Lack of band recognition

Corwin Colebrooke · Post by **Corwin Colebrooke** » 15 Apr 2001 7:48 pm

Is it just me, or is anyone else bugged by the facts that "singers" like John Michael Montgomery, George Strait, Garth Brooks, Hank Williams(all 3), or others just perform with their name and nobody knows who the rest of the band is? Most of them just write the lyrics and maybe a rhythm guitar track if that. The rest of the band ends up making or breaking them. For example, the Keith Urban minus steel guitarist thread. I wish people would have band names or at least go with something like (inssert name here) and (insert band's name here). Like Kelly Pardekooper and the Devil's House Band(one of my favorite Iowa country bands).
Just some late night ranting. Anyone else have opinions on this?

John Steele · Post by **John Steele** » 15 Apr 2001 8:23 pm

It's pop culture's evil obsession with the Cult Of Personality.

-John

C Dixon · Post by **C Dixon** » 16 Apr 2001 4:48 am

John,

Truer words were never spoken.

carl

David Pennybaker · Post by **David Pennybaker** » 16 Apr 2001 6:20 am

I believe George's band is called his "Ace In The Hole Band".

I'm sure his die-hard fans could name the band members for you.

I can certainly tell you the band members names for The Wilkinsons. Well, their old band members. Haven't met the new ones yet. That'll be fixed shortly.

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The Unofficial Photographer of The Wilkinsons

[This message was edited by David Pennybaker on 16 April 2001 at 07:21 AM.]

Herb Steiner · Post by **Herb Steiner** » 16 Apr 2001 6:38 am

re: George Strait and Ace In The Hole

AITH existed well before George joined the band. Mike Daily (steel), Tommy Foote (drums), Ron Cabal (guitar), and Terry Hale (bass) were looking for a lead singer, and here comes George, out of the Army and fresh from Hawaii wearing a leather cowboy hat, puka-shell necklace, and wanting to sing "Bad Bad Leroy Brown." Terry said, "sorry, no. We do Bob Wills music. Here, learn 'Bubbles In My Beer.'" As I recall, Terry told me this was 1974. The band was based in San Marcos TX and was opening shows for Alvin Crow and the Pleasant Valley Boys at the Cheatham Street Warehouse and other places.

Bill Mabry, now deceased, played fiddle for that band as well as Asleep At The Wheel. Ron Cabal is now also deceased. Tommy Foote has been road manager for quite some time now. Original members Hale and Daily are still playing in the band.

When George hit it big, he filled in some positions with local players from the area C&W dance band scene. He added Benny MacArthur (from the Country Music Review) on guitar and fiddle, Rick McRae (from Silver Creek band and Jimmy Heap's band) on lead guitar, Gene Elders (who came to Austin in 1984) on fiddle, and Ronnie Huckaby (Bert Rivera's band and others) on keyboards. He also hired local pickers Leroy Eichler and David Latimer as bus drivers/road help. Eichler and Latimer are also still on board.

For awhile, local guys Phil Fisher and Philip Fajardo were George's drummers, but I don't know who has the drum slot now, nor do I know the rhythm guitarist. I believe those are Nashville-based guys.

I haven't spoken to George in about 15 years, but I frequently play with Terry, Rick, and Ronnie in different bands around Austin. We mostly all live south of town, and since George only works about 15-20 dates a year, they have lots of time to gig out.

Terry, Rick and I play a few times a years with a gospel singer named Roy West who has a fun ministry to be a part of.

If I've left out any of my buddies from this list, it was unintentional and I apologize in advance.

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Herb's Steel Guitar Pages
Texas Steel Guitar Association

[This message was edited by Herb Steiner on 16 April 2001 at 07:41 AM.]

Chris Walke · Post by **Chris Walke** » 16 Apr 2001 7:11 am

When I saw the Dixie Chicks a few months back, the back-up band was never acknowledged. I was a quite irritated. I mean, yeah, everyone's there to see the DC's, but they wouldn't have had such a great sound if it wasn't for the guys playing their hearts out behind them.

Not even a "let's here it for the boys back there." Rude.

Jeff Lampert · Post by **Jeff Lampert** » 16 Apr 2001 8:23 am

It is rude for the Dixie Chicks to not introduce the band, but it is also misguided to think that DC would miss the guys in their band. While the DC girls could not be replaced very easily, there are many great and willing players who could replace their backup band, and the resultant sound would be every bit as good. Sorry about this dose of reality, but DC is the worst example you could give of the importance of the backup band. Their high-octane act is only about them. It is heavily produced to take advantage of their looks, personalities, and talent, and the backup band is way, WAY behind them in importance. And please, I'm just the messenger. I'm reporting the facts, not advocating the situation.[This message was edited by Jeff Lampert on 16 April 2001 at 09:26 AM.]

Mike Sweeney · Post by **Mike Sweeney** » 16 Apr 2001 8:48 am

Herb, George's drummer is from here in Nashville. His name is Mike Kennedy. Mike Sweeney

Corwin Colebrooke · Post by **Corwin Colebrooke** » 16 Apr 2001 8:49 pm

The point I was trying to make was the ones that just sing and sometimes pose with a guitar. Kenny Chesney and Chris Cagle are 2 other examples. I don't know what they do in the studio, but I've seen them on CMT concerts or videos and they might just play a few strums here and there, but it's clearly other guitarists in the band playing. George Strait was another example when watching him on CMT. He only played on one song that I saw, the rest of the time he was posing with the guitar.
re: Dixie Chicks; They're actually playing instruments and while it might not be as big sounding as with the backup band, they'd still sound great(Natalie might have to add to the sound with guitar or bass for some songs, but they can pull it off). Might not appeal to the teenybopper audience, but for real country fans, they'd still rule.
Chesney, Reba, Strait, McGraw, etc should go a capella if they're not gonna have recognition for their bands(and I don't just mean live, I mean in videos or other places too). Nobody even knows who the bands are. A lot of my friends would think I'm crazy if I mentioned Paul Franklin, Buddy Emmons, etc.

Andy Alford · Post by **Andy Alford** » 17 Apr 2001 6:56 am

ITS NOT NEW
Before Eddy Arnold became a Pop star he made a living by selling himself as Eddy Arnold and his guitar.Many people were fooled into thinking that Eddy had a heavenly touch on his guitar that no other folk singer had.People bought his records to hear that voice and his guitar.We all know now that the guitar was the guitar of Little Roy Wiggins.How did Eddy Arnold ever honor Little Roy Wiggins?I can not see Eddy A. as a star without the guitar of Little Roy Wiggins.

Gene Jones · Post by **Gene Jones** » 17 Apr 2001 8:01 am

I worked in a band once that had a front man like some of those mentioned above....He never acknowledged the bands existance except to criticize something....One day he "blew up" and said I don't need a d_____ band,I can stand in front of an audience with my guitar and sell myself as well or better. The band decided to let him do it and bailed out......I don't believe I've ever heard his name again to this day. www.genejones.com

KEVIN OWENS · Post by **KEVIN OWENS** » 17 Apr 2001 10:52 am

Quote:
"re: Dixie Chicks; They're actually playing instruments and while it might not be as big sounding as with the backup band, they'd still sound great(Natalie might have to add to the sound with guitar or bass for some songs, but they can pull it off). Might not appeal to the teenybopper audience, but for real country fans, they'd still rule."

They COULD have pulled it off with the other girl (don't know her name) that did play bass and sing lead. But now take away the teenybopper audience and what do you have left?....... I don't think a REAL country fan would say they rule anything.
Call it what it is "rockin' roll with a banjo"!!!!!!
Kevin

Chris Walke · Post by **Chris Walke** » 17 Apr 2001 11:22 am

Jeff, I certainly can't argue your point about the value of the DCs backup band or the ease of finding replacements. My point is one of courtesy. Never have I seen a rock singer/songwriter (Sheryl Crowe, Shawn Colvin, John Hiatt, Freedy Johnston, Bruce Springsteen w/o the E street band, heck, Billy Idol, Billy Joel...list goes on) that did not introduce the band. It could be a different band every tour, and people aren't there to see the band, they are there to see the singer. But those guys always introduce their bands, at least as a group, usually individually.

Maybe country music is different. But I saw George Jones recently and he introduced his entire band individually.

The DCs being a bad example or not, why the heck wouldn't the frontman (or frontchicks) introduce their band. They ARE co-workers, for crying out loud.

Janice Brooks · Post by **Janice Brooks** » 17 Apr 2001 3:27 pm

Herb will you be in trouble with anyone for not mentioning Phil Fagjardo curently plays with Don Walser ?

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Janice "Busgal" Brooks
ICQ 44729047

Donny Hinson · Post by **Donny Hinson** » 17 Apr 2001 3:56 pm

I really feel sorry for the young players coming up today. Back when I started (early '60s) a number of big country artist's bands put out a LOT of records. Ernest Tubb's "Troubadors" put out at least half-a-dozen, as did Buck Owens' "Buckaroos". Bill Anderson's "Po' Boys" put out a couple, as did Merle Haggard's "Strangers". In that era, the band was the "draw" as well as the star! That way, they drew larger audiences everyone got to know the musicians.

But today, it's the star's and the producer's egos (or is that pocketbooks?) that must be served. These days, it's much harder to hold a good band together...because they get little or no recognition from the star or the producers! Now that may be OK for the picker who's just lookin' for a paycheck, but that kind of gig would never appeal to me.

I get the impression (and I'm not the only one---by any means) that the stars of today have so much ego, and so little time for their "band", that they could care less who's in it!

I can imagine them saying...

"Just play it like the record, and remember...I'm the star!!!"