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Topic: Playing With Handicaps/Ron Lawrence |
Dave A. Burley
From:
Franklin, In. USA
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Posted 30 Jan 2003 9:23 am |
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Curious to how many here on the Forum know of any steel guitarists that played with severe handicaps.
Ron Lawrence, Muskegon, Mighigan. No thumb on his right hand but was and is still considered one of the best steel players in Western Michigan. Just imagine....NO THUMB ON RIGHT HAND.
Ron and I were in a band called the Stringalongs. We did a lot of Texax Troubadour stuff. Ron did very well.
He played and still plays a single neck E'9th tuning.
Ron did a gig on WZZM-TV in Grand Rapids, MIchigan, five days a week, an hour and a half a day for three years. A show called the This Morning Show with Big Bud Linndeman.
Ron is extremely good on rock stuff and was in big demand for years to play with local and some traveling rock bands.
He also did travel with some country bands and backed up many of the Grand Ole Opry stars on several occasions.
Great touch on Faded Love and other steel numbers.
Thanks,
Dave Burley
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Jerry Hayes
From:
Virginia Beach, Va.
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Posted 30 Jan 2003 12:20 pm
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There was a guy in LA years ago who I think is on the Forum by the name of Bill Kennedy who had his left hand mutilated in a punch press accident. He had no fingers and I think just maybe one knuckle of the index finger. He used a Dobro type bar with the handle on top and was one of the best pedal and non-pedal players around. It didn't seem to hinder him at all.
Here in Virgina there's a bluegrass band called Monroe Juction which has a Dobro player named George who was born with a deformed right hand. He has no fingers at all and only a little knub on which with the help of some duct tape he sticks a National thumbpick on it and picks the holy doo-doo out of that thing as well as playing bluegrass lead guitar with all the "G" runs and all.
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Livin' in the Past and the Future with a 12 string Mooney Universal tuning.
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Donny Hinson
From:
Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.
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Posted 31 Jan 2003 2:00 pm
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| Does anyone else here remember Ray Meyers..."The Armless Wonder"? He had no arms, and played with his feet (toes, actually), with the guitar laying on the floor. He was a popular attraction every year at Sunset Park, in PA. (I don't know where he was from, though.) |
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Ray Montee
From:
Portland, Oregon (deceased)
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Posted 31 Jan 2003 3:50 pm
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This topic was coverd like about last summer or whatever. I recall a gentlemen therein that played a double neck Trot-more that had a deformed bar hand.........and it was covered in his statewide Kentucky Newspaper.
Might be more there to stimulate your curious mind. |
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Barbara Hennerman
From:
** R.I.P. **
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Posted 31 Jan 2003 3:58 pm
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| I'VE KNOWN SEVERAL BLIND STEELERS. THEY WERE ALL GREAT PICKERS AROUND THE DENVER AREA. |
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Merle Record
From:
Oxford, Maine, USA
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Posted 31 Jan 2003 4:28 pm
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Ah yes, Ray Meyers, I had almost forgotten about him. I was in the house band where he did a show in the late seventies. Born with no arms at all, he used his toes just like we do our fingers. Not only did he play a lap steel on the floor ,like Donny said, but he could do about anything else. I saw him comb his hair, open a bottle of pop(the old fashioned kind with a bottle opener) and then crush the bottle cap between two toes, remove a cigarette from a pack in his shirt pocket and light it with a book match, ALL WITH HIS TOES. Just amazing! Gee, I've never tried tuning my steel with my toes, have you? He did.
Merle
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Doug Seymour
From:
Jamestown NY USA (deceased)
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Posted 31 Jan 2003 4:41 pm
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I recall my brother, Bob Seymour, Bobbe's Dad, talking about the possiblity one time of a sightless person playing steel. I didn't think it could be done, but Bob was sure it could be. I never heard of it though
til someone here on the forum mentioned it a year or so back! |
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Brett Day
From:
Pickens, SC
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Posted 31 Jan 2003 6:06 pm
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| I have cerebral palsy in my left hand, but I can still hold the steel bar. I also play lap steel. I won't let my handicap get in the way of my steel guitar pickin'! Brett Day, Emmons S-10, Morrell lap steel |
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Rick Aiello
From:
Berryville, VA USA
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Posted 31 Jan 2003 6:18 pm
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The GREAT '30s Hawaiian Steel player ... Andy Iona ... had no thumb on his right hand ....
Another Hawaiian great ... Billy Hew Len had NO left hand .... had a special leather glove with a bar attached ...
I had my right hand crushed in high school ... my thumb is OK ... limited use of the index and the rest is just a lump ...
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My Steel Shoes Site
[This message was edited by Rick Aiello on 31 January 2003 at 06:26 PM.] |
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frank rogers
From:
usa
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Posted 31 Jan 2003 6:22 pm
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| Bill and Ron both lived and played in the West Mi. area although Bill was in L.A. for a few years. My Dad played many a gig with both these guys and they were both, particularly Bill, very influential on me. Both are very good players. BTW, Dave, Hope to see you @ the G.R. Show. F.R. [This message was edited by frank rogers on 31 January 2003 at 06:23 PM.] |
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Reggie Duncan
From:
Mississippi
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Posted 1 Feb 2003 6:28 am
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| Wilburn Stewart, in Holden, Louisiana, has one arm. He has a prosthetic left arm and hand, to which he attaches a bar with a clamp. I am sure that John Hughey knows him, as well as Mr. Buck Grantham. Super nice and talented fellow! |
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Ray Montee
From:
Portland, Oregon (deceased)
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Posted 2 Feb 2003 12:50 pm
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Playing with "Handicaps"......like the occasional stage sharing musician that cain't hear, cain't tune, cain't stay sober,
cain't sing, cain't quit picking when it's someone else's turn?
Probably not! |
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Tom Kaufman
From:
Denton, Maryland, USA
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Posted 2 Feb 2003 7:13 pm
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| I saw this and just had to jump in here and reply; blind steelers..sure is possible..I'be been playing steel since the late part of 1975. I won't say that I sound that great; whenever I hear a tape of myself, I sound like I'm just a bit off-freat in places. But folks around here seem to not hear it. But yes..it can be done! I'm pleased to find that, acording to what I'm reading here, that there are indeed, other blind steelers! |
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Louie Hallford
From:
denison tx
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Posted 2 Feb 2003 8:24 pm
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Don't remember the last name but "Floyd" was missing a right arm but played left handed by holding the bar in the palm under the little finger and picked with his thumb and other fingers out in front of the bar. Did OK on Steel Guitar Rag too. St Louis ISGC in the 80's.
Does anyone know if he is still alive? Have not seen him for years. |
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Roy Ayres
From:
Riverview, Florida, USA, R.I.P.
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Posted 3 Feb 2003 5:44 am
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| Back in the late 40's I have stood by Jerry Byrd in the WSM studio during rehearsals and carried on a conversation with him while he continued to play flawlessly without ever looking at the fretboard. I know that not everyone is a "JB" but he proved that if you know the fretboard well enough sight is not a necessity. |
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robert hays
From:
sikeston mo. usa
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Posted 3 Feb 2003 8:27 am
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| Louie I believe the one armed gentleman you refer to was Ellis Floyd, He did several songs at the St Louis show,Some where in my many tapes of the ISGC I have him on tape! |
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Dave A. Burley
From:
Franklin, In. USA
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Posted 3 Feb 2003 10:45 am
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I would think that the steel guitar could be handled very well by a blind person.
There are many blind guitar players, notably, Doc Watson.
Doc plays around the peg head end of the guitar which makes it a little easier for him.
There is a young man out of southern Indiana that is sightless and plays bluegrass or be-bop on the accoustic. I am ashamed of my playing when I jam with Brian. He uses the entire neck from the peg head to the sound hole with narry a mistake. He is fantastic.
By the way....He is a close friend and session partner of the great Michael Cleveland, IBMA violin player of the year the last two years. Michael is also sightless.
Dave Burley |
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