The Steel Guitar Forum

I was just wondering if anybody knew what steelers played on the Houston area records labels back in the '50s and '60s.

Labels like D, Allstar, Triumph, Skill, Nu-Star, Stoneway.

Recording with singers like Eddie Noack, Wiley and Jesse Barkdull, Adrian Roland, Phil Parr, Jimmy Copeland, Mary McCoy, Larry Butler, Dave Edge, Jimmy Dry, Don Westmoreland and Alice Kalinowski etc.

Scott Wehmeyer wrote:I was just wondering if anybody knew what steelers played on the Houston area records labels back in the '50s and '60s.

Labels like D, Allstar, Triumph, Skill, Nu-Star, Stoneway.

Recording with singers like Eddie Noack, Wiley and Jesse Barkdull, Adrian Roland, Phil Parr, Jimmy Copeland, Mary McCoy, Larry Butler, Dave Edge, Jimmy Dry, Don Westmoreland and Alice Kalinowski etc.

Herb Remington
Frank Juricek
Don Cathey

Scott,
here is some additional information:

Don Westmoreland started the "Triumph Label"; he owns and operates the Limelight Studio in Dickinson, Tx. Bobby Gondesen played with Don for some twenty plus years. Bobby currently lives in Lamarque and he recently finished his gospel cd at Don's studio.
Adrian Roland lived in Texas City, Tx and was killed years ago on a construction sight. I played with Adrian in my younger years along with Howard Gregory (recently passed away)and Jeff Newman (deceased); both lived in Texas City, tx. Finis Spier played with Adrian as a fiddle player. He currently lives in Texas City, Tx. and now also plays the steel guitar.
Tony Farr lived in the Lamarque-Texas City area and played in this area: he now lives in Nashville and still continues to play the pedal steel.
Larry Butler moved to Nashville years ago; I don't know what happened to him as of this date.
I lost track of Phil Parr; I heard that he moved somewhere in East Texas, I can't confirm that!
Wiley Barkdol passed away, but he has a son that lives around the HOuston area and used to do some playing; haven't heard anything about him in a long time.
Here are some players that were around this area, but some are deceased.
Jimmy Alcorn (Alvin)- lost track of him
Dale Hull (San Leon)- deceased
Papa Caro (Galveston) deceased
Don Strickhausen (Lamarque) deceased
Jack Featherstone (Galveston) deceased
Dee O'Banion (Galveston) deceased
Jay Richards (W.Texas City)
Louis Fourerat (Alvin) currently works the Alvin Opry
Jody Sanders (Magnolia) currently working
Jody Cameron (Angelton) currently working
Cameron Parson (Danbury) currently working
David Farenthold-moved somewhere in louisana
Some I forgot, but a lot of new players around this area.
Hope this helps........

Tommy Alexander wrote:Scott,
here is some additional information:

Don Westmoreland started the "Triumph Label"; he owns and operates the Limelight Studio in Dickinson, Tx. Bobby Gondesen played with Don for some twenty plus years. Bobby currently lives in Lamarque and he recently finished his gospel cd at Don's studio.
Adrian Roland lived in Texas City, Tx and was killed years ago on a construction sight. I played with Adrian in my younger years along with Howard Gregory (recently passed away)and Jeff Newman (deceased); both lived in Texas City, tx. Finis Spier played with Adrian as a fiddle player. He currently lives in Texas City, Tx. and now also plays the steel guitar.
Tony Farr lived in the Lamarque-Texas City area and played in this area: he now lives in Nashville and still continues to play the pedal steel.
Larry Butler moved to Nashville years ago; I don't know what happened to him as of this date.
I lost track of Phil Parr; I heard that he moved somewhere in East Texas, I can't confirm that!
Wiley Barkdol passed away, but he has a son that lives around the HOuston area and used to do some playing; haven't heard anything about him in a long time.
Here are some players that were around this area, but some are deceased.
Jimmy Alcorn (Alvin)- lost track of him
Dale Hull (San Leon)- deceased
Papa Caro (Galveston) deceased
Don Strickhausen (Lamarque) deceased
Jack Featherstone (Galveston) deceased
Dee O'Banion (Galveston) deceased
Jay Richards (W.Texas City)
Louis Fourerat (Alvin) currently works the Alvin Opry
Jody Sanders (Magnolia) currently working
Jody Cameron (Angelton) currently working
Cameron Parson (Danbury) currently working
David Farenthold-moved somewhere in louisana
Some I forgot, but a lot of new players around this area.
Hope this helps........

Wiley Barkdull is still living. I talked to him last week. He didn't sound dead.

The question was who was playing on the records, not who every steel guitar player in Houston was. If that was the question, the list would be about 50-100 names.

Fred Heiney played on a lot of records back then. I played on some at Doggetts studio, Middlestetts studio, and one other I can't remember the name. Jody.

Andrew & Scott
here is a picture of some of the old players. Hope this comes out ok.
You may remember the "Utah Carl Show" of the late 50's.
Utah Carl Beach, George champion, Phil Parr, Herbie Treece, Wiley Barksdull, Don Cathey,JW Wheelis and Clem Kujawa.
If your old enough, you might remember this players.
No Steel player at that time.

My dad recorded on "D" label back in the mid 60's and from what I remember there was no steel. I'm trying to find his records. Glad Music has one I can get, and I've seen the Bear CD that has 4 or 5 of his songs on them. I'd really like to get the 45's. I know this doesn't answer Scotts question. Tommy can you email me that photo? I know Herbie Treeces brothers and I think they would like to have a copy.

A few more:
Fred Goree
Lee Holeman
Ozzie Middleton
Deacon Anderson
Ted Daffan
Joe Kelley
Robby Springfield
Buddy Doyle

Wow, great photo! Thanks for sharing. Don Cathey IS playing steel in this picture, but he's sitting behind Utah Carl so it's hard to see.

Tommy Alexander wrote:Andrew & Scott
here is a picture of some of the old players. Hope this comes out ok.
You may remember the "Utah Carl Show" of the late 50's.
Utah Carl Beach, George champion, Phil Parr, Herbie Treece, Wiley Barksdull, Don Cathey,JW Wheelis and Clem Kujawa.
If your old enough, you might remember this players.
No Steel player at that time.

Well, if we're going to list every steel player who ever lived in Houston....

Bob Dunn
J.D. Standlee
Deacon Evans
Harris Dodd
Joe Brewer
J.W. Ingham
Benny Morris
Jerry Shea
Lazy Luke Colburn
Hoyt Skidmore
Joey "Curly" Long

are a few more names that come to mind.

I remember Utah Carl very well("I'm just a wanderer of the wasteland",his theme song and boots at the start of his TV. show). Sponsored by a funiture store in Alvin. Jody.

Nobody's talking about Tom Bath? Bobby Bowman (Jones)?

Or Dusty Stewart?

Tommy,

Is Phil Parr in this photo? I think this was before his time. This must date from the late '50s.

I think the guitarist on the far right (behind George Champion on the piano) is Wiley Barkdull.

I think Phil came in later, during the early '60s.

Tommy Alexander wrote:Andrew & Scott
here is a picture of some of the old players. Hope this comes out ok.
You may remember the "Utah Carl Show" of the late 50's.
Utah Carl Beach, George champion, Phil Parr, Herbie Treece, Wiley Barksdull, Don Cathey,JW Wheelis and Clem Kujawa.
If your old enough, you might remember this players.
No Steel player at that time.

Here's another Utah Carl pic from the same time frame. No steel, but otherwise the same group of guys, except Sam Reece is on electric bass. I think Don Cathey was the sole steel man for this group?

Phil Parr was not in the pictures shown, and the guitar player was smiling herby treese fiddle player was clem cadiddle hopper or something like that. also the steel player on Adrian Rowlands first recording was Howard gregory who recently passed while living in fort worth.

If I remember right, Phil Parr was blind and played a bass guitar. He also could sing.

Phil Parr now lives in lufkin texas and is very active in the music world he has a recording studio there and does a radio show , he also is a fine acoustic guitar rythym player. I would also like to mention a local player now deceased Happy Harvey Thompson played bass and was a disc jockey at kikk and i remembered the fiddle players on utahs tv show was clem catava, hope i got it right.

I just remembered another steel player that grew up in texas city that some of you may have heard of Jeff Newman ! He took steel lessons from Manual Pedraza went on to nashville and you know the rest of the story

Finis Spier wrote:Phil Parr now lives in lufkin texas and is very active in the music world he has a recording studio there and does a radio show , he also is a fine acoustic guitar rythym player. I would also like to mention a local player now deceased Happy Harvey Thompson played bass and was a disc jockey at kikk and i remembered the fiddle players on utahs tv show was clem catava, hope i got it right.

Clem Kujawa.