The Steel Guitar Forum

just watched the first episode of this 6-part series. it's free to watch on youtube: https://youtu.be/V_V1dem3FzY

plenty of steel throughout and players like Russ Pahl and Andy Gibson make cameo appearances (playing Pete Drake and Sonny Curtis respectively). I'm sure the filmmakers had their reasons for letting the lead actors sing their own parts rather than using authentic recordings, but it's a glaring mistake in my opinion... and the auto-tune is out of control.

still, I hope the original versions of Apartment #9 (which is prominently featured) along with DIVORCE, Good Girl, Grass Grows Over Me, and their entire catalogs will be discovered by a whole new audience.

also hoping some of you forum members who were involved will chime in!

we watched the episode and found it to be a rather poor production, our opinion of course. We are fans of Jessica Chastain, but her portrayal of TW is average at best. Michael Shannon is not even close as GJ. The music is lack luster and the voices , which is why Tammy and George are so revered and famous , is off by 10 Country miles. George and Tammy are about the singing and their voices , this production missed the entire point of George and Tammy, the iconic voices. Too bad. So its back to Andy Griffith reruns for us !

Thanks, Scott for the YouTube tip, I had read it was only on Paramount, I'll watch anyway, and Tony, it's funny, I'm watching Munsters rerun as I type this.

I was a little disappointed. I thought the cast of characters could have been better.

But I sure like all of the steel in it.

Wall-to-wall steel guitar on this one!

But, yeah, it was unfair of the producers to have the lead actors try to replicate George and Tammy's voices. They do a decent job, but in the end, it's asking for the impossible. Still, I'm enjoying the story and the steel guitar.

I’ve got a typical Hollywood story about my involvement in that series.

It was shot here in Wilmington. I was hired - SAG rate as an actor - to play steel in one of George’s bands after he and Tammy split. They also paid me a hefty rate to rent my Sho Bud.

Long story short, the scene kept getting rescheduled until it was written off. I still got paid my rate, got paid to rent my guitar they never used, heck, even got paid $175 each for a couple Covid tests I had to take!

By far the best paying, easiest gig I’ve ever had in my life!

Georgette was a advisor or maybe producer of the show and weighed in Facebook a few days ago regarding comments on the singing, music, etc.

To paraphrase, she said no one could replicate George and Tammy’s singing so intentionally, they didn’t even try to go that way. The series is intended to be George and Tammy’s love story. I think I have accurately summarized. You can check out her Facebook page if you’d like her perspective.

I assume it's much more costly to license the original recordings than to have the actors do the songs themselves. Sissy Spacek did a fine job singing Loretta Lynn's songs in Coal Miner's Daughter, Joaquin Phoenix was less successful in Walk The Line. George & Tammy were such legendary stylists it's no surprise these actors totally pale in comparison. the auto-tuning makes them sound robotic at times, but most people probably don't even notice it anymore.

I enjoyed it, the singing is hard to get over but it’s not a dealbreaker. I was definitely loving the Steel throughout the show and specifically the little instrumental show intro!

From Georgette:
“If you want the music to be exactly like it's Mom and Dad....you're not only missing the point of this series, but you are expecting the impossible. The world had only 1 Tammy Wynette and 1 George Jones. If you love their music we appreciate that, but you can listen to them anytime anywhere. This series is about their love story. We felt it most important to have incredible actors and less important to find people who looked and sounded exactly like them.....that doesn't exist. Jessica is an academy award winning actress and Michael has been nominated, too. They did an amazing job and took much time with our family and did countless hours of research. I think they're very brave to do the music themselves.”

I'm enjoying watching it, but it is a disappointment with the singing.
It reminds me of the last Hank Williams movie "I Saw The Light" where that Englishman tried to sing Hank's tunes...what a JOKE!
This is not that bad...

I have a story like Bill Ladd’s, though he got further along than I did.

About a year ago I was asked to submit photos to be considered for the role of Pete Drake. A week afterward I was told I wasn’t chosen and later learned through IMDb that the part went to Russ Pahl. Go get ‘em, Russ!

Also, I just saw episode 1 of G & T and can relate to others’ comments. There seem to be plusses and minuses to the telling of this complicated story. Looking forward, though, to watching the next 5 episodes.

If they wanted to replicate singing, I would have used Sammy K. & the Widow Whitley...might have been similar chemistry between them also!

I general don't like anything Hollywood does when it comes to country music. Georette could have easily nailed Tammy's vocal parts. As a steel player I was disappointed that the steel players on the tracks didn't nail the record likes note for note. I watched one episode but I choose not to subscribe to Showtime to see more.