Billy Robinson

Jerry Van Hoose · Post by **Jerry Van Hoose** » 16 Oct 2021 5:21 pm

I know for certain that we never lose the people we care about. They continue to participate in every act, thought and decision we make. Billy was a friend for over 30 years and I will surely miss him, especially his gentleness and kindness. My sincere condolences to Billyâ€™s family, May he Rest In Peace

Roy Rosetta · Post by **Roy Rosetta** » 16 Oct 2021 6:53 pm

This is such sad news. Billy was such a great friend to Barbara and me. I have several paintings on my music room wall that Billy painted for us and I cannot count the number of times I worked with Billy on various steel guitar shows.
Rest in peace dear friend and go be with Our Precious Lord.
...Roy and Barbara

Benton Allen · Post by **Benton Allen** » 16 Oct 2021 7:53 pm

I am deeply saddened to hear about Billy's passing. Billy was one of the nicest people I have ever known. He was a true gentleman in every sense of the word! He was always very nice to me. The world was a much better place while Billy Robinson was with us.
RIP old friend. My prayers and condolences go out to Billy's family.
Benton

Terry Wood · Post by **Terry Wood** » 16 Oct 2021 9:07 pm

Like everyone has said, Billy was such a Great Steel Player and inspiration to so many of us! He was a friend and he and I had a bond in that we were both artists. I used to love visiting with him and we'd reminisce about his days not only on The Grand Ole Opry, but his days when he performed in Springfield Missouri on The Ozarks Jubilee Show with Red Foley, George Morgan and other Legends of Country Music.

Prayers for his Family and many Friends! RIP Peace Billy Robinson!

Terry Wood

Craig Stock · Post by **Craig Stock** » 17 Oct 2021 4:36 am

RIP Billy!

Here's a nice obit on Saving Country Music.com

https://www.savingcountrymusic.com/hank ... nson-dies/

Marlin Gengenbach · Post by **Marlin Gengenbach** » 17 Oct 2021 7:40 am

Billy was a super nice person and could make a non pedal sound like a pedal steel...RIP Billy.

Darrell Criswell · Post by **Darrell Criswell** » 17 Oct 2021 7:47 am

I saw him and talked to him at a steel show and I can't say enough good about him or his music.

Billy was really an interesting individual and I really like his story about his trip to Berlin before it was a divided city.

I wondered reading this if he ever tried pedal steel. I remember Don Helms did and said he was never very good at it.

Jim R. Harrison · Post by **Jim R. Harrison** » 17 Oct 2021 9:02 am

Darrell, Billy told me that he did play pedal steel for awhile. He didn't tell me why he went back to non-pedal or if he did tell me, I've forgotten his reasoning. I did see Don Helms play pedal steel once and I thought he was pretty good although I'm certainly not an authority on it!!

I took this photo in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario in Spring of 1968.

Cliff Trent · Post by **Cliff Trent** » 17 Oct 2021 5:09 pm

One of the greatest, nicest and kindest people around. Julie loved him and his wife too. we have several of his art pieces! We'll miss him for sure!

admin · Post by **b0b** » 17 Oct 2021 9:26 pm

A great player and painter. Listening to Billy Robinson, it was at times hard to believe that he wasn't playing with pedals. While I didn't know him, my heart goes out to his friends and family. There could be only one Billy Robinson.

Rick Jackson · Post by **Rick Jackson** » 18 Oct 2021 3:08 pm

I just got off the phone with Geri Isaacs to let her know about Billy. She said he was a true gentleman and a great player and artist. She said he and Bud became fast friends in the late 40s in Nashville and Bud played in several places with Billy's brother Floyd Robinson.

Tommy White · Post by **Tommy White** » 22 Oct 2021 7:59 pm

It is so difficult to say good bye to friends such as Billy. He was the most encouraging and supportive of everything steel guitar. Billy designed the Sho-Bud logo! Rip dear friend!

George Duncan Sypert · Post by **George Duncan Sypert** » 23 Oct 2021 4:52 pm

A little story about when I got to meet Billy Robinson in St Louis in 1996. Lynn Owsley was holding court out in the hall way on Friday Night after the Steel Show was over. Lots of us just sitting on the floor and taking it all in. There were lots of stories and some playing going on.
After a little while this fellow comes up and sits down beside me with his lap steel. A 10 string I think but time fades my memory a little. I was sitting there wondering what does guy think he is going to do will all of these pedal players. I did not know who he was nor had I ever even heard of him. Directly Lynn threw a passage to him and my mouth fell open. It was amazing what he played. Funny part is the next day Scotty announced that his fellow was being inducted into the Steel Guitar Hall of Fame. That one thing taught me to never assume anything about a persons ability.

Then I learned that he had played on the records of George Morgan, Hank Williams and many others when still a teenager.

RIP Billy Robinson.

Steve Green · Post by **Steve Green** » 26 Oct 2021 5:54 pm

Aw, man.

I don't log onto SGF as much as I used to. I visited tonight to see if I could find any info on the Steel Guitar Show they used to have every year in Gulfport, MS.

I clicked on the Event Announcements section, and the first thing I see is a thread entitled, "Billy Robinson's Memorial Service". This is terrible news. I saw Billy a few years ago, at the same Gulfport, MS, steel show that I was looking for information on tonight.

RIP to the most talented lap steeler I've ever met. His stuff was mind-blowing.

Mark Durante · Post by **Mark Durante** » 18 Nov 2021 5:35 am

Billy too now???

Earl Hensley · Post by **Earl Hensley** » 27 Nov 2021 9:52 am

Sad to hear about the passing of a good friend. Sat and talked many hours with Billy. I have and cherish some of his paintings. Billy, Go Rest High on The Mountain. Miss you my friend.

Jon Zimmerman · Post by **Jon Zimmerman** » 23 Dec 2021 10:59 am

Gosh. How many more must depart from dearest friends and family? Time takes a steady toll of impossibly creative minds, hands, eyes and ears. We, who knew you, are mere admiring mortals, left to mourn such a sad and sudden event. Go to that glory on high, Billy. Collect your wings, and survey the impact of your sparkling legacy. This spinning, green n granite planet will be so much the better, for all your freely given talent and generosity.

Jim Pitman · Post by **Jim Pitman** » 26 Dec 2021 6:16 pm

RIP Billy. Met him at the St Louis shows. He was always willing to talk steel with me, and I think younger folks in general. One of the kings of the bar slant. He's the guy that convinced me that strings parallel from nut to bridge (no taper) made bar slants easier so I built a lap steel that way.