The Steel Guitar Forum

Tonite I was flipping the TV channels and came upon a Lawrence Welk re-run, where he was introducing their version of a "big hit by Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys... San Antonio Rose!" Well, I nearly fell down! I had no idea Lawrence Welk played this kinda stuff. Turns out it was his "country music" special, and most of the other tunes (and guests) were pretty lame but the horn and clarinet players on San Antonio Rose were actually very good, swingin' players.
Later on in the show they had some guy with hair strumming a guitar and singing some kinda "country" song, with a pedal steel in the background. I couldn't tell who was playing, but he did alright too. Anybody know who that might have been? Looked like he was playing a black Emmons pushpull.

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The "Master of Acceptable Tone"
www.jimcohen.com

That was Buddy Merrill. He had a couple albums out and there have been a few threads on him in the past.

Hi Jim. If my memory serves me correctly, the steel players name was Buddy Merrill and he played a black Emmons PP. This probably would of been in the 60's and 70's. He also played quitar.

Thanks, Jim and Teirre. I dug up the previous threads on Buddy Merrill, and even visited his website. Guess what? His biography never even mentions his playing steel guitar! It describes him as a "guitarist" and shows a large photo of him playing 6-string, and never mentions steel. There is an old photo of him when he was a boy, playing with his dad, and he was playing a lap steel in that photo, but again the caption fails to mention that he played steel. Odd. (Of course, we steel players think the sun and moon revolve around steel guitars. Well, they do, don't they?) <FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Jim Cohen on 19 January 2002 at 09:04 PM.]</p></FONT>

it's the gravitational pull of all that metal

Jim, it's a shame you tuned in late for that particular episode of Welk because Buddy gets a solo shot in the first few minutes of the program and plays a very sweet and traditional version of "Panhandle Rag" on the C6th neck of his Emmons. Merrill joined the show in 1955 and was a featured soloist on standard guitar ( often a beautiful custom Stratocaster...he was an endorsement artist for Fender at the time). Occasionally he'd be used as the steel guitarist on certain Hawaiian tunes that the band would perform. At that time in the show (late 50's and early to mid-60's he played Fender pedal guitars...usually not employing the pedals). At some point he had a little falling-out with Fender and stopped performing publicly with their instruments and made an effort to play every competeing brand of guitar he could find in protest. I would love to read Jody Carver's account of this subject.

At first when you said there was a guy "with hair", I thought.......Well, it sure wasn't Ol Bobby Slizmore. (I couldn't resist, Hee,Hee) And while I am at it, didn't LW have Alvino Rey play steel on his shows?

Speedy made an appearance on the Welk show back in 54,,,played "caravan" just like I taught him to play it

The "Bubble" machine broke when Speedy did those "bar crashes". I was booked to do that
show in 1956,,conflict with TV red tape and
booking agent killed that deal,,,I did get a few "bubbles" Speedy saved and sent to me,.

Now "Im Forever Blowing Bubbles"

PS Speedy played his Bigsby,,,,I was to play my Fender,,,,oh thats "bubbles" under the bridge. Neil LeVange was the great guitarist
on that show along with Buddy,.

Eric,,,some stories are difficult to post,,,
repercussions can occur, you know what I mean?..Maybe,,,well just maybe,,,but its only something that happens in the best of families..will see how I can explain when the time comes. Its not exciting,,,,,sort of boring really.

I dont tell "boring stories" or do I ???? <FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Jody Carver on 20 January 2002 at 06:45 AM.]</p></FONT>

In the late 60s, the NC State Fair had the Lawrence Welk Show and the union man called and asked me if I wanted to play it. I replied: I'm not in the union. He said: I'm not looking for members, they want a steel guitarist for the show. I was very aware of Buddy Merrill and almost said no but I did it
and had a ball. Made me feel good about steel guitar when they said they had to have one.

As an aside: Lynn Anderson was big at that time with Rose Garden and was a member of the Welk cast. She asked me if I could play like Lloyd Green ? I replied: If I could I'd be in Nashville and not Raleigh, NC

Regards, Paul <FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Paul Graupp on 20 January 2002 at 08:09 AM.]</p></FONT>

I too, seem to remember Alvino Ray being a part of Lawrence Welk's band and have a personal reason for wishing this confirmed or denied. Anybody know for sure?

Caught that show. Buddy apparently used the ring finger under style of blocking. Very good version of Panhandle Rag on an Emmons black push-pull. Later I was treated to a rousing version of Tulsa Time complete with trombones and plucking violins! Soooooo white.

I had the pleasure of meeting Buddy Merrill in the early 80's in Southern California. I was working Tuesday through Sunday on lead guitar and steel at a club in north Long Beach called the DJ Ranch. One of the Sunday Afternoon/Monday Night bands we used was Danny Michaels and the Rebel Playboys and I used to go in on my off nights a lot to listen to them. Danny would use Al Vescovo and Buddy Merrill a lot on steel. Danny told me once that it kept him on his toes as they were playing steel but they were both better guitar players than he was and Danny was a smokin' picker. Buddy played a wonderful version of the old pop ballad "Once in a While". After he played it one night I asked him about the pedal changes needed for that tune as he played it on C6th. I had everything on my U12 to do it so it's still one of my favorite things to play thanks to Buddy Merrill. He probably won't remember it but he really helped me a lot just by watching him. On occasion I'd fill in with Danny's band too so I played that song one night and Danny said "What in the Hell is that tuning you're using" I told him it was a Universal E9/B6th. Although I didn't play it too well he was impressed with what could be done on one neck!

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Have a good 'un! JH U-12

I gotta add a Danny Michaels "audition" story!

Danny Michaels and the Rebel Playboys used to have a live radio show on KFOX-AM back in the 1960s... as did Al Petty, but that's another story ... and I was a faithful listener but too young to get into the joints where these guys played. Danny had a great band in those days, with Jerry Stevenson on steel. I still have an album of that band.

Anyway, 12 years later in 1977, Danny Michaels calls me in Texas and asks if I wanted to move back to LA and play in his band. I had never talked to him but remembered him from the mid-60's. I was between steady gigs and could have done the gig, since I had family in CA I could stay with.

He said "I'm gonna audition you over the phone. Spell an E13th chord."

I gave him the notes and he said "Correct. You've got the job if you want it."

Ultimately, I decided to remain in Texas. But somehow I dug Danny Michaels even more after my "audition." <FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Herb Steiner on 21 January 2002 at 03:26 PM.]</p></FONT>

I guess I would have failed that audition after I said, "E-T-H-I-R-T-E-E-N-T-H".

Definetly Buddy Merrill. I think the guitar player was Neil Levang, (sp?)
I think I have a couple of Buddy Merrill albums floating around here somewhere.

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My best,
Ernie

The Official Buddy Emmons Website
www.buddyemmons.com

"Songs of the Islands", featuring Buddy Merrill, Dot 4-track Stereo Tape, DST-25251

Jim
I think it was B.S.

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I dont think Alvino played for LW. Alvino & the King sisters had thier own show around 59-60, maybe later, that was kind of like LW's.