Who inspired you to play music?

Dave Horch · Post by **Dave Horch** » 1 Dec 2001 11:31 pm

The Beatles did it for me, but I knew I was a musician when I was two.

Robert · Post by **Robert** » 2 Dec 2001 9:47 am

Was it Hendrix? Cropper? Buddy Guy on "A Man and the Blues"? Maybe all of those - but way before that it might have been "Abbey Road", or even earlier, Nancy Sinatra. Yeah. My uncles would give me a quarter if I'd sing "These Boots Are Made For Walkin'" and die laughing when I'd imitate the descending guitar riff. Nowadays, I'm keeping my ears open for soul - no matter the "type" of music. Duke Ellington had it right when he said there are just two kinds of music - good and bad.
Who am I to argue with Duke Ellington?

Rob Yale

John De Maille · Post by **John De Maille** » 2 Dec 2001 10:08 am

My father inspired me to play the guitar, when I was 8 yrs. old. He never really taught me anything on it though. I had to teach myself. Got myself one of those strap-on, push the button, chord players, and figured out what strings and frets to push down on. And, all of a sudden, I was playing 3 chord songs. As to starting on the steel, it was Lloyd Green and J.D. Maness. I heard them playing on the Sweetheart's of the Rodeo album, and just had to play that instrument. Unfortunately it took several years later to actually start, though. But, that incentive still burned intensely, as it still does today.
Sincerely,
John De Maille V.P.-P.S.G.A.

Jim Cohen · Post by **Jim Cohen** » 2 Dec 2001 11:57 am

These were my three seminal moments:

1. I remember walking around the house at about age 8 or 9, singing my rendition of Bobby Rydell's "Volare", and asking my mom if I needed to clear the rights to be able to sing it. She said, no, there were no copyright issues involved in singing it at home!

2. The Beatles. Everyone had a favorite. Mine just passed away at age 58. When Lennon was murdered, I felt it was the end of my childhood/youth and innocence. The loss of George Harrison is just one more nail in that coffin.

3. About age 10, I entered a "Talent Contest" where my mom took me to a local theater to audition. I was petrified. They wanted me to audition in front of everybody else! Gasp! When I asked the nice man if perhaps there wasn't someplace more, um, private, where I could audition, he gently led me to a corner of the theater, whereupon I immediately confessed that I really didn't know how to play guitar at all (but since the Beatles had just come out, I thought that carrying one was de rigeur). I then sang my timid rendition of "World Without Love" by Chad and Jeremy, phony British accent and all ("Please luck me away...") When it was over I was sooo excited because they told me that they would call me! (...if they needed me).

------------------
www.jimcohen.com

Roger Crawford · Post by **Roger Crawford** » 2 Dec 2001 3:19 pm

I can't remember who got me interested in playing music, just that since elemetary school I've had the itch. Much to my Mother's dismay, the piano wasn't what tripped my trigger. It had to be DRUMS !!! I did the teen thing with the rock stuff until I was able to get back home to Georgia. Once back, I was involved with country music in a hurry. I moved my stuff back on a Wednesday, and had a Friday night gig! It was a learning experience to say the least. I changed bands here & there, and finally landed with one that had a steel guitar player. I'd heard them on records, but had never been exposed to one in person. After paying attention to how they sounded and what you had to do to get those sounds, I told him that if I had it all to do over again, I think I would take up steel guitar rather than drums. He insisted that it wasn't too late, and if I got a guitar he would help me any way he could. Bill Ferguson has kept his word on that point to this day! One of the finest players and nicest people you could hope to know. Everyone has their list of steel guitar heroes, as do I. Bill is high on my list.
Roger

Ed Webster · Post by **Ed Webster** » 2 Dec 2001 4:04 pm

As someone above said, you used to be able to tell the singer by the first couple of notes you heard on a record. Back in the mid 1940's I heard that ting-a-ling sound on Eddy Arnold records. Could never find out what made that sound. Then one night I heard a song called "Drowsy Waters" by Jerry Byrd from Del Rio, Texas, and that did it. Had to learn more about that sound. Then there was also the great stuff by Joaquin Murphey back in the late 40's. He was so far ahead of his time.

Al Marcus · Post by **Al Marcus** » 2 Dec 2001 6:42 pm

I was in Music from an early age, played ukelele,harmonica, guitar and trumpet in the school band.

When I was about 15 , in 1936,I took on the hawaiian guitar, I liked hawaiian music.

I took note lessons on my first Supro 6 string using the "Alvino Rey Singing Guitar Method".

I see in the book ,pictures of him playing with Horace Heidt on a Gibson Console Grand.

So I scanned the Radio trying to find the band with him playing. I did!

He turned me on to full chord style playing, so I would say he was my first real important influence.

But I was influenced by a lot of non steel players. Like George Shearing, Nat Cole, Buddy Cole on piano.

Charlie Ventura , Paul Desmond, Ben Webster on Sax.

Tony Mattola, George Van Epps, Les Paul and Chet Atkins on guitar.

Then in 1968 I first met and heard Maurice Anderson. He is the complete musician and was another influence , and got me Inspired again......al

Bob Watson · Post by **Bob Watson** » 3 Dec 2001 1:36 am

Frank, It's funny that you chose this topic. When I learned that George Harrison had
passed away I remembered that he was the one who inspired me to become a "lead guitarist". Like you, steel came later,but the Beatles were instrumental
(no pun intended) in my interest in music and
probably the reason that I chose to devote my life to it. George was an incredibly tasteful guitar player and was an ispiration to probably millions of guitar players around the world.

Sage · Post by **Sage** » 3 Dec 2001 10:18 am

When I was about 8 (1969), I was riding in the back seat of the car thru the mountains of west central Montana- not too far from where we lived. The radio was on and I was looking out the window and it just crashed in on me that music was the most beautiful thing. About that time I became fascinated by the vibration in just about everything. So I guess that I started out listening to signposts and doors (not The Doors) as my first influences on my path to being an instrument maker.
T. Sage Harmos

John Knight · Post by **John Knight** » 3 Dec 2001 11:15 am

Thank you Alan, who has inspired me? My dad and mom, Lee and Judy Knight, The Big E, Mr Chalker, Jerry Byrd, Sneaky Pete, Bob Wills, Asleep At the Wheel, Vince Gill, John Hughey, Buddy Charlton, Leon Rhodes, The Beatles, and my younger brother Mark, he received most of the song writing talant in our family, he is an excellent drummer and rythmn guitar player as well as a good vocalist. We make music and thats alway inspirational.

------------------
D 10 Thomas with 8&6
Nashville 400 and Profex II
Asleep at the Steel

Tony Orth · Post by **Tony Orth** » 3 Dec 2001 12:07 pm

1. My God - who gave me the talent
2. My father - who sang to me incessantly when I was a toddler. (he couldn't carry a tune in a bucket)
3. My mother - who forced me to take music lessons

Thanks for the thread. It's interesting to go back over your entire life and relive how music became a part of it, and influenced it.

Tony

Joan Cox · Post by **Joan Cox** » 3 Dec 2001 3:08 pm

I think it was my Mom and Dad first and then my steel guitar teacher, Bob Delaloye. My Dad had played guitar, and always had to play on the weekends, so I grew up around it. It was a way of life. He was never famous or anything, but he was about the best in our area where we lived back in the late 60's and early 70s. Then when I got interested in steel, Bob took me under his wing and showed me how to play; what to do, what not to do, you know. He played alot back in the late 70s (and still does)when I started, and I would take my Western Auto tape recorder and drive to his VFW and American Legion jobs in the town where I lived. Drove my 1966 Buick LeSabre..wish I had that car back. I'd take those tapes home and practice with them.

Bob used to have the store that Duane's Music is in today. I worked for him, and he sold steels there. That's where it started..

My Dad and Mom were very supportive, buying me nice things, and my Dad bought my 1982 Zum D-10 that I still have. He asked me if I wanted a steel; I said "yes" and he told me to make out the check and he'd sign it. My Mom bought me the newer Zum that I have, the 1997 model for Christmas in 1997. I treasure these guitars..and I treasure them and Bob for helping me so much. Darn it, now I'm starting to cry..enough of this..

Joan

Pat Burns · Post by **Pat Burns** » 3 Dec 2001 6:35 pm

<SMALL>When Lennon was murdered, I felt it was the end of my childhood/youth and innocence.</SMALL>

...most other people had lost their innocence before they were 28...

Jim Cohen · Post by **Jim Cohen** » 3 Dec 2001 7:57 pm

I was a late bloomer.

Bill Llewellyn · Post by **Bill Llewellyn** » 3 Dec 2001 8:25 pm

I used to climb up on the piano bench in our home and plink out simple melodies by ear when I was 3 or 4. My dad was a musician by avocation--superb on clarinet, saxaphone, and could sight read piano. I used to listen to him practice his swing, dixieland, and polka pieces... very inspiring. As for pop rock groups, the usual boomer foundationals... Beatles, Stones, Animals, Association, Donovan, Paul Revere and the Raiders, Who, Turtles, Little Stevie Wonder, Three Dog Night, and the list goes on.

------------------
<font size=-1>Bill (steel not out of the woodshed) | MSA Classic U12 | Email | My music | Steeler birthdays | Over 50?</font>

Harry Hess · Post by **Harry Hess** » 3 Dec 2001 8:50 pm

The Beatles.

Scott Hiestand · Post by **Scott Hiestand** » 4 Dec 2001 9:30 am

No question it was The Beatles - at least in terms of wanting to be a "performing" musician (even though my mother had me playing polkas on our little organ pre the Fab Four).

Once I decided (like a zillion other teenagers) to be a rock guitar star (70's), my biggest influences were probably Pete Townsend and Frank Zappa (unfortunately another R.I.P)......then a long stint in British/Alien rock (Wire, XTC, even Joy Division)...

How I got from there to Steel/"traditional country" is still a little of a mystery to me. Probably because my mom used to play lots of Hank Snow and Jim Reeves in my kintergarden days - guess one always comes back to their roots eventually. I hope in some small way now I'm infuencing my daughters to, someday, enjoy country music (and the steel, of course).

I still love to listen to all of these past "heroes" - there's lots of great music out there to be heard!

Chris Lucker · Post by **Chris Lucker** » 4 Dec 2001 10:51 am

It was Bob Dylan, Jimi Hendryx and Cream that ins[pired me to listen to music. It was seeing Mississippi Fred McDowell and Son House playing at my school that inspired me to play. I was fortunate enough that my parents bought Son House's Style 0 National from him after the show. I still have it.
Years later I learned that Son House probably sold more Nationals and other guitars than all the Guitar Centers combined. I guess there were fans in every town willing to give the Legend a guitar.
Chris

Chris Schlotzhauer · Post by **Chris Schlotzhauer** » 4 Dec 2001 11:08 am

The Beatles

Donny Hinson · Post by **Donny Hinson** » 4 Dec 2001 4:32 pm

The first two songs I noticed steel in were "North Wind", by Bob Sandy, and "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus", by child-star Jimmy Boyd. I don't know what happened to Bob, not too much is available on him. Jimmy Boyd grew up a little, and then co-starred in the old "Dobie Gillis Show". (This was back in the '50s, so I suppose a lot of Forumites don't remember either one.) Boyd was on Columbia records, I believe, and Bob was on the old Tops label. The steel on both songs was pre-pedal, but very good. I also had an uncle who played in Wash. D.C. at a dance hall called "Turner's Arena". A lotta big stars (Roy Clark, Jimmy Dean, Patsy Cline) played there too when they started.

Anyhow, in the early '60's, I saw Stu Basore playing with Kitty Wells, and went on to buy the very guitar I had first seen him with. It was an old Fender 1000, which had belonged to Speedy West, and then Weldon (so Stu told me, anyway). This was my first pedal guitar, as I had been playing an old Airline (Monkey Wards) Rocket 6-string lap steel before that.

I played a lot of music in the '60s, '70s, '80s and '90s, did a little touring, had a lot of fun, and made pretty good money, too! No big legacy to leave behind like the "big dogs", but I got a lotta good memories out of the experience. And, I met all my wives while doing it!

Don't want to bore y'all, so I'll stop there for now.

Ray Montee · Post by **Ray Montee** » 4 Dec 2001 6:18 pm

The person that opened the door to my lifetime pursuit of music/steel guitar...was my mom, who answered the knock at our front door. It was a salesman soliciting new students for the Oregon Conservatory of Music. I was asked if I wanted to take violin or guitar. Recalling the neat sound Gene Autry always did with his bass string run to the next chord change, I insisted on guitar. WIthin weeks I discovered these morons were holding their guitars all wrong, not at all like Mr. Artery did.
After the initial shock....my mom kept spending evenings tuning in KIRO in Seattle
and the big station in Del Rio Texas, that were both playing lots of Red Foley, Hank Williams, Eddy Arnold, etc.
After a number of years of boring lessons, I heard Roy Wiggens, then JERRY BYRD and the rest is history. Jerry has been my inspiration and my lifelong mentor altho' he likely doesn't realize it.
Here I am, 58 years later, hopelessly stuck in this TIME WARP, still attempting to figure out what/how JB did this or that way back then on that lil' ole Rick Bakelite.
It's been a frustrating and wonderful musical life I've experienced. Wouldn't trade it!

Tim Rowley · Post by **Tim Rowley** » 4 Dec 2001 10:10 pm

Donny,

Not to stray too far here, but didn't Jimmy Boyd also cut a cover of Stuart Hamblin's gospel song "It is No Secret"? Seems to me that he did.

Tim R.

Donny Hinson · Post by **Donny Hinson** » 6 Dec 2001 9:59 am

Tim, Jimmy may well have done that song, but I am not familiar with him doing it, though it was a big song for Stuart. Jimmy did do a lot of recording...up to the '70s, I believe. Mostly, he did nice duets with singers like Frankie Laine, and Jo Stafford, but he never really gained any fame on his own (that I'm aware of) other than the Santa song.