The Steel Guitar Forum

This is Pee Wee Rogers.

Someone asked years ago about a picture of Buddy Emmons entititled Phases and I have located one.

Contact me at peewee011@gmail or call me at 615-449-7817.

Thank you.

PS I had to edit my e-mail address. Sorry

Mike Headrick has these art prints on sale.
Signed by BE himself.

Pee Wee Rogers, Are you still playing with Little Jimmy Dickens ?? Thanks, Ron

Ron. . .I am still with Tater and have been since July 21, 1983.

I have been really blessed.

He is such a joy to be with and to work with.

On and off stage he is the Tater Man.

I am now 75. . .and have enjoyed all of my time in Nashville (42 years) but the last almost 27 years have been so enjoyable and fulfilling.

I've never been to work!!!!!

Thanks for asking and we still work the Opry Tuesday, Friday and Saturday unless he's under the weather.

Pee Wee Rogers

You are certainly a Blessed Man to be able to play with Little Jimmy Dickens and get paid for doing what you love.

I just have one question, and pardon me for asking, but how did you get a name like PEE WEE standing next to LITTLE Jimmy Dickens? ?

Have a Great New Year!

Well, Darrell. . when I was in Charleston South Carolina and in High School I was a radio announcer and played real country music recordings.

That would include Faron Young, Jim Reeves, Eddy Arnold, Webb Pierce, Hank Williams, Hank Locklin, Little Jimmy Dickens, Maddox Brothers and Rose, Jimmy Newman . . etc. etc. etc.

The radio station was sold and when the new manager came to town he was listening to me in the car from the airport on the air.

He said I like your MC work but, your name is boring.

My real name is George Rogers.

The man's name was Sol Panitz from Washington DC and he said to spice the show up we'll change your name on air from George to "Pee Wee".

Well, it kinda stuck locally and every one started calling me Pee Wee.

So when I came to Nashville in 1968. . I was then "Pee Wee".

Just like Hank Williams called Jimmy "Tater" after his first hit "Take An Ole Cold Tater and Wait".

The song "Take an Ole Cold Tater and Wait" was a song sung by the slaves. . . way back yonder. . . that Tater turned into a country classic.

Here's a little known fact about Tater and Hank.

Hank said Tater you need a follow up to the last hit you had.

They were on a plane going somewher together and he wrote "Hey Good Lookin'" in about 10 minutes..

The next week Hank saw Tater at the Opry and said to Tater that the song "Hey Good Lookin'" was too good for him so he went ahead and recorded it.

The rest is history.

Thanks for asking. . .Pee Wee

There is a PS to this. The first pedal steel guitar I ever saw was Buddy Emmons playing with Tater in Charleston. . .in the 50's. . .with the Big Band. . .never heard anything like it before or since.
It took me from then until I was 32 (1967)to get an Emmons Push-pull guitar. Still have three.

Pee Wee, do you remember what steel you had in Charleston? I was stationed at the Naval Hospital in Charleston when I saw and heard you play at the enslisted men's club and I asked how you made that sound. You told me about having a machine shop there put a pedal on your steel. I took my 7 string Gibson there and had one put on mine, I have quit picking now for various reasons, but still have a GFI that Bobby Hicks gave me for Christmas about 7 years ago. Good to see you on the forum.

Gere

Gere. . .it was a double neck stand-up Fender.

I had to haul it in the trunk of my car because I couldn't take it apart.

I was driving a 1950 Hudson Hornet.

So I put the steel in the trunk and tied a rope from the trunk to the legs of the guitar to keep it from banging on it.

Yea. .that machine shop was at the end of what we called the dual-lane highway across from Chicora High School.

I was playing with Frank Biskidniak who was a Medic in the Air Force and we played all of those Air Force and Naval bases in Charleston.

Lord how did we survive those days. . .working all day and pickin' all night?!?!?

I guess those were the good ole days!!!!!!!!

Tater told me he was gonna keep me till I got it right!!!!

So, that'll be a life time job.

Hang in there. . .

Pee Wee

I love this forum... you never know what little gems of information may turn up. Who knew this simple little post, would turn into such a valuble and interesting history lesson. Thank you Pee Wee Rogers.

Interesting stuff, Pee Wee. I was playing around North Carolina in the 50's and 60's. Actually worked with Slim Mims in Florence, S.C. on TV '55 and '56. I would play Charleston AFB with Alice Creech and the Creatures in the 60's. I hadn't heard you but knew of your reputation. Word around Charleston was you were the MAN on steel. Finally got to hear you when you went to Nashville. Did you play with David Houston for a while? I have enjoyed your work with Dickens. It's the high point of the Opry broadcasts.

Pee Wee, good to see you on the forum. Always enjoyed seeing you at the Opry when I would come out with Weldon. Hard to believe it has been 33 years since I worked for Music City Mfg in Nashville.
I really had a great time working there and meeting all the Steelers.

Hope you have a great 2010.

Jimmy

Rick. . .Clyde. . .Jimmy. . .I didn't know anyone knew who I was.

But, to fill you in;

CW Mitchell (deceased) is the one that brought me to Nashville.

He had a local hit in Charleston and was using our band to back him up.

He said that Jack Greene was forming the Jolly Green Giants and did I want to audition?

I said sure, because that's what I always wanted to do.

At the time. . .I was Vice-President of Southern Chemical Company who's owner was Arthur Crisp that booked all kinds of acts into the county hall.

He had Elvis the day after the Ed Sullivan Show and I met Elvis in Charleston. Twice.

So, anyway Arthur was the one that booked all of the Country acts as well.

So that's how I met all of the Country Acts was thru Arthur when I worked at the Radio Station.

Then I went to work for Arthur because I wasn't making but $60.00 a week at the radio station.

And wanted to start a family.

And I became Vice-President over a 12 year period.

Then things went South in my marriage.

I got my Emmon's guitar in the Summer of 1967.

My first real pedal guitar.

I left Charleston to come to Nashville 02/04/68. I don't know what day that was but we got here the next Saturday.

I auditioned for Jack and CW auditioned for Jack on the bass. I got the job but, he didn't.

Jack Green was also a bass player and CW wasn't.
But, CW was a good singer.

I was with Jack Green about 18 months until Jeannie Seely came along and wanted Ron Elliot (a great player and friend of The Big E).

So. . .I was out and working odd jobs here and there (local and the Speak Easy in Washington DC) until January of 1970 and got a call to go to work for David Houston.

While we were in California doing the Lawrence Welk show he asked me did I know a bass player. And I said yes his name is Calvin Crawford. (Now, this is important.)

After about 6 or 7 years Don Warden quit Porter to be Dolly's manager (and still is).

So I got a call to go with Porter. I worked the Porter Wagoner Show until he disbanded to form the all girl band that he had for a while. I think I did about 5 of those that they show on RFD-TV.

Then I went to work at the Demons Den on lower Braodway for a year and a-half. That's when Broadway was HOT!

Everybody that needed a job came to the Den to audition.

I was then with the George Jones band when he went into bankrupcy.

So, Calvin had become Davids band leader and when their steel player quit he called me and asked me if I wanted the job back with David.

So I went back with David until he disbanded in 1982.

Well, Calvin got a job with Tater around December of 1982 and Tater's steel player got a job with Jim Ed Brown and so the steel job with Tater was open!!!

I was drawing unemployment and my last check was next week.

That's why the Calvin factor is important. Because Calvin was then the band leader and got me the job with Tater. And I've been there ever since.

July 21, 1983.

But, no matter what I was doing or who I have worked with I have always enjoyed my journey in Nashville.

Looks like we're getting to the end of the road I was on.

But, like Garth Brooks said it'll keep on going no matter who's out there.

Guess he was right because there's a whole lot being made not only in the financial part but the world wide knowledge of country music.

That's just a brief discription of me.

Everyone here has a similar story to tell.

Is this too long?

Very interesting stuff Pee Wee. I was Taters, steel player that went to work with Jim Ed Brown in 1983. I worked with Jim Ed about a year and moved back to South Carolina for family reasons. I agree, Little Jimmy was great to work with and I enjoyed my time with him. I used to be the first to drive after the shows and Tater would ride shotgun and tell some great stories from the old days. Anyway have a great day, ask Tater is he remembers me, I was the quiet one.

Pee Wee, this the most interesting history,I've heard since listening to some of Don Helms's stories. Thank you.

Pee Wee...Thanks so much for this post. It is so interesting, just love it all!
Terry W

Pee Wee.

Great story.

I forgot to ask you in my other post if you remember borrowing my Sho-Bud volume pedal when I worked for Music City Mfg.

If I remember correct, Calvin Crawford was from Pickens County AL.

Is Larry Tucker still working with you guys. I use to pick some with him in Tuscaloosa.

Will try and call you when we come up to Nashville.

Thanks Pee Wee, for all the stories and info. Thay are great. A friend of mine, Jerry Roller "a great steel player also" and I with our wives saw Tater in Ft Smith Ar. a few years back and after the show we came up on stage and met you and Tater. That was a thrill for me to meet you both and we went out back and stood by his van and listened to some stories from both of you. The one that I can remember most is Tater telling about his (hog Leg) he carried and showes us a hole in the bottom of the van door. You probebly dont remember, But I will never forget that time Thanks for being such a down to earth nice guy and shareing with all of us. Ron

Well. . .I ain't never.

This will be a group thing.

Tommy Phillips. . .I do remember you very well.
You went with Jim Ed Brown and that opened the door to the Tater job. I need to thank you for that but, at the same time, hope you were happy with your decision.

And up until 1998 we still drove a van w/trailer and 4 hour shifts! That's when Tater quit the road as a band and started doing the Opy along with a few jobs here and there using whoever the band was.

Sometimes if the band didn't have a steel player I would go (such as Bobby Bares band).

Luke. . .no one can beat Don Helms telling a story.
And he would never tell the same joke twice.
I loved him like a brother and he got urged me into the ROPE thing as a life time member.

Terry. . .you don't love the story any more than I did telling it.

Kinda like re-living the past which I don't do much because even though it sounds one way there are lots of details left out . . . example being three marriages. .7 addresses. .etc, etc.

Jimmy. . .I remember very well using your Sho-Bud pedal.
As a matter of fact when I was with Porter Sho-Bud gave a the proto-type of their newest guitar. Can't remember what it was (maybe Pro 1) but, it weighed a TON, becuse it was all tool-and-dyed. . .absolutly no aluminum..

Larry Tucker is still with Tater playing Guitar now. He played bass for a few years but, the Opry cut the band from four to two memebers about four or five years ago and kept Larry and me.

He drives all the way up from Northport AL to do the Opry every week-end and sometimes on Tuesday.

His regular job is a Federal Marshall I think out of Birmingham. Calvin Crawford was from Tuscaloosa.

Ron. . .We didn't play Ft. Smith that much so I do remember that date.

You know when we're not on stage . . .that's who we are just regular folks doing what we like to do just like anyone else.

I have really enjoyed reading all of the replies to my post and am really astounded by the response.

I thought everybody's life was about the same.

AND I BET IT IS. . .YA'LL COULD TELL SOME STORIES TOO!!!

Awesome stories...I could read these all day long!

Pee Wee,

Rest assured we know who you are. I've listened to you with Tater for years. I met you once in '94 in New York when I was playing fiddle for Bill Monroe. It was a Marty Martell production, also had Paycheck, Rodriguez, Jeannie C Riley.

Another Bridge To Burn, Shopping For Dresses, Life Turned Her That Way, I Love Lucy Brown, etc.... you've left a lasting impression in country music and country steel guitar lovers.

I listen every chance I get.

Thanks Brandon.

There are many great players in Texas such as Oswley, Flantz just to mention two that I know for sure.

They have some stories too. . .I believe they are in Austin.

Then there is the BIG one in Dallas that makes the guitars.

Can't think of his name but, I think Johnny Cox works for him.

Then there's Randy Reinhart. . .

The state is full of them and they all have similar stories I'm sure. Or maybe better ones.

Thanks for you interest.

Pee Wee

Rick. . .I never thought anybody was listening to me because it was the Jimmy Dickens Show.

I'm am flattered that you noticed and amazed that you remembered.

Thank you. I belive you've made my day along with all of the other posts.

Pee Wee

Pee Wee,

We listen because it is Little Jimmy. He's one of the best and one of the last real country guys on the Opry. I'm sure you've see this video, but I bet not as many times as I have. I watch it every few days. It don't get any better than this for me.

click here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AgrC8OGBKWU

Thanks Rick. . .

I don't remember that one. Wonder when that was?

You know when you'e playing you really don't know how it sounds because of the mix, etc. . .I just play off the cuff.

Thanks . . . Pee Wee

Pee Wee, I sat in with you at Demon's Den in the '70's. I believe Ernie on Fiddle, Don on Drums, and you on steel. I remember Buddy coming in and playing your guitar and you were embarrassed you hadn't tuned the c6th neck. Couldn't get you off the pinball machine(what was that anyway). Lots of fun back then, and alot of work to earn a dollar.
Roger