The Steel Guitar Forum

Just wanted to let everyone know that my friend Eddie Stubbs will be doing a tribute to the late Bashful Brother Oswald this evening. As most of you know, Os was Roy Acuff's dobro player for many years. We have all been influenced at least indirectly by his playing. Many of the players we still learn from claim Os as one of their major influences including Don Helms, Shot Jackson, and Bud Isaacs. If you all would like to tune in, Eddie will be on WSM am 650 from 8:00-midnight central time in Nashville. If you can't get WSM over the radio, it is also webcast and you can find that at www.wsmonline.com. Stubbs always does a great job teaching us a history lesson, so tune in and enjoy (and learn!)

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www.DonnaHammitt.com

Thanks for the info.

Donna:

I first heard "Pete" Kirby on the Opry when I was 8 or 9 -- and that was about 1938. I thought for a long time it was Roy Acuff playing steel, until I finally saved up 50 cents and sent in for the "Roy Acuff Folio" and learned from the pictures that is was "Oswald." It was he who first inspired me to try to learn steel. "Fire Ball Mail," "Wabash Cannon Ball," and "Great Speckeled bird" were the first songs I learned to play, doing my best to imitate Os. Had I not had the inspiration he gave me, I would probably have missed a wonderful career and a very memorable part of my life.

Thanks for posting this thread. I'll be on wsmonline for the entire tribute.

Roy

Roy: I wish I could remember how long it was that I thought Eddy Arnold was playing that Ting-A-Ling steel guitar......I mean, didn't they always say: Here's Eddy Arnold and HIS guitar !! Even said that on the records of his that I bought so it must have been true. Maybe later on I might have even thought he bought a guitar for Lil' Roy to play on.... Heck, we never knew about things that happened that far away. Why Nashville was near as far away as London or Berlin as far we could tell from the big globe we had in that one room school house I went to. And we was pretty advanced for those days. We had an outhouse for the boys and one for the girls and Miss Stine, our teacher. It didn't get no better than that.

Regards, Paul

Donna:

I made it through a couple of hours of the tribute to Oswald. Brought back a lot of memories. I'm tired today, however. I'm no longer used to that night life. I just hope I can make it through this 13 hour day (I have to attend a night meeting that will probably run until 9:00 p.m.)

Thanks again for letting us know about the tribute.

Paul:

I know what you mean. When I was 8 or 9 my dad bought an RCA cabinet model radio. It was one of the first in my home town. On Saturday nights neighbors and friends would come over, and from about 8:00 until midnight we would all sit around in a semi-circle listening to the Opry and staring at that radio as we now stare at the boob tube. We had no idea of who was playing what instrument. Oswald was my first idol, and Roy Wiggins my second -- until I finally heard Joaquin and Alvino. I love the more advanced stuff, but I still owe a real debt of gratitude to those two who inspired me as a kid to learn this weird instrument. Oh -- there was one other who influenced me in my younger years, someone none of you probably ever heard of. It was R. A. Davis, a local in my home town of Columbus Mississippi. I thought his "San Antonio Rose" on his non-electric was the greatest thing I had ever heard.

Regards to both of you,

Roy

That "signature laugh" will always remain in my memory.....can that many years have really passed? Another loss.

Another "stray" from the topic, but someone mentioned Roy Wiggins in a post above...I have a memory that some "old" Forum member can probably clear up for me.

Back in the 1960's I played a show where George Morgan was a guest and he brought his own steel player who played the "ting a ling" just like Roy Wiggins. I can still see him....kind of short, with a round face, does anyone know who that steel player was? www.genejones.com

That was Roy "Mr.Ting-a-Ling" Wiggins. He worked with George Morgan until George passed on. Roy also did some stuff with other artists during this time period.

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

Billy Robinson might argue that point with you. www.billchaviers.com

It wasn't Roy Wiggins....But he played just like him!

Billy Robinson?

Gene...it is quite possible that was not Roy that you saw with George. I do know that Roy did tour with George during that time period because I worked a club in Va. Beach, Va that, on 3 different occaisions booked George Morgan and Little Roy was with him as well as the great Sammy Pruitt (known for his work with Hank Williams) was playing guitar with him. I have a record album autographed by Roy and George during one of those engagements. That is why I was so positive in thinking it was Roy you saw.

Roy had a great versin of the Steel Guitar Rag. It was pretty basic but he would precede the 3rd note of the opening riff with a lick that was remeniscent of the "Chew Tobacco Rag" lick. It was a "fun" thing and it weas liked by everybody that happened to hear it. It put me on the floor everytime I heard him play it. To this day, I have to smile when I remember his version...

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

Kenny, I appreciate your first-hand information on the subject and thank you for posting it....the reason I remember the show so well is because this steel player sounded JUST LIKE Roy Wiggins, but it wasn't him, but in my old age I have forgotten his name! www.genejones.com

Donna, thank you for letting us know. Mr. Kirby made resonator guitar fans and players out of countless numbers. Thanks also for the great music you have given us with Rhonda Vincent and your excellent playing with Bill.