Who Is Bill Phillips?

Geff King · Post by **Geff King** » 16 Aug 2000 4:44 pm

All I know about him is that Eddie Stubbs plays a lot of his stuff on his WAMU-FM show here in DC. That and the fact that his song "Lonely Nights and Blues are Settin' In"
has one of my favorite steel turnarounds of all time on it.

Anybody out there know more?

Randall Harrington · Post by **Randall Harrington** » 16 Aug 2000 5:46 pm

He is from the Abaline,tx. area if memory serves me corect.I belive you would call him a field rep for Carter steel guitars. If you get to see him live he is a dandy! I belive you can get some of his teaching material from Carters web page.

Jerry Hayes · Post by **Jerry Hayes** » 16 Aug 2000 6:23 pm

I believe he's related to Dolly Parton some way, maybe an uncle I think. He had a record called "Put It Off Until Tommorrow" on which a young Dolly sang some great harmony. Another tune of his I like was one called "You're Know By the Company You Keep. I was wondering if he was still alive. I haven't heard anything about him in years.

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Have a good 'un! JH U-12

George Rozak · Post by **George Rozak** » 16 Aug 2000 6:26 pm

Isn't there also a singer by the name of Bill Phillips. I seem to remember an old song called "Put It Off Until Tomarrow" that was recorded by a Bill Phillips about 30+ years ago. I believe he used to tour with Kitty Wells & Johnny Wright.

Janice Brooks · Post by **Janice Brooks** » 16 Aug 2000 6:31 pm

Put It Off until Tommorrow was on Decca about 1964 and Dolly did do the harmony.

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Janice "Busgal" Brooks
ICQ 44729047

Tim Rowley · Post by **Tim Rowley** » 16 Aug 2000 6:56 pm

Are we talking about the same Bill Phillips? The Bill Phillips that Eddie Stubbs likes so well is the singer/songwriter/rhythm guitarist who traveled, worked, and recorded with Johnny Wright, Jack Anglin, and Kitty Wells from the late 1950's through the 1960's. He was on the Opry from 1957-1966. Some of his records include "Put it Off Until Tomorrow", "You're Known By The Company You Keep", "The Words I'm Gonna Have to Eat", and "Little Boy Sad", all on Decca. He wrote "Falling Back to You" which Webb Pierce cut. He's the guy who wrote "We'll Stick Together" which Kitty and Johnny still do on all their shows. He co-wrote some material with Dolly Parton in the '60s. He has written and performed a bunch of good songs and he is as country as turnip greens. Don't quote me on this but I think he was married to Anita Carter for a short while. Anyway, Bill is a good man and can really put a ballad or shuffle song "over". He can also sing the living daylights out of a gospel song if he takes a notion. I read that he and his wife Ann were living a quiet life around Mt. Juliet (TN) and I would assume he is still in the Nashville area. A friend of mine is acquainted with Eddie Stubbs and says he is a real easy guy to talk to, why don't you see if you can contact Eddie by E-mail or even (heaven forbid!) write to him care of WSM Radio in Nashville and let him tell you all about Bill Phillips. Eddie is known as a walking encyclopedia of classic country music and he WILL know the answers to your questions about Bill Phillips. Hope this is helpful. Tim R.

Jack Stoner · Post by **Jack Stoner** » 17 Aug 2000 2:27 am

How about "Carl" Phillips? Anyone know anything about him? I have an old used case for my Grammer guitar, it was a used one we had at Little Roy's music store, and it has Carl's name on it.

Bob Hempker · Post by **Bob Hempker** » 17 Aug 2000 8:06 am

Jack,

I hate to tell you this, but Carl Phillips was killed about 20 years ago in an auto accident. I don't remember the exact year, but it was in the 70's. I never knew him, but others have told me he was a fine person.

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Jon Light · Post by **Jon Light** » 17 Aug 2000 8:19 am

Some unsettling reading if you happen to have a steel playing buddy in Boston named Carl Phillips (who I talked to just a couple of weeks ago and is alive and well).
No, there's no confusion here but like I said, unsettling!

Jack Stoner · Post by **Jack Stoner** » 17 Aug 2000 8:49 am

Thanks, Bob. I knew he was a singer but couldn't remember anything else about him. The case is old. Little Roy gave me the Grammer guitar and case the weekend of the first Fan Fair in Nashville (1972) after I got back to the store from working the Emmons booth.
The case was a used one we had laying around.

Bob Hempker · Post by **Bob Hempker** » 17 Aug 2000 5:58 pm

Jack, did you used to do electronics repair at Roy's store? I believe you fixed a Boss Tone for me one time.

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Jack Stoner · Post by **Jack Stoner** » 18 Aug 2000 4:11 am

Bob, yes. I did the amp repair there in 71/72. I started after Carl moved to his new shop across from the original Gruhn Guitar shop.

The repair shop was upstairs.

Jim Cohen · Post by **Jim Cohen** » 18 Aug 2000 1:10 pm

I believe Randall is referring to Billy Phelps, who plays a Carter steel and lives in Midland, TX. He always hangs out and plays in the Carter exhibit area at the Dallas show. I don't think this is the "Bill Phillips" Geff asked about.

Donny Hinson · Post by **Donny Hinson** » 20 Aug 2000 4:43 pm

I saw Bill Phillips many times, when he was touring with Kitty and Johnny. He was a really underrated singer, and I thought he had one of the most expressive and emotional voices in Country Music. He was a truly nice guy, but he only cut two albums, as I recall. One plus was his use of Kitty's band...featuring none other than Stu Basore on steel.

Nice Stuff!

Jim Bob Sedgwick · Post by **Jim Bob Sedgwick** » 20 Aug 2000 8:12 pm

What Donny said. Bill Phillips knocked me out. Great singer. Never became big. DAM$$ Shame.