The Steel Guitar Forum

Hello Again
I used to work with a man a steel player named Sonny Blaylock at and around the San Jose area. We worked together at the 101 club in 1970. We were working with a Bass man and Band leader named Don West . I last saw Sonny at a Club in Anchorage Alaska called either the green dragon or the green lantern. I was just curious as to where he is at.
Thanks
Ken Frazier

I doo seem to recall that there's been mention of bandleader Don West on the Forum before, but I can't think who it was that mentioned him.
We'll wait and see I guess.

there was a dont wes that managed a club in your area ken, and also played music. there is also another don west in your area that is from the md. area a hell of a steel player. u can check with bud issacs who is in your area too. all great folks. bill

I am sorry to inform you that Sonny has left us..Lived in Kenai,Alaska. For details you might contact Moon in AK. This happened some time ago ..maybe 5 years from what i can remember.I met Sonny at a Johnny Collingsworth gig in AK many years ago...Johnny has passed on also ..Sonny was a fine player. Bill in Vegas

Bill
Thank you so much for the information.I often wondered what happened to him. I didn't know that he moved to Alaska permanently. He usually worked the Nev Circuit. The year I saw him in Alaska was 1973. We were doing a gig at a place called country city on he Seward hiway and he was over in Anchorage proper. He had a setup on his steel that was different.
Thanks Again
Ken Frazier

Ken, I remember Sonny. I was with Paul Harper when he put the first band in the Matador Club in Anchorage on New Years Day 1973. I believe he was working with Johnny Callingsworth at the Bucaroo Club in
Spinard at the time. Didn't know he had passed on tho.
Perry

I wonder if this was the same man that played several months in the house band (back when clubs -had- house bands) at Eric's 400 club in Richmond, Calif. where I tended bar for a time, just after getting out of the service? Time frame would be about right - played a Fender 400 or 800 as I recall and was a fantastic picker. . .

Hi Sunny
Sonny Blaylock played a double 10. I don't recall the name of the guitar company. He had a string setup that I had not seen before I met him In 1970. On a normal 10 string where the first string and the second string are. Those strings (on sonny's setup)were string 2 and string 4. with the normal string 3 and 4 switched to 1 and 3. But he Played the heck out of it
Thanks
Ken Frazier

Ken-Maybe sort of like this-

<font face="monospace" size="3"><pre>

1. G#
2. F#
3. E
4. D#
5. B

</pre></font>

Very logical, if you drop the 4 string down to C# you have E6th, drop it to D, you have E7, E9 with the 2s String. Lots of stuff there.Pretty smart cookie.....al

Hi Al
Yessir I have to agree with you. Sonny Played a lot of Jazz as well as country. I would have loved to have seen him and Buzz Evans on The same Bandstand.
Thanks for the comeback
Ken FRazier

I've got a picture of a steel man I'll send
you & you can try & guess who it is, you won't win anything, but it'll take you a couple of minutes while you're on the 'puter anyway! (when maybe you should be practicing)

Hey Doug,
I can't wait to see who the mystery man is.
Thanks for the comeback.
Ken Frazier