Bob Wills Steeler?

Roger Shackelton · From: MINNESOTA (deceased)

Around 1965, Bob Wills recorded an album in Nashville. Leon Rausch was his singer at this time. Bob and the band are pictured on the front cover of the album jacket. The steel player has a crewcut hair style and is playing a Fender 1000. At least once on the album Bob refers to the steel player as "Brother Phil." Does anyone know who Brother Phil is?

Roger

Cliff Waterman · Posted 2 Aug 2003 10:08 am

In the time frame you mentioned (1965), I'm sure that would have been Phil Sperbeck. I knew him when he lived in the Osage Beach, Mo. area. My mother and his dad worked together several years. He was a great player.

Bob Watson · From: Champaign, Illinois, U.S.

I met a guy at a music store in Fort Collins Colorado in the mid Eighties that told me he had played for Bob Wills. We started talking about Jazz and he floored me when he told me he was a Jazz Steel Player. He said he had played for Bob Wills right after Herb Remington had the gig. He also mentioned that he was in the Army with Kenny Burrell. I don't recall this guys name but Phil Sperbeck kind of rings a bell. I had a great conversation with this gentleman and I have always been curious about who he was. Any ideas?

Jason Odd · From: Stawell, Victoria, Australia

After Boggs (we're takining the 1940s here) in 1945 Les 'Carrot Top' Anderson (steel) was with the group briefly, his one session was in October 1945. Anderson appears on the single ‘Deep Water b/w This Is Southland’ (Columbia) 1947.

Boggs comes back, then leaves for good in 1946, he was replaced by Roy Honeycutt (steel) whose stay was also brief, he leaves to work with the Luke Wills band in 1946.
In 1946 Herb Remmington joins the group on steel guitar, so now we're getting somewhere.
I think Remmington split in 1950. Wills' 1950 hit single 'Faded Love,' was recorded with Billy Jack Wills on lead vocals, sixteen year old Texas Playboy Tommy Perkins on drums, and the flip side was the Herb Remington penned, 'Boot Heel Drag.'

After this I'm not sure how it went, a session at the Trianon Ballroom, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. 23.1.1950 included one
Hal Clampitt on steel alongside the likes of Tiny Moore; Johnny Gimble; Jimmie Widener Luke Wills; Mancel Tierney; Keith Coleman Bob White; and Billy Jack Wills.

Later in 1950 there was Myrl "Rusty" McDonald, then Billie Bowman (aka Billy Bowman) on steel, Billie was drafted and replaced by Bobby Koeffer in 1951 and so on.
A few temp player were around in the 1950 period, if your guy isn't mentioned here Bob Watson, then maybe he was a temp.

Any band members after 1964 weren't really Texas Playboys, Bob had disbanded the group and they were really the Bob Wills band, and his only permanenet member was his vocalists at the time.
Leon Rausch left Bob Wills employ in '62, members came and went, Reece Anderson joined the group on pedal steel in 1963, Gene Crownover would do all the lead parts while Anderson would handle the rhythm and fills. he played a 10 string Fender steel during this period as Wills had a deal going with Fender who supplied all his gear.
Reece recalls the band of 1963-1964 consisted of Joe Andrews (vocal and bass), Luke Wills (vocals, bass), Bobby McBay (Drums, and the brother of Billy McBay who played fiddle with Dewey Groom), Benny Johnson (Piano), Gene Gassaway (Fiddle), George Clayborn (Fiddle), Billy Carter (Guitar), Gene Crownover and of course Anderson on steel guitars.
This version of the group played on a 1964 Wills session for Longhorn Records in Dallas, resulting in the Wills single 'If He's Movin' In b/w Let's Get It Over And Done With.'

Most of this group, McBay, Billy Carter, Johnson and Crownover lasted until the group disbanded in 1964. Marvin Montgomery (1964) may have been involved in the group just before Bob folded the band.

Bob's solo debut was "Keepsake Album #1" (LP-001) 1965 on Longhorn Records in Dallas, this has been reissued by a couple of companies, Bob stayed with Longhorn through most of '65 and then went to Nashville.

Phil Sperbeck is listed as a 1965 only member of Wills band, Bob did record with some of his road guys during the Nashville years, Roger, what album was it?

Bob had a couple of post-Playboys singers who were the only permanent ones with him.
There was one guy whose name escapes me and Tag Lambert was was with Bob around 1966-1969, in fact he was with Bob on the last gig, April 26 1969 at the Dell City Civic Centre in Texas. From what I understnad this was his last ever gig, and the group included Tag Lambert (guitar, vocals), Bobby Penton (steel), Burt Parker (guitar, vocals), Bill Ramsey (bass) and David Bost (drums).

Anyway, getting back to the original topic, I'd say Cliff is right and it's Phil Sperbeck on steel. From about 1966 onwards it was pretty much all Nashville cats that played on Bob's Kapp albums, except Tag Lambert of course.

Roger Shackelton · From: MINNESOTA (deceased)

Hi Jason, I don't have the album handy, but I believe it is: "Deep in The Heart Of Texas". I think it was recorded in Nashville in 1966.

Roger

Gene Jones · From: Oklahoma City, OK USA, (deceased)

Jason is correct....Crownover replaced me at the Diamond Ballroom in Oklahoma City in early 1964 after leaving Wills....and later played with various bands booking as the "Playboys" on casual jobs after that.
www.genejones.com

Al Udeen · From: Hendersonville Tn

When I was living in Nashville in 69, I worked some road dates with the late, Dale Potter, I was at his house & recall seeing a plaque on his wall, that read something like, "Best Fiddle Player", & it was signed by Bob Wills, Did Dale work with Wills? au

seldomfed · From: Colorado

Bob, a jazz steeler in Ft. Collins in the 80's you could have met was Joe Byers. He passed away a number of years ago but was still around back then. Never heard that he played with Bob Wills, but I could ask his son, Keith.
chris

------------------
Chris Kennison
Ft. Collins, Colorado
"There is no spoon"
www.book-em-danno.com

Bob Watson · From: Champaign, Illinois, U.S.

Chris, I bet that Joe Byers was the guy I met. I really don't recall the name, but how many people would even consider themselves to be a Jazz steel player in that area. It seems that I remember that the guy I met had been in poor health and had just gotten' out of the hospital. It would be great if you could talk to his son and find out if he had played for Bob Wills. Even if this isn't the same guy, I am always interested in anyone who plays Western Swing or Jazz on the Steel. I would also like to thank Jason for sharing his wealth of historical knowledge about Bob Wills with us.

[This message was edited by Bob Watson on 07 August 2003 at 09:47 PM.]

[This message was edited by Bob Watson on 07 August 2003 at 09:49 PM.]

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