The Steel Guitar Forum

Hank Thompson will be at The Cabaret in Bandera Tx tonight....he will be using local pickers as his backup band...don't know the whole lineup but I believe his fiddle player will be Texas State champ Ricky Turpin...I'll post tomorrow about the show....

Probably the most influential person to me getting into the business. "Babe theres a green light so shift your gears". Has it really been fifty years since a 12 year old use to scan the radio?

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

Had the pleasure of being in his local back-up band here in '91. I practiced the "swelled harmonics" for weeks before hand from the work tape we were sent. I suppose I could have dumped some of "my style" on him, but I think it might have been a bit presumtuous. Not sure I really "had one" at that time.. I used to listen to Mr White's playing on those old albums for hours on end. Trying to remember what kind of olf fender amp was on a one of the album covers. Could have been a Vibra Sonic. I'll check.

He's another REAL Master Musician. I remembered to address him as "Mr Thompson" and was very proud to take his big old Gibson out and do a "sound check" for him. He sat around with us on his bus for quite a while in the air conditioning afterwards and was very nice and kind to us. Paid us cash out of his T-Shirt money, and it was more than we'd been contracted for.

"There's a Salmon colored girl, that sets my heart a-whirl, and bathes in ice cold water every day. With skin I love to touch, but I just don't touch it much, because her fur lined parka's in the way..." ( everybody..)

EJL<FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Eric West on 20 April 2003 at 10:45 PM.]</p></FONT>

"Ooga Mooga Mushka, that means that I Love You!"

Jim
I said "ooga ooga mushka" to my wife the other night, and she accused me of drinking and made me sleep in the guest room.

------------------
Herb's Steel Guitar Pages
Texas Steel Guitar Association

Maybe that's why I'm not married!

Sorry being so late getting back folks....the show was good and bad.The good was in that a 5 piece version of The Brazos Valley Boys backed up Hank....twin fiddles,good bassman and drummer,steel player playing a MSA single neck 12 string with probably a universal tuning as he coulod make it cry and then get all those big fat chords Hank Thompson music is known for.The sad part is that Mr.Thompson shows after effects of a stroke he suffered a few years ago(or so I heard from fan club members)...his voice is strong and he can pick as good as ever....but he needs help walking to and from the stage..getting up and dorn from the stage...and while onstage sits on a stool.It was hard to see him this way...but although he's a living legend..he's human nontheless.The band was good ....he was good ...and I'll go see him again....you should do the same if he comes your way!!

For the record, Hank had a stroke in his eye, a couple of years ago. His eyesight is not good so that's why he needs help getting to and from stage. It's amazing that he still travels and performs nearly every weekend of the month.
He will be at Borrowed Money, in the Fort Worth Stockyards on May 17th.
Here is your chance to support a true Country Legend.

Peggy

Didn't Hank write - "Hey, Mr. Bartender"?
Also recorded, and a great version as well,
by legendary tunesmith, Leon Russell?

......"I've got time, for one more round, and ah, six-pack to go"..............<FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by CHIP FOSSA on 21 April 2003 at 08:28 PM.]</p></FONT>

Yes...it's called "A Six-Pack To Go".

Actually, "A Six Pack To Go" was written by Johnny Lowe and Dick Hart. Hank heard Johnny Lowe do the song in a bar in Arizona on one of his tours. He smelled a hit and asked Lowe if they could sit down, write the lyrics on paper and let Hank learn it. This was in early Dec. -59. Hank had a recording session scheduled in the near future and the song was recorded in Dec 16th -59. Hank did the minor, customary rewriting and thus his name is on the credits.
And of course, the steel player on it is Pee Wee Whitewing

I've had the honor of working with Hank a number of times during the past four years as a stage hand and will again later this summer. I've even tuned that beautiful Gibson of his. Hank has gotten more frail over the past couple years. Last fall I noticed that his hands are starting to get stiff on him and it affects his guitar playing. He still has the wonderful voice.

My one embarrassing moment with him last fall was that I was to help him to his stool at center stage and help him strap on his guitar. The the whole process my arm got stuck in his strap and he didn't realize it. He started playing and singing the first number with me attached to his guitar. Hank approached me after the show and had a good laugh.

I learned right away that Hank enjoys talking music history. What a memory he has for detail, places and names. I wish college courses were as interesting has his "lectures".

.....these "Hank" stories take me back to 1949 when I was still in high-school and me and three of my buddies drove a 1936 Ford without a windshield to Wellington, Texas, to a Hank Thompson dance. Hank's hit songs at the time were "Whoa Sailor", and "Green Light".....

....secondary to that occasion was in 1964 when the band I was working with toured with Hank & the Brazos Valley Boys on a package show....(gee whiz, do I know some "Hank" stories....but they are "telling" stories, not "writing" stories! ...... www.genejones.com

I really like Western Swing so Hank has always been one of my favorites. My big thrill came when our band was told at the last minute that we would back him due to transportation problems with his regular pickers. After being briefed on how Hank wanted it I was disappointed. We were told Hank would do it all, intros, fills,turnarounds,and endings. We were to stay out of his way! I guess he eased up a bit after hearing us. After a few songs he began to have me do some of the great steel sounds his music's famous for. That was a thrill for me.<FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Mike Spaeth on 23 April 2003 at 09:23 AM.]</p></FONT>

Mike: It was no slam at your group. Hank for the past few years has has traveled and played as a single and had to work with young guys who have no idea how his music should sound. He just errs on the side of caution. Once he found out you guys can emulate his style of music, he let you pick. THAT'S A COMPLIMENT.

How was the gig, Mike?

Chip