Curly Chalker on Fender Quad 1956

[Andy Volk]

13:38 Curly comes in with a bang ....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GCBdSZqDTC4&t=758s

(And Thumbs Carlisle on a Strat)

[Bill Hatcher]

i was listening to lefty frizzel with chalker playing non pedal steel. amazing.

this cut with thumbs. i noticed the steel player on the left and then webb pierce came on. did pierce buy a bigsby guitar so that whoever played steel with him could get the the "slowly" sound?

chalker had quite a set up with the two tweed fenders.

[Peter Huggins]

Yes, Webb always had a Bigsby player. After Bud Isaacs left, taking his Bigsby with him, Webb called Bigsby up and demanded to be placed next in line. Bigsby refused. Webb was able to get a second hand Bigsby - note that the original owners name was replaced with a blank piece of maple in the film.
I always enjoy watching the Gannaway-produced “Stars of the Grand Ole Opry” films (can be found on YouTube or there’s a half hour commercial on RFD-TV every weekend or the whole set can be purchased on DVD). Almost always a Bigsby or two, including Billy Byrd whenever Ernest Tubb appears.

[Terry Wood]

The Steel Guitarist behind Webb Pierce on this Ozark Jubilee Clip looks kind of like Sonny Burnette to me. Sonny played the Grand Ole Opry in 60s and early 70s. He and Hal Rugg and Weldon Myrick recorded an Album together titled "The Steel Guitars of The Grand Ole Opry!" I may be wrong, but sure looks like Sonny to me?

[Jim Fogarty]

Boy, if anyone has a list of records Curly played non-pedal on, that would be great.

I've heard that Tom Morrell said that Chalker was THE best non-pedal player.......and from Andy's clip, it would be hard to argue.

[Mitch Drumm]

Jim:

This isn't a complete list by any means, but it will give you a start.

I'd guess most are on youtube. I think all are non-pedal, but couldn't swear to it.

Didn't that Bigsby in the video clip originally belong to Johnny Sibert...now in the Pacific Northwest??

[Guy Cundell]

Here's a playlist of 24 of the Thompson transcriptions

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=P ... r5ucZGto2g

[Jim Fogarty]

Here's a playlist of 24 of the Thompson transcriptions

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=P ... r5ucZGto2g

Oh man.......that’s gold. Any idea if it’s all Chalker?

[Mitch Drumm]

There's well over a hundred Thompson transcriptions, most of which have been reissued.

Steel on most is either unknown or speculation.

Chalker is believed to be on the ones I listed and likely on a few others I did NOT keep.

Dusty Stewart is known to be on some.....





Chalker is also on maybe 6 or 8 Capitol recordings by Thompson from late 1951 and into 1952. The only one I kept was Cryin' In The Deep Blue Sea.

And dozens and dozens of Thompson recordings from the 60s and later on pedal steel.

[Jim Fogarty]

Thanks, Mitch.

Curly or Dusty there’s some great steel. “60 Minute Man” jumped out, for one.