Another lost Bigsby? "Millie" in San Diego

Andrew Brown · Post by **Andrew Brown** » 3 Feb 2010 8:42 pm

I know nothing of this band. The only clue to this picture is that it was taken in San Diego in 1952. There is a woman playing a Bigsby steel. Her name is spelled "Millie" on the front. Who was she? Who was this band? Anybody?

A bit unusual band I'd say. FIVE guitars, fiddle, female steel guitarist, bass, and a 100-year-old mandolin player on the far right. Maybe it was "bring your guitar and sit in with the band" night?

Here is a detail of Millie:

Deke Dickerson · Post by **Deke Dickerson** » 3 Feb 2010 9:19 pm

Mr. Brown, you never cease to amaze me. Thanks for posting that.

Deke

Clyde Mattocks · Post by **Clyde Mattocks** » 3 Feb 2010 9:37 pm

What a treasure trove this forum is! Thanks!

Roual Ranes · Post by **Roual Ranes** » 4 Feb 2010 4:36 am

Note where the amps are placed. Of course I don't remember those days.

Ernest Cawby · Post by **Ernest Cawby** » 4 Feb 2010 6:57 am

5 guitars and they were not junkers either. They remind me of my days.

ernnie

Jaclyn Jones · Post by **Jaclyn Jones** » 4 Feb 2010 7:07 am

Looks like the bluegrass jams I go to here in Texas. 9 guitars, 7 banjos, 4 dobros, 1 dulcimer, a bass and 3 fiddles. The amazing thig is they all stop together!

Barry Blackwood · Post by **Barry Blackwood** » 4 Feb 2010 7:25 am

deleted

Herb Steiner · Post by **Herb Steiner** » 4 Feb 2010 8:32 am

I wouldn't mind owning some of those nice guitars, that's no lie.

Photo kinda reminds me of a band Hal Rugg told me he assembled for a steel show one time: 18 steel guitars and a bass. But he got fired... too much bass.

Chris Lucker · Post by **Chris Lucker** » 4 Feb 2010 10:41 am

Millie Bybee aka Millie Wells?

chas smith R.I.P. · Post by **chas smith R.I.P.** » 4 Feb 2010 10:57 am

9 guitars, 7 banjos, 4 dobros, 1 dulcimer, a bass and 3 fiddles.

and 4 teeth...

Roual Ranes · Post by **Roual Ranes** » 4 Feb 2010 2:06 pm

I had a Gibson just like the one the singer is playing........and I don't even remember what I did with it. That is sad.

Billy Tonnesen · Post by **Billy Tonnesen** » 4 Feb 2010 9:02 pm

The bigger Amp in front of Mille was a 12" speaker Gibson (you can barely see the logo). I hope it was for the Steel. Can't tell what the little Amp next to it was. This could have been before there were any Fender Amps.

Chris LeDrew · Post by **Chris LeDrew** » 4 Feb 2010 9:24 pm

What a beautiful hunk of maple....wow.

Mike Neer · Post by **Mike Neer** » 4 Feb 2010 9:58 pm

chas smith wrote:
9 guitars, 7 banjos, 4 dobros, 1 dulcimer, a bass and 3 fiddles.
and 4 teeth...

LMAO

Mitch Drumm · Post by **Mitch Drumm** » 5 Feb 2010 10:57 am

I don't think it is Millie Bybee aka Millie Wells. Here is a pic of Millie with a mandolin; her sister Sue is on the left. She was Missouri based.

Chris Lucker · Post by **Chris Lucker** » 5 Feb 2010 11:08 am

Actually, I think that does look like the same woman. The nose and the mouth and jawline look the same. It is harder to see in the stage action photo, however, because she is sitting in a chair so far to stage left.

Are there any other band members from photos wherever you found the Millie and Sue picture that can be matched to the stage picture? I think there are at least two bands in that photo -- one western band and one jazz band.

Mitch Drumm · Post by **Mitch Drumm** » 5 Feb 2010 11:18 am

Chris:

I found the pic here:

http://library.umkc.edu/spec-col/follies/favorites.htm

There are numerous other musicians shown at that site, but there is no San Diego connection. I didn't do a comparison of the San Diego musicians versus the Missouri musicians.

I have to assume Andrew is right about the pic being from San Diego.

There is a resemblance as you say, but the Millie with the Bigsby appears to be noticeably older than Millie with the mandolin. Millie with the mandolin pic date is unknown, but likely mid to late 40s. Millie with mandolin, age under 30. Millie with Bigsby, age beyond 40? Just my guesses.

Lee Baucum · Post by **Lee Baucum** » 30 Aug 2018 8:24 am

Was this mystery ever solved?

The photos in the original post are gone. I did run across a photo of a young lady playing a Bigsby with the name Millie on the front. I should have bookmarked it; because, now I can't find it anymore. The photo was in a Pinterest collection of steel guitar photos.

Mark Eaton · Post by **Mark Eaton** » 30 Aug 2018 8:40 am

I believe this is the photo in question.

Mark Eaton · Post by **Mark Eaton** » 30 Aug 2018 8:46 am

As far as Millie Wells the musician, she passed away in 2009 at age 88 and here is a link to her obituary:

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/372 ... faye-wells

gary pierce · Post by **gary pierce** » 30 Aug 2018 8:54 am

I think Chris was right, it does look like the same lady holding the mandolin.

Lee Baucum · Post by **Lee Baucum** » 30 Aug 2018 9:48 am

Yep, that's the same photo. Any idea about where that guitar is? I always think about that when I see old photos from the past.

Mark Eaton · Post by **Mark Eaton** » 30 Aug 2018 12:40 pm

Not a clue as to the guitar's whereabouts Lee. When you mentioned that you had seen the photo on Pinterest it jogged my memory of having seen it there as well so I tracked it down on that site.

The link on Pinterest led to the French Steel Guitar Forum but when I clicked on it and did some serious scrolling through a lot of photographs, I couldn't find the one of Millie to see if there was additional information which might be of help to us here.

Lee Baucum · Post by **Lee Baucum** » 30 Aug 2018 1:25 pm

I had looked through all those photos, too...3 pages of them.
There are some great photos on that site.