Bonnie Lou & Buster show

Mike Weirauch · From: Harrisburg, Illinois**The Hub of the Universe

This show was on every Saturday afternoon and was sponsored by Jim Walter Homes. It was total country and started out with local talent. One I can remember was a tall blonde named Ava Barber. Later they moved their show to Gatlinburg or Pigeon Forge and would have guest appearances by Ernie Ashworth and others I can't remember. I haven't seen or heard their named mentioned in years and was just wondering what ever happened to them. They always had a steel guitar in their band.

Stephen Gambrell · From: Over there

If I'm not mistaken, Brother Mike Sweeney played with Ava Barber---MIKE???

Smiley Roberts · From: Hendersonville,Tn. 37075

I have one album by Ava Barber,on the Ranwood label.(Randy Wood,founder of Dot Records.) Its called,"You're Gonna Love Love",featuring "Bucket To The South".
Lead & steel guitar: Terry Christoffersen (??) Released in 1977.

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  ©¿©  It don't mean a thang,   


  mm   if it ain't got that twang.


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Mike Sweeney · From: Nashville,TN,USA

Yes Stephen I worked for Ava in 1983. She left Bonnie Lou and Buster to go to work for Lawrence Welk in 1974 I think. While she was there she cut two albums for Ranwood. "Country As Grits" and "You're Gonna Love Love". She had two charted records one was "Bucket To The South" and "Waiting At The End Of Your Run". She also had Bryan Adams on steel for a long time as well as Sidney Spiva and Eddie Trent.
Getting back to the Bonnie Lou And Buster Show it was Pepe Joe Peeler who played steel on that. I can still hear that forward roll thing he did to introduce the Jim Walter Homes theme.

Mike

Stephen Gambrell · From: Over there

And then, after you worked with Ava, your career went downhill and you played with us!

Seriously, I thought I remembered you talking about playing with her.

Bobby Boggs · From: Upstate SC.

Well I feel left out.I never played with Ava

but I did play the Bonnie Lou & Buster TV show in 1971 at age 13.Seems they taped in Knoxville at that time.But I was too young to drive so I didn't care..............bb

Fred Justice · From: Mesa, Arizona

Hi Mike Sweeney,Man I remember ole Peppie Jo,
I bought my very first steel guitar from ole David West their Banjo player.It was a
Peppie Jo D-10 8x2,played like a old Mack truck with no clutch.Later we rigged up two more knee levers on it,I tried to play that thing for about the first year then found it a new home.I guess Peppie is gone from us now,I stoped to see David West a few years back and he had had a heart attack and was asleep when I went through there.Lord Lord.

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Fred Justice
Events Dir.
SWSGA www.swsteelguitar.com

Nick Reed · From: Russellville, KY USA

I used to run this show back in the 70's when I worked at WPSD-TV (Channel 6) in Paducah. The show was produced and originated from WATE-TV (another channel 6)in Knoxville. . . and if I'm not mistaken, our friend "Stoney Stonecipher" was the show's Director.
Around 1986, I went to see Bonnie Lou & Buster's live country show at the Coliseum in Pigeon Forge. At that time, Little Roy Wiggins was playing Steel for them. Ahhh, great memories from the past.

[This message was edited by Nick Reed on 06 January 2005 at 08:20 PM.]

Mike Weirauch · From: Harrisburg, Illinois**The Hub of the Universe

WPSD was the station I watched it on since we only got channels 3, 6 & 12. I now remember them referring to someone named Pepe in the band and that forward roll that started out the Jim Walters song still sticks in my mind. Thanks Nick for the picture. Good memories!

Steve Leonard · From: Bristol,VA.,U.S.A

Fred, Pepe Peeler is still with us and still
playing. He is playing lap steel now, but he burns it up. Pepe and Garland Nash did a set at our show here in Bristol back in October and brought the house down.

Smiley Roberts · From: Hendersonville,Tn. 37075

Bill Ford · From: Graniteville SC Aiken

I heard that Bonnie Lou & Buster were do'ing a show in Pigeon Forge a while back,( a year or so), and Herbie Wallace was steeler

Take this as hearsay..OK?...OK.

Bill

Steve Hinson · From: Hendersonville Tn USA

Smiley-I think Terry Christoffersen works for Buck Owens...I remember seeing him on TV with Buck.

George Kimery · From: Limestone, TN, USA

The Bonnie Lou and Buster show has been closed in Pigeon Forge for several years. Buster died several years ago and I think so did Bonnie Lou. Her brother, Lloyd Bell sang and played bass. He died quiet a few years before Bonnie or Buster. They had a great dobro player at one time named Daryl Glenn. They had a TV show on WJHL in Johnson City when TV just began in our area. This was before the Jim Walter deal and the Knoxville TV stint. They used to go out to local schools at nights and do shows. They were real celebrities and always filled the house. They had guest stars with the show most of the time. Homer Harris and his trick horse Stardust, Ray Meyers (whol played steel with no arms and used his feet), and Fuzzy St. John, side kick of Lash LaRue, the cowboy whip weilding star. Ah, these were the days!

Fred Layman · From: Springfield, Missouri USA

I saw the Bonnie Lou and Buster show during the mid-90s in Pigeon Forge. Roy Wiggins was playing steel for them. I think Stoney Stonecipher also sat in on occasion. I was unaware that they had passed away. I used to see Lloyd Bell at a seafood restaurant in Pigeon Forge around 2000/2001 when I was living in PF. Maybe Stoney can come on and clear this up for us.

[This message was edited by Fred Layman on 05 January 2005 at 05:14 PM.]

Stoney Stonecipher · From: Knoxville, TN (deceased)

Thanks Fred, I think I can add some light on most of what has been said on this thread. As far as the TV Show is concerned, Walter Haynes played steel on the show for a while, then Big Jim Webb (Del Reeves), and then Pepe Peeler. After that it was Darryl Glen on Dobro and Steel and guess who replaced Darryl for the rest of that show, yep, you guessed it, it was me.

Bonnie Lou and Buster opened up the first show in Pigeon Forge at the Coliseum. I don't remember who might have been the first steel players. I believe one of the first was Bobby Loveday and then Little Roy Wiggins, and guess who replaced him, yep, you guessed it, it was me. I played there until the show closed.

After the show closed, Lloyd Bell went to work at Dollywood in the Transportation Department where he still works today. I see him at least 2 or 3 times a week. Approximately 5 years ago, Buster passed away. Bonnie moved to Morristown to live with her sisters and sings only in church. She visits Dollywood often to see Lloyd and myself.

As for Ava Barber, she is now on tour with the personalities of the Lawrence Welk Show. When not touring, she works at a restaurant she owns. She also performs at some of the local shows. Guess who's band and steel player played on the audition tape that got her on the Lawrence Welk Show, yep, you guessed it, it was me and my band, The Kountry Kings.

Guess who's band and steel player furnished the music for her first 2 records, which were local releases, yep, you guessed it, it was me and my band, the Kountry Kings. After that, she went big time and had them big steel players like Mike Sweeney.

Yes, Nick, I was technically involved with the Bonnie Lou and Buster Shows, when it was being taped on Channel 6 here in Knoxville. As a matter of fact, I was still an employee when I was playing on the show. I retired from there and went to Dollywood where I have played since then with Dolly's Kinfolks Show. Come and see me and Lloyd some time.

I hope this clears up any questions concerning Bonnie Lou and Buster, 2 truly great entertainers. So much so, that the Archives Of Appalachia, East Tennessee State University, at Johnson City are transferring over 250 2" tapes to VHS to put in the Archives. I have been transferring some of the VHS to DVD for Bonnie Lou and Lloyd for about 2 weeks.

[This message was edited by Stoney Stonecipher on 05 January 2005 at 09:11 PM.]

L. A. Wunder · From: Lombard, Illinois, USA

Terry Cristofferson did, and still does play for Buck Owens. (At least he did the last time I checked.) I don't know what else he's done as a steel player, but I know he also plays guitar. Hope this helps clear things up for you.

L.A.

Jerry Warner · From: Charleston, West Virginia, USA

i thought russ hicks also played for bonnie lou and buster on there tv show!

George Kimery · From: Limestone, TN, USA

Stoney, thanks for sitting me straight on the over exaggeration of Lloyd Bell and Bonnie Lou being deceased. I was quoting on 2nd hand information, that was obviously wrong. I am glad to see that they are both around. If I ever get to see them, I would have some nice things to say about their heritage as being pioneers in the early TV days in East Tn, among other things. As a side note, I got Bobby Loveday his first steel, a Kline U-12, which he still plays. This was several years after Bonnie and Buster opened at the Coliseum in Pigeon Forge. I have been in close contact with Bobby ever since and I would have know if he ever played for Bonnie and Buster.

Wayne Morgan · From: Rutledge, TN, USA

I watched Bonny Lou & Buster also and suprised that no one has mentioned "Hump Hammer"
The Kountry Kings, now that was a great band, Stoney is one of my Hero;'s, he is the man that made me want to play steel. They use to kick off all the WIVK shindigs her in Knoxville in the early 70's, as far as I was concerned, they were the Headliners.
Wayne

Stoney Stonecipher · From: Knoxville, TN (deceased)

Thanks Wayne. I appreciate the kind words. We backed up many future stars during that time, namely, Loretta Lynn, Tammy Wynette, Reba McIntyre, Dave and Sugar, Carl Smith, Don Gibson, Bobby Lord, and many, many others. We did some road shows with Don Gibson and Dave and Sugar and Jim Glazer. You also know that Hump Hammer was Buster's comedic alter ego.

Smiley Roberts · From: Hendersonville,Tn. 37075

Was this the same "Bonnie Lou" that recorded for King Records back in the 50's? If so,I have a couple o' 45's by her.

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  ~ ~


  ©¿©  It don't mean a thang,   


  mm   if it ain't got that twang.


       www.ntsga.com

Howard Tate · From: Leesville, Louisiana, USA, R.I.P.

About Terry Christoffersen, I use to see him picking around Fresno, he was very young and a terrific guitar player. As far as I know he did not play steel before going to work for Buck. Shortly after starting with the Buckaroos I saw him playing steel on tv, and doing a very good job. He is really a talented person, evidently a fast learner.

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Howard, 'Les Paul Recording, Zum S12U, Vegas 400, Boss ME-5, Boss DM-3
http://www.Charmedmusic.com

Butch Foster · From: Pisgah, Alabama, USA

I have enjoyed this thread & learned lots of interesting facts about these folks we used to watch about 35 years ago.
Stoney, we always watched the Clayton mobile home program to hear your great steel.
Bonnie Lou & Buster used a dobro player named Monroe Queener on several shows;IMO, he was very good.

Stoney Stonecipher · From: Knoxville, TN (deceased)

Monroe Queener sure did play (great) dobro, both at the live coliseum show and sometimes on the TV Show. Sorry to say we lost him to diabetes about 4 or 5 years ago. One of the great dobro players from these parts. By the way, there was some pretty good fiddle players that played on the show also, namely, Scotty Stoneman (Stoneman family) and Benny Simms, along with guys like L. E. White. Over the years just a great number of great musicians appeared either on the TV Show or on their package show.

[This message was edited by Stoney Stonecipher on 09 January 2005 at 07:35 PM.]

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