Budy Emmons Bass Player

[Ernie Renn]

Correct, Scott! They just left out the word "steel" in the text. No electric 6-string guitar.

Ray at the steel was part of the show at one point. I asked Buddy how much steel did Ray play, to which he answered, "Just enough to get a laugh and a little applause for trying."

[Gary Spaeth]

i read somewhere he put bass strings on his steel and played bass for ray price when their bass player quit.

[Fish]

Hey Ernie-
You are a fountain of knowledge about "all things Buddy." Thanks!
That's a great photo of Buddy and Bobby Garrett. I may have to hit you up for that one.

And hey Pete Finney-
I hope all is well in your corner.
While working on Buddy's book, I've experienced many thrills of discovery simply by accident. One of those moments occurred during an interview with the great Bobby Black, who suddenly remembered seeing Buddy and Bobby Garrett at an E.T. appearance in Northern California around 1960.

Throughout the book, Buddy's direct quotes from his personal memoirs are italicized:

"Jack Drake told me Ernest was looking for a lead guitar player. Bobby Garrett was playing steel for Ernest, so Jack suggested I take the job in order to be available in the event that Bobby left the band. I played just enough guitar and heard Billy Byrd's solos enough times to be able to handle it, so I took the job. During my tenure as a guitar player, I recorded an album with E.T. called “The Ernest Tubb Record Shop.” With the exception of two songs, the guitar work was done by Grady Martin. The rest of the album was Bobby Garrett and I playing steel together. My two forgettable guitar solos on the album were “He'll Have To Go” and “Do It Now.”

One witness to this short-lived version of the the Texas Troubadours — with Buddy on lead guitar — was Bobby Black. “I vividly remember Buddy on stage right with his steel and Bobby Garrett on stage left, and they played twin steels. Ernest Tubb would always let the band play a set, then they'd introduce him. It was the second time I’d seen Buddy. We remembered each other and he introduced me to Bobby Garrett, who had also been with the Western Cherokees prior to Curly Chalker [Black had also been a member of the Western Cherokees in the mid-50's].

The set they played before ET got on was mostly country jazz. They had twin steel guitar stuff worked up, and it was like you've never heard; it blew me away, it sounded so great! If you can imagine Buddy Emmons and Bobby Garrett playing stuff together, it was just dynamite. I can still see them doing it. I was just transfixed by the whole thing. I thought 'what the heck, two steels and no guitar player on the first set, right?'

And then when they introduced Ernest Tubb, Buddy just got up, and he got on the guitar. And he played all the guitar parts for E.T., just like the records. And I thought, 'I'll be damned! Buddy can play the country guitar!'

Bobby Garrett eventually left the band and took a job with Hank Thompson. Ernest hired his nephew Billy Tubb to play the guitar. Billy went by the name X Lincoln. I inherited the steel guitar position and everything started feeling normal again.


Good news: the first draft of the manuscript for Buddy's book is finished. We are now in "shopping mode," meaning we are in search of the right publisher. Once that happens, we then go into several months of re-writes and editing. With any luck, the book will finally be published next spring.

Steve Fishell

[Doug Beaumier]

I heard Buddy play bass live at one of Jeff Newman's Jams, about 1982. There were three steel players on stage, Buddy, Jeff and Johnny Cox. Buddy played bass on a couple of tunes. When they did "Back Home in Indiana" the band gave Buddy a bass solo (just bass and drums)... and he played a pretty cool solo, mostly walking through the changes. Halfway through his solo he yelled out "I'm Still Learning it!" The audience got a kick out of that. A nice memory.

[scott murray]

Good news: the first draft of the manuscript for Buddy's book is finished. We are now in "shopping mode," meaning we are in search of the right publisher. Once that happens, we then go into several months of re-writes and editing. With any luck, the book will finally be published next spring.

Steve Fishell

WONDERFUL NEWS STEVE!!! thanks so much for sharing this excerpt and giving us all something to look forward to... not to mention all the time and effort you've put into the project. cannot wait to buy, read, and repeat!

[Jim Sliff]

There was a good reason he doubled on bass.

In the days when multiple songs were cut in a day, with overdubs by musicians in attendance, anyone who could play competently on a second instrument stood a good chance of getting to play that part as well.

Bass is on virtually everything; pedal steel may or may not be on every song - or even every album. Many guitar players took up bass for that very reason, and got live gigs out of it as well

There's nothing odd about it - it was an opportunity to double your fees for a session!

[Erv Niehaus]

I took up the bass as a second instrument.
I was playing with a polka band and the steel didn't always fit in too well on some of the songs but I could always make room for the bass.
Erv

[Dave Magram]

Ernie,
Great stuff!

Dale, Yes, Buddy's son, Larry Emmons played bass. He was with John Anderson for a number of years.

Just to add to what you said about Buddy's son Larry--sometime in the late 1970s/early 1980s, I saw Ernest Tubb perform. He introduced his bass-player as "Larry Emmons", and mentioned that he was Buddy's son.

I'm glad you all still want to talk about Buddy. He was an important part of my life. I miss him each and every day.

I too have been a huge Buddy Emmons fan for many years, as I'm sure most other SGF members are...

I think Mike Johnson and Bill Anderson said it all about (and to) Buddy at the "Buddy Emmons Tribute" The Nightlife - from "Country's Family Reunion" segment of CFR's four-part "Ray Price Tribute" series.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k-9g0okYkCM

After doing a great job accompanying T. Graham Brown on "Night Life", (with Buddy in the audience watching) Mike said, "The Master...Big E...the best steel guitar player that's ever walked on Earth. He's more than just a great player, he's so much a part of everything we play--the pedals, the tuning--he's brilliant...with more soul in his little finger than most..." At which point, the entire audience of vocalists, songwriters, and musicians gave Buddy a standing ovation.

Then after Buddy described his recollections of recording "Night Life" with Ray Price, Bill Anderson said to Buddy, "Buddy, you have left such an indelible mark on this business--on all of our lives--with what you've played. And when they write the History Of The Steel Guitar, your picture should be on the cover."
And Buddy received another standing ovation.

I'm so glad that Buddy heard this heart-felt and well-deserved praise before he passed away.

- Dave

[Ernie Renn]

That's why I added this page to the website: What Other People Are Saying About Buddy...

I was collecting some comments for the website when Speedy West passed away and I was reading all the accolades to him. Somebody said it was too bad he couldn't have seen the outpouring of love, respect and admiration. The light went on.

Buddy confessed to me that a few of these choked him up and a couple brought some tears. I told him my plan wasn't to make him cry, but I was glad he got the message.

Even though he has passed on, I have a few more I'd like to get...

Fish - Thank you! I'll send you the picture. I got it from Dr. Wayne Yakes in Denver in 2005. (I haven't heard from Dr.Wayne in a while, I hope he's doing well...)