The Steel Guitar Forum

Anxious to read it and support the funding efforts if needed.

Steve "Fish" Fishell -

As you successfully accomplished with the fantastic audio performances captured on 'The Buddy Emmons Tribute Album,'
I'm extremely confident your written words memorializing Buddy's life story will similarly honor our mutual hero.

Out of All the countless wanna-bees of the World, and All the extremely gifted Professional Musicians of the World, only a select few are truly able to advance their instrument of choice.

Not only did Buddy musically advance his chosen instrument - he invented The Standard which other pedal steel guitars will forever be compared to.

What an honor Buddy Emmons bestowed upon you to document his life story.

Please take the time required to satisfy yourself with your effort...
.. and trust that Buddy would be satisfied as well.

With Best Regards Fish,
Ron Funk

Fantastic work Fish, I look forward to reading Buddy's bio, I'm sure you will make just as good a job of it as you did the CD - fabulous project.

So glad you’re doing this, Steve ... if it’s anything like the Big E Salute, it’s gonna be great!

I certainly want one but I might need the large print version , now that I'm older as well!

When is the movie coming out ?

Hi Steve,

I would like to pass a comment on to you that I heard Bill Anderson make while doing a "Tribute" show for Ray Price. Buddy was in attendance, when after Mike Johnson, did his version of "Night Life" comments were made about Buddy's contributions to the "Steel Guitar Community etc." Bill Anderson comments "BUDDY When they write the history of the Steel Guitar your picture should be on the cover of that Book"

I believe these comments reflect the thoughts of many players and people in general.

here's that video
https://youtu.be/k-9g0okYkCM

required viewing if anyone hasn't seen it yet!

I also really look forward to reading this.

Steve, I can't wait to read the book. I spent about 10 yeats hanging with Buddy in the basement. He was a hard man to get to know. I barely scratched the surface. I learned so much just sitting there watching and listening.

Steve,
Thank you for taking on this important and meaningful task. You’ve done so much for the steel community - your dedication and endurance is remarkable. I find the approach you’ve described to be respectful and wholly appropriate for a figure as important as Emmons. I am, like many have posted, very much looking forward to reading this. Kudos to you.

Thank you everyone for your words of encouragement and support.
I really appreciate it! ~Steve

Go, man, go! I love it!

We should probably talk at some point...

Since Buddy left us, I don't get here very often. I'm glad to see a few BE posts. I sure miss him...

Please put me on your list to send excerpts, pages or whatever from what you're doing.

Hi Ernie,

This story wouldn't be complete without your input.
You were - and will always remain - a loyal and faithful friend to Buddy.
He trusted you with his legacy.

I'm glad to hear from you, pal; by all means, we will chat soon.

thanks!
Steve

Don't forget to get in touch with Neil Flanz, Steve, as we discussed.... He has some amazing photos and stories to boot!

....and Clem Schmitz should be interviewed as well. Another great guy!

Fish I would be very interested to read something about the making of the Skeeter Davies album "She Sings And They Play" with NRBQ and Buddy, Thanks!

Hi Joachim, nice find. It is on Spotify so I played the album last night.
Do you know when that picture is taken. The album is from 1986, but I have my doubts about that picture. The first time I saw Buddy play was in 1977 in a small bar supporting Skeeter Davis and a (her?)band . If you look at the picture below that I took the next day in Jeff’s school you see the same hearcut. I know through the years his beard went on and off, but is there a 11 years difference between the two shots?. I doubt it.

Bas maybe there's a time difference. Could it be that Al Andersen and Joey Spampinato met him a few years before the recording? The two really look older on the back of the record cover!

Bas,
In the picture with NRBQ Buddy's playing the 2nd short key head Legrand pronto type which he got in the early 80's, which I think he played until 84 (?- I could be off a year). The second picture was taken earlier, he's playing the Blade, a push pull. It was taken at Jeff Newman's school and looks to be from the same photo shoot that Tom Bradshaw used on the cover of his Steel Guitarist issue featuring Buddy. Buddy played the Blade until he got the first Black Legrand Proto type, then the rosewood proto type. He briefly played a natural wood SKH, then apparently things really went south with his relationship with the Emmons company, he briefly went back alternating between the Blade and an old black push pull that he blocked out the chevron on the Emmons logo ( check out the gatefold picture of Swingin' From The 40's To The 80's). Shortly after he started his relationship with MCI. If the NRBQ album came out in 86, it probably sat in the vault for several years..

Jack
I belief you, You observe very well, so you will like the following; I took the photo’s at Jeff’s and yes, one of them ended up as a cover for Tom’s Steel Guitarist. You can clearly see the sticker on the right front of the blade. It was from a music shop in Nashville. Another one of Buddy’s jokes I presume, because no one would believe he bought the guitar in that place. The next day I went to that shop, got me one of these stickers and back in Holland gave it to Koos Biel (who wanted to imitate the Big E in every way) and he put it on the same place on his D-10 push-pull. Later that year Koos would play that guitar at the first international steel guitar convention in Saint Louis.

I would love to hear a tune with Buddy and carol Kaye. Anyone know of any recordings?

Paul Mozen wrote:I would love to hear a tune with Buddy and carol Kaye. Anyone know of any recordings?

Here is one!

Ray Charles, "Feels So Bad," from Volcanic Action of my Soul, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ilJ3EwQuK4/.