George Jones

B.Jenkins · Post by **B.Jenkins** » 10 Jul 2001 7:02 am

Can anyone tell me who is playing steel in G.Jones band at this time?
Thanks
B.Jenkins

wayne yakes md · Post by **wayne yakes md** » 10 Jul 2001 9:17 am

George's first steel player @ 1957-58 was Bobby Garrett. Bobby left him in 1959 to join ET.

Joerg Hennig · Post by **Joerg Hennig** » 10 Jul 2001 9:45 am

Wayne, the question was "at this time".

Henning Antonsen · Post by **Henning Antonsen** » 10 Jul 2001 12:44 pm

If he hasn't hired a new steeler during the last few months, it's Tom Killen.

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Henning Antonsen
Emmons LeGrande III

wayne yakes md · Post by **wayne yakes md** » 11 Jul 2001 11:34 am

Dear Munich Joe,
I know what the question was. I was adding to the discussion.....

Eddie Lange · Post by **Eddie Lange** » 11 Jul 2001 3:23 pm

Hey Wayne, was Ruggsy right after Bobby?

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The Young Steelkid

LARRY COLE · Post by **LARRY COLE** » 11 Jul 2001 5:05 pm

What about Sonny Curtis?

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LC. WILLIAMS U12, SHO-BUD PRO1,CARVIN TL60

John Floyd · Post by **John Floyd** » 12 Jul 2001 1:35 am

As of last Saturday night it was Tom Killen. He played the Midnight Jamboree with Leona Williams and she announced that she had borrowed him from The George Jones Band . Tom Picks all he needs to. Great Steeler with too little recognition!!

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John

[This message was edited by John Floyd on 12 July 2001 at 02:36 AM.]

wayne yakes md · Post by **wayne yakes md** » 12 Jul 2001 7:13 am

Hal Rugg was later in the mid 1960's and co-wrote with George "Cuttin' a Rugg" and "Jonesy" instumentals. There were several in between after Garrett left Jones in 1959 to join ET.

Bob Carlson · Post by **Bob Carlson** » 12 Jul 2001 7:14 pm

Tom Killen Steel, Ron Gaddis bass and harmony and Bobby Birkhead drums and road manager. Forgot his piano player though and he's got a new kid on lead guitar.
Steve Hinson used to play lead guitar and by just bending strigs he could make It sound real close to a steel. Bobby Seymore might know Hinson because I recall him saying his wife ran a Music Store In Nashville.
I think Killen and Birkhead have been with him at least 15 years, and I think Gaddis was born In one of Jone's guitar case's. (I hope he reads this.)

Bob Carlson

Jason Stillwell · Post by **Jason Stillwell** » 12 Jul 2001 9:21 pm

Was Jimmy Day ever in Jones's road band, or did he play with him only in the studio?

Bob Carlson · Post by **Bob Carlson** » 13 Jul 2001 5:25 pm

I don't know If Jimmy ever played for George on the road, but I would guess he did.....but the thing I liked about seeing Jones was you knew you were going to hear the best vocal chords In country music and you were going to hear a real country band. There were times when they wern't the best, but they were country.
Hasn't everyone played for Jones and Ray Price?.

Bob Carlson [This message was edited by Bob Carlson on 13 July 2001 at 06:28 PM.]

Fred Jack · Post by **Fred Jack** » 13 Jul 2001 8:40 pm

I lived in Colorado Springs when George and his band was brought in there to perform on a gas station drive.(1958) A local independant was in a big time gas war with major brands and the majors were determined to put him out of business.He had two stations in the Springs,one on 85-87 which at that time came right through downtown and Hwy 24 which went east and west through downtown and on thru Colo City and Manitou.When George and his band hit the drives to perform they had traffic jammed for miles. BOTH directions!
He'd play one station and then go to the other. The stations survived and the majors backed off.He was in town for several days and we all had a great time pickin and grinin aaaaaaaaannd whatever else we could get into. fred

Gene Jones · Post by **Gene Jones** » 14 Jul 2001 3:43 am

Bob, I had to smile at your comment: "Hasn't everyone played for Jones and Ray Price?".

When I go to the western-swing events I usually introduce myself as "the only guy here who never played with Bob Wills", because it seems that everyone there has.

I've thought about having a name tag made with that phrase on it! www.genejones.com

Jerry Horner · Post by **Jerry Horner** » 14 Jul 2001 4:05 am

Gene,
My mother often said if you hadn't played for Bob Wills you weren't much of a musician. So I guess I'm not much of a musician. I did have the thrill of setting outside of a motel on a park bench with him in 59 in Roswell, NM. It was just him and I for about 30 minutes. I will go to my grave remembering that day.

Jerry

Gene Jones · Post by **Gene Jones** » 14 Jul 2001 6:29 am

Jerry...you'll appreciate this one. I walked into the bathroom at the old Trianon one day during their noon radio broadcast, and Bob was sitting on a stool smoking his cigar. I sat down on the stool next to him and we also talked. The only thing I remember about the conversation was Will's comments about his new steel player, someone by the name of Bobby Koefer......he said "the guy was amazing, but with that thumb he reminds me of a cub bear pawing at a pile of----!" www.genejones.com

Paul Graupp · Post by **Paul Graupp** » 14 Jul 2001 6:38 am

Gene; Was wondering if you ever hit the night club in OKC named Someplace Else. It was run by a fellow named Bob White who I'm sure you've met at one time or another.

Regards Paul

Jerry Horner · Post by **Jerry Horner** » 14 Jul 2001 10:26 am

Gene is old enough to have hit every club in the country.

Gene Jones · Post by **Gene Jones** » 14 Jul 2001 12:02 pm

Jerry, I'll ignore your unkind remark and answer Paul's question. I'll get even later!

Yes, Bob White had the Someplace Club downtown Oklahoma City, I think it was next door and upstairs from the old Criterion Theater. Urban Renewal removed all of the downtown area so nothing original is left.

Bob had a nice little house band, including guitarist Jerry Cornell among others, and a polynesian "girl singer". He was busy "managing" most of the time but would get up and play about 15 minutes each hour. It was a very nice "supper club" atmosphere.

Bob played standing so he could "front", and had that experimental guitar (Bixby?) with all those floor pedals. They played very little country, mostly old standards, blues and some progressive jazz.

I've told this story before, but it's a good one so I'm going to repeat it.......Me and some other members of a band that I worked with at the time, had gone by the Someplace Else after-hours one night, and since Bob was busy running the club and his steel was just sitting on the bandstand, someone asked him "why don't you ask Gene to set-in?"

Bob didn't know me so he thought about it a minute and then said:

"My policy is not to allow set-ins. If someone plays my guitar and plays "bad" some of the customers might think that it's me playing bad....and if he plays better than me, then I look bad. Either way I lose and have nothing to gain."

Anyway he was diplomatic about it, and probably nicer than I would have been in turning down someone that I didn't know.

This story is getting as long as some of Jody's, so I better quit before I get him on my case in addition to Jerry. www.genejones.com

Chris DeBarge · Post by **Chris DeBarge** » 15 Jul 2001 1:02 pm

Since we're somewhat on the subject of George Jones's old bands, I have a CD recommendation for anybody who loves Country, steel and George Jones(this has all 3 in spades!). It's called Live at Dancetown USA, recorded in 1965. You can get it as an import, it's on Ace records outta London. None other than Buddy Emmons on steel, Don Adams fronting. Just amazing country stuff and it sounds pretty decent to boot. Hate to sound like an ad, but this is one of my favorites.