The Steel Guitar Forum

My boss Don Walser has been invite back for another appearance on the Opry this Saturday. Don will be on the TV portion and the radio show, plus he'll be interviewed by Bill Anderson on the Opry Backstage show. Don't miss this if you really like country music. Don is the real deal.
Unfortunately, the record company wouldn't spring for the $ to send our band back up there to back him up, but I'll bet the staff band does an okay job.

------------------

Howard,Too Bad they won't spring, the staff band will certainly do ok. But it would be nice if the artist could have his own band. maybe you ought to drive up with him .maybe the opry will let him use you.However the management is a flaky shaky group.

------------------
CJC

Joe - Thanks for the suggestion. The band discussed the possibility of going up there on our own dime, but decided that it would set a bad precedent, if you know what I mean.

------------------

Full TV lineup

Porter Wagner will host
Jan Howard
Don Walser
Andy Griggs

------------------
Janice "Busgal" Brooks
ICQ 44729047

err Andy who?

------------------
CJC

If they let any band members on stage to play behind the singers, you may catch a glimpse of Chad Udeen, son of Al Udeen, of Maple Grove, Minnesota. He is the current steel player for Andy Griggs. I am sure that Al will be watching. I will tape it for review later. Will be busy Saturday, but usually tape the show.

Dennis

------------------
MSA S-10 Sidekick
Gorilla Amp with MR-1 Effects Processor
pedalman@uswest.net

OK you guys got my interest up ,I will watch it this week,Got to see Porter and his big body guard (what body) walk through the audience. Suits must be made of gold.

------------------
CJC

Just moving this back up.
I hope Tommy and buddies do a good backup

------------------
Janice "Busgal" Brooks
ICQ 44729047

Glad to hear that Don Walser is going to be on the Grand Ole Opry. I know it's a thrill for him. I love the Don Walser CD, some great picking on it.

I first heard about Don Walser when he was interviewed on National Public Radio. The a good CD shop Manager turned me on to the Don Walser CD, so I bought it and have enjoyed it a lot.

Too bad the Opry doesn't have the finances to pay the Bands of the Stars they have on the the most famous of all Country Music Shows. I understand some of the most famous Stars of the past don't get to have their road band with them on the Opry, finances.

I'm sure the Studio Musicians will make Don Walser Sound Great. I'm sure this is a very big Thrill for Don Walser. Glad to see it happen.

Lee


------------------
The Dobro Man

Sleepy John and Dobro Man et al - Hope you enjoy the show tonite. Don is mighty excited and thrilled to get to perform on the Opry again. We played it for the first time back in October, but this time he gets on TV. Don has quite a few CDs out now. Glad to say I got to play on all of them except the latest. They got some guy named Buddy Spicher to do the fiddle parts. He's not too shabby. Here's a rundown on CDs, somewhat chronologically and steel-centric. These are all available from your favorite store or website:

The Archive Series Volumes 1 & 2 - These are reissued versions of the cassettes we recorded in the early 90's. They feature Jimmy Day and Bert Rivera. Many great old classics (Long Black Veil, Begging to You, Cattle Call, Big Balls in Cowtown, One More Drink and then I'll Go, etc and the first recordings of some of Don's most requested originals (John Deere Tractor, Rolling Stone from Texas, Cowboy Ramsey, Fuzz Dickson, Sideman)

Rolling Stone From Texas - Don's first Watermelon CD, produced by Ray Benson. Features Jimmy Day pedal steel and John Ely and Cindy Cashdollar on straight steels - Includes reworkings of Cowpoke, John Deere Tractor, Rolling Stone from Texas, plus The Party Don't Start Til the Playboys get Here, Don't Worry Bout Me, etc

Texas Tophand - produced by Ray Benson, this one has Danny Boy, Divorce Me COD, Whose Heart Are You Breaking Now, and other great tunes. The steel players are Scott Walls, Cindy Cashdollar and Lucky Oceans

Down at the Sky-Vue Drive-In - produced by Ray Benson. Steels are Scott Walls and Cindy Cashdollar. Mandy Barnett sings 2 with Don on this one. Also included Cherokee Maiden and Hot Rod Mercury

Here's to Country Music - This is Don's latest and it was produced in Nashville by Stuart Colman. Features some guy named Buddy Emmons on steel. Also, Chrystal Gale, Charlie McCoy and Teddy Wilburn make cameos. Great tunes like Makes No Difference Now, My Ride With Jimmy (he's gonna do that one tonite on the Opry), Sugar Moon, and the title cut by Hank Thompson with some insightful lyrics.

He also has a new CD that is only available on his website (www.donwalser.com). It's 2 radio shows from 1964 out of Midland, Texas with his band of that era, the Texas Plainsmen. Very cool and you can hear Don when he could sing high (yikes). Rocky Rhodes is on steel.

Do not miss the first half of the rerun or west coast showing. Nice story Howard

------------------
Janice "Busgal" Brooks
ICQ 44729047

Hey Howard, Let me know if your up Michigan way. F.R.

It seems to me that the Opry band is more aggressive than they were in the past. It seems also to me that the sound men are doing a better job of picking up the pickers when it's their time to perform.

I was so surprised to see him - for some reason I had imagined him as a real skinny guy! His voice doesn't match his looks.

He did a great job. I loved the way he made the band get lost! They eventually recovered. Tommy's solo was awesome. Maybe that's what threw them.

------------------
Bobby Lee quasar@b0b.com gigs
<I>Sierra Session S-12 (E9), Speedy West D-10 (E9, D6),
Sierra S-8 Laptop (D13), Fender Stringmaster D-8 (D13, A6)</I>

Yeah Bobby Lee, I noticed them get a little lost there. Our bassman has incredible radar for following Don all over tarnation.
Tommy played a killer solo. I recorded the show for Don, so I've watched it a few times. I love those C6 solos that end on that fat string.

Hey Frank, my friend Gerald Ross was at the steel convention in Michigan a few weeks ago and said you sounded great. He played guitar for LT Zinn and Scotty.

Really enjoyed seeing Don. You could see how he was taken in by the Opry.Andy Griggs first song was OK but the Jam song he did after that ,if that becomes a hit,I give up.Could be the making of another future has been. O well thats better than a never was. It was nice seeing the old Danlectro Guitar tho. They spent too much time talkng about "Shopry Mills"...Music Buchanan, Music.That's why people tune in to the OPry.Tell your Puppet Fisher too.

------------------
CJC

That was a $189. Danolectro Reissue..

(danlectro)..i also wanna say that Mr.Don Walser sat off stage left and watched the entire Opry till midnight and was also kind enough to give me one of his cds..I would say his one of the true few Country acts left...

189.00 reissue,wow I bought my first danlectro for about 89.00 new w/case. I think I destroyed it by stripping it to natural.When I discoverd Fender, I gave it away . If only I knew.

------------------
CJC

First I don't really believe it should be stump the band and I thought Don was great and I don't believe there is a singer that can stump TW I taped the show and all the tape except the Don Walser part was a waste.. Tommy you keep playing like that and tell that camera person to keep the camera a little more on the left hand from a little more front of course we need good shots of the right hand to see whats going on there

The band was a measure ahead of the vocal for one verse. That's what I meant. It was most noticable in the bass player's part.

I always enjoy Riders in the Sky.

------------------
Bobby Lee quasar@b0b.com gigs
<I>Sierra Session S-12 (E9), Speedy West D-10 (E9, D6),
Sierra S-8 Laptop (D13), Fender Stringmaster D-8 (D13, A6)</I>

The steel was really in the mix and sounded great and the camera shot on the solo was really great!
Goes to show that "Blue" colored PSG's sound best!
I liked the blue shirt but that guy wearing it got a thumbs down at my house. We were holding our noses... peeee-uuuu! The Bass-o-matic portion of the show was a real bummer. They chose to put that on over an artist??? Double PEEEE-UUUU!

I believe the bassist felt that Don came in singing 2 beats later than he should have.I also think we made a pleasant recovery,to consider in all fairness ,the bassist does not have a monitor.Anyhoo,I sure had fun picking for Don.
T.W.