The Steel Guitar Forum

I have heard Cal Freeman mentioned a couple of times lately. Does anyone know where he is? If he's the same one, he and I shared bass duties in a band in Tulsa. Is he still pedalling?

He used to say, 'We did it that way in case we had to do it that way.'

I saw and met Cal back in the mid-70's when he had the very cool gig of playing for Gatemouth Brown. Haven't seen him or heard from or about him since then.

Pete Mitchell told me that when he played with Cal in Ray Price's band, like around 69-70, Cal was clean-cut and sharp looking. By the time I met him, when he was playing with Gatemouth Brown, he was TOTALLY hippied out... full, long beard, very long hair, etc.

------------------
Herb's Steel Guitar Pages
Texas Steel Guitar Association

I haven't seen Cal Freeman for years, but he and I were both organizing a fund raising benefit, show many years ago in Lubbock Texas. We had never met, but knew of each other. When we each found out that the other was trying to raise money for a local band (THE BLAKLEYS)who had lost ALL their equipment in a fire that burned down the RED RAIDER (The first time), we pooled our sourses. The benefit was a success, but can't remember just how close we got to covering their losses.
I used Cal a couple of times, and the man could play STEEL GUITAR! We were all clean cut looking "cowboy" types on stage, and he had long hair, and a long beard. Like Herb said, he was "hippied out!"
I don't know where he is now. He had a big success just prior to the time I met him, because he played on, and produced the song "AFTERNOON DELIGHT" by the STARLIGHT VOCAL BAND.

the last time I saw him was in 1982 at Dukes in Tulsa playing a house band gig with Ronnie Dunn and Whirlwind.....yes, THE Ronnie Dunn of Brooks and Dunn...Dukes is closed and the band scattered..wish I knew more.

Well, this is good to hear.
I knew him from the hippied-out phase; but then some of us were hippied-out too and clean up pretty good. I assume he's still alive and pickin'.
Thanks for your replies,
Charlie

I heard Cal played the live shows with Jim Gold & "Gallery"...(It's so nice to be with you" that Paul Franklin played on when he was around 14 yrs old..can anyone verify that ?

I remember Cal from the mid 70's, I played in the studio with him on something, I was playin regular withe Blakleys Chuck spoke of but had split before they went to the Red Raider. He married a girl named Vickie who my then wife introduced em. When I left Lubbock circa 76, Cal was playing regularly with a Lubbock guy named Jay Boy Adams pretty sure JayBoy had at least 2 albums that Cal was on. Haven't heard nothin bout him since then....Stormy

He's here in Nashville. Worked with him on a TV show for about 3 months last year. He was the production/stage manager. He's doing well.

Herb Steiner wrote:I saw and met Cal back in the mid-70's when he had the very cool gig of playing for Gatemouth Brown.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HoeBEFDrnZs

Cool!! Michael, if u see Cal out there anytime, tell him howdy from Stormy if ya think about it . 'ppreciate. Stormy

Guys i only knew Cal for about 6 months he was with Leon Everette running his studio in Ward South Carolina ,he got sick and frustrated he could not get his hands to play the steel he loved so much anymore ,i played bass on all Leon Everettes hit songs and started playing steel guitar,Cal coached me through a lot and was a talent beyond his years just producing hits,he would say,My friend Cal died last year i got his brass bar he so loved to play with and custom made played it on Ray Price songs and that old show bud sits there in studio everytime i go there and inspires me to play steel in honer of my friend Cal Freeman wish i had known him longer big loss in the music world we all love.....

I did eventually speak with Cal by phone. He mentioned his production company Nacho Average Records. Sad to hear that he'd passed, but we all do eventually.
Never really knew that we shared roots in Lubbock, Texas. Possibly we met thru Jay Boy but didn't know it. RIP, Cal.

I worked with Cal on Wynn Stewarts band in 68 and 69

I have cals old sho bud he told me Ray Price bought it for him i am rebuilding it with help from Rick McNamara in Kentucky for studio use only and changing the under parts to the newest five lever 4 pedal s10 but everything else including his name is stamped underneath this steel he played it on some big hits he was a great producer worked with Ronnis Dunn ,Ray Price, played on nice to be with you,Hee Hah Roy Clark any many others,i enjoyed my time teaching him about the new control surfaces with protools he got so frustrated and would call me,Cal taught me a lot of secrets on steel guitar he said son you have all the tools to play this steel i been playing ever since and thrive to measure to this great man may he rest in peace,he was my friend i miss him.....

Sorry Cal worked with Ronnie Dunn Brooks & Dunn