The Steel Guitar Forum

MSP has just completed its first Classic Country/Western Swing, Steel Guitar show. Here's some info on players/singers. First of all, we had a crowd that completely filled the building. Keyboard players Warren Griffin, Bobby Ray and Peggy Breland were all excellent. Drummers Tonya Hunt, Michael Courtney and David Holifield did a wonderful job. Lead guitar players Bob Saxton and B.C. Dueitt were great all night. The Ms. Guitar Players Association was well represented by Wayne Gray, Bob Saxton and Dennis Williams. They played a short set together. Wonderful. Ed Clark joined Bill Stafford for some fine playing/singing also. Royce Tarver was really hot and played some fine steel guitar. Jim Parker played a set with Doc Rickles that was really nice on Tommy Young's black modded D-10 Mullen. Tone to bone. Eddie Freeman also had a nice set on his Magnum. Winston Street played on three sets and done a great job also. Bobby Ray also played a nice set on his MSA and helped out on keyboards. Fine steel player, as well as, keyboard player. Buck Grantham played a fine set and his Mullen really sounded good also. Legendary bassman Tommy Fortenberry was in rare form during the night. Garland Breland played some of the best bass I'd heard in a long time. Very nice. Odessa Gant had a good set singing some of the classics. Very nice job. Julie Musgrove was great as usual. He husband Glen did a great job on bass. Winston Street played some nice steel behind Julie. Crystal Graham, Winston's daughter came out and performed for the first time doing country and what a surprise. She was asked to join the MSP staff band along with steeler, Royce Tarver. Marty Windham came on later and we went to Hugheyland on some old Conway songs. Ellis Olsen and Tom Harris, along with there bassman did an outstanding job as well. Terry Mozingo also did a good job. Bill Carter received the 2007 MSP Steel Player of The Year award during the show. Ellis Olsen received the 2007 Country Music Singer Award from MSP that is given to singers who have dedicated there life to promoting Classic Country and supporting Steel Guitar. We also had several steel players in attendance, which was expected. Thanks to everyone who played and attended our opening MSP show. You made it a complete success. Special thanks to veteran steelman, Roy Lunn who drove down from Jackson, MS. to attend also. Roy sang a couple of songs that were very nice. All our MSP STAFF did an excellent also taking care of everybody and helping out. Special thanks also to Little Miss Minnie Pearl who did a great with her act. Thanks to these folks also for helping(MSP folks)Durinda, Tammara, Sambo, Glenda, Jackie(MSP-VP), Rudy and Cindy. Next show is 12-7-07.

MSP = Mississippi Steel Players?

MSP is Mississippi Steel Players Club. The winner of the Carter Starter we gave away during the Aug.3rd show was MSP member, Jim Morgan from Vancleave, MS. Jim purchased one 5.00 ticket and came way with a brand new CS.

Thanks Billy.
You put names to all those faces at the show. As I said on the other post. It was one of the best I have been to. Thanks for all the hospitality and friendship we received. It can only grow after a turnout like that. Here's to bigger and better.
Tommy's guitar did sound great. Pure and clean as a bell all the way up the neck. Thank you Tommy for coming down so soon after your operation.
Doc

Had a great time at the show and it was a packed house and so much good steel playing it was remarkable. I have never played a Mullen before but i played the Tommy Young MODDED guitar and it was awsome to say the least. Hats off to the back up band they was good and also DOC did a good job singing as well. Really a good show. Looking forward to the Dec. show to see everyone again. Jim

Billy,
I just have to thank you for all the work you and Cowboy put into this show, it was really amazing the way all went on schedule. Even with 5 minutes between acts to set up it still was really on track. I was really glad to see Bill Carter get his award. Bill has been fighting cancer for years now and is still hanging in there playing some fine steel to boot. He is in remission now and doing great. I know the award ment a lot to him as well as Ellis Olsen's did to him. Two fine gentlemen.

Last night was the first time my daughter Crystal has ever been on the bandstand with a live band, and she really surprised me in being able to adjust. She called a few minutes ago and said to tell you how much she enjoyed and appreciated you having her on the first MSP show. She really ate the compliments up. Most of her singing has been at church.

I thought Tommy Harris did a great job of his Hank Thompson renditions along with Bob Saxton playing the Merle Travis style guitar with us. Bob has played with just about everybody that is somebody and will still come over to the house and jam at a moments notice. Especially if you are going to be here.

Boy didn't Jim Parker, Royce Tarver and Mr. Buck Grantham do a great job!!!!!!!! Jim played the Modded Mullins that he had never set down behind and just played the dickens out of it. Royce did so much "chicken picken" that you could see the feathers flying, and Mr. Buck was his usual brilliant self. I love his tone and technique. He did a great job all the way around but I especially enjoyed "Ghost Riders in the Stratosphere"

I didn't try to name everyone there on the show but I thought everyone there did a great job. Especially you on the Carter Magnum. I don't know if they all sound that good or not or if it was just the "hands of a masters touch" but that little guitar sounded great. You did a good job as usual.

One more thing. I talked with the Post Commander outside and he said that as long as he could remember that they had never had that kind of croud. He wanted to know what type of advertisement we used. I told him "word of mouth", that all the steel players are one big family, that they would drive hundreds of miles just to support one another whether they were playing on the show or not, just as some did yesterday. He just couldn't believe it.

OH, can't leave out Bill Stafford and Ed Clark. Those are two of the finest gentlemen you'll ever want to meet. And Bill certainly lives up to his title "Mr. Smooth".

Can't wait to hear the ones you have lined up on the December show. I know it will be just as great. Congratulations on an astounding first show.

Winston

For Jim, Doc & Winston, it's folks like yourselves that help make things happen like the show. Add the support of players like Bill Stafford, Buck Grantham, Royce Tarver and so, so many more and the sky's the limit. Crystal Graham will be a featured singer on all future MSP shows, if she wants to. She just came out of nowhere and floored everybody. What a wonderful surprise. I just hope we can have her for a while with MSP because if she ever decides to advance in the music business, then somebody better move over and make room for her. She's just that talented. We'll continue as a Classic Country/Western Swing/Steel Guitar show. There was something there for everybody. Our MSP December show will feature Crystal on two sets. One at 6:30pm and the other one at 10:00pm. She'll be joined by a host of talent including, Jeannie Ezell, BC Dueitt, Ellis Olsen, Odessa Gant, Tom Harris, Doc Rickles and steelers Danny Harrell, Jimmy Powell, Hal Higgins, Winston Street, Jim Parker, myself and probably some more to be added. Monday, Aug.6th we begin promoting our second MSP event for Dec.7th. Our veteran's show. Thanks to everybody that made #1 a success. We'll continue as one big family working together to keep Classic Country & Steel Guitars alive and well in Mississippi!

Billy, thanks to you and your staff and all in your organization for inviting me to this wonderful event. It was a great pleasure and honor for me. Really enjoyed all the talent you had on stage.
Wishing you lots of success in the future with MSP.
Special thanks to Crystal for sharing part of her debut on my program. And it was another delight for me to have Julie perform two of my favorite songs with us. So much talent there and just not enough time. Realy enjoyed your staff musicians, they wee the best anyone could expect.
Bill Stafford

Thanks to you, Bill for some wonderful playing, along with Julie, Crystal and Ed doing some great vocals. Having you join us puts a high standard on talent for our shows which is what we want. Our Dec.7th event should be a good one also. Thanks again my friend and let us know whenever the next DSSGA show is coming.

Well,,i wrote about a 2 page letter on the other post fore i saw this one lol,anyway,I mised a few names on the other post,JIm Parker did a fantastic job on his set,Jim,,you prob showed that "Mullins" some tricks it aint never seen,,You done good Jim...

Winston,,man what a great job Crystal did,,i know you and Wanda are proud of her,,she could sing in any of the Nashville shows

I think Mr. Ed Clark has one of the smoothest voice's in the business,,and he's awesome on that "DogHouse Bass",,lawd,,what a show him, Bill and the other guys put on,,I could listen to Western Swing music all night..

Lots of thanks to "Cowboy and Hollis" for a good job on the sound system,,without a good sound system,,you got a bad show,thanks Guys...
well,, lookin fwd to Dec.7...
Tom Harris

Mr. Billy Carr I personally want to thank you for having me come down and bring a couple of these guitars that I modify for TONE. I really enjoyed it from start till I had to leave around 10;00 it went flawlessly like no other steel jam I ever went to in my LIFE.The SOUND was great hope I get a video of it hahaha thanks JIM Parker for using one of these MODDED GUITARS on your set as you had never played it on stage ever some even thought it was yours the MOD was a great success because the MSP has allowed me to be there with it I'm glad that I'm a part of the MSP CLUB for sure, great job to all involved


Tommy YOUNG MAX-TONE MODIFICATIONS
tyoung52@wildblue.net

Tommy, we were glad to have you come down from Columbus. Several players were impressed with the modded guitars. You have an open invitation to any of our MSP events. Thanks for your support and being a MSP member as well.

Billy,
I met Tommy for the first time at the show. I enjoyed giving him the blues most of the night. He really has a good sense of humor and a great love for the steel guitar. He isn't trough with his modifications yet. You'll hear a lot more from him I believe.

Winston

Oh yes, definitely on the modded guitars. TY's just getting started with something that's really a tone improvement on every modded guitar I've seen or played. I don't know why the black D-10 modded Mullen hasn't found a home yet. While we're talking guitars, here's a list of what brands were represented very, very well by the players. We had 2 Magnum's, 2 Mullen's, 1 Excel, 1 Fessy and 1 Emmons. Amps were 4 NV-112's, 3 NV-400's, 1 Session 500 and 1 Evans, I believe.

Yes, and we also had one MSA there.

Winston

You are correct, Bobby Ray had the MSA. Beautiful guitar. I was afraid I'd forget one. Thanks.

Just a line to let ya know how much me and Patty enjoyed the show. We had a wonderful time and enjoyed all the great steel players we heard. Also enjoyed hearing Tommy "The Ledgend" Fortenberry with all his unique runs on the bass. We look forward to the next show and we are eager to support this great sport and event.

P.S. I looked for Mr. Parker but missed him. There was so many people there, I wasn't able to spot him in the crowd. But I'll catch up with him later. Best regards. Buddy and Patty McCardle!

Hey Buddy, we were glad to have you and Patty at our show. Looks like you're a lucky man. Yes, the Legend was in rare form and did a great job as usual. Stay on top of the S-12 Fessy and we'll be looking at having you on the show down the road sometime. Thanks for being a MSP member and supporting our events.

Buddy hate that i missed you and Mrs. Patty but will be looking for you at the December show which i believe will be even bigger than ever. Had a great time with everyone.I know if i begin to name everyone i will leave someone out but thanks to everyone who came and supported the show. I counted 400 people at on time during the night. Jim