The Steel Guitar Forum

This guy was (is) a record producer!! This guy is a heluva steel player!! He has played on SEVERAL Johnny Paycheck hit records!! ("Only Hell My Mama Raised",etc.) He played on SEVERAL Vern Gosdin hit records!! ("Set 'Em up Joe",etc.) MOST IMPORTANT:He's the guy that came up w/ the whole idea of a SGHOF!! But,due to the business of all the above,he didn't have the time to dedicate to the idea. So,Scotty asked him if he could start one,& the rest is history. Jim Vest should've been one of the FIRST ONES to be in there! WHY ISN'T HE??? C'mon gang,let's work to get Jim Vest in the SGHOF!!

Didn't Jim also host early steel guitar shows in Nashville, before Scotty took it up on St. Louis?

at least he's classy enough to not vote himself into a hall of fame that he just created. that would have been tacky.

i met jim once and he is a very cool guy. definitely deserves something for the sounds he created that 'made' certain hit songs.

I was always surprised Jim wasn't one of the first voted in. One of the "original NASHVILLE CATS" Certainly deserved to be in ahead of some who have made it . I hear the talk.

Jim would have my vote, if I had one. A great guy, always very friendly and helpful.

Come on lets get Jim in the hall of fame. The man deserves it while he's still with us to be appreciated by us. Regardless i want to thank him for what he has done for the steel guitar world .

JIM VEST is still one of the most respected players in the Industry...Here is a CONDENSED JIM VEST BIO=. ( Jim Vest has been in the music business what seems like forever. Born in Alabama in "1941",his family moved to Louisville Kentucky. At the age of nine Jims dad bought him his first Steel Guitar at a yard sale for fifty dollars.
Jim then enrolled into a music school and it wasn't long after he was playing any music put in front of him. By the age of 12 he was playing local Honkey Tonk's. At the age of 16 he went on the road with Kentucky native "Pee Wee" King. Jim continued playing the local clubs in his spare time until one day he decided to move to Nashville to become a Studio Musician. Although the sessions did not come easy at first with players like Emmons,Day,Chalker,Green and Drake. Not long after moving to Nashville Jim put together a band called the "Nashville Cats" and they were soon the best band in town. The "Cats" backed up Artist like Weylon Jennings, George Jones, Johnny paycheck ,Johnny Rodriguez to mention just a few. The "cats" were who the Stars wanted to go see, sit in with while Johnny Paycheck was singing with the band. It wasn't long after that Jim got his big break. Johnny came in one night and told him he got a record deal and Jim would be recording on it. (Jims own words)"At the time I thought he was full of Shit But it turned out he wasn't". They recorded the Album "Take this Job and shove it". which also contained the hits of Slide off of your Satin Sheets, Only hell my momma ever raised, along with the monster hit, Take this job. After recording that album Jim became one of the most sought after Steel Guitarist in the recording industry. he went on to play on Albums by Charlie Rich, all of Vern Gosdens albums including the "Chiseled in Stone one of Verns biggest. The list is enormous and would take days to put together. He also did and still does produce numerous albums for independent labels such as BSW out of San Antonio Tex and many Independent Artist in Nashville.) I took this out of Jims Bio to show just a little of why this man is worthy of the HOF. As Smiley said it was his Idea to start a Steel Show and the time restraints of business were too much for him to start it or even get involved with 100% effort.. I have met Jim a few times and he probably would not know me from Adam. But when the "Cats" were playing (at the time Jerry Reed's) the palace , Smiley and I went down to hear the very best. We would wander in his Hendersonville studio . Jim is already a popular and purely skilled and well liked player, one of the greats of the Steel Guitar . Certainly he has a full career of many accomplishments that make him truly deserving. He won't be out there campaigning or blowing his own horn. His peers will certainly attest to his deserving entrance to any Steel Guitar HOF. Like when Russ Hicks received the honor, this is one I would attend.

It would be great to see Jim Vest inducted into the Steel Guitar Hall of Fame. He's been a Steel Guitar "Legend" for a long time!

And, in 2000 and 2001, Jim Vest played steel guitar for Chalee Tennison, an artist who had a song in 1999 called "Just Because She Lives There". Chalee had a great steel player in her band-Jim played a Derby with her. He was also the steel player on Vern Gosdin's song "Set 'Em Up Joe"

If Smiley Roberts endorses him that's good enough for me.

Ah the wonder of it all, Jim started it but isn't in it.
Shameful....

hey jim....maybe you should 'unstart it' just for a laugh.

i bet you can appreciate the humor in that!

Smiley belongs in the Hall himself. He is the W.F.S.R. Certainly he captured fame as the "King" of the 40 footers.

The SGHOF is kinda like a...... joke!

. But there are those that truly deserve. and yes a Joke or two.

Bump

Theresa Galbraith wrote:The SGHOF is kinda like a...... joke!

I don't know if it's a joke or not..... but I do believe that any institution who's purpose is to recognize accomplished steel guitar players is not complete without Jim Vest as a member. One of my favorites!

Johnny I believe Jim had the Idea to start the Steel show but I'm not to certain he included the HOF. I think we can Blame Scotty for that

BUMPITTY-BUMP-BUMP!!

Absolutely Jim Vest should be in the HOF.

Mark

There are two Jim Vest. This Jim Vest definitly belongs in any Steel Guitar HOF
You tell this JIM VEST below NO.

Since Smiley submitted the nomination papers back in May, it can only be a matter of time.....

I'm sure others have already done that. The process take years.

Love to see Jim get inducted he is well deserving . Another well deserved player that has been passed by is Sonny Curtis he played for the all time backbone singers of country music, Tammy and George and many others