The Steel Guitar Forum

Here's an old video of a young Buddy Emmons with Ferlin Husky and Cathy Copas. I was looking for some info on Ferlin when I came across this.

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Jack, I don't believe
that's Buddy playing
that stacatto (choppy).
The brief visual looks
more like Howard White.
~Russ

This old video may have set the precedent for steel guitarists barely getting any camera time. Whoever he is, he's a tall one - notice his right leg extending out far beyond the endplate of the steel.

I am wondering if that is the highly elusive Billy Cooper, who was one of Ferlin's Hushpuppies in late 1955--for how long thereafter I don't know. He was a highly accomplished western swing style player, but I have never seen a picture of him. I believe he was from Oregon.

I also wonder when this was filmed. Kathy Copas was born around 1935 and married Randy Hughes in the early 50s. Can she be any older than 22 or 23 in this clip?

I think that is Randy Hughes playing rhythm guitar.

Is that a Fender pedal steel?

Might that fiddle player be TOMMY JACKSON?

Some of his signature sounds were too obvious to ignore but copy-cats did persist in those days.

Jimmy Peppers told me the bass player is the bus driver that Ferlin had.

It may not be Emmons but it looks like him and I've seen Emmons on other videos in that era with his right leg outside the steel like it is in the video.

The video comes from the Bear Family 4 DVD set "Country Style U.S.A.", filmed in the late 50s. Those who don't have the set yet are missing something. Great footage of the stars of the era - ET, Ray Price, Faron Young, Marty Robbins, Jim Reeves etc.

Kind Regards, Walter

The steel player in the video is Howard White. Howard was working with Cathy and Cowboy Copas and I suspect Ferlin was asked to do a guest shot on their program. Howard also worked with Hank Snow for a while as well as Wilma Lee and Stoney Cooper.

Is that a Fender pedal steel?

Nope, the legs have no angle, and they look to be mounted slightly inboard of the corners. Does have a little of that "Fender twang", though, doesn't it?

I'm pretty sure it's one of the very early Sho Buds. I have a Chubby Wise LP with Howard on the cover with a similar looking guitar and it's a Sho Bud.
Also, the bass player is Ike Inman and not sure who the fiddle player is but he's not Tommy Jackson.

The Fiddle player is a very young Buddy Spicher.