The Steel Guitar Forum

I did a search of the forum and didn't find any dedicated threads to this mysterious trailblazer. So here it is! I have been listening to his complete recordings for the past week or so and feel he deserves some attention. If you care to go down the rabbit hole here is what is known about him. Not much! http://bluesoterica.com/the-casey-bill-weldon-page

I looked for anyone who has tabbed out or recorded anything that resembles Casey Bills playing and I can't find anything except this bit from Michael Messer's forum https://michaelmesser.proboards.com/thr ... ill-weldon

If anyone has worked out any of this stuff, I would be interested to hear some insights! I love his playing, it is completely unique and he doesn't sound like anyone else I have heard. I have been listening pretty obsessively to all the early Cliff Bruner and Milton Brown stuff as well, which is from the same time. There is little resemblance between Bob Dunn's playing and Casey Bill, but there is a striking resemblance in the standard guitar playing of Dickie McBride and Big Bill Broonzy. These must be among the very first single note jazz lines played on a standard guitar, and they are still inspiring. One person who really comes to mind when listening to Casey Bill's hot numbers is Bob Wills, with Casey Bill hollering "Yeah!" It sounds uncannily similar. Leon McAuliffe also sounds more inspired by Casey Bill than Bob Dunn to my ears at least. What do you think??? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xxLyXYCXqKM

On a whole separate note, it must be said that Casey Bill was one of the earliest and possibly greatest blues poets of the pre-war era. His songwriting is unmatched and his singing rivals any of the early jazz or blues crooners.

this one is my favorite https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I9IwZ108AVE

here he is selling his soul before Robert Johnson https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lbJtFn47XCg

This one had me laughing my tail off as I flew down the interstate! After they broke the bed, they made a pallet on the floor!! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YWhxAcBM4Bg

It is impossible to know what happened back then, who copied who etc. but what I do know is thankfully Casey Bill left an incredible musical legacy! Enjoy!!

Thanks for posting this, Tim. I was not familiar with his music. It's amazing and needs to be heard.

Joe Cook wrote:Thanks for posting this, Tim. I was not familiar with his music. It's amazing and needs to be heard.

Absolutely! I started listening to Casey Bill when I was in high school. I am 46 now and getting into steel guitar and I feel like I am hearing him for the first time! His music is very approachable for a beginner coming from a folk-rock-blues background and trying to learn swing. I strung up an old 12 string Harmony yesterday with a raised nut and new bridge for 7 string lap steel. Tuned F tuning (low to high) CFACFAC the advice from the forum link I posted is correct, this is the tuning! Home base at the 7th fret. I am starting to find some of his pet licks. This is probably the most fun I have had since I started!

Great article, Tim. I discovered Weldon a few years ago. Love his stuff!

Through the "Similar artists" links on Spotify, I then discovered Black Ace. A very different style from Weldon, but also cool. I’m obsessed with playing the blues on all kinds of "weird" instruments - mandolin, Irish tenor banjo, plectrum banjo (well, a five with the drone string removed, so a pre-plectrum), and of course lap steel - so I perk up my ears whenever someone plays the blues lap-style.

Paul Spafford wrote:Great article, Tim. I discovered Weldon a few years ago. Love his stuff!

Through the "Similar artists" links on Spotify, I then discovered Black Ace. A very different style from Weldon, but also cool. I’m obsessed with playing the blues on all kinds of "weird" instruments - mandolin, Irish tenor banjo, plectrum banjo (well, a five with the drone string removed, so a pre-plectrum), and of course lap steel - so I perk up my ears whenever someone plays the blues lap-style.

Glad you enjoyed the article! I can't get enough of prewar blues, string band etc. I really love the old blues tunes and can listen all day 1-4-5. I really love any of the old tunes that venture into more jazzy changes like this one

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kGLjIPZtWd4

Casey Bill doesn't dance through the changes as elegantly as King Bennie or Bob Dunn, but he does alright!

I've been listening to Casey Bill for quite a while now. He and Kokomo Arnold are featured on the Bottleneck Guitar Trendsetters of the 1930's a wonderful record I haven't listened to for a while. Got it playing now. Thanks for the reminder.

If I recall correctly wasn't he married to Memphis Minnie sometime in the early 1920s?

Chris Clem wrote:If I recall correctly wasn't he married to Memphis Minnie sometime in the early 1920s?

From what I have read it seems possible, but unlikely as there is no direct evidence. Casey Bill did record with her, but there was a Will Weldon who played guitar in Memphis Jug band that seems to be a different person. Possibly she married the other Will Weldon? My question is how did he supposedly live into the 1970's, but they can't even find a picture of him?