Conway Twitys psg player

Alex Piazza · From: Arkansas, USA

my buddy says his dad has one of conways old steelers guitars. we were trying to figure out who it was.

Nick Reed · From: Russellville, KY USA

Probably John Hughey

[This message was edited by Nick Reed on 21 November 2005 at 07:33 PM.]

John Bechtel · From: Nashville, Tennessee, R.I.P.

Can anyone name another regular?

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Buck Grantham R.I.P. · From: Denham Springs, LA. USA

Lou Houston played with Conway long ago.

Jerry Van Hoose · From: Wears Valley, Tennessee

Conway's "old steeler"? John....old? Just couldn't resist that. During the 70's, many times when I was playing steel for an artist that opened for Conway Twitty, Mr. Hughey, after his soundcheck would unplug his guitar and offer the use of his amps. He is such a kind & courteous gentleman.

Fred Shannon · From: Rocking "S" Ranch, Comancheria, Texas, R.I.P.

Certainly Gene Jones from Oklahoma city has to be mentioned.
Phred

Marlin Smoot · From: Kansas

I think Doug Campbell played some Conway dates too. For a while Conway lived in Moore Oklahoma just outside of Oklahoma City and Doug Campbell lived there a long time too. I saw Doug Campbell and Buddy Emmons play their steels together one night at a club called Cowdaddies in Oklahoma City. I think someone told me Doug also played some dates with Ray Price. The dates Doug played with Conway were fill in dates for John H only. Maybe John H. could chime in on this?
Doug was a great guy and had tons of stories. Needless to say a great steel player too. Doug may have even showed John a lick or two back in the day?

Marlin Smoot · From: Kansas

I'd just like to add, there were a lot of great steel players in Oklahoma City in the early 80's.

Ken Collins who sometime posts here was/is a monster on steel, taste, tone and licks to die for. Paul Gates had one of the fastest right hands for speed picking I've ever seen and knew the steel inside out.

Doug Campbell with out question was one of the best you would have ever heard. Gary Carpenter spent time in Oklahoma City and most know how great of a player he is.

I never got a chance to meet or hear Gene Jones and I know I've leaving out several other great players. I guess the point is; there was a time in Oklahoma City when you could have heard several great steel players, all with different styles, all with great tone and playing ability every weekend. What a treat it was.

John Hughey · From: Hendersonville, Tn. U.S.A., R.I.P.

I know that Gene Jones played with Conway while they were in the army together. When Conway got out of the army, he got into the rock scene. In 1964 he went back country and Lew Houston played with him until I started with him in 1968. That's the only players that I know of that played with Conway. Any others would have only sit in or played with him locally in Oklahoma City.
John Hughey

Gene Jones · From: Oklahoma City, OK USA, (deceased)

I worked with Conway during two different time periods. The first time during 1955-56 with Conway's Cimarrons in Japan while we were in the Army together....

.....then with Conway's "Lonely Blueboys" band in 1965-66 when Conway was making the transition from Rock & Roll back to Country. The band at that time consisted of Joe Lewis, Tommy Markham, Jesse Ed Davis, and myself.

When I quit playing music in 1966 to go to work for the Oklahoma City Fire Department, Lew Houston then played with Conway until John started with him in 1968 for the remainder of Conway's career.
www.genejones.com

Billy Wilson · From: El Cerrito, California, USA

Great pictures, Gene. Did you record with Conway? I've got a CD with tunes such as Sitting in a Dim Cafe and Turn the Other Cheek which have some terrific steel playing on them. Who is it? Thanks to Mitch Drum I was able to buy it from Ebay.

Tony Prior · From: Charlotte NC

Gene..awesome memories there buddy !

I bet those pics can draw a good price on EBAY ! ( the originals)

I have lots of pictures of me playing back in the early 60's, Conway isn't in any of them ...

T

Dave Grafe · From: Hudson River Valley NY

A young Jesse Ed Davis, with a young Conway and a young Gene Jones - a priceless shot indeed!

Roy Ayres · From: Riverview, Florida, USA, R.I.P.

Hey, Gene, what's the deal here? All band members dressed alike! What is this world coming to?

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JACK HEERN · From: MURPHYSBORO,IL. USA

I'l be darned! John that means you were only six when you started with Conway . Quiet an accomplishment for a six year old !!!
Jack

Gene Jones · From: Oklahoma City, OK USA, (deceased)

Roy, in reference to your comment about the uniforms:

We had found a bargain basement sale on leftover Beetles style suits....3 button coats with 2" lapels, 14" cuffs, 2" ties, pointy towed boots and topped off with a duck-tail haircut!

Our playlist in 1965 was about half rock and about half country so we were covering both bases! I used my Leslie Cord-O-Vox a lot back then!

www.genejones.com

[This message was edited by Gene Jones on 25 November 2005 at 09:25 AM.]

Jason Odd · From: Stawell, Victoria, Australia

Oh for a live recording of the various 1960s bands!

Dale Bennett · From: Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA

Hey Marlin, I don't know if you remember me or not, of course I'm not the memorable type, I remember you. I had the band at
Cowdaddies in OKc and I was also co-owner. Doug Campbell worked with me for 7 or 8 yrs. I dont think he ever worked for Conway but, when we were working the Hoilday Inn in Norman Conway would come by every now and then, in fact his daughter sang with my band for a while. And you were right, Doug was a great steeler and such a great person. He passed away 2 or 3 yrs ago. What a loss. Also up until a couple yrs ago before my back got so bad, Kenny Collins worked with me for a long time. I feel so blessed that I got to work with these quality pickers and it makes me feel good that you said all those nice things about them. I think they may be thinking about Lew Houston cause when I moved back here in 70 I met Lew and he said he had been with Conway until a couple yrs before that. db

Chuck Hall · From: Warner Robins, Ga, USA

Maybe we can get Paul Graupp to chime in here. He played a tape for me one time that he recorded, I believe he said in an NCO club in Germany, when he was in the service. Conway was preforming and playing guitar. I forgot who he said the rest of the pickers were.

Paul - - - you out there? By the way, it sounded great for a hand held recorder.

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?MCI D10 8/4 and Nashville 400

Marlin Smoot · From: Kansas

Dale,
It's nice to hear from you and I did not know of the history you provided. Very interesting. Cowdaddies always had a great house band and I always thought one of the nicer clubs in the area.

There was so much great talent in the Oklahoma City area at the time, it was silly...and tons of places to play and see excellent musicianship too. The steel players were my heros. I remember when the Spur club would give you a "to-go-cup" for the ride home! Have times changed?!

Dale Bennett · From: Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA

HI Marlin,sadley things arn't the same anymore. When the oil boom ended and the Penn Sqare bank went belly up a lot of the big clubs went down with them. We went thru some hard times but survived for a while and then sold out. There isn't many places to play any more, mainly just week end bookings and such. There's one place called friends that has a band all week featuring Speedy West Jr. and another club I had that still uses full time bands, not many any more but, as I look and ask around we still have it better than a lot of other places. You mentioned that Doug did some jobs with Ray Price and you were correct. When I first move back here in 70 I was working with Ray. I stayed with him for about 2and 1/2 yrs. Phil Baugh and I were working in Ca when we were asked to join the band, Julian Tharp was the steel man then. What a thrill to get to work with Phil Baugh and Julian Tharp with Ray Price doing the singing. Don't get any better than that. Then I got to work with Doug. Oh lord, what good memories. Hey marlin, stay in touch with me. tendnbar@aol.com later, db

Gene Jones · From: Oklahoma City, OK USA, (deceased)

Dale, I appreciate your remarks about the Oklahoma City music scene. I missed knowing many of the 1970-80's musicians in Oklahoma City (including you) because I quit playing completely in 1970 and didn't play or visit clubs again for the next 14 years.

But, I did know many of those musicians from an earlier time....for example, Doug, who I first met in Nebraska in 1965 when I was with a touring band. He was a standard guitar player in a local club at the time and was just learning to play steel, and he first came to Oklahoma City by "hitching a ride" on our bus, with "The Merl Lindsay Band". I saw Doug progress into a great steel-player and we shared a bandstand several times before I quit playing in 1970. I was saddened to hear of his death when he was still young.

Take care Dale...and maybe we will have an opportunity to work together yet!

I never had the privilege of knowing Ken Collins, but did know Paul Gates (and attended his funeral). When I started playing again in about 1984, I missed many of those on the local scene because I did not play clubs.

Dale, you are one of the credited musicians around Oklahoma City and I wish that I had been given the opportunity to know you and to work with you!

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www.genejones.com

Marlin Smoot · From: Kansas

Gene;
Can you give me any of the details about Paul Gates? I've been out of touch so long I didn't know he had passed away. That was sad news, when/how did that happen? He had a wife Karen and a son too. Are they doing ok? Thanks. Dale, thanks for the email address.
m

Gene Jones · From: Oklahoma City, OK USA, (deceased)

Marlin, I have responded to your query about Paul Gates by e-mail.

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www.genejones.com

[This message was edited by Gene Jones on 29 November 2005 at 04:48 AM.]

Dale Bennett · From: Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA

Hi Alex, I don't want to keep beating a dead horse but I thought of another guy that worked with Conway, his name is Charlie Archer, he played six string for conway for around 20yr. up until Conway passed. but he also plays good steel, he has been with Loretta Lynn for the last few years. He lives here in Okc and used to come by and sit in with us a lot, he's a good steeler.

Gene, thanks for all the nice things you said about me. For some one that dosen't play steel I think I am one of the biggest fan of steel and I respect all of you guys. Keep on steelin. db

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