Sonny Garrish ?

Richard Tipple · Post by **Richard Tipple** » 9 Oct 2016 9:01 am

Ive looked high & low for some U Tube of Sonny,s playing. Just wondering if Sonny ever posted any instrumentals ?

Jack Aldrich · Post by **Jack Aldrich** » 9 Oct 2016 2:11 pm

You can't see him but you can listen to here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l6DkxPlfZho
Sonny played steel on Red's album, so he's on the other cuts, too.

Tony Dingus · Post by **Tony Dingus** » 9 Oct 2016 7:21 pm

Here's one. I love Sonny's playing.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eGunfqicVwc

Tony

Walter Stettner · Post by **Walter Stettner** » 9 Oct 2016 10:49 pm

Here's another one from the same show, Rosanne Cash and Rodney Crowell:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=05d_yNGXDFQ

Kind Regards, Walter

Brian C Peters · Post by **Brian C Peters** » 10 Oct 2016 3:31 am

Here's one of my favorites,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VReQZj0Ie-Q

Dave O'Brien · Post by **Dave O'Brien** » 10 Oct 2016 4:58 am

One of the most prolific Nashville studio steel players many have never heard of.

Erv Niehaus · Post by **Erv Niehaus** » 10 Oct 2016 7:56 am

When you play a Gene Watson recording and you wonder who the terrific steel player is, look at the credits and, chances are, it will be Sonny Garrish.
One of the unsung heroes of steel guitar.

Bob Lawrence · Post by **Bob Lawrence** » 10 Oct 2016 2:30 pm

Here's a list of songs that he played on that you can look for(on some songs he only played guitar , Dobro etc or a combo of instruments):

http://www.allmusic.com/artist/sonny-ga ... 22/credits

Here is an example from the list:

Gene Watson - A Taste Of The Truth

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PeXQNflwE04

Richard Tipple · Post by **Richard Tipple** » 10 Oct 2016 4:59 pm

Hay thanks fellas

Sonny is such a great picker,,love his style !

Erv Niehaus · Post by **Erv Niehaus** » 11 Oct 2016 7:40 am

When I listen to a record with great steel work on it, I often mistake him for Buddy Emmons.

John Macy · Post by **John Macy** » 11 Oct 2016 11:52 am

I am a huge Sonny fan...about an hour ago this 1974 rosewood matte finished, wood neck 9 and 8 PP that was built for Sonny just arrived at my house and I couldn't be happier! Used on such records as Eddie Rabbit, The Judds and so many others...thanks, Jim Palenscar!!

Greg Derksen · Post by **Greg Derksen** » 11 Oct 2016 12:20 pm

John , how late did Sonny use that guitar?

Into the 2000's ?

Just curious?

Nice score,

Erv Niehaus · Post by **Erv Niehaus** » 11 Oct 2016 12:21 pm

John,
Congratulations!

John Macy · Post by **John Macy** » 11 Oct 2016 12:37 pm

Greg, I have a call into him to find out. I know he had another later like it...I assume into the late eighties at least...

John Macy · Post by **John Macy** » 11 Oct 2016 12:40 pm

Here is is on the Nashville Bar Association cover...

robert kramer · Post by **robert kramer** » 11 Oct 2016 1:08 pm

These are not instrumentals but plenty of great Sonny Garrish:

Bill Anderson

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HPLLSzQ1N_Q

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q1slkWrlQGI

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W5a7mXZ9h5A

Gary Stewart w/ Sonny Garrish & Dale Sellars

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5N1xIkHvJDo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3RGVQJMUqfE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W5a7mXZ9h5A

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W5a7mXZ9h5A

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O3MJadXoSxw

Brett Day · Post by **Brett Day** » 11 Oct 2016 4:26 pm

I just wonder if that Emmons is the same guitar Sonny played on Shania's first record in 1993, Terri Clark's first record in 1995, and Chalee Tennison's first record in 1999. I'm pretty sure that's the Emmons guitar heard on The Judds' "Young Love(Strong Love", "Mama He's Crazy", "Grandpa", and on Kenny Chesney's later records in the '90s

Brett Day · Post by **Brett Day** » 11 Oct 2016 5:20 pm

Erv Niehaus wrote:When you play a Gene Watson recording and you wonder who the terrific steel player is, look at the credits and, chances are, it will be Sonny Garrish.
One of the unsung heroes of steel guitar.

I've heard that Sonny is one of Gene's favorite steel players.

Roger Shackelton · Post by **Roger Shackelton** » 11 Oct 2016 8:54 pm

The Po Boys--Sweet Lorena

Bill Anderson's Po' Boys - Sweet Lorena - 1967 album - The Po' Boys Pick Again

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cjblrUh ... yS&index=9

Richard Tipple · Post by **Richard Tipple** » 12 Oct 2016 8:57 am

Strange right hand style Sonnys got, but man does it work

Tiny Olson · Post by **Tiny Olson** » 12 Oct 2016 3:57 pm

Lloyd Green played on Gene's early hits through early 1979 with Sonny on a few during that time as well. From then and through 1982, Sonny did all of Gene's stuff. I believe it was in '82 that Sonny got a new, black, metal neck Emmons Original and was using it on most recording dates from that time on. The Rosewood, wood-neck, bolt-on was most definitely used on many of Gene's hits though (and many, many other folks hits for that matter).

I was fortunate to be in attendance during most of Gene's sessions during the time Lloyd and Sonny were cutting his stuff. How awesome it was to hear and see them create the sounds later to become so recognized. Also to get to know them and what great folks they are, not to mention players !!

I was fortunate enough to follow in their HUGE footsteps and play on quite a few of Gene's hits and albums myself... well, I did the best I could !!!

I consider myself blessed to be able to see my heroes up close in action, get to know them (and they're great folks) and to play on Gene' records.

Sincerely,
Chris "Tiny" Olson

Ron Funk · Post by **Ron Funk** » 12 Oct 2016 5:18 pm

While Sonny was in St Louis to accept 2014 HOF induction, I asked him if he had been working on any new projects.

Sonny replied that he had just finished recording a bunch of hit songs together with Tracy Lawrence - seems Tracy wanted to be able to have some CD's to sell at his concerts.

Brett Day · Post by **Brett Day** » 13 Oct 2016 6:10 am

Ron Funk wrote:While Sonny was in St Louis to accept 2014 HOF induction, I asked him if he had been working on any new projects.

Sonny replied that he had just finished recording a bunch of hit songs together with Tracy Lawrence - seems Tracy wanted to be able to have some CD's to sell at his concerts.

Sonny played great steel on Tracy's "I See It Now" record in 1994-one steel solo comes to mind is his steel solo on "Texas Tornado, which was his third single on the "I See It Now" record and was Tracy's sixth Number One hit single. Another song of Tracy's that Sonny played on is "Lessons Learned", which was released in 1999-Sonny played the intro, which was also a steel part after the first verse, then it became the outro too.

Larry Johnson · Post by **Larry Johnson** » 13 Oct 2016 11:05 am

I bought from Sonny an Emmons String Machine, a number of years ago .He told me he used it on his recordings. I used it and then donated it to the Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville Tn. where It Is today. So If you go there and see It, It belonged to the great Sonny Garrish. Larry Johnson

Dave Grafe · Post by **Dave Grafe** » 13 Oct 2016 1:31 pm

Lots of Sonny's playing - and some of Paul Franklin's as well - on several of Joni Harms' albums.