Brazos Valley Boys steel player

[Smokey Fennell]

I've been searching for some kind of list for the musicians in the band, primarily the steel players, and what years and albums they played on. Any hints on where to look greatly appreciated.

[Mitch Drumm]

http://hankthompson.com/discography/track-9/

Start at the above link from Hank's own web site.

Copy it and save it to your hard drive. It's about 55 pages.

Covers 1946 through 2000. Steel from Jimmy Gilliland on the original "Whoa Sailor" through Gary Hogue.

Names all musicians.

[Smokey Fennell]

Thanks. I had found that page at one time but I went back and worked through the way it was written.
I would still like to find a source to the periods of time that the live band steel players were active.

[Tracy Sheehan]

As I recall the last show Hank did was when the space shuttle that almost didn't make it.I don't recall the year but it was in Sioux Falls,SD. Jim Murphy was playing a new ZB steel and was having problems with it. We fixed it on a break. Tracy

[Smokey Fennell]

Very cool

[Don Crowl]

It looks like merle Travis played steel on recordings beginning with the number 113. I think I read it correctly. Had no idea merle Travis played steel especially with Hank Thompson.

[Smokey Fennell]

That was a surprise to me as well.

[Erv Niehaus]

At one time, Hank had twin steel guitars in his band.
Erv

[Don Crowl]

I remember that, Erv, how ever I don’t recall who the twin Steelers were. It seems like I recall that at one point Hank required that the Steelers overlap so they could pass on those signature licks properly.

[Junior Knight]

Gary Hogue was in the road band for several years
and played steel on Hank’s last album in 2000

[Mitch Drumm]

I remember that, Erv, how ever I don’t recall who the twin Steelers were. It seems like I recall that at one point Hank required that the Steelers overlap so they could pass on those signature licks properly.

Bob White and Pee Wee Whitewing.

At one time, Youtube had a Thompson video clip with both of them, playing "Dardanella".

Don't know if it's still available.

Go find and listen to them both take rides on Hank's "Red Skin Gal". My favorite Thompson tune.

[john buffington]

JD Walters also played for HT towards the end of his touring career. JD now resides in Glenpool, OK. What a killer player. JD also played for the late Freddie Hart. JD is ultra smooth on C6th as well as E9th, definitely a musicians - Musician!

[David Ball]

The sessions with both Merle Travis and Curly Chalker were really good ones I think.

Dave

[Don Crowl]

I love the work that Gary hogue did on Hank’s last seven decades album. I often replay the CD just to listen to Gary play. If I recall correctly Gary passed on shortly after that album was completed. another major loss to the world of Steelers. I feel certain junior night would know about that.

[Bill Cunningham]

I think this is the list.....
Jimmy Gilliland
Lefty Nason
Bob White
Pee Wee Whitewing
Bobbie Garrett
Bert Rivera
Curley Chalker
Jim Murphy
Lynn Frazier
Gary Hogue
J.D. Walters
Me and many others once at least. I did a show about 1990.

Maybe I left out one or two but not many. I met Hank twice, the time I backed him and once 5-6 years later when we opened for him. I asked about his steel players and he said it was not a long list. He named them all and his wife confirmed as he went through the list.

[Don R Brown]

Maybe a year or so back, we had a thread on here listing who played steel for Hank Thompson. I think it would have been easier to list who had NOT done so, maybe my memory is bad but I think the list was well over 20 players.

[Rick Jackson]

Bobby Black told me when PeeWee left the band, Hank Thompson wanted him to join. That way there would be 2 Bigsbys on stage left and right. One would say Bob Black and the other Bob White. Bob Black passed on the gig and went on to other things...