The Steel Guitar Forum

Hey pickers. It's been 34 years since my dad left the steel, but I found it this past December! Love to hear from all you folks and can't wait to see ya at the shows!

(sorry about the earlier typo)

Wayne Galley Jr.,

I remember listening to your dad play his tail off at the Fender room during the DJ convention with Vernon Oxford.

Paul

I saw him in the Fender room with Kenny Vernon and talked with him several times. A great player and a friendly guy. He played a Fender 1000 for a while, then got a Sho-Bud. He recorded with Rose Maddox on "Rose Maddox Sings Bluegrass" on Capitol and did some very nice work on that album. He was very innovative, brought the same kind of excitement to a tune as Ralph Mooney.

Wayne and I worked opposite each other at the Caravan East in Alb. N.M. back in '76. He was working with Nestor Eaton. Wayne was an amazing steel player who in my opinion was as good as the big name pickers. I sat at his steel and could not imagine how he played it so well. On some of the pedals you had to "feel" the notes because the pedals had no stops on them.
I heard he had passed away many years ago and I believe we lost a great picker way too soon.
Good luck with your search and I hope you are able to learn alot about your Dad, his playing inspired me greatly.

I knew your dad from the Golden Nugget days and a lot of other places.
He was a great player.
BB

Wayne,I didn't know your dad but he was a great player and everybody I ever knew that knew him and worked with him raved about him!

Hey Junior how the hell are you kid? I did sound and filled in a lot on bass with Swamproots, your dad is one of my all time favorite psg players and friends ,I justmissed the Nugget trip with Vernon when the "accident" happened( I'm about to cry now}. Haven't heard much from Nestor ,he's in Mushville doin ok I hear.Email me when you can so we can talk ok?......Stormy

Hi Wayne Jr. I knew your dad very well. We worked the Golden Nugget in Vegas many times at the same time. If i remember correctly he was playing for Kenny Vernon. I don't remember who i was with as we both played there often. Suppose you know the Nugget ran live shows 21 hours a day i think it was. I was with Rose Maddox at one time and don't recall who else.
Your dad was a good friend and super guy. Was a pleasure to know him.Tracy

I would love to hear some recordings!!! Back in the day when I was first starting out...way before the Steel Forum...word of mouth was about the only way to hear about regional legends like Wayne Gailey...especially for those of us out of the loop of Nashville and Scotty's, and too young at the time to go to the honky tonks! I remember hearing his name from other players in the Denver area where I came from, who spoke with a hushed reverence about the amazing monster player from the South West. I always had a magical image in my mind about master, guru like musicians finding this new instrument and taking it to places previously unheard of by mankind. Wayne was one of the names that got my curiosity up the most...but sadly I never got to hear him....only the legends of his music.

I Was At The DJ Conv. In 1970 I Was At The Andrue Jacksion Hotel Kenny Vernon Was Playing The Fender Show I Belive Your Dad Was Playing A Fender Steel.Great Show. Sonny.

Grew up and played with Nestor Eaton when Wayne was playing with Kenny Vernon at The Caravan East in Abq, would go and see them and just Marvel at Wayne's playing, later own Nestor went to work for Kenny and He and Wayne become great friends, later on nestor started his own thing , I think Kenny had got married and slowed down and Wayne went to work for Nestor, in fact her in my old record rack I have a old 45rpm that Nestor and Wayne recorded in Abq, I think Wayne produced it, this was all in the mid to late 60's, low and behold I moved to Anchorage, Alaska in 1969 and Wayne was a legend here from the years that he played with Paul Harper, who was from the west coast, I think.

Wayne Jr.,

I got to meet and get to know your Dad back in the 70's when we made the "Caravan Club" circuit. He always played a Sho-Bud/Baldwin crossover whenever I saw him. What a player, and a nice guy to boot! Some years later when I heard he passed away, it was a sad day. I know he inspired a lot of players (me included!)

Roy P.

I played the Golden Nugget for 2 weeks in 1970 with a singer named David Rogers. Wayne was playing at the same time with Kenny Vernon. I was very impressed with Wayne's playing. I remember him playing Four Wheel Drive back then on the show and really burning on it. I have been trying to play that song for about 45 years and still trying. I also worked Caravan East with Nat Stuckey and I think Wayne was in the band then too. What was neat is that when Wayne and I were both working at the Nugget in 1970, Tom Brumley was working with Rose Maddox and Neil Flanz was with Darrell McCall. So there were 4 steel players working there at the same time. I wish I had gotten to know Wayne better.

Herby Wallace

I grew up with your dad down in the Corona, CA area. The last time I got to see him or hear him play was when he was playing down at the Westerner in San Diego (Chula Vista) area. That was just before he went to Alaska with Paul. When Wayne was learning the steel there was another local guitar player named Gary Wilson (played like Chet) who he hung with. They would go out and camp in the desert and the two of them would play for hours. He had an uncle named Chuck who also was a player/singer and he lived in Home Gardens (Riverside county)just across the street from me. At one time he had a tripple neck steel and put a mulit-cord changer on the middle neck. Believe that was his first pedal steel. His amp was made special for him by Standel. Don't remember a lot about it, but it was small, light and loud. He waS a great player for sure.

I am in the process of getting digital copies of reel to reel tapes that were made in the early 70's (Kenny Vernon show) and will make them available to anyone that would like a copy. The quality is far from the fidelity we get today but hours of his music none the less.

Recently I was given both the Fender (could be a 1000 but I am getting conflicting information as to what the guitar really is ...D-10, 10 floor pedals and what looks to be a custom single knee lever made from a spare floor pedal) and the Sho-bud Baldwin Crossover. Sadly the Sho-bud has been almost completely destroyed. The C6 is missing everything, the Cam is shot and the E9 just can't stay in tune. However the Fender is in great condition, if you can get past the custom (not so custom) paint job my dad gave it lol!

Thanks guys for all your kind words.

Wayne~O

Franklin wrote:Wayne Galley Jr.,

I remember listening to your dad play his tail off at the Fender room during the DJ convention with Vernon Oxford.

Paul

Hello Paul,

I sure love listening to your playing! Mind blowing stuff!

Wayne~O

Tommy VanLandingham wrote:Grew up and played with Nestor Eaton when Wayne was playing with Kenny Vernon at The Caravan East in Abq, would go and see them and just Marvel at Wayne's playing, later own Nestor went to work for Kenny and He and Wayne become great friends, later on nestor started his own thing , I think Kenny had got married and slowed down and Wayne went to work for Nestor, in fact her in my old record rack I have a old 45rpm that Nestor and Wayne recorded in Abq, I think Wayne produced it, this was all in the mid to late 60's, low and behold I moved to Anchorage, Alaska in 1969 and Wayne was a legend here from the years that he played with Paul Harper, who was from the west coast, I think.

Hey Tommy-

Yeah Kenny and Nestor are still very close. Nestor is working with John Connoley (sp?) doing some playing and sound. I have that old 45 of Taco & Jalisco that they put together, once I get it digitized I'll send you an mp3 of it.

These past couple of months have been just great, I truly love the steel!

Wayne~O

Herby Wallace wrote:I played the Golden Nugget for 2 weeks in 1970 with a singer named David Rogers. Wayne was playing at the same time with Kenny Vernon. I was very impressed with Wayne's playing. I remember him playing Four Wheel Drive back then on the show and really burning on it. I have been trying to play that song for about 45 years and still trying. I also worked Caravan East with Nat Stuckey and I think Wayne was in the band then too. What was neat is that when Wayne and I were both working at the Nugget in 1970, Tom Brumley was working with Rose Maddox and Neil Flanz was with Darrell McCall. So there were 4 steel players working there at the same time. I wish I had gotten to know Wayne better.

Herby Wallace

Hello Herby-

Wow, all four of you guys together in one location! That must have been out of control. I can just imagine those late night jam sessions.... I have yet to tackle 4 wheel drive as I just started playing the last week of January. Fortunately for me my career allows ample time for practice and have played guitar for 30 years... My instructor/ friend John Hogan tells me that I should be ready to start working (gigs) by this summer so...as the zen master said "we'll see"!

Wayne~O

Wayne~O

Roy McKinney wrote:I grew up with your dad down in the Corona, CA area. The last time I got to see him or hear him play was when he was playing down at the Westerner in San Diego (Chula Vista) area. That was just before he went to Alaska with Paul. When Wayne was learning the steel there was another local guitar player named Gary Wilson (played like Chet) who he hung with. They would go out and camp in the desert and the two of them would play for hours. He had an uncle named Chuck who also was a player/singer and he lived in Home Gardens (Riverside county)just across the street from me. At one time he had a tripple neck steel and put a mulit-cord changer on the middle neck. Believe that was his first pedal steel. His amp was made special for him by Standel. Don't remember a lot about it, but it was small, light and loud. He waS a great player for sure.

Hey Roy-

From what I understand, back then he would drive from Corona to Chula Vista each night to play! Having lived in San Diego for almost 20 years, that drive would be murder lol! I guess Hwy-15 was a two lane road back then? I had heard stories about Gary but have never met him. From your profile you live in Oregon now, beautiful place, are you close to Portland?

Wayne~O

Sonny Priddy wrote:I Was At The DJ Conv. In 1970 I Was At The Andrue Jacksion Hotel Kenny Vernon Was Playing The Fender Show I Belive Your Dad Was Playing A Fender Steel.Great Show. Sonny.

Hey Sonny-

Was that the show they did with Lawanda Lindsey?

Wayne~O

Clyde Mattocks wrote:I saw him in the Fender room with Kenny Vernon and talked with him several times. A great player and a friendly guy. He played a Fender 1000 for a while, then got a Sho-Bud. He recorded with Rose Maddox on "Rose Maddox Sings Bluegrass" on Capitol and did some very nice work on that album. He was very innovative, brought the same kind of excitement to a tune as Ralph Mooney.

Hello Clyde-

It's funny that you mention innovation, when we took his old Fender out of the case for the first time (my first anyway), down at the changer where the stock guitars had a 90 degree bend at the string, he took wire coat hangers and made a custom loop that not only made changing strings a breeze but reduced that angle to around 45 degrees Much less string breakage I was told. Also heard about a comb and playing banjo riffs lol!

I heard a story about Bill Monroe and that particular session I will send to you in a PM.

Wayne~o

Rick Schmidt wrote:I would love to hear some recordings!!! Back in the day when I was first starting out...way before the Steel Forum...word of mouth was about the only way to hear about regional legends like Wayne Gailey...especially for those of us out of the loop of Nashville and Scotty's, and too young at the time to go to the honky tonks! I remember hearing his name from other players in the Denver area where I came from, who spoke with a hushed reverence about the amazing monster player from the South West. I always had a magical image in my mind about master, guru like musicians finding this new instrument and taking it to places previously unheard of by mankind. Wayne was one of the names that got my curiosity up the most...but sadly I never got to hear him....only the legends of his music.

Hey Rick-

As soon as I get those tapes done, I will get you one! Did you know John Hogan from Colorado? He is my good friend and steel guru!

Wayne~O

Storm Rosson wrote: Hey Junior how the hell are you kid? I did sound and filled in a lot on bass with Swamproots, your dad is one of my all time favorite psg players and friends ,I justmissed the Nugget trip with Vernon when the "accident" happened( I'm about to cry now}. Haven't heard much from Nestor ,he's in Mushville doin ok I hear.Email me when you can so we can talk ok?......Stormy

Hey Stormy-

Yeah Nestor is there on Nashville. I understand that he is doing sound and playing a little with John Connoley (sp?). He and Kenny talk all the time. I need to get down to your neck of the woods and say hey! Btw, Hogie has a group of pickers here in ABQ that he calls the "geezer breakfast", sixty or so musicians. And there is (planning stages at this point) going to be a "Geezer Jam" the second weekend in June. It will be held just north of ABQ at private residence. The place has a purpose built stage and should be a great time! You gotta go!

Wayne~O

Tracy Sheehan wrote:Hi Wayne Jr. I knew your dad very well. We worked the Golden Nugget in Vegas many times at the same time. If i remember correctly he was playing for Kenny Vernon. I don't remember who i was with as we both played there often. Suppose you know the Nugget ran live shows 21 hours a day i think it was. I was with Rose Maddox at one time and don't recall who else.
Your dad was a good friend and super guy. Was a pleasure to know him.Tracy

Hello Tracy-

21 hours of live music! Can't find that anywhere anymore. Those 3am shows must have been hard to do lol

Wayne~O

Bobby Bowman wrote:I knew your dad from the Golden Nugget days and a lot of other places.
He was a great player.
BB

Hello Bobby-

I just saw a YouTube video of you and Jody, well I forgot the last name, playing Amazing Grace! Honey dripping off those strings! Do you still go to the shows?

Wayne~O