Johnny Cox

Doug Seymour · Post by **Doug Seymour** » 21 Sep 2001 1:57 pm

Was that Johnny I just heard on WKRP? Wow! I
don't know that I've ever heard him to know for sure it was him, but what I just heard
was really nice C6th stuff! I've heard (via this forum) that he plays a tuning similar to Curley Chalker or maybe it's the same tuning I have senior moments & don't have total recall like some of you youngsters![This message was edited by Doug Seymour on 21 September 2001 at 02:58 PM.]

Bill Ford · Post by **Bill Ford** » 21 Sep 2001 3:28 pm

Doug,
If the Tune is My Funny Valentine,Jonny has it on his CD he plays it with no backup,just Jonny.Every time I hear it I get goosbumps,
Curley would be proud.

Bill Ford

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Mike Sweeney · Post by **Mike Sweeney** » 21 Sep 2001 10:58 pm

That's not "My Funny Valentine" it is a medley of "The Shadow of Your Smile" and "The Nearness Of You". Mike

Mike Cass · Post by **Mike Cass** » 22 Sep 2001 12:16 am

Sweeney....hey... how come yer not at work ???? mental health night off ?

Doug Seymour · Post by **Doug Seymour** » 22 Sep 2001 1:58 am

Mike Sweeny, I think you just answered my question. Those were the tunes I heard! I just couldn't remember the "Nearness" title. What a great job Johnny does on them! Jazz on steel, wow! Does Johnny use 4 picks?[This message was edited by Doug Seymour on 22 September 2001 at 03:00 AM.]

Paul Graupp · Post by **Paul Graupp** » 22 Sep 2001 5:44 am

Doug; His wife posted somewhere on here, that he forgot his picks one night and when she brought them to him, he was playing without them ?? And not only does he have Curly's tuning, I think I read that Curly gave him his guitar as well. Now there's a friend for you !!

Regards, Paul

Doug Seymour · Post by **Doug Seymour** » 22 Sep 2001 6:02 am

Paul, I play without picks sometimes. It can be done & the way I play it doesn't make much
difference anyway. I've been a Chalker fan ever since I heard him play. I'm glad to hear Johnny doing that style. I would suppose
his triple-neck Zum has his C6th on one of the necks. I enjoy your posts!

Paul Graupp · Post by **Paul Graupp** » 22 Sep 2001 11:48 am

Doug; Thank you for the compliment ! I too
have been a Chalker fan for a long time !!

A few years ago I was filling in for a guy who went to Saluda for the show. I saw a couple of guys watching me and you know how you can tell when it's you they are looking at. One came up to me and said: "Lay off the Chalker stuff and play some Emmons..."

I took that as a jab because in the first place I'm the last one to sound like Curly
and as I told him; my Emmons routine was a phony too because my name wasn't Buddy.

When my friends returned from Saluda they told me they had talked to Johnny Cox and that Curly was leaving us. Then I realized that even my trying to play like Curly was a way of showing my regard for him. The JAB became probably the nicest thing anyone has ever said about my playing and I have learned to treasure it.

Whenever I hear Johnny say: "This one's for you Curly !" I get all choked up and I know he's still there. Someone said that when Johnny sat behind Curly's guitar and played on the 6th neck, The Shadow Of Your Smile just came out as if by itself. If anyone can carry this Torch for the rest of us, It Is Johnny Cox !!

Regards, Paul

Roy Rosetta · Post by **Roy Rosetta** » 22 Sep 2001 4:25 pm

The "Dumplin" is as good as they come

.
...Roy

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Music is a "gift" with many wrappings....
....Roy

Gary Walker · Post by **Gary Walker** » 22 Sep 2001 7:07 pm

Terry Bethel told me a few years ago that when Johnny is in his Curly mood that you can turn your back and would swear it was CC himself that Johnny has it down that much and I for one would love to hear everything that Johnny can give us as a memorial to my favorite steel player of all time. Can some one tell me where we can get some of this great playing, thanks, Gary

Gordy Rex · Post by **Gordy Rex** » 23 Sep 2001 8:08 am

What bothers me the most here is that Mr Chalker left us without planting seeds for
his style to grow. So many great players like
Emmons,Franklin,and Wallace have given us a piece of thier soul in the instructional material they left. It seems to me at this point that Mr Cox is one man that could do something about that. Johnny please think about it. Share with us the what Curly has taught you. Most of us do not have the ability to create, we can only dulicate what
the masters have done. And Mr Chalker's soul is in his style and sound and you have it also.
I think it would be a real shame if 20 years from now nobody could play " Chalker " Just my opinion...........
Gordy Rex[This message was edited by Gordy Rex on 23 September 2001 at 09:09 AM.]

Donny Hinson · Post by **Donny Hinson** » 23 Sep 2001 4:49 pm

Hey Doug! Good to see you here. Do you remember The Roane Brothers from Baltimore? (I worked with Johnny and Glenn for about 7 years.)

Doug Seymour · Post by **Doug Seymour** » 23 Sep 2001 5:41 pm

Hi Donny, No I don't think so, but I remember
seeing Bobbe (my nephew) with the Compton Brothers @ York PA. & they backed Bobby Bare on that show. I also remember when I used to listen to Leonard Zinn on the radio with the 101 Ranch Boys broadcasting from York PA (maybe on the ABC network) and he's still doin' it!! (Playing music, I mean, not
broadcasting from York.)

Joan Cox · Post by **Joan Cox** » 24 Sep 2001 5:08 am

Hey guys, thanks for the compliments for Johnny. He and Curly were very close and even right up to the time when Curly died. Johnny has pictures of Curly at his house for Thanksgiving dinner one year. All sitting around the table with his Mom and his kids. It's neat. Johnny has Curly's black MCI guitar. He gets it out and plays it every so often. If I'm in the house upstairs or something, and he's playing in our music room downstairs, it's like Curly's down there. Johnny told me the story about The Shadow of Your Smile. He said it happened not long after Curly passed. Johnny got his guitar out and had it set up in his living room. He sat down to it, and was thinking of the song. He told me that he had never played the song, but always liked Curly's version of it. He said he started to play, and he played it all the way through, note for note, just like Curly. He said it was like he "knew" how to play it, and felt Curly's presence there. (I hope you guys don't think we're goofy, but Johnny was quite affected by this and he wouldn't make this up). He's been playing it ever since.

Recently, he's been playing non-pedal at the Station Inn. The past few weeks, he's been playing an old Sho-Bud guitar that belongs to our friend Kevin Owens. He's got the legs raised all the way up, and he's standing up playing like Leon or Bobby Koefer. It really fits the western swing music. He's having a ball with it. If you get a chance, come down and see the band.

Joan Cox

Paul Graupp · Post by **Paul Graupp** » 24 Sep 2001 5:46 am

I hope you guys don't think we're goofy.....

Joan; On the contrary, we think you both are fantastic ! There is no such other duo in the steel guitar family that I know of. I know I don't speak for everyone but surely a majority of us think the two of you are unique and very special. That story of the Shadow Of Your Smile is probably the most touching memory any of us will ever have of Curly. Nothing could be closer to the truth or reality than an experience like that so rest assured that we treasure it !!

Best Regards, Paul

Doug Seymour · Post by **Doug Seymour** » 24 Sep 2001 7:39 am

Joan, I've heard some of your tunes on the
net radio & I'm not sure if I've heard you
live or not (senior moment) but I liked what I heard very much. I knew the tunes you were
playing & I could tell that you did, too. I
don't always recognize the tunes some people
play on PSG! (Where did the melody go??) You
& Johnny keep up the nice work![This message was edited by Doug Seymour on 24 September 2001 at 08:40 AM.][This message was edited by Doug Seymour on 24 September 2001 at 08:40 AM.]

Miguel e Smith · Post by **Miguel e Smith** » 2 Oct 2001 7:10 am

Johnny's been a fantastic player since the first time I heard him ( I think that was the late 70's ???). One of the things that always (still does) amazed me was his ability to sit down behind someone else's guitar and play it like it was his own. I mean with guitars with strange pedal and tuning setups. Gives me nightmares to even think about doing that. That's a remarkable musical gift and a tribute to how clever his mind works. I can't wait to hear the swing band...many friends keep telling me to go.

Mike

Bob Hayes · Post by **Bob Hayes** » 2 Oct 2001 7:51 am

I think that I had mentioned this once. I first met Dumplin' at a steel show in Nasville in '78 ( I had just come back from Germany) . He was working for either Cal Smith or Jerry Reed.can't remember.It was a great show..Loyd Green, Zane Beck,a youbg Paul Franklin,Jonny Gimble,Hal Rug..and others that I can't rember. Johnny was also playing bass..and I relieved him..he played Cherokke on the steel..I played base,Jerry Reed's other picker(I don;t remmber dido for the great drummer,Buddy Scipher fidle..and Johnny ust brought the house down..Also at June Jam (I think 1995) Johnny was there as Staff Bass man. All the Pickers (Loyd, Hal, John Hueghy,Jeff Newman,Stu Basore, Tommy White, and Paul Frankin) were standing around and Johnny got on each steel ( different set ups) and commenced to play (i forgot the song) .He went from steel to steel and picked just fantastic..with no back up..likr each steel was his..Yes Johnny Cox IS a GREAT STEEL PLAYE a GREAT PERSON and dedicated to the almighty
Grouchyvet

Dougie Hodge · Post by **Dougie Hodge** » 2 Oct 2001 10:07 am

Howdy Doug, I'm glad I saw you on here. It was sure great to see you again at our A.S.G.A. Jam in August!!!!

The next one is November 11th at Brandy Springs Park Bldg., Mercer, PA, will you be able to attend? As for Johnny, I haven't had the pleasure yet to hear any of his music. If you come to the jam Nov. 11th, maybe you could bring some with ya for me to check out while I'm there? I'd sure enjoy listening. I'm in the process of recording my own "Steel Instrumental CD". I have 4 originals as of right now. I'd like to also do some covers for it also. How do ya like my new Emmons LeGrande II? L-710 in it. Thanks, Dougie Hodge

_____________________________________________Emmons LaGrandeII, Evans SE-200, Alesis Midiverb4, Rocktron Comp/Lim/Hush, Boogie Preamp "STEEL ROCKS!!!!"

Rich Mounce · Post by **Rich Mounce** » 4 Oct 2001 8:15 am

Let me add my two cents worth. DITTO to all the great compliments paid to Johnny and Joan. They are both not only great players but super fine people too. We are playing all of Johnny's CD's on Steelradio.com and also all of Joan's cuts off her CD. They are both wonderful additions to our play list.

Rich Mounce
Promotion Director http://steelradio.com

erik · Post by **erik** » 4 Oct 2001 9:28 pm

I have also heard Jonny Cox on steelradio.com. It was the first time and it was C6(i think), and it was amazing. Steelradio.com is allowing me to hear all the greats, and journeymen. I have not listened in a week due to pressing matters but look forward to tuning in again shortly.

Rich Mounce · Post by **Rich Mounce** » 5 Oct 2001 12:19 pm

Erik...Steelradio.com has a lot more tunes to add too. Just keep listening whenever you can I think you will hear something you like. Thanks for the interest and support.

Rich Mounce
Promotion Director http://steelradio.com