The Steel Guitar Forum

Sid Hudson wrote:What's a Baldnobber?

I think Kieth is more qualified to answer this than anybody...I know I would only get it partially right! What I know for sure is they're not what they used to be!

Sid,the name Baldknobber comes from the Civil War period in Taney,and Christian Counties in Missouri. Right after the Civil War this area was law-less and had roaming bands of robbers called bush-wackers. A group of farmers formed a vigilanti group to bring law and order to the area. This group called themselves "Baldnobbers", because they met at night on bald knob mountains in the area. They rode by hose back with hoods and masks to the homes of people they suspected of being bad. The problem was there group got out of hand. They wound up killing 2 innocent people near Old Field Missouri. They charged 3 of the group with murder. One escaped from jail and they hung the other two on the public Square in Ozark, Missouri. There is a monument on the Ozark, Missouri Square where the two Baldknobbers were hung. I live in Ozark, Missouri. This hanging broke up the Balknobbers. In the beginning the Balknobbers did good things, but in the end the Baldnobbers started doing bad things. Several books have been written about the Baldknobbers.

Damir, I love it! Becoming an alcoholic in 6 months lol. If you think just doing one show is bad, there are musicians including me that do 3 shows a day and I know some who have done 4 and because some of the shows have a different schedule, sometimes they end up doing a show or shows 7 days a week. I'm very fortunate that Presleys pay enough for me to just work one show a day. Keith, that's the best explanation I've ever heard on what a Baldknobber was. I couldn't have given a more definitive answer than what you gave.

Dean, doing 3 shows a day would probably break the monotony of the every day routine playing the same songs over and over again..and I'm sure I would be motivated by money as well... going from one show to another is probably making it more interesting, I would imagine ... but playing for the artist could be the same routine, playing same songs over and over again every night, but on top of that you sleep in bus, and wake up in different city every morning... Haggard one time said "music business is just a glamorized bus ride" lol ... and he was probably right, at least for the most part

You know, my hat is off to the musicians/singers/comedians that can pull this off!! I had some good friends that were close to several of the members of the Baldknobbers back in the 80's-90's so I got to hear about the behind the scenes of the show quite a bit. I'm not sure how it is now but back then they rehearsed these shows till they got them honed down to near perfection. I mean there would be someone with a stopwatch timing every song, every joke down to every thing that happened on stage. It was so precise that at any given second during the show each person was on their given "X" on stage every night, 6 nights a week from March till November when the Christmas shows would start!!

The part that really amazed me the most is that it didn't appear that way from the audience! They sang the same songs & told the same jokes night after night and made it look like it was the first time!! They really seemed to enjoy it when I know it had to get very boring after a while. That in itself is a talent that I don't think most people have....I know I don't!

As a longtime fan of the Baldknobbers, it's tough to see the apparent struggles of the show that started it all in Branson. Roger Blevins, who played steel for the Knobbers for about 34 years , I believe, left the show for some reason a few years back . We caught up with him playing at 14 kt country , a new , smaller show that drew only about 15 or 20 people the day we saw them . It was a bit puzzling then why he would leave the Knobbers for that . I'm sure he had good reasons . Hopefully the Baldknobbers Jamboree will find a resurgence that will help the show continue for many years to come, with a great steeler I might add . The Mabe brothers , Bill, Bob, Lyle ,and Jim , built a great show and showplace and I can't imagine Branson without it . We can only hope the family will continue to bring great country music to the Ozarks , which means there needs to be a pedal steel in the mix . Tony