The Steel Guitar Forum

During the 1950's, I was honored to serve as the "Secretary" for the Jerry Byrd Fan Club, operated at that time by a wonderful and dedicated lady... Millie Annis. Many things about Jerry were provided that could not have been acquired in any other way. For this I am very thankful. As a result, I have an extensive collection of old 78/45's that JB has played on, backing up many "never heard of, wanna be singers". Some are pathetic while others have turned out to be real jewels and a lifetime of listening pleasure and study material for me.
What I have in mind, is setting up an "UNauthorized Jerry Byrd Fan Club". A real informal group of die-hard JB fans. The main purpose of this is to enable us to share with each other, as many tunes as possible on which JB has recorded....altho' not his own records; ie; Slim Whitman, Ernie Lee, etc.
If enough interest is shown, I could prepare and send out a single audio tape with my favorite tune featuring JB on the steel.
When member #2 gets it, he/she can ad their single favorite tune, and ship it on to the next member with it ultimately coming back to me. I will then dub off any tunes I don't have and ad them to my collection. I will replace my original "favorite" with another and resend the tape to the same list of members who will do likewise.
Members can pick and choose what they want to dub off/save for themselves. With each new circuit, new tunes will be added so that some of us can acquire long out of date records that could otherwise never be enjoyed.
Anyone interested? No membership fee is involved. No dues required. No membership cards will be issued nor fancy newsletter prepared. This is a music only gathering of JB fans.
Let me hear from you if there is any interest here. I know I have a long list of tunes I was never able to find/buy when they were being played on country radio and I know some of you folks may very well have one or two of them in your library.
I'll be waiting for your response or lack thereof. THANKS for considering this idea. If you are not willing to participate in prompt prep/shipping of a tune, please don't enroll, as it would hold up the process for too lengthy a time and it would likely kill the program.

Ray you can count me in. Good Idea!

save a spot fer me. cc

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

Me three !

Why does it have to be UNauthorized?
Would Jerry Byrd not like to have a fan club? I mean he's got to be aware that he's got fans, so it would come as a surprise to me, that he wouldn't "endorse" a club... (?)
I nice little website with pictures, stories and and and... could all be possible, if he'd agree to it.
Instead of passing a tape around, we could send the sound files in and have on the web site for everybody to listen too...

I'd be happy to be part of any thing that he'd approve of.

------------------
jaydee@bellsouth.net

Well JD! Your idea certainly sounds better than mine. I'm just a beginner with computers and don't know all of the ins and outs as yet. I'd have to have some real good instructions on how to participate in such a program. I had given thought on many occasions bout at JB FC web page but have never pursued it. Perhaps you will be doing so?
Well, for those of you offering your interest in my "idea", do you still want to go ahead with it, or, do you prefer to follow on the fine suggestion by "JD"? No sense in creating a lot of unnecessary duplication.
Right?
Let me hear from you, okay? And, I need snail mail addresses for each of you. T'anx!

<center>J-D. Sauser
164 Saratoga Blvd West
ROYAL PALM BEACH, FL 33411 <font size="5" face="monospace"><pre>PH : (561) 798-2301
FAX: (561) 791-3416</pre></font>
or e-mail: [email]jaydee@bellsouth.net?subjsect=JB Fan Club/SG-Forum/No Peddlers[/email].</center>


I am open to suggestions and I will gladly try to participate in a project, as long we have Jerry Byrd's blessings on it.
I am currently also compiling all info I can get on Rickenbachers "B"-series and "A"-series guitars. An other sector where I could use input (pictures, datasheets, catalog scans, stories and so forth) form everybody (including The "Boss" him self).

<a href="mailto:jaydee@bellsouth.net?subject=Rickenbacher Info/SG-Forum/No Peddlers">... J-D.<a>

<FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by J D Sauser on 25 July 2000 at 08:05 AM.]</p></FONT>

Ray- I regretfully do not have enough JB recordings and it's funny that you have brought this topic up.

I am not die-hard JB fan YET, I am working on it. I feel I need to have more exposure to his playing. I have plenty of Noel, Joaquin, Speedy, etc. but very little Jerry I would absolutely love if you could send me a tape with some of your favorite JB recordings! Please let me know if you can help me out. Thank-you, Miss Lucille

Ray, add my name to your list My address is 3523 pine crest drive Gainesville Ga. 30501 My E mail adress is suproman@bellsouth.net Thanks, Garland Nash.

Is it possible for people who do/can not contribute songs but still get these songs? I don't have any Jerry Byrd songs to add but I would sure like to listen and own any recordings of his. I could contribute many Indian Hawaiian guitar songs, but I doubt if anyone would be interested. I can contribute in some other way, if you guys can think of a way.

-Surinder

Indian-Hawaiian?!? You gotta be kidding, now aren't you? What's it gonna be next, Eskimo Hula dancers?

On a (little) more serious note. I've been going over my little record collection and besides the readily available Jerry Byrd records (most available on CD now) I can't find much I could share either. I have an extensive collection of Hank Sr. recordings and I know much of it is sopposedly with Jerry Byrd on it... but.. you know... it's not like the Hank-stuff would be the highlight of music as such...
And there is the whole copyright issue too.
I really would hope that we could rather share information, pictures and data (just like FANs do) and maybe even some licks. Just like on Ernie Renn's BE-site...
And I am still hoping for The Masters aproval first.
As I said, an online version would seem the way to go, and I would gladly participate with some time in a project like that.
... J-D.

Ray, how can you have any kind of Jerry Byrd Club without me? Paleeeeezz include me in this project.

------------------
kd...and the beat goes on...

Sounds like a job for Napster.

Count me in. Great idea. Folks, I have heard just a bout all of those recordings that Ray has, and they are quite a collector's item. Many artists have never been heard of, but the Byrd sound is always distinctive and a treasure trove of Jerry Byrd that you can get no where else in the world.
Thanks Ray.
Bill Stafford

Thank You BILL STAFFORD. Great to hear from you again! Okay forumites. I'm getting set up to roll on this. I can't afford the time to do a WEB SITE but that is my ultimate desire. I don't have TIME to pursue JB with any kind of AUTHORIZATION for a FORMAL JBFC webpage.
So, I'm purchasing a bunch of quality tapes today! I plan to dub off a number of my JB favorites.....and place them on this tape. Since the total number of interested forumites is small, I will be sending my "favorites" direct to each of you. You then can either send me back any tunes on which JB plays from your collection.......and/or a blank "quality" casette tape. Don't feel bad if you don't have any COLLECTION established of JB. Mine is 50+ years old!
The blank tape, will keep me in business and not in bankruptcy court.
And YES, let us share information, ALWAYS. Soon folks and thanks for your interest. Ray