bell, my Jr. High (Chester W. Nimitz) was on Carmelita.
Was Billy or any family Bell High students? It'd be great to list your Dad as another steel great, like Ralph Mooney, as my alumni.

Steve Tonnesen · Post by **Steve Tonnesen** » 3 Mar 2014 6:54 am

I do believe dad went to Bell high.
So nice to see how many friends he had.

Thanks everyone for the replies and stories, I'll print these out and keep them in an album in his honor.

Steve Tonnesen

Ron Whitfield · Post by **Ron Whitfield** » 3 Mar 2014 1:02 pm

Thanx, Steve, I'm trying to locate anything about him via the Bell HS sites.
Your Dad's passing sure leaves a large void for all of us.

Here's a cool article the LA Times did on the So. Cal WS scene of his days and Billy get's print time, in case anyone missed it http://www.latimesmagazine.com/2011/06/ ... -king.html

Rick Ulrich · Post by **Rick Ulrich** » 7 Mar 2014 12:00 pm

It is fascinating for me to read all of these comments here about steel guitar players and the country music scene in the Southeast communities of Los Angeles. I feel very fortunate to have grown up where I did in Lynwood, California. Steve, when I found out your dad played steel for Ole Rasmussen I felt a connection to him. When I was just starting out in elementary school, Ole Rassmussen lived just a block from me. I lived on 109th St. and he lived on 110th St. Ole's son, Louie was in my classes. I had forgotten Louie's first name, but your dad reminded me. Just a few years later, there was this guy Noel Boggs who would come to my elementary school with a few members of the Spade Cooley band and they would perform for school carnivals and such. The reason Noel Boggs did this was because his kids went to that school. Then I found out my mother knew Mrs. Boggs because they were both in the PTA together. A year or two before Speedy West passed away, I was emailing him and telling him that I used to go up to the KXLA radio station in Pasadena to see him when he appeared on the Cliffie Stone noontime show. He asked me if I had ever come up and introduced myself. I told him, heck no, at that time I was only 16 years old. He said I should have as he would have shared stuff with me. We discussed Noel Boggs and he said that he only lived a short distance from Noel Boggs just over the line in South Gate. He said when he first got to California and got acquainted with Noel, Noel would drive over to his house and pass along gigs that Noel couldn't handle. He said he really appreciated that. Noel had to drive over because Speedy couldn't afford a phone. I didn't realize Mooney was from the same area. I didn't realize it at the time, but I was living in "Hillbilly Heaven"

Ron Whitfield · Post by **Ron Whitfield** » 7 Mar 2014 12:44 pm

The SE LA areas was a hotbed for great steel and Western music post WW2 and many notables lived there. Boggs might have lived in Downey at some point, as did steelstress Marian Hall, and of course Paul Bigsby. I think Merle Travis was nearby for a time too. Eddie Cochran lived in Bell Gardens, our butcher in Bell played accordion in WS bands, and Ralph Mooney was around. Town Hall Party was in nearby Compton. I missed all that, but I could smell it in the air with my little kid nose out the car window.

Rick Ulrich · Post by **Rick Ulrich** » 7 Mar 2014 12:59 pm

Ron Whitfield, I forgot to mention that in later years when Town Hall Party was in full swing, Jenks (Tex) Carmen lived on Barlow St in Lynwood. He used to come into the store where my dad worked. My dad invited him to our house for Sunday barbecues. I was just learning steel guitar and played an acoustic lap steel. Tex would bring his guitar over and he wouldn't play a song until I played one. Well, I quickly ran out of my repertoire of songs. That way he didn't have to play many songs. He didn't talk a lot, but he was quite a character.