The Steel Guitar Forum

Greg, it was cocaine and later, the crack that took him down and then everything else just "fell into place". That the cocaine, which is a relatively easy to "manage" and quit drug, would have such a powerful effect on him says something about his makeup.

Coke should be manageable unless depression is also a factor which it probably was, but crack is a major grab and hold.

I've always been knocked out by Vance's playing... I have the recordings he did with Jimmy Rivers. I hate to hear about his problems and sad ending. Kinda reminds me of Chet Baker's story...

thanks Mitch for the insight into Vance Terry. I had the chance to meet him in 1997 when Bobby Koefer introducde me to Vance at the Sacramento Jazz festival. I talked with him a short while and asked him about his music, as I told him I was a big fan and how he had ispired me with the lap steel etc., and he told me he that he didn't play any more and his instruments were in storage...we were chatting away... then the music started up, so I excused myself so I could go over to my seat up front and catch Bobby playing his triple neck Fender, however I often think back to that day and wish I could have caught up with Vance after the set,and spent more time with him. Then he appeared at first glance as a tragic lost soul,an old dirty rumpled spangen' bum, but I knew there was something there. He still had a passion for the music even if he didn't play it himself anymore,as he got excited talking about steel guitar with me. For many years after that,struggling with my own demons,an ugly divorce,wrestling with the pedal steel in various tunings, bands,day jobs and my stop and go music career, I had a haunting fear for awhile that the steel guitar was capable of causing insanity because it brings up so much human emotion and heart wrenching truth, however after time I began to get over that fear because I justified that there are many,many, more steelers that aged gracefully with the instrument all the way to the end that were at peace with their music and life's work. We have lost some amazing steel players recently and they went out with dignity. However it still makes me wonder where things went wrong with poor old Vance and his addictions,was it the Beatles and new directions with the music industy that led him adrift and unwanted in a new world...? Western swing was huge here on the west coast,in Sacramento and bay area with the big dance halls full of people,and then something changed...great musicians like Vance got swept aside by pop music. I will always keep Vance Terry alive in my playing.

all i know is that vance was a gentle, sweet guy who was a monster player. he could get pretty funny at times, also.

I've been digging on this for a while now. I don't remember if I came across this a while back on here or just found it on youtube. Some of you have probably heard this, but I figure this thread needs a link to this.

Bob Wills w/ Vance Terry "Hoopaw Rag"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LnLVkpCbGiw

Check the comments. Someone says that Bob and Vance worked this up on the spot, and that they split the writing credits for it! He says it was recorded January '55 right before Vance left Bob to go to business school. VP of Bank of America! That's crazy!! And sad at the same time

The way I heard it is that Bob had it as a fiddle tune for himself but didin't like what he was doin so he asked Vance to make it a steel tune, I guess Hoopa was an Indian tribe from around here in those days.

Todd, what a wonderful tune. Thanks for sharing that.

Vance was the first steeler I ever heard. Often in the early to mid 1950s, he was on the radio in Sacramento with the Billy Jack Wills band. I hope he gets into the Hall of Fame.