The Steel Guitar Forum

Can anyone ID the third man between Chet & Cliffie? This looks like a LA radio or TV appearance. It must be at least 1953 when the "Stringing Along with Chet Atkins" 10" record was released. "Galloping Guitar" 10" also pictured is 1952. Thanks in advance for any help. This is for a Chet Atkins exhibit the Country Music Hall of Fame is staging.

Rosie O'Donnel???

Don Davis?

It could be Gene O'Quin, but the facial expression makes ID more difficult. Gene was a member of the Hometown Jamboree and would be a candidate to make personal appearances with Cliffie.

My guesses are either Harold Hinsley or Herman the Hermit. More likley Harold, though.

Here is a pic of the Hometown Jamboree, circa 1952.

Herman the Hermit, back row, heavy beard.

Harold Hensley, kneeling far right, middle row.

Gene O'Quin, far right, front row.

O'Quin appears to be the only male cast member who is anywhere near the right age to match the guy in the pic with Chet.

However, I'm not sure it is him when comparing the Chet pic to other known O'Quin photos. It's certainly possible Cliffie had non-cast members on his personal appearances.

Looks like Speedy West is in the back row and Tennessee Ernie Ford is sitting in front.

Jimmy Bryant middle row far left

Looks like the tall guy next to Herman the Hermit is
Billy Strange. The picture looks like the KXLA Radio Station Sudio.

Cliffie also used a singer referred to as the Hawaiian Cowboy named Harry Rodkay (something like that).

Are you sure that guy far right in the middle row isn't Harold Hinsley? Look at my photo with names that I got from Wally Olfert, the Bigsby steel player in Eschol Cosby's Christian Cowboys. Looks like the same guy I have with the name Harold Hinsley. Now, to be honest, I never knew the man myself.
By the way, I was kidding about Cliffie Stone's dad Herman the Hermit.

Doyle Wilburn?

Could Be !!!! >????<

Mitch Drumm wrote:Here is a pic of the Hometown Jamboree, circa 1952.

Herman the Hermit, back row, heavy beard.

Harold Hensley, kneeling far right, middle row.

Gene O'Quin, far right, front row.

O'Quin appears to be the only male cast member who is anywhere near the right age to match the guy in the pic with Chet.

However, I'm not sure it is him when comparing the Chet pic to other known O'Quin photos. It's certainly possible Cliffie had non-cast members on his personal appearances.

thats jimmy bryant second row far left

Thanks to everybody for their replies and for replying so fast! All answers have been very useful in trying to match photos of the Hometown Jamboree cast members with the unidentified man. So far we can’t make a positive ID and as Mitch Drumm commented: “It's certainly possible Cliffie had non-cast members on his personal appearances.” As stated - although close - it does not appear to be Gene O'Quin:


We have since noticed that the unidentified man is holding what looks to be an archtop guitar. If you look past Cliffie’s left arm and wristwatch you will see the guitar. This could possibly eliminate Jimmy Bryant (Telecaster), Harold Hinsley (fiddle). If not a cast member or non-cast member - maybe a contest winner?

Here is Tennessee Ernie, Jimmy Bryant, Speedy West & Co. on the Hometown Jamboree:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x_aN0_0Naco

Thanks again to everybody for taking the time to reply and post photos. Still working on this and if we can identify him I will post results.

Another guess: In the original post, could the mystery man be Tommy Sands ?

Also referring to Cliffie and Herman the Hermit. Herman played Stand Up Bass on the Ole Rasmussen Band and he told us that Cliffie was a Foster Child and considered Herman his Father. Herman's last name was Snodgrass.

We just got a tip it could be Billy Strange. Billy is pictured on the right against the piano between Gene O'Quin and Harold Hinsley. He is wearing the same jacket, shirt and kerchief as in the Chet/Cliffie picture. In fact - it looks like it could be the same archtop as in the Chet/Cliffie picture:

I don't remember the year, but I played Steel for the last two weeks of the KXLA noon-time Dinner Bell Roundup. The Station had been sold to a new Rock & Roll station KLRA. Speedy West had left for his new job as a Fender Rep. in Tulsa, Ok. He had called me to finish the show. Gene O'Quinn MC'd the show, Cliffie had already left. Billy Armstrong and Harold Hensley were playing great twin fiddles. It was the end of an Era.

Robert, the correct name is Harold Hensley. He was certainly among the prominent fiddle men in Los Angeles, but by the time I was a Local 47 member, he had become a business rep for the Union. This was around 1968. He was a nice fellow.

Billy
Did you ever know Milt Owens, the old guy that had the repair booth upstairs at Fife and Nichols (inside Wallich's Music City)? He told me incredible stories of Herman the Hermit, like how he'd romance old widows and wind up with their late husbands' banjos!

Milt was a hoot.

Herb:

No, I did not know Milt Owens. I didn't really hang out in the Hollywood Area. From 1958 and on I had a
steady day job and spent the next 50 years as an Accountant and Controller in the Trucking Industry.
I was still able to work in a lot of Bands up to five nights a week but in those early years did not get a lot of sleep. After the Sixties I only worked week ends.

The story I remember about Harold Hensley was when he finally retired he and his wife were moving up to Northern Calif. He drove one car and his wife the other. During this trip Harold got in an accident with his car and was killed.

Billy T.

Billy, Harold played on our Signal Hill Police Association Benefit at the Foothill Club in the spring of 1979 with a "cowboy" group. He was still a very fine fiddle player then..... Also, I agree that the unidentified guy in the initial post was Billy Strange. He was married to one of the girl singers on Cliffie's show but I can't remember her name........JH in Va.

BILLY STRANGE!!!

Would,nt bet the farm on it,but think it's Gene O'Quin. Have an old scrapbook from the early 50's has a photo of him. Almost sure it's him. YOU BETCHA,DYK?BC.

got to be billy strange, the suit, the kerchief the guitar everything is a match.
i'm too young and too far removed to have been there and know the details, but, this is the post that makes this forum what it is, .....fantastic.

country..........

I don't know who the guy in the photo is, but the picture is from ca. -57, definately not earlier. Chet is holding one of his famous ( amongst us Chet fanatics ) Gretsch prototypes with Ray Butts prototype filtertron PU's and that couldn't be earlier than -57. The other Hometown Jamboree photos here were at least six five years earlier ( god, I hate to be a wise @ss and a guitar geek )

Jussi

That Ray Butts pickup existed in August 1954 and surely before that. Gretsch may not have had the pickups for production guitars until 1957, but Ray Butts was making them before 1957. An 8 string version was used in DALAND pedal steels. Hank Garland had Ray Butts make special 8 string versions for Don, SUgarfoot and Shot Jackson's ten DALAND guitars. Ray Butts lived on the road behind where Don Davis was living. However, I do not know if where Don Davis was living was a house or a cot at Castle Studios.
Chris Lucker