The Steel Guitar Forum

I heard one time that Johnny Paycheck played steel and he played for someone years ago, but, I cannot remember who it was. Thanks.

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Emmons S-10 4 & 5
Evans FET 500, Session 400 LTD, ProFex 11

I am here talking to Gary Adams at this minute he says Paycheck played with George Jones in 1962 and he played lead guitar. A little later Paycheck left and Jimmie Crawford played Steel.Gary and Paycheck wrote the instrumental " Jonesy" and was later recorded by Hal Rugg. We will have to wait for the rest of the story.Gary has millions of them . Ed Naylor Steel Guitar Works.

Thank you Ed and Gary for the quick response. I KNEW he played for SOMEONE BIG, but, I had forgoten who it was. God Bless you Both.

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Emmons S-10 4 & 5
Evans FET 500, Session 400 LTD, ProFex 11

I didn't know that he played steel! He played bass and guitar for George Jones, Faron Young and I think he was with Ray Price for a while...

Let's hear some more stories!

Kind Regards, Walter

www.lloydgreentribute.com
www.austriansteelguitar.at.tf

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He played with Ray Price under the name of Donny Young. I have them on tape at the Louisiana(sp) Hayride. About 1970 or so.

Lloyd Green once asked to borrow my Twin Reverb for a job he was doing in St Louis. After I met him, with the amp, he said: Let me introduce you to another steel player...

And there was Johnny Paycheck smiling at me !!

Regards, Paul

While we're on the subject..., several years ago, ok..., quite a few years ago now..., I attended a coming home party for a friend in Tracy, California. I had heard that Johnny Paycheck was suppose to be there to perform. While making my way to the main party, in and out of quite a few motorcycles parked around the perimeter of the party, I noticed one of those Cowboy "Limos" parked over to one side of the place. Being curious by nature, I decided to check it out. While I was bent over looking inside, I felt the presence of someone behind me! I turned around and lo, and behold, it was Johnny himself. I apoligized to him and explained that I was just checking out the Limo, and he invited me in. We talked about Steel Guitars for awhile, and I guess that was the first time that I ever knew that he at one time was a Steel Player. He told me matter-of-factly, that he was just a "git-tar picker" not a steel player. Even still, we had a great conversation about them, and about our friend that we had come to welcome home! There will never be another Johnny Paycheck. I do believe that the mold was broken after he was created. He was one of the nicest people I've ever met!

Bob

Here is more info: http://steelguitarforum.com/Forum15/HTML/002266.html

-johnson

Johnny Paycheck lived in southern California for a while in the 60's. I remember him and his band "The Cashiers" playing at the Blue Room in La Puente, Ca. Johnny played steel quite a bit with that band. At one point they were doing the after hours or the morning session on weekends and I can still see Paycheck slumping over his steel, either sleeping or passed out. All in all, he was one of the most unique vocalists country music has ever seen. My favorite tune of his would have to be a ballad called "For a Minute There" which really showcased his soul.....Have a good 'un, JH

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Livin' in the Past and the Future with a 12 string Mooney Universal tuning.

Paycheck real name was LYTLE.He has a brother Jeff that I used on a show one time. Johnny recorded under the name DONNY YOUNG .I have Johnny's old D-10 Fingertipper and I may take it to the Lexington Show.Paycheck was born about 35 miles from where I am, and the city of GREENFIELD Placed a monument or street or somthing in his memory.ED

I do know one thing for sure, in 1958, Donnie Young called me & said he was playing steel with George Jones at the Flame Cafe in Minneapolis, & that his Sho-Bud had not arrived in time for the gig, & could he borrow my Sho-Bud, [Apparently Shot Jackson had told him I had one] I brought the guitar to him each nite, several years later, I ran into Donnie at the old Possum Holler in Nashvile, & he said, "I remember you, I borrowed your horn " May his soul rest in peace! Al Udeen<FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Al Udeen on 08 October 2004 at 06:57 AM.]</p></FONT>

Only a couple of people have been able to sit and play Ralph Mooney's steel. Two that I have seen were Paycheck and Joe Wright. Uuuhh ... at different times. My fave Paycheck tune is also For A Minute There.
Thanks for the memory! Regards, Fred

I sure didn't know Johnny played guitar or steel guitar. I know one thing, that little man could sing!!! one of my favorite all time singers.

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84 SKH Emmons Legrand D10
session 400'rd Steelin for my Lord.

My favorite Paycheck song was "Florance Jean".

Yeah, some good comments here.
He did play steel with Jones, he mainly played bass in the other band he worked in, I suppose one of his longer stints as a steel player was with The Cashiers, the group that Jerry H. mentioned.

After things kind of feel through for Little Darlin' in '69, he'd based himself in SoCal.
He might have moved there as early as 1968, but I'm not sure.
The Cashiers were split between Carl Waldren who makes the occasional appearence on the forum. They took turns fronting the band, whoever was fronting played guitar, while the other played steel.
And yeah, they played the Blue Room in La Puente, Ca.
In 1970 both of them went to Nashville, cut an album for Paycheck, but it was in 1971 that Paycheck got the deal with Epic and actually moved away from California as a major deal offered him a chance to have a touring band again.
He did okay, sold pretty well, but it wasn't until 1978 that he scored a decent hit.

I might add there are stories of him splitting his time between California, Las Vegas and Nashville from the late 1950s right through the 1960s.

Before Little Darlin' took off in the mid 1960s he spent time in the Jones Boys, the Palomino Club in Hollywood and playing around Vegas where he could. It was during one of those Las Vegas stints that he teamed up with Bobby Austin and helped write 'Apartment No#9.'

I've also heard quite a few stories of him hanging out with Wynn Stewart's band over the years, during the Vegas years with Mooney, and even before that at George's Roundup when they'd let people sit in with Wynn's band the West Coast Playboys.

Right Jason, Paycheck spent a lot of time at George's Round-Up with Wynn Stewart. He also did a lot of demo sessions at Sundown Records. We had great times together. He also spent some time living with Skeets McDonald in La Marida,Ca.

Carl West

Carl 'the main man' West, good to see you here on the Forum.

For those that don't know, Carl played steel for Wynn Stewart in the 1950s, his replacement was some fella named Ralph Mooney.

Carl, what was the go with Sundown Records, do you recall much about the studio or the label?
Without checking my notes, I seem to recall that you might have cut that single with Norm Owens at Sundown, yeah?

I was playing rock on the circuit and caught a Sunday show in Lacrosse, Wisconsin in 1960 that featured George Jones. Only about 15 people at the show which wasn't promoted to well.
Johnny Paycheck, Donny Young at the time,was on the show playing steel for both George Jones and Patsy Cline. This show was shortly after Patsy was in the car accident and she was still on crutches. Early 1960.
Dave Burley

Jason & Carl: I am facinated by your stories of Wynn & Bobby Austin. Who played steel on Bobby's Apt. #9 and Toy Heart? Also do you know who did his harmonies for those recordings. I played with a guy up here at "Betty's" (the x Mrs. Ferlin Husky). This fella told me he worked with Bobby. Wynn, Bobby, and Don Rich were fishin buddies in the early Bakersfield days. Tell me what you know. I love it. Thanks.

A couple of random thoughts:

1) Red Rhodes got a beautiful blue S-11 Zane Beck guitar, made in Phoenix, in 1966. Somewhere in my files I have the copedent. Anyway, in 1969 he told me that he "sold the guitar to Paycheck." I went down to San Diego that summer saw Johnny playing it at some joint. Later I found it in a pawn shop in SD but didn't buy it. Definitely should have.

2) I ran into Paycheck around 1976 in Dallas at the Longhorn Ballroom, where I was playing with Alvin Crow and the Pleasant Valley Boys. Paycheck was heavy in his cups and we were reminiscing about The Blue Room. He was partners with Eddie Drake for awhile in that bidness.

Anyway, Junior Knight was playing in the house band at the Longhorn, playing a Bb6 S-12. Those of you who know Junior realize he can make the Bb6 sound so close to E9 you'd think Lloyd Green was onstage. Paycheck thought it WAS E9, so he told me "I believe I'm gonna set in on that boy's guitar." I told Junior that Paycheck wanted to sit in and he said "sure!!" Didn't tell him it was Bb6!! Well, you can imagine how it sounded. One of those nights that make this life worth it.

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Herb's Steel Guitar Pages
Texas Steel Guitar Association

Pretty much anything by Bobby Auston on Capitol Records features Ralph Mooney on steel.
There was an original release of Apt.#9 on Tally Records in 1966 which led to Bobby signing on with Capitol that year.
I've never heard the Tally version, it may well have been bought up and used on Bobby's 1967 Capitol LP, I can't compare, so I'm not sure.

Herbster, great Paycheck stories man, thanks.

Herb,
While stationed in Okinawa, I had a cheap Jap. bass. When you got the G string just about to G it would break. I tuned everything down 5 frets and played that way for a year. At onee of our gigs, a guy kept bugging Don the band leader about sitting in on bass, well he finally gave in, with instructions to me not to tell how bass was set up, he lasted 2 songs, could not figure out what was going on, real humorous to say the least
Mike

I was with a band on the midnight jamboree in February of 1959. Justin Tubb was running things , as Ernest was on the road.I never set my steel up, as a young guy offered me the use of his..It was a double ten Rick that shot had put some pedals on.The steeler was LLoyd Green. On the show that night was a young singer named Donnie Young.He sang a song about being on a mountain top and lookin down at the girl he loved.I found out years later that that was Paycheck.Great song and a great singer and song writer. My favorite Paycheck song is " If you think you lonely " and Ray Price put it on his last album " Time ".
Old Bud