The Steel Guitar Forum

Does anyone know who the steel player was for Gene Watson in 1986 ? I'm sure he played longer than that . He was a great player . He was a big guy . Great tone from his guitars also .

Gary, it's Tiny Olson and I think he lives in New York now. I had a conversation with him on the forum sometime back. I think the very first musician Watson hired was Ronnie Burks, a steel player who lives in Pasadena Texas now and visits me up here quite often. But the Big guy was Tiny Olson. Super Player

phred

Added: Burks is still playing with Gene Watson's brother "Drop" in the Houston area I believe. Last I heard anyway.

Thanks Fred . The forum is a great place to learn about players and artist . G.P.

Didn't Tiny also play for Bill Anderson.
BD

I believe I saw Tiny Olsen with Gene Watson once, way back when; at the Rivergate Mall here near Nashville Tn. I also remember because, it's the first and I think the only time I saw someone with an Ibanez AD-9 Analog~Delay(?) plugged directly into the output-jack of his steel! I also recall he did have a great sound going!

bill;
i think that picture, of the steeler, behind bill anderson is eddie lang.

jack..........

Your right jack, I remember someone else told me that over a year ago. Good Steeler.
BD

Mr. Olsen is a forumite. He has been known to drop in from time to time. Iv'e stolen many licks from him. I'm currently stealing some from Corky Owens. I think I see a pattern developing!

Just a little note: Tiny was doing some dates with Commander Cody..In between fishing of course..

I met Tiny in 1983,in Nashville. He was in town with the band, and we hooked up at the motel I was staying at. He and Tony booth and the piano player, took time to talk to me about playing and also told me of some spots in Nashville that had some steel guitar in their bands. I really appreciate the time they took to talk to me, Gary. They were some really great people.
Tommy Shown

The band I was playing with in the early eighties got the opportunity to open for Gene Watson @ a club in Humble, Texas. Tiny was the steel player for Gene then. He was playing a white Emmons through an AD-9 Analog Delay and one of the first Nashville 400s on the market. He had a great sound.

After the show, Tiny took the time to talk to me about steel guitars and he showed me a few licks. I will always be appreciative to him for spending the time with me, even though it was about 2:00am. He didn't have to do that but that's the kind of man he is.

Allen Peterson

Tiny is a great individual. We need more like him

I've known Chris for many years. He is on a lot of Genes records. His playing is first class and never in doubt. I have no problem bragging on him at all

Hi Guys:
Thanks for all your kind words. Very much appreciated.

I started using the delay plugged directly into the guitar jack around 1980 when we did a tour to Europe and I could use it on battery power due the different (220) power used there. At first I used an AD-80 which took two 9V batteries. A year or so later when the AD-9 (which used one 9V) came out I got one of them. I really liked the sound with the unit plugged in pre-vol. pedal. When I think back, it is hard to beat that sound in many ways, even with the technology of electronics so advanced in todays music. Maybe that's the problem.?.?

I was lucky enough to work for Gene for a little over ten yrs., form '77 to '87. It was a good gig.

Hope all of you are well and thanks again.


Joe... the bass-boat is winterized for the season now, BIG DRAG 'til next spring !!

Jack... how's that push-pull treating you?? Any horn under your hands will sound great man.



Sincerely,
Chris "Tiny" Olson

Lloyd played the studio session didn't he?

Chris...

The P/P is all that and a bag of chips
Albert Johnson did a fabulous referb.
It plays and sounds great. So I know now it's not the arrows
but the guy pulling the strings if things go south
BTW, thanks for promo. The rest of the steel family should know what I already do know.
Your playing has always been and I'm sure still is, the essence of taste.
And that's all I have to say about that!!

Your friend

JD

Thanks Jack. I still have a '74 push-pull w/ 9&7 myself.

In regards to Gene's recordings, the great Lloyd Green did do the first six albums including the monster hits, "Love in the Hot Afternoon" and "Farewell Party" just to name a few. Sonny Garrish did the next batch which included but was not limited to hits such as, "When We Were Down to Nothing, Nothing Sure Looked Good on You" and "What She Don't Know Won't Hurt Her." Then in then early 80s Gene started using us, his band (The Farewell Party Band) on his recordings. We did six albums with him including hits like "Memories to Burn" and "Got No Reason Now for Going Home." It was a wonderful thing to get to play on many of his hits and to this day I thank Gene for that opportunity. Filling the recording shoes of the likes of Lloyd and Sonny is not easy. We, like the A-Team players we took over for were expected by the producer to get things down quickly and accurately. We did OK... "Memories to Burn" was a one take (as was "Farewell Party"). I got a few other recording sessions thanks to playing on Gene's stuff as well. Still, I feel lucky to have been able to do Gene's sessions as very few of the road bands were playing on the records in those days. The Hag, Waylon and Skaggs come to mind.

Speaking again of the AD-9, I used it on the first album I did for Gene (and hit of the same name) which was "Sometimes I Get Lucky." I played my black, D-10 push-pull with the AD-9 plugged into the guitar jack... to an Emmons vol. pedal... to a Session 400 amp. I used this setup on the next album as well.

Stay well everybody and thanks again.

Sincerely,
Chris "Tiny" Olson

LOVE YOUR PLAYING TINY, Hope to work with you someday my friend.

Chris, did Emmons do a later version of "Love on a Hot Afternoon"? I'm working on it now and the licks sure sound like Buddy.

Thanks Red. Hope to see you again one of these days and soon. It would be my pleasure to do a gig with you pal. Hope you and Linda are well. Keep those EMDs and GEs rolling man !!!

John: You are on the money my friend. In the early-mid 90s Gene did an album called "The Good Old Days" and Buddy played on the album. Gene re-cut "Love In The Hot Afternoon" and "I Don't Need a Thind At All" on this album. So your ears have proven to be trustworthy still. Doesn't surprise me, knowing you. Buddy Emmons did most of Gene's recordings from the early 90s through the mid 2000s. He played the Sierra on some, a Carter too but went back to the LeGrande. Weldon did a couple sessions with Gene during this period as well. Gene's latest stuff has him back using Sonny Garrish.

Sincerely,
Chris "Tiny" O.

And......
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ufs1CNB6 ... re=related

Back in August of 2009 I had the pleasure of having my socks totally knocked off by Tiny's beautiful PSG sound. Our band The Moss Back Mule Band did a show with one of our idols and biggest influences Commander Cody here in Upstate NY.The band the ole Commander has sounds fabulous and I can only hope we cross paths again. Now my dream is to have just one sit down lesson with Tiny! Their newest album, Dopers, Drunks and Everyday Losers is great. Another life long dream was to get a PSG and hearing this man sealed the deal for me.I now have a Stage One Guitar and am addicted.Thank you Tiny Olson!

Chris Olsen:

World Class picker, and very nice guy! Howdy Chris! Give a holler whenever you guys are down CT way...

Best, JW

I really love this Steel Guitar Forum when you can actually get steel guitar history and news here. Thanks to "Tiny" Olsen and others for letting us into their world, it is super interesting information.