The Steel Guitar Forum

Welcome, Myron, you sure hit the right spot for learning steel oriented stuff here. If you had enough tenacity and discipline to stick with the fiddle, you should be able to nail the steel, these are two of the hardest instruments going.

Myron, welcome to the forum. My brother and I both got transplanted to different areas of the US because of the Air Force, but not to New England.

I'm moving to somewhere south of Worcester in the next couple of months. Where's Springfield (stupid Westerner question...)?

Myron,
Hows the snow..I was up there just before last week. Got back to Tennessee last Sunday..trying to beat the storm. My wifes Grandma took ill and passed..I got gas neat MY OLD BASE Westover('64-'66). My wifes grandmother lived in South Hadley..her mother in East Hampton ..We stayed in west Field and West Sprgfield..Boy has Springfield changed since I played all over the North End...I was also in that area in the mid '80.s Smiley Roberts is transplanted from that area also.
Get in touch with Doug Bomire..He has a web site..but lives in or close to North Hampton..Just up I-91. Doug teaches steel and is a great picker as well as a great guy..But don't tell HIM THAT it will go to his head..He's probley on of the best in that whole area!.. There used to be some other good pickers in that area also.. The guy that organizes a lot of james and shows is Bill Hankey in Pittsfield.. He is also on the net (Bill Hankey @WEBTV.Net).Best of luck ,and welcom aboard.
Bob Hayes the Grouchyvet

Myron I don't miss that snow,but new England Springs and falls are always missed.Thanks for the E-mail I do remember you sitting in at the Ranch House now that you told me your stage name.You played bass and sang that night. I do remember the Meriden Outdoor benefit where you were playing when we arrived.If I had known you Lived in Chicopee and played Guitar and Key-Board too I would have surely worked at hiring you.Glad your into Steel and have a Dekley. If you ever have any problems with it Jim Smith is always on the Forum and he was the main man for building setting them up.He most likely built that one.Also in that area is Sammy Gibson a great Player also who can build make you any part you will ever need at his machine shop. Look up SAM Machine in E-Longmeadow.And Dougie B is a great musician and teacher.

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CJC

Welcome Myron,
I'm in your neck of the woods also,
Monson, MA. There are many area steel shows
every year around this area. They start up
around in the fall, and are really worth attending.
Many forumites here, attend them and perform,
right along with the big cats.

Hey Steve, where are you moving to? South
of Worcester is just about right in my direction. Maybe we could get together sometime.

chipsahoy

.
Myron Check your E-mail I was trying to answer chip and yourself and screwed it up. Vahala,I don't think is a Golf course I did play there years ago I thought it was just a fancy banquet place with no stage.Bill Hankey told me in an E-mail he is going to have a Bash somewhere in the Bershires..I hope to visit that time of year.
<FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Joe Casey on 15 March 2001 at 07:45 AM.]</p></FONT>

Joe,
I met quite a few DC "alumnis" on the Forum..now it's the Westover or springfield or should we call it New England "alumnis". Doug & Bill are grete friends. And thanks for metioning the Ranch House..I was racking my Brain trying to think of that place.. another place was where I first met Doug .ove in Westfield or Agawam? right across the steet from the Eastern States Expo Gate..I think it was the Music ...something..The guy that owned the Ranch House owned the old Laffyet (or Jimmy's Club in the North end of Springfield..I played there off and on for about 1 1/2 back in '65-'66. before going to 'nam. I'm kind pf part of starting the GO GO stuff in that area..It was an accident.. A girl got up and started dancing in front of the bandstand one night..soon she was dancing on the bar, and soon (I think it was Joe) had 5 or 6 scantly clothed girs dancing on a platform that he built behind the bar..We had stared playing country..and some rock& roll..then went to olaying mostly all English stuff..Smiley played down the street with a guy named Pee Wee (Pee wee played one of the 1st standup electric Ampeg Bass's that I ever saw. And Smiley was great!!)
I ramble some times when I go down memory lane!!!!!. Bill Hankey was instrumental in getting me some pickin jobs when I returned home back in the *0's to "Clear My Head".
Bob Hayes

Bob ,It sure seems like our paths should have crossed somewhere..Thats Pee wee Gokey or Harold Gokey which is his real name. And I brought Country to Billy T'S right across from the Big E for 6 nights for three years. In fact Millie had me on a salary.She kept interfering in my band so we hit the Road again.Did the ranch for many 5 nighters and DJ'D the other two.Pee wee is still going strong although retired and approaching late 70's.I was discharged at Ft. Devens in Ayer Mass and married a local girl there in 66 3 months after Nam.I am from Roseville calif which is 18 miles from Sacto.Bill Hankey Hired me to MC and sing at about 10 of his bashes until I moved South.Smiley and I have been friends for many moons His Mom and dad use to keep me supplied in homemade Kielbasa which I haven't had the likeness since their passing. Small world and I too love to reminice.we could mention names all night Billy Van,lee Howell Who both now reside in the carolinas. And Joe Riesner (now deceased)who owned the world famous ranch house.Lifes been good to us.

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CJC

<FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Joe Casey on 16 March 2001 at 08:20 AM.]</p></FONT>

Joe, Thanks for reviving my Memory...Names are terrible for me.Joe Rascot is right..I'll bet you knew Jackie Benson too..Great drummer,,great vibes man...he taught me a lot about chords and progressions...I grew up in the Berkshires...I was just stationed at Westover for 2 years....Whebt back to Mass in '85 for about a year..and played aroundWestern Mass....But just like DC a lot off people went through there..The last jam I went to up there was at the Hindsdale home club..that bill put on..and Doug was one of the Main pickers..
Bob (Happy in East Tennessee)

Bob I Knew Jackie Benson well although I never worked with him his wife shelia Gurney would work with me from time to time..I Mc'd a few of Bills Hinsdale Home club Steel shows and probably worked Dougies set with him. I did a bunch at the place on the lake in lanesboro also.My Steel players were from Pete Duhart,Jim Smith who was the hardest to replace,Paul Lambert,JIm Roule who like Jim Smith was also very hard to replace.,Norm Micheals,Terry Sutton who worked the Ranch with us as did Ray Gantek from time to time,Larry Cox for a short time,and fabulous Peggy Green.On ocassion Sammy Gibson would help out.Dougie was always working 5 and six nighters and we never hooked up although I probably sat in enough with him to qualify.Boy there was always plenty of work.In the Summer I had Mountain Park,Riverside Park on occasion when Pee wee didn't wan't it. The good ole days.Sorry to take up so much of your thread Myron once again Welcome.

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CJC

Thanks Joe and Thanks Myron for this thread.
It's a small world
Bob

Instead of taking up so much thread with our long post The e-mail route is better.Myron I sent you Smiley's E-mail give him a shout when you go to Clarksville it ain't that far away.

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CJC

Welcome Myron,
"I am a Fiddle (but learning Steel)player"

The learning steel part of that statement is what we are all doing. I don't think there are enough years in our life where we could "learn it all". But it is fun (most of the time) trying.

Bill Ferguson

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"Stop worrying about what makes a steel work and concentrate on how YOU make it sound"

Myron,
Welcome to the forum. I'm surprised I didn't see this thread earlier. I lived on Roosevelt Ave.,right by the Spfld./Chic. Fls. line. Worked "Leftover" A.F.B. many times. Moved from there,in '65,to Wheeling,W.V. Then,in '68,made the "big" move to "NashVILE". Been here,since.

Joe,
That was Sheila GERNON.

Bob Hayes,
Didn't know that you knew Jackie Benson. We'll have to talk 'bout that,sometime.

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You know me Smiley I never did ask their "whole"name. I was telling Myron you did a thing with me once at leftover when you were visiting.Of course you were paid weakly.Small world isn't it?

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CJC


<FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Joe Casey on 23 March 2001 at 11:57 AM.]</p></FONT>

Smiley,
See you at the BellCove on April 10th.We'll talk about Jackie. I'll be the old ugly guy..But My ID prooves your older.
BH