The Steel Guitar Forum

Erv Niehaus wrote:
I'll say Jim Reeves didn't like steel guitars!
There was one occasion that he kicked Bobby Garrett's guitar down a flight of stairs.
He said, "all steel guitar players are crazy". Whoa!
Erv

The steel guitar mentioned belonged to Jim Reeves, he bought it for the band from Faron Young. Jim had spoken to Mr. Garrett about his habit of leaving the cased guitar in the way. Jim tripped over it, was angered, and shoved it down the stairs. Jim had changed his style and dropped the steel guitar. Pete Drake was hired for the "Good and Country" album session as Jim liked Pete's style of playing. Pete did some TV shows and traveled briefly with him. Jim Reeves was one of the first of the country stars to hire and pay his band full time. Many times at shows other performers would want Jim's band to back them up and Jim was of the opinion that he payed his band full time and they worked only for him. This caused some of the performers to feel Jim was egotistical. Truth is, Jim hired his band and felt others should do the same. Leo Jackson, Jim's long-time guitar player said, "Jim Reeves is the finest human being I have ever worked with". Jimmy Day played for Jim in the early days when Jim Reeves first began to tour with his own band.

Thanks for clarifying that Bill. So I get Jim was an angry man but still one of the finest people you could meet. Kinda like another entertainer I worked only one year for. He was your best buddy unless you said or done something he disagreed with and then he was ready to expel you. I don't know. I'm not here to speak against the dead. I'll remember all the positive things about him like the beautiful music he made. I was born in Carthage, Tx. and spent the first 5 years of my life living in Henderson, Tx. so we traveled the same roads in life. An East Texas boy can't be all that bad. I visited his home in the early 1970's and saw his dog Shorty's grave and his. He is a country music legend in the highest degree.
Jim was right about one thing, steel players are crazy. One week I spent $35,000.00 on just steel guitars and that's long after I retired from gigging.

I am not trying to be rude but, Jim's dog was Cheyenne. None except One was or is perfect, and they crucified Him.

I saw Jim Reeves perform in 1962 at Bandera Texas and Bobby Garrett was playing steel that night. I even requested a song from Jim but I got the wrong title and he did not like me asking for a song that was not his. His exact comment was "I only sing songs I recorded".

And I also got to play a couple jobs with Mel Rogers here in Colorado Springs in 1965 who was stationed at Ft Carson at the time and a member of the Blue Boys.