Some west coast steelers.............long forgotten

[Billy Tonnesen]

David:
Somewhere around 1960 I had your Dad build me a four neck with nine pedals. I think I remember seeing Barbara Mandrell with one. Also I got to know another steeler: Bob Grossman who steered me on to your Dad. I came up to your house (some where in the Salinas area I think) and got together with your Dad. This was my first pedal steel and I pretty much relied on your Dad to set it up. Unfortunatey, within a couple of years it burned up at the Jubilee Ballroom in Baldwin Park, Ca. while playing with Johnny and Joanie Mosby.

[David Wright]

Billy,
Yes you did see BM with one, sad ending he has one in the bottom of the Pacific Ocean too, went down on delivery ... Thank you for the post, he built a lot of guitars, with out much "Fame" for it, at least not in St Louis HOF

[Joe Goldmark]

Hi David,

Nice collage of the Wright guitars, and a cool soundtrack also.

Joe

[Joe Goldmark]

Some more Northern CA guys: Larry Cragg, who's also an amazing guitar technician and his day job is being Neil Young's guitar tech. Did anyone mention Lee Jeffriess, who now lives near Joshua Tree, and who was on the road with Big Sandy for years. Max Butler plays with Chuck Prophet and Red Meat. Barry Sless, who plays with The Flying Other Brothers and Phil Lesh, and of course Buddy Cage and Jerry. Also, Freddie Roulette, who's always blazed his own path playing blues steel. In Southern CA did anyone mention the great JW, Jeremy Wakefield, and DB, Dave Berzansky from the Hacienda Bros. How about David Lindley?

Joe

[David Wright]

Hi Joe,
Thank's.....hope all is well with you...

[Alan Harrison]

I haven't seen the name of Billy Wayne Hamilton mentioned in this post. Billy Wayne has been playing aroud the Fresno area for somewhere around thirty years.

He is one of the smoothest, most tastefull players I have heard. He is also a top notch lead guitar player. I think Billy is still playing a double 12 BMI. Tone to the Bone, Yes to the Bone and beyond....alan

[Ray Harrison]

A guy that I worked with a lot in San Diego, up til I left for Arizona, Gerry "Dog" Walker is a great steel player, besides builing Amp Systems.
Stereo Steel and Walker Amps came form the fact that he couldn't find the sound he wanted to play.
I wish we could get him to play at a show, but he is reluctant for some reason. Great player.

[Bill Bailey]

I had the pleasure of working with Billy Wayne Hamilton in Fresno in 1976 at a place called the Jamboree club owned by Ron Pearson of the Ron Dons fame This was a 7 piece band. We had guest artists appear every week end. Billy was the guitar player on the gig and I played steel. He was a great talent and was the ultimate CAT. Ronnie Jackson from the Buckaroos played Banjo and guitar, Pat Hickey played keyboards, John Hill from Fredricksburg Texas played drums, I forgot who played Bass, and Ron Pierson sang fronted and played guitar. We went thru several band player changes before it ended up as a 5 piece road band.
Bill Bailey

[Barry Blackwood]

I worked with Billy Wayne in San Jose at the Red Barn from 1973 until he went to Fresno. Great player and cat. Had a nice older ZB at the time.

[John Robel]

How about Neil Livingston?

[Doc Rickles]

No one mentioned Jay Mc Donald, worked with Buck for awhile. Then just disappeared. In my opinion he was outstanding in expression and delivery that added to every song he played. Sounded a lot like Mr Moon but took some songs further in his own style.
Anyone know anything about him now.
Doc

[Andrew Brown]

This is the Eddie Miller Trio, formerly known as "Eddie Miller and his Oklahomans." They played in the Los Angeles area for most of the '50s. Eddie Miller is in the center and Bobby Gene Yount is on the far right. If you've ever looked at the writer's credits for "Release Me," you'll notice the names are Stevenson-Miller-Yount. ("Stevenson" was the 4 Star record president who of course didn't write a word of it.) Eddie Miller and Bobby Gene Yount wrote it.

There is a CD available of all of Eddie Miller's early recordings. They're very good.

In the book "Fender: The Sound Heard 'Round the World," there is an earlier picture of Eddie Miller and his Oklahomans.

I have a picture of Curley and two other guys in a club behind Curley's Bigsby steel, don't know how to upload it here, but I'd be happy to email it to someone who does.

Edit: Ha, now I know how to upload'em pics, thanks Mitch, so here:

[Andrew Brown]

This is actually "The Georgia Crackers" featuring Boots Woodall (not Harris) on steel guitar.

Curly Williams steel player was Boots Harris. I think this is Boots with Bobby Atcheson. What brand steel is that?

[Andrew Brown]

That's an impressive list Billy. Incidentally I enjoy your work with Ole Rasmussen very much. You mentioned Earl Moran with Johnny Reeves and his Homesteaders who were based in Long Beach. I have a record by them that's excellent ("Steel Guitar Blues") which features Earl on steel. The lead guitarist is unknown but he plays in a very Junior Bernard inspired style. Johnny calls his name out as "Mr. Big Herman" or something like that.

Here are some more Steel Players I remember and whom they played with at differen't times.
Chuck Hatfield - The Shed House on Florence Ave.
Leody Jackson - Jimmy Wakely & various clubs.
Pete Martinez - Jimmy Wakely & J.W. Movies.
Chuck Mills - Early Gene Davis at the Band Box.
Carl Moser - B & R Cafe in East L.A.
Mike Brewer - various clubs.
Joe Baker - Emil Preston, Jack Tucker bands.
Kenny Norman - Took my place with Ole Rasmussen
when I got drafted in 52' Super
Player.
Larry Spears - Sammy Masters band and others.
Chuck Foreman - Worked with Buddy Kendrick. Had a
Multichord, played like Alvino Rey.
Dick Roberts - Spade's original steel man before
Joaquin.
Ralph Miele - Deuce Spriggen's band.
Ernie Ball - Tommy Duncan & Wade Ray.
Eddie Martin - Wade Ray.
Bobby Hines - Bill Armstrong's western swing band.
Dick Stubbs - Town Hall Party (before Marion Hall).
Al Vernon - Only one I know who could play Joaquin
exact style and licks.
Earl (pee-wee) Moran - Skylite with Johnny Reeves.
Jim Corwin - Herb Tucker at Hitching Post and with
Wade Ray in Las Vegas.
Kenny Cox - worked for years with Bill Black.
Al Petty - The Saddle Club with Danny Michaels.
Les Anderson - played steel with Red Murrell and
Spade Cooley.

I had more on my list but they were previously mentioned. I just listed some of the places and bands they played with where I remember seeing them.
Another club I played at along with many others was the Pioneer Room in Norwalk. I'm sure many of you have been there. Marion Hall has previously been posted, but at one time were buddies and would come see each other on off nights. What a great gal!

When Wayne Burdick was with Tex Williams and I was with Ole Rasmussen someone arranged a soft ball game between the two bands. Tex's band won but I don't think anyone could hardly walk for the next couple of days.

Enough for now, Best Regards to everyone !

[Ray Montee]

I don't recall if this fellow was mentioned earlier or not but......Buddy Fite was a great little steel guitar player prior to his switching over to jazz guitarist and making his several great albums. He was only about 17 when he played steel guitar with the Claire Musser band; early 1950's, as best I can recall.
Willie Williams, now of Battleground, WA., used to play steel guitar in this area, for Tommy Kizziah and Heck Harper, among others.
Willy Rae Duncan was a Joaquin Murphy admirer and worked for Arkie & His Jolly Cowboys in the early 1950's or thereabouts. This was in between his driving 18-wheelers.
Evelyn Kinney, a red headed young gal, living in Salem at the time, played with Tommy Kizziah and his West Coast Ramblers and recorded with Tommy on 4-Star lable.
Steve Chet played for a number of years with Buddy Simmons and The Drifters.

[Dave Zirbel]

Ray, I don't know if this person was mentioned since I didn't read the entire thread but I worked with a woman named Kim Hicks a few years back. She showed me a picture of her uncle who played steel in Oregon in the '50's. His name was Bill Hicks. In the picture he was playing a double neck Fender non pedal. He died in a logging accident. That's all I know about him. Did you know of him?
Dave

[Ray Montee]

I didn't happen to know the gentleman of which you speak. Sorry...........

Another name came up in my cobweb infested mind...
BOB JOHNSON, he used to play a Fender T-8, BLOND, with the Slim Franks contingent down at Watkins Park.
They played there for years and over Vancouver, Wa. radio KVAN.

Anne Jones, also of KVAN Radio fame, used to have a young girl in her all-girl band; I think HER NAME might have been something EMERSOM.

[John Bresler]

How about some Oregon steeler's: Chuck Edwards and the Startones, The late Danny Shields, and Billy Cooper (Coop). Billy Cooper (Coop) had played a few years with Ferlin Husky before moving to the Oregon Coast. The last I heard he was in the Portland area. One great C6th picker.

Anyone remember any of these guys?

[Mitch Drumm]

Ray:

Here are a couple of pix of Blanche Emerson; the first one with Ann Jones, the second one taken just a few years ago in Tucson, her present home. Blanche has been at it for at least 50 years.








John:

I have a radio show of Ferlin Husky where his band does a rip-roaring instrumental of "Lady Be Good" on which Billy Cooper is very impressive. I think it is from the late 1950s??

There is also a great unissued instrumental of "Caravan" by the Husky band from 1965, but I don't know if Cooper is on it.

I assume this is NOT the same Billy Cooper who operates the steel store in Virginia.

[Ray Montee]

Sorry.....and my apologies to Blanche Emerson. I never met her but was well aware of her awesome presence here in this region.

Great photo's! THANKS to YOU!

[John Bresler]

Mitch:

I'd love to hear the Radio show you have. Billy Cooper was awesome on steel. And yes, Billy (
Coop) is not the Billy Cooper in Virginia. He was also the kind of steeler that could play backup and carry on a conversation with you. He played bare footed on a white Fender 1000. No knee levers so both feet were working the pedals and he pulled strings behind the bar. A feat not many people could do today.

I remember he played "Caravan". Outstanding version. The first time I heard him was at a club in Empire, Oregon. He had just arrived and joined a local band. He was so far above the band that half the time they didn't know what key he was playing in. The first instrumental I heard him play was "Steelin' the Blues". I think JB would have been proud to hear him play it.

[John Bechtel]

I know this doesn't make me a Ca. or West Coast Player, by any stretch of the imagination, however; the last several months until Nov. 1970, I played 6-nights a week at the Panama Club in Long Beach, Ca. I only lived in L.A. for the year 1970 and then moved back to Nashville around Nov. 1st. ’70 after my wife arrived in the states, from Korea. BTW: Jay Dee Manes was at the Palomino Club during 1970. This I know because, he called me about a sit-down gig in Phoenix, while I was in L.A.! Also, Bud Isaacs and Geri were working the Skylight Club in Compton during 1970.

[Michael Brewer]

Billy Tonneson

Bill, I enjoyed your post with all the names from the '50's. I am here in the Dallas area still playing as much as I can. Are you going to be here for the show next week? You can probably find me somewhere near Bill Stafford's booth.

Mike Brewer

[Ray Montee]

Some of these fellows have been passed-over, but NOT FORGOTTEN.......

They've been actively playing for decades.....
Dean Rankin from the Longview, Washington, area.

From the greater Portland, OR., area: Eric West; Dale Granstrom; Harley James, Russ Blake, Pete Burak, and Rudy Alexander.

All fine players; some play regularly while others don't.

[Gene H. Brown]

Well Ray,
Doug Jones and My feelings are really hurt now.