Seattle 1959 Loretta Lynn

[Duane Becker]

I was in the library and found a new book entitled, "Loretta Lynn: Honky Tonk Girl" by Alfred A Kroph New York 2012. In the book there's a photo that I posted here. Caption of photo says, "Loretta in Washington state with her first band, Loretta Lynn and the Trail Blazers, 1959."

There is nothing in the text relating to the band or photo other then mentioning she traveled all over Washington state playing small taverns with her band.

Does anyone remember the musicians? Photo says, "Smiley O Steel" for the guy on the Bigsby and Jackie Webb for the guy on the guitar.
Photo may be tuff to see as I just scanned it on the libray's regular copy machine, brought the scan home and scanned it to my computer.
Thanks Duane Becker

[Les Anderson]

When she first started out, she was managed by a guy by the name of Don Grashy. This was the same guy who managed Myrna Lorrie and a few others. She dumped him because he insisted that she sing only the songs that he wrote.

I first saw Lorreta at the Wagon Wheel Tavern in Blaine Washington. I can't remember the year however.

This post was a bit off topic but it is about her very early days on stage.

[Leslie Ehrlich]

The photo is quite fuzzy, but it almost looks like she's playing a Gibson hollow body electric.

[Len Ryder]

Duane: The Steel player is my old friend, Roland Smiley who died a few years back. The Bigsby was given to to my cousin, "Cuzin Ern Straiton" by Smiley's widow, Aggie after Smiley's death.

[Todd Higgins]

Just ran across these old thread. Jackie Webb was Loretta's brother- who by this time had already been playing in a band in Indiana (where her Mother and smaller siblings moved after her father died)