Fred Amendola

[Buck Reid]

Just received a call from Fred's daughter, saying that he passed away yesterday morning. She asked me to post this to let everyone know, as he has many friends here on the forum. He had heart issues and was on the waiting list to receive a heart transplant.

Fred was a great guy and great friend to me. We collaborated on every tab/transcription I have to date, and I know he worked with many other players over the years.

Please keep his family in your thoughts and prayers. RIP my friend... you will be missed!!

[John Swain]

That's a shame, Fred was a wonderful person and a gifted player. He also had a amazing ear and could tell what string a note was played on! What a loss to the steel guitar community.

[Jeff Garden]

Very sad news, Buck. Fred's outstanding tab on your tunes and on John Hughey's set the standard for everyone else. He was also very generous sharing his knowledge and listening abilities with Forum members. Rest in peace, my friend, and sincere condolences to your family.

[Jim Cohen]

Oh no. I'm very sorry to hear this sad news. My condolences to his loved ones and many dear friends.

[Herb Steiner]

Another great one leaves us way too early!

Fred was a good pal and we enjoyed each other's company for hours at ISGC, talking about old pals, tab, etc. etc. etc.

Great condolences to his family and friends here in Forumland.

[Doug Beaumier]

Sad news, indeed. I remember Fred from way back in early 80's when he was working with Jimmie Crawford on his tablature book. I never got to know him personally, but I do know that he helped a lot of players over the years, writing tablature, transcribing solos, etc. He had an impact and he will be remembered. My condolences to his family.

[Hook Moore]

I'm so sorry to hear this. My condolences..

[John Norris]

Sad to hear this, I spoke to Fred often at the ISGC.
My sincere condolences to his family.

[Bruce W Heffner]

I am so glad I spoke with Fred last week, he had the greatest set of ears and could figure out on both necks what was going on.He will be missed.

Bruce

[Ron Funk]

Sincere Condolences sent to Fred Amendola's family.

Fred was one of the tabbing pioneers that helped get a lot of players started.

He also helped with audio of Tom Bradshaw's PSG booklets/instruction.

[Rex Blattenberger]

My wife Marci and I were friends with freddy back when we all lived in the Buffalo area. That was in the mid 70's. He was a great guitar player, and was just learning to play steel. Such a nice guy. So sad.

[Roy Peterman]

Fred was certainly a great guy, and will be missed at the steel guitar jams Tommy Vollmer hosted. He was a wealth of information, and tabbed many songs through the years. I will miss seeing and talking to him.

[Tommy Minniear]

It really saddened me to hear of Fred's passing. He was a "Dandy!", as Jimmie Crawford would say.
Sincerest sympathies and condolences to his family and friends.

[Tom Vollmer]

We all will miss Fred at our jams in Hamburg. He was unique. We all loved his humor and were often mystified by some of his scales and I suspect he was too. Just a couple of his thoughts the playbars with a rhinestone on the ball end would lite up on a blue note. He asked me to help by drinking his beer at the jam because he was not allowed to do alcohol.my favorite dig to him was Carter had to stop finishing steels because when he ordered his D- 10 he ran the factory out of knee levers. Only Fred would play a Roy Acuff tune like Great Speckled Bird on C6 with 6th , 9th, 13th, and m7 wb5 chords. We will miss you Fred.

[Franklin]

Heartbreaking! I met Fred about the same time I met Randy Reinhard...Fred lit up anytime music was involved. He was a seriously talented and kind man...Always smiling. So sad!
Love to his family
Paul

[Jerry Fessenden]

Such a loss ! Does anyone have any pictures?

[John Norris]

Here's one I took of Fred in 2004 at the show in St Louis.
He always swung by our booth for a chat every year, RIP Fred.

[Lee Bath]

I was shocked to hear of the passing of Fred. He was one of the best teachers that I ever had. He taught me how to block and pick block when I was 12 years old. Down thru the years, we would talk on the phone for hours. I will really miss those talks and Fred. Tom Bath

[Lee Bath]

Me,my wife and son Tom have known Fred for many years. We visited Fred in Pa. and he and his wife took us to an Italian restaurant that he liked. We have many great memories of those years. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his Family. Lee, Von and Tom

[John McClung]

So sorry to learn of Fred's passing. I never met him, but knew his name through his transcribing and tab-writing work. I was just about to contact him to ask about his Tab|Edit workflow, dang. My best wishes to his family.

Who else is considered an expert with Tab|Edit?

[Rob Segal]

This shot is characteristic of Fred, his ready throaty laugh, sparkle in his eye, great humor. It's from one of the Hamburg PA jams that have been so full of great music and friends. Fred was a font of fascinating, inventive, exploratory, inquiring playing. Thank you Fred, and rest in peace; love to his family,

Rob Segal

[Rob Segal]

Here's Fred at his Carter, at the right; along with, from the left, Frank Marsello, Allen Van Why, Roy Peterman.

[Russ Hicks]

It's hard to receive such sad news..Fred and I kept in touch and I don't know how I'm just now finding out about losing him...it'll teach me to check my messages more often. Fred guested on my and J. Crawford's sets in St. Louis many times and there was never a more lovable and talented man among us. I'm so sorry that the new heart didn't make it in time, but it's a good thing that he just went to sleep and woke up in a better place. God bless Lynn and all his family and friends and I'll miss him just as I miss my brother Roger; that's for the rest of my life.

[Fred Amendola]

Hello everyone,
My mother Lynn and I wanted to post a response to thank you all for your condolences and such kind words about Fred, my father. We have heard stories about many of you, and how much he enjoyed making music with you all. I am sure him and Jimmie Crawford are up there having a blast together as we mourn his loss.

If anyone has any other photos or videos of him playing, we would love to see them. Some friends have posted quite a few on Facebook if anyone would like to see them. I will be making some of the photo albums on his profile public either later tonight or tomorrow.

We haven't ever used this forum before, will this post and thread stay available if we want to look at it again in the future?
We are planning on keeping this account open for a while, and will check back fairly often. I am going to set up an account in my name, so there is no confusion in the future.

And finally, thank you so much Buck for posting on here for us, we really appreciate it.

Fred passed peacefully in his sleep while on vacation, and we take comfort in knowing that he didn't suffer in his final moments.

[Mark S. Miller]

Sarah I sent a Friend request on Fred's Facebook page. I posted Fred,s passing on my Facebook page So a lot of friends of Fred from buffalo NY area would know. I will love to share it with you and your Family. My prayers are with you all.