A Very Young Paul Franklin

Drew Pierce · Post by **Drew Pierce** » 16 Mar 2018 3:40 pm

I ran across this video recently while surfing versions of this song. No steel break but Paul's single note backup is just killer. I met Paul when he played at St. Louis in 1983 and he blew the place away with his speed picking. Seeing this reminded me of the amazing span of this great player's career.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8QAEmCuBnck

gary pierce · Post by **gary pierce** » 16 Mar 2018 3:56 pm

That was marvelous picking.

Fred Treece · Post by **Fred Treece** » 16 Mar 2018 6:29 pm

Thinking about what I was doing in my mid 20â€™s...No wonder Paul Franklin is regarded as one of the best musicians alive. It is a cop out to think he was destined, or great right out of the chute. No doubt the talent and drive were there, but Iâ€™m sure it was a lot of work and study, and getting out there making connections.

Howbout Jerry â€œNo Shoesâ€ Reed?

Gregory Horne · Post by **Gregory Horne** » 16 Mar 2018 9:17 pm

I love how much amusement Jerry gets out of his multi-level stool situation. Here's a good companion piece (with B.B. King!) Jerry found his shoes for this one, and there's a closeup on the steel solo.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3xovw2_nMRo

Brett Lanier · Post by **Brett Lanier** » 17 Mar 2018 12:22 pm

It must be cool for Paul to be playing with drummer Jerry Roe (Jerry's grandson) these days. Young Jerry looks so much like his grandfather sometimes, and crazy talented as well.

Ian Worley · Post by **Ian Worley** » 17 Mar 2018 3:33 pm

Fred Treece wrote:...It is a cop out to think he was destined, or great right out of the chute...

Maybe. He obviously worked really hard at it, but he was a prodigy. Here is a much earlier clip of Paul on Hee Haw at age 18, fresh out of high school, already demonstrating world class chops and technique: https://youtu.be/LYXoJsRq0m8?t=102

Franklin · Post by **Franklin** » 17 Mar 2018 7:46 pm

Boy do I feel old!...I worked for Barbara in 1972...My first show with her was the Opry in January. Then I quit to go with Dottie West at the end of April 72....I turned 18 in Dottie's band...Both of the clips are from the same Hee Haw Show (Notice Reed's cast) What I notice most from those clips is at 17, I was still transitioning into the webbing hand position and would sometimes move back into the palm blocking position...My muscle memory was not quite there with the webbing...In the solo I can clearly see the webbing was on its way...

You guys should have heard Julian Thorpe play her stuff...He took my place at the end of April 72...Awesome!

Ian Worley · Post by **Ian Worley** » 17 Mar 2018 8:12 pm

You're not old Paul, you just need to go back to that haircut and no one will know the difference.

Franklin · Post by **Franklin** » 18 Mar 2018 8:10 am

Genetics got the best of that much hair

Drew Pierce · Post by **Drew Pierce** » 18 Mar 2018 10:35 am

Paul, you were in good company at St. Lous in '83.

David Wright · Post by **David Wright** » 20 Mar 2018 3:48 am

Paul,
I remember those days as if it were yesterday...and our days of running the streets of Nashville...buring the DJ conventions...Our Dads talking steel building...Your playing has always been Great, You have earned your way to being one of the Greatest..to play the guitar...Take care my Friend... and keep up the Great work....!!!!..

Greg Cutshaw · Post by **Greg Cutshaw** » 20 Mar 2018 4:23 am

Somewhere around 1973 I saw Barbara Mandrell with Julian Thorpe at Ponderosa Park in Ohio. They were supposedly playing twin guitars, really hot, then Barbara unplugged here guitar and it was all Julian all the time. Ponderosa was pretty awesome place to see artists letting the musicians stretch out.

Barry Blackwood · Post by **Barry Blackwood** » 20 Mar 2018 8:30 am

Sadly, it looks like the Park has fallen on hard times....
http://www.wfmj.com/story/17269945/new- ... erosa-park

George Duncan Sypert · Post by **George Duncan Sypert** » 20 Mar 2018 12:32 pm

My friend Kenny Penny playing the Les Paul in the first video doing the twin work. He looks real young there.
Paul's playing was great as always.

Larry Bressington · Post by **Larry Bressington** » 20 Mar 2018 7:02 pm

That was smokin Paul, Wowza.....An MSA Classic by the way? ðŸ˜ŠðŸ‘ðŸ»

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A Very Young Paul Franklin

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