The Steel Guitar Forum

Ive looked high & low for some U Tube of Sonny,s playing. Just wondering if Sonny ever posted any instrumentals ?

You can't see him but you can listen to here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l6DkxPlfZho
Sonny played steel on Red's album, so he's on the other cuts, too.

Here's one. I love Sonny's playing.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eGunfqicVwc

Tony

Here's another one from the same show, Rosanne Cash and Rodney Crowell:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=05d_yNGXDFQ

Kind Regards, Walter

Here's one of my favorites,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VReQZj0Ie-Q

One of the most prolific Nashville studio steel players many have never heard of.

When you play a Gene Watson recording and you wonder who the terrific steel player is, look at the credits and, chances are, it will be Sonny Garrish.
One of the unsung heroes of steel guitar.

Here's a list of songs that he played on that you can look for(on some songs he only played guitar , Dobro etc or a combo of instruments):

http://www.allmusic.com/artist/sonny-ga ... 22/credits

Here is an example from the list:

Gene Watson - A Taste Of The Truth

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PeXQNflwE04

Hay thanks fellas
Sonny is such a great picker,,love his style !

When I listen to a record with great steel work on it, I often mistake him for Buddy Emmons.

I am a huge Sonny fan...about an hour ago this 1974 rosewood matte finished, wood neck 9 and 8 PP that was built for Sonny just arrived at my house and I couldn't be happier! Used on such records as Eddie Rabbit, The Judds and so many others...thanks, Jim Palenscar!!

John , how late did Sonny use that guitar?

Into the 2000's ?

Just curious?

Nice score,

John,
Congratulations!

Greg, I have a call into him to find out. I know he had another later like it...I assume into the late eighties at least...

Here is is on the Nashville Bar Association cover...

These are not instrumentals but plenty of great Sonny Garrish:

Bill Anderson

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HPLLSzQ1N_Q

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q1slkWrlQGI

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W5a7mXZ9h5A

Gary Stewart w/ Sonny Garrish & Dale Sellars

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5N1xIkHvJDo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3RGVQJMUqfE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W5a7mXZ9h5A

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W5a7mXZ9h5A

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O3MJadXoSxw

I just wonder if that Emmons is the same guitar Sonny played on Shania's first record in 1993, Terri Clark's first record in 1995, and Chalee Tennison's first record in 1999. I'm pretty sure that's the Emmons guitar heard on The Judds' "Young Love(Strong Love", "Mama He's Crazy", "Grandpa", and on Kenny Chesney's later records in the '90s

Erv Niehaus wrote:When you play a Gene Watson recording and you wonder who the terrific steel player is, look at the credits and, chances are, it will be Sonny Garrish.
One of the unsung heroes of steel guitar.

I've heard that Sonny is one of Gene's favorite steel players.

The Po Boys--Sweet Lorena

Bill Anderson's Po' Boys - Sweet Lorena - 1967 album - The Po' Boys Pick Again

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cjblrUh ... yS&index=9

Strange right hand style Sonnys got, but man does it work

Lloyd Green played on Gene's early hits through early 1979 with Sonny on a few during that time as well. From then and through 1982, Sonny did all of Gene's stuff. I believe it was in '82 that Sonny got a new, black, metal neck Emmons Original and was using it on most recording dates from that time on. The Rosewood, wood-neck, bolt-on was most definitely used on many of Gene's hits though (and many, many other folks hits for that matter).

I was fortunate to be in attendance during most of Gene's sessions during the time Lloyd and Sonny were cutting his stuff. How awesome it was to hear and see them create the sounds later to become so recognized. Also to get to know them and what great folks they are, not to mention players !!

I was fortunate enough to follow in their HUGE footsteps and play on quite a few of Gene's hits and albums myself... well, I did the best I could !!!

I consider myself blessed to be able to see my heroes up close in action, get to know them (and they're great folks) and to play on Gene' records.

Sincerely,
Chris "Tiny" Olson

While Sonny was in St Louis to accept 2014 HOF induction, I asked him if he had been working on any new projects.

Sonny replied that he had just finished recording a bunch of hit songs together with Tracy Lawrence - seems Tracy wanted to be able to have some CD's to sell at his concerts.

Ron Funk wrote:While Sonny was in St Louis to accept 2014 HOF induction, I asked him if he had been working on any new projects.

Sonny replied that he had just finished recording a bunch of hit songs together with Tracy Lawrence - seems Tracy wanted to be able to have some CD's to sell at his concerts.

Sonny played great steel on Tracy's "I See It Now" record in 1994-one steel solo comes to mind is his steel solo on "Texas Tornado, which was his third single on the "I See It Now" record and was Tracy's sixth Number One hit single. Another song of Tracy's that Sonny played on is "Lessons Learned", which was released in 1999-Sonny played the intro, which was also a steel part after the first verse, then it became the outro too.

I bought from Sonny an Emmons String Machine, a number of years ago .He told me he used it on his recordings. I used it and then donated it to the Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville Tn. where It Is today. So If you go there and see It, It belonged to the great Sonny Garrish. Larry Johnson

Lots of Sonny's playing - and some of Paul Franklin's as well - on several of Joni Harms' albums.