Shout out to Bill Johnson

Gary Hoetker · Post by **Gary Hoetker** » 17 Aug 2020 5:17 pm

Isnâ€™t it about time heâ€™s placed right up there with the past greats. His tone and versatility are out of this world. Google The Marty Robbins Album â€œMy Kind Of Countryâ€ Circa 1967 to see what I mean. RIP. Youâ€™re one of the very best.

Tommy Detamore · Post by **Tommy Detamore** » 18 Aug 2020 4:16 am

I totally agree Gary! Bill was a fantastic player! Some of his stuff sounds easy, until you go to try it yourself. A lot of it is in his phrasing. Just great stuff.

My friend Bobby Flores has Billâ€™s â€˜65 Emmons wraparound. Every time Iâ€™m around it Iâ€™m in awe!

Hereâ€™s a couple goodrâ€™ns, and thankfully there are more:

https://youtu.be/mNQjGr5lCGM

https://youtu.be/ehO6TeIy3kA

Gary Hoetker · Post by **Gary Hoetker** » 18 Aug 2020 1:01 pm

Thanks Tommy. Those are two fabulous clips. The break on "The Shoe Goes On The Other Foot Tonight" are indescribable and inimitable, IMO. I loved the way Marty interacted with his band too and vice versa.

I enjoy all your posts. Stay safe.

Gary Hoetker · Post by **Gary Hoetker** » 18 Aug 2020 1:03 pm

Tommy-

I forgot to ask. Is the '65 Emmons wrap around the guitar Bill is playing in the videos?

Don R Brown · Post by **Don R Brown** » 18 Aug 2020 5:20 pm

I've seen a lot of concerts in my life. Elvis, Rolling Stones, Johnny Cash, etc, etc. If I could go back and see ONE of them over again, without a doubt it would be Marty Robbins. His interaction with not only the band, but the crowd itself was incredible. The music was tremendous, but his personality was what made the night. He didn't give the impression he was "performing for us", he seemed to genuinely be enjoying the evening just as much as the audience was. Just a dinky theater in a dinky town, but he absolutely gave it 100% and then some.

PS - Trash day is tomorrow, and after seeing that break I just carried my steel out to the curb!

Tommy Detamore · Post by **Tommy Detamore** » 18 Aug 2020 7:17 pm

Gary Hoetker wrote:Tommy-

I forgot to ask. Is the '65 Emmons wrap around the guitar Bill is playing in the videos?

Bobby and I have both wondered about that. It looks like the same guitar, but we canâ€™t be certain.

Herb Steiner · Post by **Herb Steiner** » 19 Aug 2020 2:53 pm

Tommy Detamore wrote:
Gary Hoetker wrote:Tommy-

I forgot to ask. Is the '65 Emmons wrap around the guitar Bill is playing in the videos?
Bobby and I have both wondered about that. It looks like the same guitar, but we canâ€™t be certain.

It's the same guitar that was on "Shoe Goes...Tonight," as I was told by Ron Lashley when I bought it from the Emmons Co. That's how they were advertising it. Mike Cass restored it and put on my copedent. Bobby got the guitar from me in the early 2000's, when I was kinda "collecting" wraparounds and 1st Gen. Emmonses.

About 12 years ago, Bill Johnson's widow contacted me wanting to buy it, and I had to refer her to Bobby F. I don't know if she ever contacted him or not.

Tommy Detamore · Post by **Tommy Detamore** » 19 Aug 2020 5:03 pm

Thanks Herbster! I was hoping you would see this and weigh in...

Herb Steiner · Post by **Herb Steiner** » 19 Aug 2020 6:05 pm

Here's another MR show with Bill Johnson, and Bill gets lots of camera time, more than he played actually. He takes the cool fuzz tone solo on Don't Worry About Me.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YNRbyYWPH1E

Marty Robbins was a consummate performer and artist. In the 80's my band opened for Marty and his show was a mindblower.

Katz Kobayashi was his steeler in those days.