The Steel Guitar Forum

There was a good player in the mid 50's in the LA area. I think he played with Ole Rasmussen while Bill Tonnesen was in the army. Had a triple neck Bigsby and one strange tuning. Several pedals.

I saw Kenny Vernon when he was not much more than his teens, also playing with Ole in the San Jose area. Good player on straight steel. Anyone know?

Hey Bob, haven't heard those names in a long time.I used to run across Kenny Vernon a lot when I was on the road,especially around Colorado Springs, Denver, and Albuquerque. He had a little ranch some where around Albuquerque. Kenny was a multi talented musician. He had one of the best bands I ever heard, he had Wayne Gayly (not sure on that spelling), Playing steel. He also played around Vegas a lot. Brings back a lot of great memories. The last time I saw Kenny he was playing at the old Mapes hotell casino in Reno, so you know how long thats been, hope that Helps Billy Webb, movin on to Arkansas, (Gettn closer )

Oops!

Kenny Norman, not Kenny Vernon. I heard that Wayne Gailey was playing with Kenny Vernon at that time. A ginat of a player.
I friend, Frank Carter, played with Kenny Vernon after Wahne G.

I used to go to the Navaho Hogan club in Colorado Springs to listen to Kenny Vernon. This was in the Spring of 1971 while I was training at Ft Carson. I still have a couple of 45's of Kenny Vernon and LaWanda Lindsey (sp). I talked to Wayne during a break one night. I remember his low top zipper side western boots with pointed toes that he wore. Great player and nice guy.

Does any one know if Kenny Vernon is still with us? I think Wayne Galey died years ago but not sure.
Wayne was with Kenny Vernon when i worked the Golden Nugget in Vegas.
Wayne was a super picker and a super nice guy.
Any one remember Sonny DE Jersy? We used to share a kitchen apartment when we both worked in Odessa,Tx.He was a very advanced E9th picker.Learned a lot from him.
Sonny is no longer with us either.
For the life of me i can't remember who Sonny was working with in Vegas.He told his boss man he wanted to learn the C6th neck and was asked,who you going to work for.LOL
Tracy

Kenny is alive and well. He is doing dates
with Merle Haggard. He did the Rockabilly show here in Jackson, Tn. this fall and sounded great. Kenny is a classic country
singer.

Hey Dennis, I used to stay in a motel across the street from the Hogan. I played at Mr. G's out on east plat. One band I played in was Chuck Edwards and the Star Tones. the other band I played With out their was The Canadian Gamblers, out of Vancouver BC. I used to play about five months out of every year in that Club. Chuck Edwards with the Star Tones was a fine steel player, He also played drums with Bob Wills. He was originally out of Mule Shoe Texas. The steel player in the Canaidian band, was Benny Mayo out of Vancouver BC. Billy Webb Movin on to Arkansas, (gettin closer)

Kenny Vernon lives here in Albuquerque NM. I see him all the time. He comes out time to time to visit with us at our gigs. I work with a good friend of his (bass player) Randy Unruh. Wayne Galey has been gone over 25 years ago. When I came to Albuquerque in 1981 he had aleady passed away. All people could talk about was how great and fantastic he was on steel. He was already a legend in 1981. I wish I had been able to meet him.<font size="1" color="#8e236b"><p align="center">[This message was edited by Ron Sodos on 26 April 2006 at 08:07 AM.]</p></FONT>

Ron thanks for the info.It has been so long ago i just coulden't remember about Wayne.
Kenny Woulden't remember me but he would remember who Sonny De Jersy played steel for.Dang,it i can't think of his name .Both were from La.
I used to know all the pickers in Albuquerque back in the 60s.Do you know Darell Davidsion? I havent seen him for 40 years. We used to e mail each other but it has been a while now.I used to run across Bobbe Seymore in W.Tx,but don't tell any one.lol
How about Ray Zellner? He and his
wife Jean his Brother and hie wife Sue came to see my 2 years ago.Rays brother and i used to work together in the old Miller Bros swing band.
As i also played fiddle some in the band with Ray for a while.We have been friends for well over 40 years.I need to call Ray.If you know them tell them i said hey.AlbaQQ was a swinging town back in the 60s.Tracy
Ft Worth,Tx. <font size="1" color="#8e236b"><p align="center">[This message was edited by Tracy Sheehan on 26 April 2006 at 08:48 AM.]</p></FONT><font size="1" color="#8e236b"><p align="center">[This message was edited by Tracy Sheehan on 26 April 2006 at 08:50 AM.]</p></FONT>

Darrell Davidson is living here in Albuquerque and recently has become a good friend of mine. He is a great player and great guy. He plays in a few local bands and stays pretty busy, although none of us are busy enough.<font size="1" color="#8e236b"><p align="center">[This message was edited by Ron Sodos on 26 April 2006 at 12:21 PM.]</p></FONT>

Darrell Davidson was playing Great Steel here near Springfield, MO and Branson, MO a few years back. I heard he was in New, MX. Does anyone know how to contact him?

Next, I heard a steel player in Denver back in early 80's, I thought his name was Wayne Gilley. He was playing in a big night club in Denver and I only heard him playing that one night. The guy played an A6th tuning on one neck, and with an unusal pedal setup.

The guy was a knocked out steel picker!

GOD bless!

Terry Wood

Get the album of Rose Maddox plays Bluegrass if you can find it, maybe Starday or Arhooley, anyway Wayne is smokin his steel on that album, played some banjo licks on his steel with a wood bar for effect. I took Wayne's place with Rose at Sharkeys nugget in Gardnerbville Nevada when Wayne decided to play Vegas with Kenny Vernon, I am guessing sometime around 77 or 79? Donnie Maddox told me that Wayne was faster than anyone playing steel at the time. He also played on Rose's album of Reckless love to bold adventure. Did anyone from the Albequerque area ever know a steel player from Ft Collins Colorado by the name of Larry Mc Murtry?, He taught History and played with Lawanda Lindsey's band at some point, he was a good player and a good human. Take care all,
Bill Bailey

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Bump

Kenny Vernon with Wayne Gailey in the Fender
room during the D.J. convention in Nashville
in the '70s. Pure honky tonk heaven.
Country music just didn't get any better than this. Who cared about seeing the big stars down at the auditorium when these guys
were on? When our band (Super Grit Cowboy
Band) got the chance to record, one of the first things we did was Kenny's "I Bought the
Shoes That Just Walked Out On Me".
Whenever I argue the point of an artist sometimes being "too good", Kenny is the perfect example. His stint on Capitol was way too short and they didn't let him do what
he excelled at.

Bob, you might as well start a new topic with Kenny Norman as the subject.

I heard he was a triple neck player at one point, there's apparently some airshots with the post '52 band, can't recall if it's Kenny, the returning Billy T. or Jim Corwin though..