Another Memory: Floyd Tillman

[Jim Saunders]

The late, Paul Berlin, a legend among Houston radio celebs told a story of having lunch with Floyd Tillman at Houston's Tel-a-wink Grill, back when wall mounted pay phones were common. They overheard a guy talking on the payphone saying, "you know it seems I always have to slip around to be with you". And, the rest is known; Floyd came out with the song, "Slippin Around", soon thereafter. Inspiration comes wherever you can find it.

[Erv Niehaus]

Floyd had a very unique style with his singing also.
I love his music.
Erv

[John Hopkin]

jim...it's the "Tel-Wink Grill"...

[Jim Saunders]

John, I stand corrected. You are correct. I haven't eaten there in years, but I drive by it going to the Gus Wortham golf course. I used to go to the Tel-Wink when I was a teenager working at the A&W Root Beer drive in on Telephone Rd.

[Jim Saunders]

By the way John, my name has a capital J, making it Jim.
Should your last name have an s on the end? Now, I am fooling with you.

[Donny Hinson]

What a fabulous writer he was! When singers like Willie Nelson, Ernest Tubb, Ray Price, Eddy Arnold, and even Ella Fitzgerald sing your songs, you know you're doing something right.

My favorites:

I Love You So Much It Hurts Me
I Gotta Have My Baby Back
This Cold War With You
Some Other World

[Jim Pitman]

Floyd Tillman is one of my favorites. He had a signature voice and he wasn't afraid to deliver it.
I gotta think more modern guys like Jim Lauderdale for example, were greatly influenced by him.

[Morgan Scoggins]

My favorites have always been Bob Wills and Hank Williams Sr. I would also have to put Floyd Tillman right up there with them. My favorite songs to play on my 8 string lap steel are " Cold Cold War" and "I Love You So Much". When I get out my archtop and start singing I usually add "Slipping Around".
I remember an Austin City Limits program form back in the 70's or 80's where Floyd was onstage as a solo and sang most of his favorites. I wish I could get a copy of that program. He was wonderful!

[Tucker Jackson]

I remember an Austin City Limits program form back in the 70's or 80's where Floyd was onstage as a solo and sang most of his favorites. I wish I could get a copy of that program. He was wonderful!

Is this it, Morgan? I can only find one song from Austin City Limits... Slippin' Around:

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

.

[Morgan Scoggins]

Thanks for posting this Tucker. This is probably part of the program that I watched so long ago. Floyd was a great songwriter and singer. When I started learning to play the non pedal steel around 2007, I had some contact with Herb Remington and learned a lot from him. He introduced me to a guy, Jim Williams, who lived a short distance from me in Dacula, Ga. I got to visit with Jim a few times. He was a steel player for Floyd Tillman way back in the 50's. He had a Remington triple neck non pedal steel. He had quit playing back around 1960 but had taken it up again and played until his passing. I still have fond memories of those times with Jim and Herb. I guess it is the reason I play all those old Western Swing songs!