The Steel Guitar Forum

He told me stories of playing with Johnny Cash, George Jones. I have recordings of him playing 25 years ago.

Terry,

I remember Jack Sullivan very well. He did play for George Jones for a brief time. He also worked for Stonewall Jackson.

He was a damn good pedal steel player and quite a character. He was a good friend and a big inspiration to me as a steel player when I first got into playing pedal steel.

Jack played a Fender 400 in the early days of pedals. He then played a Bill~Bud, built by two guys in Fort Wayne, which is what he was playing when I first met him. He switched to a Sho~Bud in the early to mid seventies and played that steel thru the remaining years that he played. He developed arthritis in his hands in the last years of his playing that slowed him down, but I don't think he ever entirely quit playing.

Jack had a brother that was a good pedal steel player too. His name was Larry. Larry played a lot of the Ralph Mooney style, whereas Jack played more in the style of Buddy Emmons and Jimmy Day.

I'm thinking that Bob Hempker, who just recently went back to work for Loretta Lynn, might remember Jack Sullivan from his days as a young steel player from Lima, Ohio making the rounds in the Fort Wayne area. Jack played with a band named The Knights of The Road during that time period. Although, Henry Aide may have been their steel player at that time.

Email me thru the Forum and maybe we can hook up and compare stories. I'd love to hear those tapes you mentioned sometime.

Hi Terry!

You played a couple of songs for me once, THE GUY HAD SERIOUS TONE!

Glad to bump into you on here.

Terry, Jack Sullivan worked in the band that Bob Richards and I put together in early to mid 60's.(Knights of the Road) He stayed in the band for at least ten, fifteen years and maybe longer. I forget why he left the band but it was on his own accord. He played the most commercial steel in northern Ind. at the time. Like Tommy Minniear said he was a super steel man. Kinda crazy at times but who in the music business isn't? What part of Ind. are you located in? I guess I missed that. Doyle

Just curious, Terry, what was your connection to Jack? Did you work in a band with him? Are the recordings you talked about something you can share? Will appreciate hearing anything you have of Jack.