The Steel Guitar Forum

Spotted on eBay… bizarre old photo of an armless lap steel player. Anyone know who this might be? The seller of the photo is in Penn.

<center> </center><font size="1" color="#8e236b"><p align="center">[This message was edited by Doug Beaumier on 14 April 2006 at 06:51 PM.]</p></FONT>

Don't know who he is, however, is that an Oscar Brown pickup on that steel?

That's exactly what my lap steel playing sounds like!

"It sounds like you're playing with your feet in there!", she hollered from the next room.

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Lee, from South Texas
Down On The Rio Grande

Mullen U-12, Excel 8-string Frypan, Evans FET-500, Fender Steel King

Feet Rogers? All kidding aside, there used to be a guy around these parts who would play two steels at once. One with his feet and one with his hands. And both feet and both hands were deformed!! His style was blues and he played lead with the hands and strummed a rhythm with the feet. I don't know his name or if he is still around.

wow. thats quite a feet!
probably lots of time to practice when you don't have to worry about the devil's playground.<font size="1" color="#8e236b"><p align="center">[This message was edited by ebb on 14 April 2006 at 07:49 PM.]</p></FONT>

Gives new meaning to the term toe jam. Ain't we awful!

Just in-toe-nation? I'm not surprized that his tuners are pointing up. That's about the only way he'll get her in tune.

and no amplification. what a considerate neighbor

I did a one night fill-in bout 40/50 yrs. ago near Detroit,and the steel player had no right arm.Can't remember how he held the bar,but I think he had a ring on it.He used thumb and finger picks.Seems like he played PSG,not non-pedal.Sounded pretty darn good to me.I have great respect and admiration for people who move on despite a handicap.
Wonder what I might do if some misfortune struck me.Dunno.PJ

if someone still wants to play under these unfortunate circumstances(its not a hybrid zum with a hilton pedal and jagwire strings)then i'm sured they nailed it.

I watched this gentlmen work several times back in the late 60's.I was only a kid then.But from what I remember. He mostly strummed the guitar. This fellow also drove himself around the country.

Well at last! Something/Someone I am quite familiar with, being originaly from Pa. This man's name was Ray Meyers. In his shows at Hillbilly Parks around Pa., he drove his car around in the park and when on stage he would demonstrate his shaving abilities along with combing his hair and other usual day to day activities. And yes, he did mostly strum the steel. He was very popular around Pa. in the ’50's and ’60's, when I was around that area in my teenage~years!_____________________
[04/15/06] Well, after sleeping onthe subject, I remembered a few more facts about Ray Meyers. _ _ He was billed on his shows as “Ray Meyers, “The Armless Wonder”. He demonstrated his shaving techique, using a straight~edge razor and preparing it with a barber's leather strop.
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“Big John”
a.k.a. {Keoni Nui}
Current Equipment
<font size="1" color="#8e236b"><p align="center">[This message was edited by John Bechtel on 15 April 2006 at 10:39 AM.]</p></FONT>

Wow! John, that's amazing. I had no idea that this man actually performed on stage. One of the photo(s) is signed either Ray or Roy, so this makes perfect sense.

This gentleman was also an avid bowler:

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Searching the name Ray Meyers (or Myers) produced a lot of results, including this creepy site.

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Ray Meyers was a regular on the C and W circuits in the 50,60 and 70s in the Northeast.
He also had a house full of children who often came along with him and his wife.
He could saw a 2x4 with a hand saw in seconds then drive 20 penny nails into them,all with his feet.He was also very adept with a knife and fork,and he took great delight in paying for a meal...at the cash register he was amazing when he took out his wallet.
He appeared as a guest on the Grand Old Opry at times as he was a great friend of Roy Acuff and Ernest Tubb.He always stole the show....
I think he lived somewhere near Kittaning,Pa.

I'm about a foot away from being good enough to play like that.

<SMALL>however, is that an Oscar Brown pickup on that steel</SMALL>

The pick-up is a Charlie Christian on a Gibson EH-185 (Pre 1941)

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<SMALL>Steel players do it without fretting</SMALL>

<font size="1" color="#8e236b"><p align="center">[This message was edited by basilh on 15 April 2006 at 01:25 AM.]</p></FONT>

This picture is a great motivator. I'm going to post this next to my steel and look at it during those times when I feel like giving up.

It's deja vous all over again!

Doug, you gotta start reading your own threads. I posted that link on Ray Myers ("The Armless Wonder") in your Jerry Garcia thread a week ago.

I have never seen this man play steel but it very interesting. However, in the late 70's when I was in high school, they showed us a film of a lady who had no arms. She could drive a car and it even showed her making homemade biscuits, patting the dough with her feet. She then turned on the water and washed her feet off. I may be crazy but eating bread someone made with their feet is probably the last thing on the list I would want to eat. It does show that these people could overcome physical disabilities in life and still have some sort of normal life.

The player is indeed Ray Myers. I saw him
play and demonstrate his other abilities
when I was about fourteen. I remember his
playing consisted mostly of just chording and sliding. I thought he had been forgotten
until Bluegrass Unlimited magazine did an
extensive piece on him a few years back. The
article can probably be retrieved at www.info@bluegrassmusic.com.

Doug this may qualify for a new topic list, Musical Curiosity's.

Thanks Donny and others. You mean I have to start reading my own threads?!

<SMALL>The player is indeed Ray Myers</SMALL>

Little known fact....Ray had a brother, no arms, but also no legs.

His name was Matt.....

Matt also played steel guitar....with his butt.

His playing had a lot of bottom end....