Ricky Davis at the spoke in Austin-great player !

[Larry Lenhart]

Tonight we went to listen to Ricky at the Broken Spoke and I thoroughly enjoyed his playing. HIs ShoBud thru the steel king sounded great and his playing Was top notch as one would expect. I especially enjoyed his intro number which was a swing version of
I Love You Because...super cool. When in austin, go to the spoke

[J R Rose]

You're so right Larry. When in Austin go to the Spoke. Their are a lot of good steel pickers in Austin but Ricky Davis is among the top of the list. J.R. Rose

[Ricky Davis]

Thanks Larry and it was great seeing you and your Wife and Son out.
Actually it is a Fender Blackface Twin that I play through and two JBL K-130 speakers all in Green cabinets that Rick Johnson built>

http://rickjohnsoncabinets.com/


And this is the version of "I love you because" I play; of course learned from the great Buddy Emmons.

https://youtu.be/NuyR1eB7mMo

Ricky

[Larry Lenhart]

Thanks for posting that version Ricky...great stuff ! I have worked on that and you have inspired me to dig it out and work harder on it when i get home. I will never get to the point where i can play it like that tho !
Thanks !

[Ricky Davis]

Well Larry; you get to a point where you play it LIKE YOU!!!; that's how I play it(Like Me). I can NEVER play it the way Emmmons did; but I am fine with my own inflections and approach and am fine with the way I play it now.
Thanks for all the kind words and hope to see you and yours again.
Ricky

[Dan Robinson]

Here's how I calibrate TONE:

https://youtu.be/scaGSh9LxTA

Ricky Davis, his LDG, and 100 watts of BF Twin syrup.

Ricky, the white fretboard is so classy!

[Bill Ford]

Here's how I calibrate TONE:

https://youtu.be/scaGSh9LxTA

Ricky Davis, his LDG, and 100 watts of BF Twin syrup.

Ricky, the white fretboard is so classy!

Dang Ricky....Love the tone you're getting there..BF

[Ricky Davis]

Thanks Dan and Bill for the very kind words.
Ricky

[Doug Earnest]

I think Ricky's mama used to whip him with a Lloyd Green album!

[Tommy Detamore]

I think Ricky's mama used to whip him with a Lloyd Green album!

I think it worked Doug! Love that Ricky D!

[Kenny Foy]

Awe Man Wish it was just down the road Would love to go.And Yes Ricky is fantastic.

[Ricky Davis]

That's funny Doug. Actually my Mom left me in the garage to practice; as she said it sounded like I was torchering our Cat; until finally she said go visit our neighbor who has a steel guitar; maybe he can help you...and my neighbor was Tom and Rolene Brumley.
And Thanks Kenny.
....and....
I love that Tommy D !!! Folks; also the reason I sound so good on that Video; as it is right off the latest CD that was Recorded at Tommy Detamore's Studio....and THAT is why I sound so good....Tommy is the best in the Biz.
Ricky

[Doug Earnest]

Well then that explains some of it Ricky! I'll give Rolene a hug for you next time I run in to her here in town.

Yes, that Tommy Detamore knows his stuff for sure. Thanks to both of you for your good efforts.

[Ricky Davis]

Oh yes Doug for sure give Rolene a Hug. She still comes out to hear me when she's here; and we stay in contact all the time on Facebook. Did you see this awesome video I posted on her page>(I still call her "mom"..ha.)
----------------------
Hey Mom; did you see this already??? They talking to Tom right at the begining of course about his first stint with Buck and Together again.
Ricky Davis

Stan Hitchcock's " Heart To Heart ".................Part 1 !
Cal Smith, Buck Trent, Ronnie Reno, Tom Brumley, and Stan Hitchcock talk over the old days

Released Dec 28, 2016
https://youtu.be/UgH-Bn3VXFg


Rolene Brumley: Hey son Ricky!! Yes but it's been quite sometime since I've seen it. Thanks so much for lightening my day!!! Wasn't that just beautiful! Just THE BEST!!! Love you Ricky!!! ❤💕💋
Like · Reply · December 29, 2016 at 7:53am

Ricky Davis: Yes it is the BEST to see that; it was my first time to see it and it just warmed my heart. Love you too.
Like · Reply · 1 · December 29, 2016 at 11:47am

Rolene Brumley Me too Ricky...........started my day out right !!!!!

----------------------

[Randall Palmore]

I've never been to see Ricky at the Spoke, but I admire his playing and would like to thank him for his many contributions to the steel guitar. I have picked many licks thanks to Ricky. Ricky, were you neighbors to Tom and Rolene on the lake at Kingsland? My great aunt and uncle were. That's where I first became acquainted with Tom. He was building ZB's and playing some dates with Mark Scott from San Saba. Probably 1979 or 1980? I didn't play steel then, but inspired me to. Thanks for this post. All the best! RP

[Ricky Davis]

Thanks Randall. I was neighbors with the Brumley's when they lived in Austin early 80's. I lost my College Gymnastics Scholarship due to injury in 1980; then moved back home with Mom and Dad and started teaching gymnastics and taking up steel guitar; so that was early '80's I met Tom and Rolene down the street. Then they ended up moving back out to Marble Falls area later 80's before moving on to Branson early '90's I believe.
Ricky

[Mike Selecky]

More great stuff from Ricky in 2014:

https://youtu.be/250vGUu4HY4

All you really need is a Sho-Bud and a Tele!

[Larry Lenhart]

That was great Mike, thanks for posting that one !

[Tony Prior]

Well Larry; you get to a point where you play it LIKE YOU!!!; that's how I play it(Like Me). I can NEVER play it the way Emmmons did; but I am fine with my own inflections and approach and am fine with the way I play it now.
Thanks for all the kind words and hope to see you and yours again.
Ricky

"zactly right Ricky, too many OTHERS are just too critical , and just to be clear , I don't play like Tommy White either !

Fine playing there on that Sho Bud my friend !

[Shorty Smith]

Ricky, you sure sound good on that Sho Bud LDG, Been following your music a long time and just seems to get better and better, keep up the great work my friend, Happy New Year, wishing for a great 2017 for you and me. I'm still playing my Emmons D10 P/P but bought me a single 10 Fessenden with a pad, it sounds great and light, good for a old man, take care my friend, Shorty

[Ricky Davis]

Amen Mike..ha.
OH I know what ya mean Tony; I lost so much time in progression in a lot of my learning days; trying to sound/be like someone else..it was when Johnny Gimble told me one time: "Ricky; you will only be as good As Ricky can be; when you decide to play like Ricky"!!!! Best advice I ever got; next to advice Lloyd gave me one time: "I don't want to hear what I have already played; I want to hear what you come up with".
Thanks Shorty; so great of you to say.
Ricky

[Dan Robinson]

I was neighbors with the Brumley's... so that was early '80's I met Tom and Rolene down the street.

Stan Hitchcock's " Heart To Heart ".

Thanks for posting that video, Ricky! There's Tom with his Anapeg.

Had my 6139 cased, in a closet, hadn't touched the steel for years. Then I caught Todd Brumley's video of Tom in studio with Steve Wariner, working on the IN TIME album. It woke me up like a bolt of lightning. So much I was missing. God bless Tom and Rolene.

Everything is connected!

[Ricky Davis]

Thanks Dan. And yes I agree; everything IS connected.

[Herb Steiner]

I read an interview with a prominent guitarist who opined:

"First I learned every Chuck Berry song note-for-note, and sounded exactly like Chuck Berry. Then I learned all the BB King songs and sounded exactly like BB King. When I started playing BB King solos on Chuck Berry songs, I started sounding exactly like me."

I am very fortunate in that some years back I received a lot of correspondence that my friend Paul Graupp had with prominent steel players when Paul was writing for Frets magazine. With Lloyd's permission I've excerpted a small part of the letter he sent to Paul in June of 1965

"...As far as playing your own style, the only way I can explain it is this: First, you must know your guitar (the possibilities with each pedal, etc.), secondly, listen to the song itself, not the music. When you are familiar with the melody, let your mind be open and play what you feel. Forget you ever heard Emmons, Day, Drake, or Green. If you possess above average intelligence... you'll start getting new ideas. I tried to play like Emmons and Day for years and it was all in vain. Even when I started getting sessions about one and a half years ago I was still on that kick, but I soon realized that I'd never make the record session scene unless I played more original."

[Don R Brown]

I read an interview with a prominent guitarist who opined:

"First I learned every Chuck Berry song note-for-note, and sounded exactly like Chuck Berry. Then I learned all the BB King songs and sounded exactly like BB King. When I started playing BB King solos on Chuck Berry songs, I started sounding exactly like me."

Page 75 of the Winnie Winston book.

Excellent advice. Altho it's only by studying what others have done, and learning to copy them, that we train our minds, hands and legs in some of the various permutations available. The desired end result IS to play like "me", but at least SOME of what each of us plays is an amalgamation of various influences we have picked up along the way.

I'm not sure that sounds right, but I guess I'm saying it's not wrong for those with lesser experience to attempt to copy the masters - as long as it's not just ONE master but many. As skill and confidence grow, the "blend" will emerge.