Buddy Emmons - The Last Letter

Terry Miller · Post by **Terry Miller** » 10 Sep 2018 11:50 am

Here is a cut off the Pickin' On Shot, Tribute Album Volume 2, that I produced. It was a honor to play Dobro(My ShoBro that Shot built for me MANY years ago) on this with Buddy and to be able to pay tribute to Shot Jackson.

https://youtu.be/R70DWOQRbFg

Jerry Overstreet · Post by **Jerry Overstreet** » 10 Sep 2018 11:58 am

That's a great tune Terry and it sounds wonderful all around. Thanks for posting.

Lee Baucum · Post by **Lee Baucum** » 10 Sep 2018 1:52 pm

Terry - Is that an ACE pack-a-seat you are sitting on in your photo?

I'm still using mine, for several decades now.

Terry Miller · Post by **Terry Miller** » 10 Sep 2018 2:12 pm

No, that was at jeff's place when I picked up my new steel.

Larry Dering · Post by **Larry Dering** » 10 Sep 2018 2:35 pm

Excellent job.

Billy Easton · Post by **Billy Easton** » 11 Sep 2018 7:55 am

Listening to this again after so many years really moved me. Buddy’s playing is so perfect!

Billy

Ron Hogan · Post by **Ron Hogan** » 11 Sep 2018 10:43 am

I had never heard this one. A treat!

Ron Hogan

Terry Miller · Post by **Terry Miller** » 13 Sep 2018 5:25 am

Buddy was playing a Derby on this cut. I used Shot's black Sho Bro. It was an honor to put this project together. This project had more steel players than any other project, to the best of my memory.

Dale Rottacker · Post by **Dale Rottacker** » 13 Sep 2018 5:58 am

Terry, I don’t know how I was unaware of this song, but I was, and hadn’t heard it before.
What a beautiful song... Great Dobro Terry, and although Buddy’s tone is ALWAYS great, this may be as Sweet as I’ve heard.
Thanks for posting this.

Jerry Overstreet · Post by **Jerry Overstreet** » 13 Sep 2018 7:04 am

Again, great instrumental version of this old tune. FWIW, it's from the 30's, a song about a man's wife leaving him and his impending suicide. Country song fodder for sure.

I first heard the song on a Jeff Newman instructional track as sung by Bob Browning, then later the Asleep at the Wheel LP as sung by Chris O'Connell and fabulous steel work by Lucky Oceans. Covered multiple times by various people.

When you know the story of the tune, it gives Buddy's great interpretation of it even more emotion.

I had never heard this cut of Buddy playing it either. It's just great. Great job Terry.

I trust this info is relevant. If you feel it detracts of is otherwise off topic, I'll be happy to remove it.

Terry Miller · Post by **Terry Miller** » 13 Sep 2018 7:56 am

No Jerry, it is nice to get some insight on the song. Buddy just took everything to the next level. Just to be able to play a small part on the dobro with this man was an honor. II'm sure Shot would have loved this rendition. Thanks for the nice words.

Fred Justice · Post by **Fred Justice** » 13 Sep 2018 8:08 am

I love Buddy's playing on this tune.

Jack Green had a very good vocal version of the song as well.

Ron Funk · Post by **Ron Funk** » 14 Sep 2018 12:45 pm

Terry -

Is the Pickin on Shot, Vol 2 album currently commercially available?

Perhaps on CD?

How many cuts does Buddy play on ?

Thanks
Ron

Terry Miller · Post by **Terry Miller** » 16 Sep 2018 6:03 am

Ron, I don't have anymore on cd, but I do have tapes still. Buddy player 1 song on Vol1. and 1 song on Vol2

Fred Justice · Post by **Fred Justice** » 18 Sep 2018 5:05 am

Terry, I'd love to be able to try my hand at this version. Is there a play-a-long track you might have for it?

Terry Miller · Post by **Terry Miller** » 20 Sep 2018 1:40 pm

If anyone is interested I still have Vol.1 and 2 on cassette. I no longer have CDs.

Joe Rogers · Post by **Joe Rogers** » 20 Sep 2018 6:52 pm

A few years back I was working for a helicopter company and there was an employee there who found out I played music. She asked me what band I played with and I told her it was a local country band in Beaumont, Tx. She told me she grew up in that area and that her father was a well known guitar player and that her grandfather on her mother's side was a famous Nashville Hall of Fame songwriter. I later asked the guys in my band about her father.

Her father's name was Troy Passmore. Come to find out our bass player played for years with Troy. He told me Troy was a close friend of Chet Atkins and had played in bands with Johnny Gimble.

When I relayed the name of our bass player to the girl, her eyes lit up as she remembered him from childhood. She came to the gig and it was like a mini-reunion.

She also told me her grandfather's name was Rex Griffin....the man who wrote one of my all time favorites songs..... The Last Letter. He also is supposed to have written Lovesick Blues, although he didn't get royalties on the song.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rex_Griffin

And Fred I agree with you that Jack Greene's cut of The Last Letter was undoubtedly the best vocal cut in my book. This was the first time hearing Buddy's rendition....I sure do love the tension he weaved in there....

Joe Rogers