Your favorite Buddy Emmons Story

Larry Behm · From: Mt Angel, Or 97362

Buddy always seemed to have a smile for everyone, he would love for us all to keep smiling. Tell us your favorite Buddy story, then WE can all smile together.

If this is to soon for some, I understand it may take time to sink in. For others this may be a great opportunity to express and remember this great man. It seems to me to be a great way to honor his passing by remembering his (our) past together.
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'70 D10 Black fatback Emmons PP, Hilton VP, BJS bars, Boss GE-7 for Dobro effect, Zoom MS50G, Flamma Reverb, Planet Wave cables, Quilter 202 Toneblock, Telonics 15” speaker.

Phone: 971-219-8533

Ray Montee · From: Portland, Oregon (deceased)

According to one of our esteemed steel guitar historians known by all as a result of his endless work to promote the steel guitar and its many players, the story I heard was:

Buddy was waiting around for his performance at a popular steel guitar show and another star was not as yet in the room........and Buddy quietly took a pair of finger nail clippers and snipped all the strings on the famous players guitar. Buddy then replaced the guitar back into its case.

The prank was not discovered until the owner of said guitar arrived at the stage ready to play.

Perhaps someone else has heard this same story.

Tommy Alexander · From: Friendswood, Texas 77546

As the story goes, the prankster of all time, was Jeff Newman:
Years back, maybe at St.Louis, Buddy was getting ready to go on stage with his guitar and Jeff
pinned the guitar on the stage curtin and Buddy was standing by, and when the curtain went up, so did the guitar. Nothing happened to guitar, but Buddy almost had a heart attack. It wasn't funny at the time, but it was funny later...........

Jim Anderson · From: Phoenix, AZ

Seven or eight years ago I was scheduled to be in Nashville on business. I was supposed to meet up with another colleague friend. Having seen the John Hughey version of the Time Jumpers, I was excited to see the Paul Franklin edition. I bailed at the last minute for another opportunity but my buddy went anyway. He calls me and says the usual "wish you were here" bs and did I have any suggestions for what he could do. It was a Monday night so I told him to go to the Station Inn, get there early, yada yada. A few hours later he calls me from there and tells me it's the greatest show ever. Apparently, it was Vince Gill's 50th birthday and a celebration was in the works. He tells me he got there pretty early but by the time he got in all the tables were taken. He surveys the situation and sees a table with only two people. He walks over and asks if they would share the table. The guy says sure. He's having the time of his life and calls me, asks me if I know who Buddy Emmons is. "Of course" I say, and he tells me he's table sharing and partying with him. I call bs, the next thing I know he says "wait a second", and says "say hello to him". I had seen Buddy a couple times and met him in St. Louis once, and recognized the voice. I stammered a little and said something to the effect that I thought he was the greatest ever. He says to me something like "Paul Franklin is the man". I told my friend to send me a pic, he does and it's Buddy and Steve Wariner (the other guy at the table). Anyway, my friend met all the Time Jumpers during their breaks, and sends me a few pics including a video (rough iphone version) of Dawn Sears singing "If You're Gonna Do Me Wrong. Do It Right". To this day, and especially now, I wish I could reverse my decision to bail on Nashville. Incidentally, my friend had no idea who these people were, except for Vince Gill. Rest in peace, Buddy.

Damir Besic · From: Nashville,TN.

in 1994 I was visiting with Scotty in St Louis, while wondering around his store like a kid in a candy store, and checking out all the steel guitar stuff, I said 'Scotty, if you could sell me a gadget that would make me sound like Buddy Emmons, I'll buy it right now"... Scotty, looked at me, smiled, pointed with his finger to his heart, and said "this is Buddy Emmons" ...
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Roger Rettig · From: Naples, FL

I bought my first steel way back in the '70s. My then-current band (The Kingpins) had a gig at London's Nashville Rooms and they persuaded me to make my debut on steel (I was their guitar-player normally) regardless of my total lack of ability or polish...

I stumbled through an uncomfortable 30 minute set and we took a break. That was when a well-known music journalist took me across the room and introduced me to his guest for the night.

There stood Buddy Emmons. I've since wondered if, in his life, he'd ever heard a worse steel player than I was but he couldn't have been kinder or more encouraging. He answered my questions - in particular about his then-recent session for Ray Charles (that 'Volcanic Action...' album is what made me seek out a steel guitar in the first place) - and it was a night I'll never forget.

I've been lucky enough to have had a few moments with him since. Each one is a treasure.
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Roger Rettig - Emmons D10s, Quilter TT-12, B-bender Teles and old Martins.
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Joachim Kettner · From: Germany

Roger, I remember reading an ad in Melody Maker, mid- eighties, announcing Buddy Emmons and Albert Lee playing in a club in London. Do you know anything about it?
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Roger Rettig · From: Naples, FL

Joachim:

Could have been 'The Borderline' in 1988. Don Everly sang with us, too.

Here we are....

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Roger Rettig - Emmons D10s, Quilter TT-12, B-bender Teles and old Martins.
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Joachim Kettner · From: Germany

Yes Roger! The Borderline was it. Great photo of you all.
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Larry Behm · From: Mt Angel, Or 97362

Lynn Stafford, Robin Suskind, Chas Smith, John Carter and myself attended a Buddy/Jeff week long seminar in Stockton Ca in the early 80's. Lynn asked Buddy if we called Harley James back in Portland if he would talk to him, no brainer there.

Hello, Harley this is Buddy Emmons,
Buddy Emmons
Yea it really is me.

We all had a good laugh over that one and a great memory for all of us to this day.

I tell all of my students, listen to Buddy, listen to Buddy, listen to Buddy you will be a better steeler if you do.
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'70 D10 Black fatback Emmons PP, Hilton VP, BJS bars, Boss GE-7 for Dobro effect, Zoom MS50G, Flamma Reverb, Planet Wave cables, Quilter 202 Toneblock, Telonics 15” speaker.

Phone: 971-219-8533

Peter Freiberger · From: California, USA

I've told this story before, but here goes. In the early '70's Don Everly hosted a jam at a place called the Sundance Saloon, way out of L.A. in Calabasas (now suburbia). There was a remarkable guitarist there named Albert Lee, and a steel player with a big black Emmons, possibly a D12. He was lighting cigarettes and blowing out the flame by holding it down by the speaker and plunking a low note on C6. I had acquired an S10 P/P and was having trouble with it so I asked about his. In the course of a short conversation I asked who he thought had the wild idea for the crazy atoms as fret markers. When he said it had probably been his idea because they looked kind of "futuristic" my tiny brain started to realize who I was talking to and I slunk away. I've always been grateful for how gracefully he handled a young idiot like me. Many years later I told Steve Fishell that story and always hoped he'd give Buddy a laugh by relaying it to the great man.

Ben Elder · From: La Crescenta, California, USA

Not the best BE story but a personal one:

In the nineties, I worked part-time at a mom-and-pop bluegrass music store in the San Fernando Valley, where among our instrumental students was young Alex Lee (daughter of Albert and Karen), studying fiddle. Occasionally Albert would bring her in, but on this evening in particular, she was with Karen, who was asking if there'd be any takers for free tickets to the upcoming Everly Brothers show at Universal Amphitheater.

I jumped at the offer, my sweetie and I arrived early the night of the show and even used our pre-show backstage access to sip, nibble and hover. By the time, we retreated to our nosebleed seats (we may have been right in several flight paths) high and to the left, the band emerged with a distant figure in a derby hat on the far side of the stage making his way to the pedal steel.

Are you kidding me!?! Albert Lee and Buddy Emmons!?!

I just hadn't seen him backstage and hadn't known of his work with the Everlys. But I recognized him at a distance of, what, a quarter-? half-mile?
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Brett Day · From: Pickens, SC

My favorite Buddy Emmons story will always be the first time I met him. It was 2002, and the main purpose for the trip to Nashville was because my twin brother Brandon wanted to buy a new car. Later on that Saturday afternoon, I told my mom and dad that Buddy Emmons was playing at the Midnite Jamboree with Johnny Bush, so that night, we went to the Texas Troubador Theater to see the show. We got there and walked to the front of the stage to see the steel, which was Buddy's black Emmons Legrande III "Black Bart" guitar, and all of a sudden, somebody was calling my name. It was Dave Robbins, who plays steel with Jean Sheppard. He called me and my mom and dad to sit with the steel players to watch and listen to Buddy. All of the steel players, including me, got a derby hat like the one Buddy wore in his career as a steel player, and Carol Lee recognized all the steel players and told about how Buddy had inspired us in front of Buddy and he smiled. After the show, I walked up to where Buddy was standing. He looked at me and said, "So, you're Brett", and I told him yes and then I told him I played an Emmons steel and he smiled! What a great experience!

Earnest Bovine · From: Los Angeles CA USA

Richard Sinkler · From: aka: Rusty Strings -- Missoula, Montana

Nick Reed · From: Russellville, KY USA

A old Jimmie Crawford tall tale Smile

Jimmie trying to get Buddy to look over tab to "Fireball Mail".
Either that or Buddy just doesn't want another kiss. (YIKES!)
(BTW: Buddy says that Jimmie has the "best right hand in the business".)

chas smith · From: Encino, CA, USA

Many years ago, before Bigsby guitars were wanted, I called Steel Guitars of Nashville to buy one of theirs and I'm talking to a woman on the phone. Turns out she was Buddy's 1st wife and she said she knew all about Bigsby guitars because she slept with one almost every night.

Buddy would bring his Bigsby T-8 to bed with them and then practice all night. In case you were wondering what it takes to play on his level.

George Piburn · From: The Land of Enchantment New Mexico

I was at Stockton too, amazed and pleased that Buddy would accept a student so Green on C6. It was one of the Jeffran College satellite type super seminars.

Back in Nashville during my week at the trailer class room out by the Freeway, Jeff loved to share Buddy and him messing with players before concert stories, Buddy played for us, with Phil Baugh on guitar.

To go along with Larry's original String Cut off one , there were numerous versions of that trick.

The one that comes to mind was Jeff and Buddy, putting Rubber Bands on the Pedal Rods at the Top where the hook to the cross beams. - When the new Victims went to play , no Bueno, and a howl from those who knew what just happened.
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Paul King · From: Gainesville, Texas, USA

How many remember at the ISGC in 1986 when they had Buddy Emmons on the floor playing a frying pan? Speedy West was a big prankster and had Randy Beavers and Jeff Newman doing something unusual as well. I have a video tape that was recorded by the Nashville Network. My second story is I asked a question on this forum about a lick that escaped me. Buddy responded to my topic and answered the question and told me how to do the lick, including what frets, strings and pedals to use. Sounds like a man who loved us just as much as he did the steel guitar.

George Piburn · From: The Land of Enchantment New Mexico

Funny -- I was at the 1986 too, and they did what they were calling "Cream of the Crap".
All were wearing home brew tee shirts with the text on them.

Scotty over-saw as Buddy, Jeff, Randy, Paul all played their Laps,
While Speedy and others held Buddy's legs up in the air and Buddy played his Lap on the Floor, face down.

All of the other 3 played in all sots of contorted positions too.

As you might expect , they all blew minds at a Pedal Steel Festival with Laps.
This was another beginning of the Resurrection of Lap Steels in C6 tuning.
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GeorgeBoards S8 Non Pedal Steel Guitar Instruments
Maker of One of a Kind Works of Art that play music too.
Instructional DVDs
YouTube Channel

Miguel e Smith · From: Phoenix, AZ

A lot of Buddy stories going around,but this is one of my personal favs...

In the early 70's, Paul Franklin and I had the steel position at Deemen's Den on lower Broadway in Nashville. The idea was that one of us could cover the gig which was a trio...bass, drums and steel. Maybe once or twice, neither of us had a nighttime gig so we'd both do it (and split the $15 the gig paid per musician).

But one particular night, an especially slow evening traffic-wise, it was the trio with me on steel...there may have been 4 other people in the club (including the bartender). The room was narrow and long and the stage was at one end facing the door at the other end. I could make out the silhouette of someone carrying a case coming into the club. As he neared the stage, I could see it was Buddy. He set his steel case down and then went to get his amp and stool and then proceded to setup directly in front of me...facing me (back to the few folks in the Den).

I was a punk kid and really didn't know what the heck was going on, but he started playing, just backup to what the bass player was singing and taking extended solos. I assumed we'd just swap solos and fills, but noooo...he took everything...I'd start to play something and he'd run over the top of me. I'm not sure how long it took me, but I finally got a bit pissed and just pushed my volume as far as I could and just forced a spot for my young junk. Buddy put his bar down and did one of those big laughs and smiles, stood up, went to the bathroom, got a drink and then sat back down behind his axe. He stayed the rest of the night and we both shared the fills and solos.

Buddy came from a generation that loved to challenge others and basically see what they are made of (kinda like throwing someone who can't swim into the deep end of the water). He called it locking horns sometimes. I guess I passed the showdown. There wasn't a lot of talking, but a lot was said : )
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Bob Taillefer · From: Canada

I owe the man so much! Buddy put me on the map in the Steel Guitar World.

After an Everly Brothers concert at Massey Hall in Toronto, Al Brisco, Debra and I hung out with Buddy at the Holiday Inn for a couple of hours. Buddy had already asked me to send him a copy of my Jazz CD Nouveau Steel a few years earlier. To my surprise (more like shock), he gave it a nice review on this Steel Guitar Forum. Oddly enough he remembered me that night.

Buddy had the reputation of being very quiet. But that night he was very talkative. I asked him about his work with Lenny Breau and Danny Gatton. We talked at length about his days in Los Angeles. To him, working in LA was like going to Harvard. He had recorded with Henry Mancini and Ray Charles. I could not believe my luck. It was like talking to the next door neighbour who happened to be Buddy Emmons. I will cherish this meeting for the rest of my life.

We had our picture taken together. Just before leaving, I asked him if I could take lessons from him. He gave me a strange look as to say why do you need lessons from me. It was a strange moment indeed. I was speechless!

John Billings · From: Ohio, USA

Yeah! Buddy and Danny!
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Kay Das · From: Los Angeles CA

Maybe just a couple of anecdotes rather than a story..

I had just attended Buddy's E9/C6 workshop and concert at Armonk, New York State, I think it was. I owned just a single neck E9 pedal steel at the time so he graciously lent me his double neck so I could participate in the C6 section.

Another anecdote: a few months after that workshop I happened to be in the UK and noticed that he was star guest at a pedal steel concert at Newbury in Berkshire so I went to see him. He recognised me at the bar and came up and said, " You are following me, are'nt you!".

Kay

Chris Templeton · From: The Green Mountain State

A story: One year I made some practice boards (no pickup) to sell at Tom Bradshaw's booth that I worked at at Scotty's. Sales were slim and I gave one to Buddy.
Fast forward to when I saw it again and he had cut about a 6" x 6" square hole in the board in front of the bridge. He had also sprayed black paint around the square hole on the underside. I asked him what that was about and he wouldn't tell me.
After continued prodding, he finally told me that it was an idea to shoot a video of the picking hand from underneath the strings.
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