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Topic: Jerry Byrd |
Rick Aiello
From:
Berryville, VA USA
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Jon den Boer
From:
Vancouver, BC, Canada
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Posted 11 Apr 2006 4:00 pm |
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I love that... soooo nice. Thanks for posting it.
Jon |
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Roy Thomson
From:
Wolfville, Nova Scotia,Canada
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Mac McKenzie
From:
Auckland, New Zealand * R.I.P.
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Posted 11 Apr 2006 8:18 pm
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And so it is a year since Jerry left us. How does it go ? "Do not be saddened that this life has passed, be happy that you shared this life." And Jerry did share with us. He came here about 11 years ago and the Sunday following the concert we had a bar-b-q- at Ben Tawhiti's, we played some, Jerry played some and when it came to a break someone said " show us some of your secrets " and Jerry growled " I don't have any secrets. What do you want to know. Now, where is that guy that came all the way from the Solomon Islands?" and gave us all a never to be forgotten guitar lesson. "Now with this tuning, I can get these chords, but if I drop this fourth down to here, I get a completely different set of chords. Now, if I drop this 6th. down I can get my melody on the bottom and harmony on the top..."etc.
Today is the 12th. in this time zone and as with Jerry's funeral, while they were still gathered at the boat club, we gathered at our guitar club, a day later, but we were all together. We are glad we shared. |
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Andy Sandoval
From:
Bakersfield, California, USA
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Posted 11 Apr 2006 11:19 pm
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| Beautiful. |
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Rick Aiello
From:
Berryville, VA USA
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Jennings Ward
From:
Edgewater, Florida, R.I.P.
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Posted 12 Apr 2006 7:10 pm
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THANKS RICK.....
BRINGS BACK MEMORIES,,,, GOOD MENORIES..
JENNINGS
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EMMONS D10 10-10 profex 2 deltafex ne1000 pv1000, pv 31 bd eq, +
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Ray Montee
From:
Portland, Oregon (deceased)
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Posted 13 Apr 2006 10:50 am
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It's most difficult to believe Jerry Byrd has been gone now for a full year. It's so devastating to me......to experience this loss......as it is for all of his #1 fans.
Hopefully, the Jerry Byrd Fan Club will help to keep his beautiful music ALIVE....altho' I am disappointed how every few hits we're getting these days.
Answers to questions being asked almost on a daily basis here on the Forum.....can be found in most part on the Fan Club site.
THANKS Ric! |
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Wayne Cox
From:
Chatham, Louisiana, USA * R.I.P.
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Posted 14 Apr 2006 8:05 am
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I have hesitated to post this on the forum because I am not a "mystic" or "psychic", and it could be that this particular experience might not mean much to anyone but me. During my years as a professional steel player, I was just too busy earning a living to go around and seek out busy people like JERRY. As a result, I never got to meet him even though he was one of my heroes. In the weeks prior to JERRY's passing, I was listening to some of his beautiful recordings and wondering to myself, "How does he do that;what is his secret?" Then one night while in a deep sleep,I had a dream wherein a man,who looked like the pictures I had seen of JERRY, walked up to me kind of cautiously and said,"There is no secret! We just made the most of what we had to work with! That's it!" I think the "We" simply meant his generation. Anyway, when I awoke,I pondered that dream and concluded that the advice was probably correct, no matter the source. A couple of days later, I got the news that JERRY had passed on. Maybe some of his practical wisdom can live on through the rest of us. I certainly hope so,and I hope that my sharing of this experience is not offensive to anyone. It is not meant to be.
~~W.C.~~ |
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Warren Slavin
From:
Southampton, PA, 18966. USA
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Posted 14 Apr 2006 11:15 am
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To Formites,
Jerry's reference to secrets has to refer back to the early days of Hawaiian Steel Guitar -- primarily the 30's,40's and 50's when steel Guitarists were doing a gig and when they took a break the young aspiring steel players would run up to the stage and strum the strings of the steel to find out what the tuning is. This was so prevelant in those days that the steel players would tune down their instruments when going on a break so their "secrets" did not leak out. This was told to me by Merle Kekuka, great grand nephew of the inventor of the Hawaiian Steel Guitar -- Merle was one of the young kids going up to the stage to strum the steel. This practice was not encouraging the younger generation to learn the steel. I'm sure Jerry vowed to never hold back any secrets.
He also promised that if he ever achieved fame that he would always reply to every letter he received -- which I can attest to. This was because when he was young he would write to a steel player he admired on the radio and never received a reply. This is mentioned in his autobiography.
Just thought you all would be interested.
Warren
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Gerald Ross
From:
Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
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Posted 14 Apr 2006 11:31 am
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| Quote: |
| This was so prevelant in those days that the steel players would tune down their instruments when going on a break so their "secrets" did not leak out. |
Not much of an "Aloha sprit" if you ask me.
Do people really think other musicians can steal their licks? Even if another musician plays the same notes it will never sound the same. Everyone's hands, souls and musical experiences are different.
Maybe they were worried about losing their cushy gigs. Playing steel every night sure beat working in the hotel trade I'm sure.
But musically it's pretty short-sighted, immature and stupid thinking in my opinion.
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Gerald Ross
'Northwest Ann Arbor, Michigan's King Of The Hawaiian Steel Guitar'
CEO, CIO, CFO - UkeTone Records
Gerald's Fingerstyle Guitar Website
Board of Directors Hawaiian Steel Guitar Association
[This message was edited by Gerald Ross on 14 April 2006 at 01:12 PM.] |
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Jeff Au Hoy
From:
Honolulu, Hawai'i
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Posted 14 Apr 2006 5:20 pm
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| I always take that old-timers-detuning-their-instruments story with a grain of salt. Oh no, heaven forbid somebody should find out my A major or E7 tuning. Those kids get their hands on C#m and it's the end of the world. |
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Don Kona Woods
From:
Hawaiian Kama'aina
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Posted 14 Apr 2006 9:06 pm
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| Quote: |
| I was listening to some of (Jerry's) beautiful recordings and wondering to myself, "How does he do that;what is his secret?" |
What is his secret? From Jerry the Master artist as communicated directly to me in a past conversation, "It is a gift from God."
But even though he realized it was a gift, he worked long hours to master the instrument and he did not allow his gift to waste away.
He was a excellent steward of the gift he possessed, because he kept giving it away to the younger talent that expressed a desire to learn this wonderful instrument, the steel guitar.
There are very few people today that were as dedicated as Jerry was in helping others.
It is nice to remember him! 
Aloha,
Don
[This message was edited by Don Kona Woods on 14 April 2006 at 10:07 PM.] |
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Bill Creller
From:
Saginaw, Michigan, USA (deceased)
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Posted 15 Apr 2006 7:24 am
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| Even these days, many old timer steel players feel threatened when a new kid on the block shows up. I've seen that in the last few years in guitar clubs. If some of them decide to "show you a lick or two", they want credit for "teaching" you how to play, specially if if you sound good. |
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Vernon Hester
From:
Cayce,SC USA, R.I.P.
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Posted 18 Apr 2006 11:09 pm
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I remember a night in 1953 at about 3:00 am we were standing in a drizzling rain,outside a diner in Chester,Pa. The guitar pickers were in a group swapping licks,Guys from Bill Haley (Rock around the Clock)Adkins and I and a few others. Looked over at my open trunk and the steel players had my Old Rickenbacker case open struming the strings,with one guy writing down my tunings.I walked over and said " Guys ask and I will give you the tunings.Then they wanted to know my string brand.Adkins and I used Rickenbacker strings. But, I had a Gibson 3rd in my pocket,I showed them that,one of them said you are using special gauge strings and he was pretty smart. Adkins walked over and said Boys in the the hands!!! Ah the good ole days!!!
Vern |
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Ray Montee
From:
Portland, Oregon (deceased)
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Posted 19 Apr 2006 11:19 am
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Jeff.....you're simply too young to know otherwise.........and that's not all bad.
When I was younger than yourself, it was a common practice here in the Pacific Northwest for some of the local and touring steel players to detune their rigs in order to preserve their exclusive sound.
Most of Hank Thompson's steel players would readily share their tunings....but somehow, one could never playing anything on them like one might do if it were A or C6th.
Always wondered if they were giving out the whole truth or just part of it; somewhat like famous Chef's have been known to do with their recipes. |
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Gerald Ross
From:
Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
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Posted 19 Apr 2006 11:26 am
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Ray,
I don't think anyone can copy someone's "Exclusive Sound". They may be able to play the same notes. But they will never sound like the original.
And honestly, who wants to be a clone? Isn't it a human desire to be an individual?
Trying to clone someone's sound is a dead-end street where you can't win.
If you only clone 99.9999% of their sound you will fail because you didn't do it perfectly. If you clone them 100% (which you can't do) people will accuse you of being a wannabee with no soul of your own.
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Gerald Ross
'Northwest Ann Arbor, Michigan's King Of The Hawaiian Steel Guitar'
CEO, CIO, CFO - UkeTone Records
Gerald's Fingerstyle Guitar Website
Board of Directors Hawaiian Steel Guitar Association
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Jesse Pearson
From:
San Diego , CA
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Posted 21 Apr 2006 11:22 am
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| There's two sides to every coin. I heard Ray Montee play something on a recording not knowing it was him and thought it was JB. I personally see nothing wrong with copying someone that inspires you note for note when learning from a historical point of view, it's a great way to learn your instrument and gig around town. Most of the famous players over the years have had their personal icons down note for note. Most lay listeners wouldn't have a clue that you are only playing someone elses style only 99.999% or even 75% when playing a cover song, LOL. The only time your gonna be accused of being a wanna be is if your selling records and your playing in someone elses style with no inovation what so ever and taking all the credit that it's all pure inspiration. There's so many tribute bands out here in So.Cal. it's become it's own genre. The end result for the pure artist is going beyond being a good mechanic, but a good mechanic still impresses me. |
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