The Steel Guitar Forum

I purchased my second pedal steel from him in the 70’s. We were both playing in Baytown,Tx. I was in a Cajun Band and he invited us to go hear him play after our gig. They played “Easy as Pie” by Craddock…he was awesome. I bought a D10 Sho~Bud Professional for $500 and my Fender 400. It was a great gesture by him. I should have kept that guitar…




Here’s a pic of me playing the Sho~Bud:

Great Post Marty, Thanks for sharing a good story.J.R.

I played a few gigs with J.B as the bass player. We had both played in the Reo Palm Isle house band in Longview, Tx. He was an avid fisherman, Vietnam veteran and just a great guy. Good chops on pedal steel. He passed away shortly after I played the last gig with him. I remember him giving me a cassette of the album with Lloyd and a couple other cassettes because he knew I played steel too.

Thank you for responding folks.

David, I remember him being a very calm person. I think the next time I saw him several months later he was playing a light blue Emmons D10, but I could surely be mistaken about that. I was very young.

I do remember him recommending Old English oil for maintaining the finish on the Sho~Bud and him stating that he could spend all day under a shade tree playing steel.

Do you know the nature of his passing? He seemed very young when I mingled with him.

Thanks again

Marty I believe they told me he had a heart attack. I do remember him telling me he had heart trouble back then. Yes he was an easy going guy. I got an old Sho-Bud Pro ll I'll have to try the Old English polish on. Thank you for that information. I just remembered I have a drummer friend I use to gig with that was a very close friend of J.B and even had the name J.B Van on his bass drum for years after J.B's death in memory. His name is Steven Rhame and he could tell you anything you want to know about him.
He's on Facebook here
https://www.facebook.com/thestevenrhameband



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Thanks Dave!!

Very welcome!

Ive had a sho Bud Super Pro purchased in about 1988 that I bought from Bobbe Seymour. The Inside of the case said 'JB VAN'. I asked around yrs ago and a bunch of people knew him. Anyway still got that Bud today.

Kurt, the Sho-Bud Professional I bought from him has some of the black paint missing on the first fret. He told me that some semi chrome polish got loose and he wiped it off and it took the black paint with it. I think the guitar is in proximity to Winnie/Baytown/Houston and have tried to find it to buy it back, but….,

Hope your Super-Pro is as sweet as the one I had.

I played a single neck on double body shobud at mickey gilleys theater in branson 1995 and later played it in church in houston where mickey and i attended.It had his initials on the steel and mickey said he had bought the guitar for him when working for mickey.

Tks,Ron Ferrier