Lenny breau/Johnny Cox

Wayne Cox · From: Chatham, Louisiana, USA * R.I.P.

Let me start by saying that I have nothing but the highest regard for Johnny as a person and as a player,and that this thread is not intended to ridicule or downgrade him in any way! That being said,I have a little story to share. When I still lived in Nashville (around 1979-80),Johnny and I had become good friends. One morning Johnny called and asked if I would like to ride up to the Hermitage area with him and just hang around together for a while. While we were riding, Johnny put a cassette tape in the player and said it was a copy of his segment of the St. Louis Convention. He explained that as Scottie introduced him and he was tuning,some small,long-haired,guy wearing thick glasses walked up and said, "I play guitar,mind if I play along with you?" Johnny replied, "Sure,come on!" I could hear Scottie announce,"Johnny Cox with Lennie Breau",on the tape. Johnny said, "keep listening". The song started and sounded fine. I said,"is that Lennie comping those nice chords in the background?" J. replied Yes. I asked,"well then who is playing lead,you?" J. said,"No,that's Lennie too." I said,"what were you doing?" Johnnie said,"Nothing,I froze when Scottie said 'Lennie Breau'."
Had to share that.
~~W.C.~~

David L. Donald · From: Koh Samui Island, Thailand

If a hot player like Johnny froze for a bit,
he is undoubtedly on a LOOOONG list
of other top players Lenny Breau did this too.
Totally unintentionally of course.
He was just a startlingly good player.
He could knock most any player off stride in 8 bars flat.

And old buddy of mine from new Hampshire, Shep Spinny, did an album with Lenny,
but he said the same thing.
When he 1st did a tune with him, he froze too.

Johnny Cox · Posted 18 Oct 2004 6:21 am

Wayne, that brings back bad memories. I do want to clatify just a couple details though. The show was actually in Nashville in the Peavey room at the King of the Road hotel during Fan Fair. Scotty was hosting the event. Lenny did play as well as Bucky Barrett on bass and Ralph Land on drums. When the Lenny got up I decided to call C Jam Blues thinking that I could get rid of this rock and roll hippie. Of coarse I had no idea who this little guy was. Well I played everthing I knew in my solo and gave it over to the hippie. That's when he proceded to cut me into little tiny peices. When Lenny was finished and handed back to me I declined another solo.
After that I had the chance to play with Lenny on several other occasions at a club with Curly Chalker.

Johnny

Bill Hatcher · From: Atlanta Ga. USA

I usually don't get into who cut who but I saw Lenny Breau cut George Benson into perhaps bigger pieces at a NAMM show jam. Benson must have not known who he was. Breau was hanging at the show with Chet Atkins and some how got on the big jam at the end of the week. He set up his amp on the back of the stage to one side and Benson and the other "STARS" set up on the front of the stage as stars have a tendency to do. They kicked off some standard swing tune and the up front guys were just coasting and sounding OK so Benson points over to the long hair guy on the back row and Breau just wasted all of them. Benson turned white and kicked it up many notches, but never really recovered from the initial shock of what happened. Lenny Breau was one of the absolute finest proponents of the fingerstyle approach to the guitar whether you want to classify him as a jazz artist or what. I just consider him amazing.

Another thing that happened during the show was when I personally met Breau. I saw him and walked up to him and said the normal stupid things you say to your heros and he was so kind and accomodating. He just sat down right on the floor and I sat down also and we talked shop for a awhile. Sort of like sitting down in the middle of an airplane terminal with all the chaos going on around you and having a conversation and not hearing anything at all but him.

Richard Bass · From: Sabang Beach, Philippines

Let me chime in here. Back in the late 60's I was working with Dave Dudley. We were on a package show in Toronto with Hank Jr, Waylon, and Kitty Wells. After the show all of us went to Ben Weatherby's, a record producer at the time in Canada, house for a jam. We had barely got started when in walks this skinny hippie kid, he sat down and started to tune his guitar, needless to say we all stopped and didn't play again. He just blew everyone away. You could have heard a pin drop. We were absolutely in awe. Lenny is probably the best player I have ever been around.
Richard

Jerry Hayes · From: Virginia Beach, Va.

A little history on Lenny. He's a Canadian and was the son of singers, Hal Lone Pine and Betty Cody who were pretty big up north in their day, sort of like the Lulu Belle and Scotty of Canada. Lenny was a Chet Atkins nut and proceeded at a pretty early age to learn everything Chet did and then take it further if that's at all possible but he did. He had a couple of LP's produced by Chet about 35 or so years ago but they're probably out of print. He went to a 7 string guitar in his later years and began a whole new vocabulary which to date still hasn't been duplicated or IMHO never will be. He was a master of the instrument for sure. I'm not sure, but I think he's on the "Buddys" LP with Buddy Emmons & Buddy Spicher but it mostly features the Steel & fiddle. He was murdered and some think it was drug related as he'd been known to partake of controlled substances at times. All in all, I wish he'd have lived and put out more product for all of us to enjoy as he was really a musical genius if there ever was one....Have a good 'un..JH

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Livin' in the Past and the Future with a 12 string Mooney Universal tuning.

Roy Thomson · From: Wolfville, Nova Scotia,Canada

Lenny was born in Auburn, Maine, USA 1941

Bill Simmons · From: Keller, Texas/Birmingham, AL, R.I.P.

Great story about my buddy Johnny Cox!!!

As a kid growing up in Winnipeg, Canada, Lenny and his first wife Val and kids, Chet and Melody, would stay at our house at various times. My dad and Lenny became very close friends and my dad has some very priceless reel-to-reel tapes of Lenny and him playing guitars in our living room. Even as a young kid, it was amazing sitting and watching Lenny come over with the excitement of a kid himself to show my dad what amazing new flamigo/jazz/country instrumental he worked up!! I had no idea how great he really was until I was much older...sad way Lenny had to leave from this earth.

By the way, the bass player on Lenny's first two great jazz albums is the incredible Ron Halldorson from Winnipeg. For you guys who do not know Ron, he is one of the greatest unknown steel guitarist anywhere!! He was one of my greatest influences for playing the steel guitar.

Lenny's son -- Chet Breau -- is a fine guitarist in his own right playing in the Winnipeg area...lots of great stories and memories of the incredible Lenny Breau!

Ron Whitfield · From: Kaaawa, Hawaii, USA

Let's hear it for Randy Bachman who's been championing Lenny's music and making lot's of it available at- www.randybachman.com/index.php?choice=11&guitar=1

Start with 'Boy Wonder', which has 2 cuts with some fine steel work, and be ready to buy more.

Bill, I'll bet Randy would be interested in releasing your Dad's collection if you were looking for a source. Many thanx to your Dad for recording and saving this music, I hope we get to hear it soon!

Wayne Cox · From: Chatham, Louisiana, USA * R.I.P.

JOHNNY, thanks for clarifying this old man's memories. That was 24 years ago,but it shows that even great players like you can have some unexpected humbling experiences. Most of mine were just plain "fumbling" experiences! My best to you and Joan. Love you both!

~~W.C.~~

Glenn Suchan · From: Austin, Texas

I love the Lenny Breau "Livingroom Tapes". Especially his imitation of "spinnin'-the-dial" on a radio. Great stuff!

Keep on pickin'!
Glenn

Reece Anderson · From: Keller Texas USA, R.I.P.

Here's my Lenny Breau story......MSA had a demonstration room at the old Andrew Jackson hotel in Nashville years ago, and we were playing almost continously while the D.J. convention was going on.

The room was packed out and we had been playing for a long time. I finally said I had to take a break and get something to eat, so I left.

When I returned and started down the hall I saw a lot of people standing outside our room laughing and talking. When I got to the room it was packed wall to wall, but the band was not playing. Everyone started saying..."hey Reece sit down and play". I noticed a guitar player was sitting with the band.(of course you know who it was)

I sit down and asked the guitar player (who had appeared while I was gone) what he wanted to play, he said..."whatever is fine with me". Someone in the croud said "play some jazz Reece", so I asked the guitar player if he knew "Green Dolphin Street" and he said yes. I preceded to kick the tune off and play it a couple times through.

Little did I know, Lenny had been playing while I was gone and had set the place on fire. The whole thing was a gag at my expense just to see my reaction when Lenny started playing. Also little did I know I was a musical fire extinguisher by comparison.

When he started playing, my musical life flashed before me and my picks, bar and jaw all hit the floor at the same time....the room exploded with laughter and I immediately realized I had been "had" by all.

Needless to say, that was an experience of a lifetime, and a moment I'll never forget.

oh yeah.....I got even (and then some) with the band members who didn't warn me, but that's another story for another time.

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