Jiggs Lemley

Bud DeFisher · Post by **Bud DeFisher** » 6 May 2005 5:42 pm

Just in case there are a few steel players that were around when the HAWK was here.You might know of a guy by the name of Jiggs Lemley. Jiggs presantly is living in N.Ft.Myers Fla. and a short while ago he was diagnosed with cancer he has lost all but periferal vision. This man still has a fine sense of humor andjust keeps pluging along. Ive knowen Jiggs for a few years now and love to hear his look on the history of county music and his life after retirement Isaw him on 5/2/05and he kept me in stiches theirs going to be a benifit for him this month if anyone is interested I'll pass the info on or email myself to a nabor

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Sorry about the spelling above my eyes whernt worken rite.(then i never learned to type eather) Just a Little more info. on Jiggs which is interesting hope you don't mind another web site but here go's WWW.hillbilly-music.com theres a lot more in there about him and a lot of other fine people thanks for your intrest. Bud[This message was edited by Bud DeFisher on 08 May 2005 at 10:40 AM.]

Rich Weiss · Post by **Rich Weiss** » 6 May 2005 7:41 pm

I once knew a stripper named Juggs Lemley.

Smiley Roberts · Post by **Smiley Roberts** » 7 May 2005 1:27 am

GOOD GRIEF,I didn't know Jiggs was still alive! How old is he now? I never met Jiggs,but I heard of him,PLENTY,when I was livin',& workin' the WWVA Jamboree, in Wheeling,W.V.,back in the mid 60's. He won't know me,but tell him I said "hey" anyway.

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Jack Stoner · Post by **Jack Stoner** » 7 May 2005 2:10 am

I had heard he was having medical problems, like most with a "few miles" on them but didn't know it was that bad.

A singer I work with occasionally, Billy Cook, used to live in Ft Myers and has talked about him several times.

Doug Seymour · Post by **Doug Seymour** » 7 May 2005 4:56 am

I remember when Jiggs played with Hawkshaw. Also I remember Hawkshaw playing my Epiphone 8 string lapsteel once at our fiddle player's house, when he played the local Blatt Brothers theater in Corry PA. The show troup was from the WWVA Jamboree & featured Hawkshaw. That had to be in 1947!

Chris Brooks · Post by **Chris Brooks** » 7 May 2005 4:59 am

This is sort of related, sort of off-topic,
but I'd encourage folks like Bud who are in contact with an older player such as Jiggs play "amateur historian."

Take a recorder along, have a conversation about your "informant's" musical life: bands, gigs, road stories, axes, ups and downs. Ask a few helpful questions ("Tell me again about your first steel," "So how was it working with so-and-so, anyway?"). Then let him or her talk while the machine is running.

Guys, we are fast losing a generation that has taken active part in a unique slice of American life: the epoch of big dances, beer halls, "Flxible" busses with the band's name on the side, one-night-stands (!), live radio broadcasts, the Opry, bands that consisted of more than guitar-bass-drums-steel; multi-necked consoles, then the first pedal steels that worked with coat hangers and screen door hinges; the era of flaky promoters and shady booking agents, prima-donna stars and shy hopefuls; and swirling around among all of this, musicians like us, just trying to do our best every night on the stand.

This is the field of oral history and you can contribute. Grab your portable cassette recorder and preserve this slice of 20th-century Americana--before it slips irrevocably into the past.

Just a nostalgic Saturday morning thought . . .

Chris

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now living in the Ocean State ....

David L. Donald · Post by **David L. Donald** » 7 May 2005 9:09 am

Hear hear!

Charles Curtis · Post by **Charles Curtis** » 7 May 2005 3:55 pm

It wasn't long ago that a lot of us were looking for any videos of Curly Chalker; too bad that more weren't made.

Bill Dyet · Post by **Bill Dyet** » 7 May 2005 4:32 pm

I remember Jiggs Lemly from early 50s when he played WWVA with Hawkshaw, Thats when I was playing with Smokey Pleacher out of WWVA.He played a Fender Steel triple neck , I liked the guitar so much that I bought one.

Jack Stoner · Post by **Jack Stoner** » 8 May 2005 1:47 am

The first (and only time that I know of) that I saw him was with Hawkshaw at Valley View Park in Hellam, Pa (York Pa area).

Another old time note, Valley View Park, at the time, was owned by "Shorty and Sally Fincher" who had been on the old WRVA, Richmond Va Barn Dance.

Clarence Wilson · Post by **Clarence Wilson** » 8 May 2005 4:16 am

I saw Jiggs at the Virginia theater, along with Hawkshaw, and the notable thing that I remember, was the way he stood and played. The guitar was on a stand and he had the guitar tilted down so that the tuning keys were somewhat lower than the bridge. Of course, we
heard him on the radio WWVA.

CEW

Larry Self · Post by **Larry Self** » 15 May 2005 5:36 pm

I met Jiggs a few years ago when I had the music store. my very good friend Red Watkins had worked with Hawk and Jiggs played steel. Red is gone now, and I think Jiggs is the only one left.I"m very sorry to hear that he is not doing well. please tell him hello for me, and I wish him the very best. Larry Self