The Steel Guitar Forum

Glenn Suchan wrote:

Jeff Harbour wrote:... I would love to hear what he was able to do on an "actual" steel guitar!

Jeff, from Danny's Cruisin' Dueces album, I believe he plays some steel on his instrumental adaptation of the 1959 Thomas Wayne recording, "Tragedy".

Listen for his nod to Emmons' "Night Life" intro at about 2:42:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lkWFk0-R5v0

Keep on pickin'
Glenn

Danny used that "Night Life" lick a lot over the years.

I posted above that it was a National D8 that Danny used on "Tragedy", but upon reflection, it may have been a D6. Danny commented in an interview that it didn't have enough strings.

BTW, yesterday (9/4) would have been Danny's 71st birthday

I love "Unfinished Business", especially "Melancholy Serenade". Danny and Roy - two excellent Tele masters with similar but different approaches. Danny had the tech down, Roy was the master of heart and soul.

My brother had the fine opportunity to see Danny playing at that bar near Baltimore where he did a weekly gig and talked with him afterwards. Danny had just signed the record deal and was lamenting to my brother about his reservations - all he really wanted to do was pick and build hot rods.....

I have to give that CD another listen, this time to hear the PSG..

Just out of curiosity, does anyone know if Danny ever had any formal music training?

He had a few private lessons as a kid, but no formal music education. He had great ears, though!

There's a book out about Danny titled "Unfinished Business" by Ralph Heibutzki. A lot of Danny's early years are in it, as well as his adult life. Very interesting if you're a Gatton fan!
Pat

During one of the very first Nashville NAMM shows I was watching Brent and Randy Mason and Paul Franklin play in one of the banquet rooms at the convention center. It was a lightly attended show. A guy with curly hair drinking a Heineken was standing next to me and struck up a conversation about Brent and Paul and how good they sounded. We talked for quite a while, told him I played guitar and a little steel and worked at a music store back in Illinois. Real nice guy. When the show was over Brent came up to this guy and that's when I found out it was Danny Gatton. He invited me to go "hit the bars" on Broadway with him and Brent. I was about 6 months sober and declined! I still have Brent's NAMM badge he dropped on the way to the bars. The next night Danny and his band played in a vacant lot on Broadway for a NAMM event. Not long after that he was gone.

John Sebastian - Danny Gatton inspired "Nashville Cats"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_u7sB_kMMNE

Pat Moore wrote:There's a book out about Danny titled "Unfinished Business" by Ralph Heibutzki. A lot of Danny's early years are in it, as well as his adult life. Very interesting if you're a Gatton fan!
Pat

Ralph's book is very good, but there are some inaccuracies and inconsistencies. Although it is not to be taken as the irrefutable source, there is a tone of good information in it. Hopefully DannyGatton.com (run by Steve Gorospe) will be back online soon. The Telemaster Archives (my site)is still up but it hasn't been updated in years. Both were used as sources for Ralph's book.

There is a documentary movie about Danny in production now. https://www.thehumblermovie.com/

I have removed the original picture as the owner of it complained.

b0b wrote:I have removed the original picture as the owner of it complained.

owner complained about the picture? I'd hate to be him, his life obviously sucks...

Is the movie available?

Not yet. Hopefully the movie will be released in 2017

John Billings wrote:Is the movie available?

This one is, and it's worthwhile (but sad).

http://www.anacostiadelta.com/