Phil Koontz(?)

Roger Snively · Post by **Roger Snively** » 24 Jul 2006 8:16 am

Last week, we were doing a private party and a guy named Phil Koontz (?)introduced himself to me. He said he plays in Branson for Jean Shepard. Nice guy, but I had never heard of him. Can anyone fill me in on him?

Curt Shoemaker · Post by **Curt Shoemaker** » 24 Jul 2006 8:35 am

Roger, You had the pleasure of meeting a real pro & a super nice guy.

Gene H. Brown · Post by **Gene H. Brown** » 24 Jul 2006 11:00 am

Phil Coontz,
Is a very good steel player and a very good friend of mine, one of the most down to earth souls you'd ever want to meet and I surely hope he has his diebetes under control by now. I haven't seen him for about ten years now, but he used to come to Springfield, Oregon quite a lot and pick some steel with us and jam a little, I really hope he's doing well.
Gene

Chick Donner · Post by **Chick Donner** » 24 Jul 2006 1:21 pm

I met Phil in Branson several years ago; remember that he said he was from Ohio at the time. Nice guy and good player.

Chick Donner · Post by **Chick Donner** » 24 Jul 2006 1:22 pm

I met Phil in Branson several years ago; remember that he said he was from Ohio at the time. Nice guy and good player.

Al Miller · Post by **Al Miller** » 24 Jul 2006 2:15 pm

Hey Guys
Phil Is Alive and well Here in Branson..
Starving to death like the rest of us here ...

there isnt much work around these
parts nowadays , phil is a good friend of mine and a heck of a player as well as a great guy . his brother just passed away a few weeks ago and he has been back and forth to ohio to tend to that Business. but i will see him in a few days im sure, and I will tell him you fellows were askin about him ..
Boo Miller

Howard Kalish · Post by **Howard Kalish** » 24 Jul 2006 3:04 pm

Tell Phil hello from me. I met him in the early 90's in Austin when he and some of the other Moe Bandy band would come out to Henry's in Austin on Monday nites where I played in Don Walser's band with Jimmy Day on steel. Phil would set up too and we'd have twin steels. Some very fine playing I assure you. They had a very hot young guitar player too. They moved to Branson around the same time Henry's shut down.

Phil is a great player and real nice person. Glad to hear he's still in the game.

Howard K

Smiley Roberts · Post by **Smiley Roberts** » 25 Jul 2006 12:30 am

Yessir,Phil's a good dude. Always wondered what happened to him after he left NashVILE.
Tell 'im I said "Howdy".

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<pre> ~ ~
©¿© It don't mean a thang,
mm if it ain't got that twang.</pre>

Bill Myrick · Post by **Bill Myrick** » 25 Jul 2006 2:04 am

Phil always takes the time to smile and say hi--- that's a real first indicator to me of character ; he's one of the good ones for sure !! He even has a bass boat !!-

Leonard G. Robertson · Post by **Leonard G. Robertson** » 25 Jul 2006 9:43 am

Phil was with the "Grand Ladies of country music" show in Branson a while back & I got to meet him backstage. He also plays with
"Max Bacon Family" in Branson too. While he was absent to be with his brother, I also met Bobby Hempker back stage {his fill-in}. Both were excellent musicians & friendly personalities. I think Phil played bass in back-up band a few years back in Branson during one of the Annual Steel Picking Parties if my memory is correct.

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LGR

Bill Myrick · Post by **Bill Myrick** » 25 Jul 2006 10:44 am

Leonard, you are right--at Beverly's --Bruce Hoffman also played his Sho-Bud at the same party.

Michael Breid · Post by **Michael Breid** » 1 Aug 2006 7:28 pm

Saw Phil last weekend at the Branson steel show. He looked good and says he feels great. Has a handle on the diabetes and is working when he can find it. I understand gigs are hard to find in Branson nowadays unless you are with an established show. It's getting crazy up there. Hopefully it will get better without "G" coming in to have to draw crowds.

Bob Martin · Post by **Bob Martin** » 2 Aug 2006 2:58 am

Michael, if you see Phil again tell him "Big Bob" says howdy from Nashville. We use to pick together down at a club called Gabes. Phil's a great guy and a might fine steel player. If he does email tell him to email me at bigbob@comcast.net please.

Bob

ESnow · Post by **ESnow** » 2 Aug 2006 9:59 pm

Phil came to our show Monday night here in Eureka Springs Ar. Like Boo said, not alot of work in Branson right now but Phil is a surviver, he's made it through rough times before. He's been one of my best friends for many years now and I'd love to see him with a good gig again. Great player and great guy. I also will tell him you all were asking about him, your interest will make him smile. ESnow PS By the way, he spells his name Coontz[This message was edited by ESnow on 02 August 2006 at 11:02 PM.]