Norman Hamlet great player!!

Bill Howard · Post by **Bill Howard** » 14 Jun 2011 4:59 pm

Am I the only one who thinks Norman Hamlet is a great steel player? his ride on Going where the lonely go is probably one of my favorites rides a close second to Together Again I included a link to Going where the lonely goes, listen to his attention to detail the last lick he plays he embelishes with a little kick to the A pedal...and the ride goes Chromatic not many players have included Chromatic scales in their rides on a lot of the common songs.
NOT talking about the W swing, I just mean the three chord stuff like this, I love it. I learned every lick and played it one night in a bar... I sort of surprised this guy...He was a Merle haggard wannabe..I loved it:),he didn't expect it...
heres link http://youtu.be/kJHgs_66rY0

Hook Moore · Post by **Hook Moore** » 14 Jun 2011 5:16 pm

No, you're not the only one that thinks Norm is a great player.. He also is a super nice person too !
Hook

Kevin Hatton · Post by **Kevin Hatton** » 14 Jun 2011 5:26 pm

I'll third that. Norm Hamlet is a legend as far as I'm concerned. One of the nicest people you will ever meet, and it reflects in his playing. Just a classic country steel guitar player. Former ZB player also.

chris ivey · Post by **chris ivey** » 14 Jun 2011 6:33 pm

what hook said! super,super nice gentleman and a legendary steel player to me. his economy of notes and choice of notes is an art form. and the band plays arrangements off the cosmic cuff. he is the perfect compliment to merle.

Brendan Mitchell · Post by **Brendan Mitchell** » 14 Jun 2011 10:06 pm

Agreed , Norm Hamlet is one of the best .
Is it Roy Nicholls on guitar ? You don't usually hear him play with any distortion .

Dave Harmonson · Post by **Dave Harmonson** » 15 Jun 2011 1:30 am

Count me in as a huge Norm Hamlet fan.

Larry Petree · Post by **Larry Petree** » 15 Jun 2011 3:55 am

I have been a Norm Hamlet fan for over 50 years.....

Charles Curtis · Post by **Charles Curtis** » 15 Jun 2011 9:30 am

Didn't Norm give Barbara Mandrell lessons when she was quite young? If I'm wrong someone please correct me.

chris ivey · Post by **chris ivey** » 15 Jun 2011 10:25 am

pretty sure it's roy. what a cool guy. i saw roy and norm backing up leona at lake tahoe back then. roy kept missing his stomp box with his beatle boots...same sound. he and norm were super nice to talk to us after the show. merle was on vacation..but he sat on a stool and played rhythm....hiding behind a beard.

some of the most special things we have gotten to hear in our lives are the union of certain stars and their sidemen...

conway and john hughey
waylon and ralph mooney
merle and norm hamlet (and roy)
buck and don rich (and tom brumley)
james burton with elvis

...and more. these sidemen were as important to the act as the star in my opinion, and have therefore reserved their suite in heaven.

and though they weren't necessarily with one singer the whole career , the same goes for jd maness, jerry douglas, buddy emmons, tiny moore... and of course many others....but the point being that these players helped certain people be more than they would have been otherwise.

Roger Crawford · Post by **Roger Crawford** » 15 Jun 2011 10:42 am

I would add Vince and John Hughey to Chris' list. But back to Norm, big fan here.

chas smith · Post by **chas smith** » 15 Jun 2011 2:33 pm

Big fan here too:

Jerry Hayes · Post by **Jerry Hayes** » 16 Jun 2011 10:15 am

It was probably Ralph Mooney on the original recording but my favorite playing of Norm's is on an old Austin City Limits show starring Merle H. At one point Bonnie Owens comes up front and she and Merle do "Just Between The Two Of Us" and Norm nailed all the steel work of the recording plus adding some little flourishes of his own. A truly tastful and underrated player IMHO......JH in Va.

billy tam · Post by **billy tam** » 16 Jun 2011 4:55 pm

Mr. Norm is a very special person, a true gentleman in every sense of the word. Very underrated as a steel player, his work with Merle is always perfection. I stole most of this ride and used it when I was given a ride in Gene Watsons "Chisled in Stone" with my band of 20 + years. Thanks Norm
Billy

Randall Palmore · Post by **Randall Palmore** » 17 Jun 2011 3:57 am

Without a doubt, one of the nicest professionals I've ever met. And a super player! RP

Igor Fiksman · Post by **Igor Fiksman** » 17 Jun 2011 9:31 pm

Just got to see him with Merle about 2 month's ago, and all the hair on my arms stood up for an hour. Some of the most soulful music ever created, Mr. Hamlet IS STEEL GUITAR.

Willis Vanderberg · Post by **Willis Vanderberg** » 18 Jun 2011 9:20 am

Yep Charles
It was Norm teaching a very young Barbara the pedal steel. He ended up with her Fender 400 when her father decided she should take up the saxophone. My good friend and fellow forumite, Jerry Hendrix has the Mandrell 400..

Ray Harrison · Post by **Ray Harrison** » 18 Jun 2011 12:33 pm

Each and every time I have the opportunity to sing with Norm is the proudest day of my life. He is a great player with a totally different approach to his ride.
There is not a finer gentleman out there on the road, absolutely fantastic in all categories.
Proud to call him friend.

norm hamlet · Post by **norm hamlet** » 18 Jun 2011 6:28 pm

Hello to all my friends that have had some very good things to say about this old Generic steel player. It makes me very humble to think I have played something that you have enjoyed.
Thanks to everyone. Norm Hamlet

Jerry Hendrix · Post by **Jerry Hendrix** » 19 Jun 2011 5:03 am

You can add My Sally & I to the Norman Hamlet`s list of fans,..Thank you Norm for showing a young steeler a thing or two, back in the days of
Porterville,Tulare,& Bakersfield, not to mention Fresno & the Barn..Thank you again for all the great steel work on your rides with Merl..Glad we got to see you last July , here in Michigan..Keep on "going with the flow"..Thanks again my friend, & congratulations
on your ISGA "Hall of Fame" award..still have the Fender "600"......Jerry & Sally Hendrix

Willis Vanderberg · Post by **Willis Vanderberg** » 21 Jun 2011 9:59 am

Check out Norman on this Haggard song
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=buSHa8RZ ... re=related

Bob Blair · Post by **Bob Blair** » 21 Jun 2011 12:15 pm

Norm, your work was a huge inspiration to me, and still is every time I hear one of those Hag tunes.

Rick Jackson · Post by **Rick Jackson** » 24 Jun 2011 5:27 pm

I am proud to call him my friend. He tells pretty good stories too!!!

Tommy White · Post by **Tommy White** » 26 Jun 2011 8:44 pm

Count me in as Norm Hamlet fan. Heard "The Roots of My Raisin' Runs Deep" on the radio yesterday. Norm played so pretty. His touch and tone are just what I like!

Dan Tyack · Post by **Dan Tyack** » 1 Jul 2011 8:13 pm

I'm also a big Norm Hamlett fan. In addition to his musical talents, you will never meet a nicer, more down to earth guy.

Three words: "Holding Things Together"

Emmett Roch · Post by **Emmett Roch** » 1 Jul 2011 10:35 pm

Like everyone else that has posted, I hold the opinion that Norm is one of the best and most under-rated players out there, as well as one of the nicest people. I ever met. I met him in St Louis when he was talking to Gene Fields about trying out a GFI Ultra for his set. He played it, and every time I've seen him since, he's been playing it.

And Norm, I disagree with your self-assessment as "generic". You've provided a lot of inspiration to a lot of players for a long time. One thing I learned from you is to play what needs to be played and leave out what doesn't.