Hi; My Name is.......

Ricky Davis · Post by **Ricky Davis** » 12 Feb 2005 12:12 am

I'm going to go ahead and let the "cat out of the bag" so to speak; as sort of a question to those that use a "Stage Name".
Some of my ex-Gymnast I used to teach; are also followers of my music here in Austin; and I was asked how come I'm not called by my last name??
My whole name is Richard Davis Bledsoe. I'm very proud of the Bledsoe name; but when I became a musician full time, I wanted to pay tribute to the "Davis" side of my family, in memory of the great heritage and honor I have for the Davis name.
Ricky was my nickname growing up and my Mother let the cat out of that bag to my first employer..ha("Love ya Mommy)(Yes my Mom reads the steel guitar forum everyday); so the birth of my "Stage Name" was set in stone...ah...ha.
Many of my long time music friends: Herb Steiner; Gary Carpenter; Tom and Rolene Brumley....and so on, do know me by my full name, but I thought I would let the rest of you know me by my full name Now> and I answer to any version of it.
"Hi; my name is Richard Davis Bledsoe and I play Steel Guitar, it's nice to Meet Ya'll".

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Ricky Davis

Rebel™ and Ricky's Audio Clips
www.mightyfinemusic.com
Email Ricky: sshawaiian@austin.rr.com

Bob Watson · Post by **Bob Watson** » 12 Feb 2005 3:03 am

Ricky, When I lived in Nashville, one of my favorite "escapes" was to go fishing at
"Bledsoe park" in the Gallitin area. Its on Old Hickory Lake and it is truly one of the great state of Tennessee's gems. Most of the C&W bands I have played with call me "Bobby", but I could never use that stage name because of the incredible "Bobby Watson" who is one of the best Sax players on the face of the planet( of Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers fame ) and also played on a Jimmy Bruno cd awhile back. "Curly" and "Lucky" come to mind when I think of great stage names, but "Ricky Davis" is right up there!

David L. Donald · Post by **David L. Donald** » 12 Feb 2005 3:30 am

Hello Richard, nice to meet.

HA!
Actually I had found this out before.

There was a Louisiana steeler called Ricky Davis, who has passed on after a tough life...
he clearly wasn't you, since I have met you in person and you ain't dead... And some how your full name was discovered.

You will always be Ricky Davis, Sho-Bud Maven to me.

John Daugherty · Post by **John Daugherty** » 12 Feb 2005 4:09 am

Ricky, First I want to thank you for your kindness in helping us forumites with our steel guitar problems.
When I was a young man (don't believe I was ever young? Ask Bobby Caldwell.)I wanted my name on the front of my steel guitar. As you can see, that was not going to be easy. I decided to use the name Johnny Dee. It fit on the guitar and people could pronounce and spell it.
Later on, I got to thinking about all the sour notes I hit during my early career and thought,gosh, if I used my real name, no one would know I was the guy who hit the sour notes.
That worked for a while, until I hit more sour notes and people started learning how to pronounce my name.
So..... I want to announce today that I am changing my name to Ricky Davis.

Larry Robbins · Post by **Larry Robbins** » 12 Feb 2005 4:16 am

Well I dont care what your name is, your
still gonna be known as "Mr. Sho~Bud" to most of us for your knowledge and help in
identifing/maintaining and adjusting ect.
our Sho~Buds.

Thanks for all the help you have given me and the rest of us!Uh..
uh..err...whats-his-name

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Sho-Bud ProII, Pro III custom,
Fender Steelking,Hilton pedal,Tut Taylor "Virginian"

jim milewski · Post by **jim milewski** » 12 Feb 2005 4:46 am

can you throw a football then?

Chuck McGill · Post by **Chuck McGill** » 12 Feb 2005 5:09 am

Hi
My name is Charles Henry McGill Jr.
I'm a steelaholic

CrowBear Schmitt · Post by **CrowBear Schmitt** » 12 Feb 2005 5:21 am

Hey Welcome to this Great Forum Richard D Bledsoe
you'll most certainly have success here as a ShoBud restorer
Competion is gonna be tough since Duane Marrs & Ricky Davis got it sown up here w: the Fobros
Once you get to know these gentlemen, i'm sure they'll share some of the load w: ya'
don't be bashful...
All the Best to ya ' Mr Bledsoe

Hook Moore · Post by **Hook Moore** » 12 Feb 2005 6:19 am

Hook

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HookMoore.com
Allen Moore

Colm Chomicky · Post by **Colm Chomicky** » 12 Feb 2005 7:05 am

The gymnast part is interesting. Perhaps training on the parallel bars prepared you for the acrobatics on the parallel necks

Drew Howard · Post by **Drew Howard** » 12 Feb 2005 7:28 am

Ricky,

Is that a GeorgeBoard double-eight in your sig?
NICE!

your fan in Michigan,
Drew

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<pre>Drew Howard - website - Fessy D-10 8/8, Magnatone S-8, N400's, BOSS RV-3</pre>

Jim Palenscar · Post by **Jim Palenscar** » 12 Feb 2005 7:42 am

Whew! Now don't you feel better finally comin' outta the closet?

Bill Hatcher · Post by **Bill Hatcher** » 12 Feb 2005 7:50 am

Is this like a John Couger Mellencamp moment?

HowardR · Post by **HowardR** » 12 Feb 2005 8:57 am

Just don't call him late for dinner......

Scott Henderson · Post by **Scott Henderson** » 12 Feb 2005 9:06 am

RDB!!I saw the work you did on the sho-bud proefessional for Jim Moorehead up close and personal. Your work is nothing short of phenomanal! What a beautiful guitar. Looked like shot Jackson had just shippied two weeks ago. Just wanted to let you I admire your work.
"Hi...My name is Donald Scott Carlisle Sutton Henderson. It's a pleasure for all of us to meet you."

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Steelin' away in the ozarks and life,
Scott
www.scottyhenderson.com

Al Udeen · Post by **Al Udeen** » 12 Feb 2005 9:10 am

Ricky! Can we now call the only way to tune correctly, The Bledsoe Method?

Ricky Davis · Post by **Ricky Davis** » 12 Feb 2005 9:16 am

Thanks guys for your support and acceptance and cool stories.
Jim..ha...yep out of the closet; but not THAT particular closet..ha.
Yes Drew that is my "Sweet Leilani" GeorgeBoard D-8; and btw> the ONLY Hawaiian Steel I own now; it is ALL THAT.
Oh and jim; yes I can throw a football and I was the first quarterback to run the wish-bone offence in little-league football..ha...long before my brother Drew came along

Al; that's a good one..ha....
Richard[This message was edited by Ricky Davis on 12 February 2005 at 09:17 AM.]

Jim Smith · Post by **Jim Smith** » 12 Feb 2005 9:28 am

Okay, I'll come out too. My name is really James Smith, but I use John Brown when I check into motels!

Eric West · Post by **Eric West** » 12 Feb 2005 10:11 am

Mine is Eric John Lundgren. There, I'm out of the closet.

When I came back from the AF in WADC and started playing for money, I'd always get asked what my name was, and it'd always come out "Lumpgur", or Longreen.

At that point, and with Harley James using "Felix", and Tony Glassmann using "Sunny Pleasure", I tried to think one up.

I came up with West, as Don West back in MD had been the guy that gave me the most "support" and inspiration to "get out there and get loud", and plenty of people there told me to "go West", I did.

About 6 months before he died, or even knew how sick he was, I got to talk to him in AZ, and I immediately asked him if it had been alright to use his name for the last 24 years. He allowed as how it had, and I hope I've done the tiniest justice to taking it from him.

It's easier to say on the mike anyhow.

EJL[This message was edited by Eric West on 12 February 2005 at 10:13 AM.]

Stephen Gambrell · Post by **Stephen Gambrell** » 12 Feb 2005 10:51 am

Well, the best my parents could come up with was Stephen Leon Gambrell. My friends call me Steve.
I've thought about this for a long time, and it looks like now is the perfect time for a name change. After tossing a few around, I think I've come up with the right name.
How does "Buddy Emmons" sound to you guys??

Kevin Hatton · Post by **Kevin Hatton** » 12 Feb 2005 11:12 am

Okay, my new name is Kevin Hatton Mellancamp. And don't call me Kevin Couger!

David L. Donald · Post by **David L. Donald** » 12 Feb 2005 12:26 pm

My full name is David Laird Donald, and is scots to the bone.
There were two others in the family, father and son,
of the same name in Edinbough in the 1800s.
I need to visit the royal botanical gardens there, where they worked.

But, I have done more the a few country gigs a Dusty Montana.

[This message was edited by David L. Donald on 12 February 2005 at 12:27 PM.]

Ben Slaughter · Post by **Ben Slaughter** » 14 Feb 2005 1:25 pm

My last name usually starts some sort of conversation. Usually along the lines of "dude, like the rock band Slaughter!" or "Sgt. Slaughter," or something stupid like that.

But, last week took the cake. I was playing a pre-party for the PBR (Pro Bull Riders) event at one of the local Indian casinos. The MC for evening was an attractive woman who was sitting at a table painting her fingernails when I walked over. She asked what instrument I played because she had our names written down. She asked, "How do you pronounce your name?" and I responded, "Just like it says, Slaughter,"

She said, and I'm not making this up, "Well, I won't say your name because I'm a vegetarian." I should have been offended, but I just laughed and walked away.

CrowBear Schmitt · Post by **CrowBear Schmitt** » 14 Feb 2005 1:38 pm

Rick Schmidt · Post by **Rick Schmidt** » 14 Feb 2005 1:40 pm

Hey R.D.B....

My sho-biz folks (Dad was a pro-magician aka "Bob Damon", Mom's a pro jazz pianist aka "Livvy Taylor") intentionally gave me the middle name of MERRILL so I could use it as a stage name instead of my last name "Schmidt" (a very Germanic surname that other folks always want to ryhme with....ugh..........well you know....

)

I didn't like it back in the days when I should've changed it. Recently I found out that my friend Buddy Merrill from the Lawrence Welk show used his middle name too.