Steel on Homer and Jethro

Dan Tyack · Post by **Dan Tyack** » 24 Apr 2005 10:44 am

Who played on tunes like Lil' Old Kiss of Fire or the Billboard song? Sounds like Jerry Byrd to me....

There's some amazing musicianship on those records, notably Jethro Burns and what sounds like a young Chet Atkins.

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John Rosett · Post by **John Rosett** » 24 Apr 2005 11:54 am

dan-
i don't know it for a fact, but i'd be willing to bet that it's jerry byrd on steel and chet atkins on guitar. these guys were all in the "nashville string band" and the "jazz from the hills" album.
jethro and chet were brother in laws, married to twin sisters, and were close friends. i always wondered why they never really recorded an album together.

Smiley Roberts · Post by **Smiley Roberts** » 24 Apr 2005 3:27 pm

John,
You're absolutely right! It is,indeed, Jerry Byrd. I'm a BIG H. & J. fan,& have most of their albums. Unfortunately,I never got to see them work in person,but I'll just bet that they were a real "hoot" just to be around.

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mm if it ain't got that twang.
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Gene Jones · Post by **Gene Jones** » 24 Apr 2005 3:58 pm

I had the privilege of working a package show tour one time that included H & J, and as Smiley surmised, they were a "hoot" to be around.

Jethro's brusque manner and Homers quiet reserve were a perfect complement to each other and they played off of it continually for effect.......and those H&J after-the-show scotch & jazz sessions in the rooms should have been recorded for posterity. Jethros perfection on jazz classics and Homers excellant chord work was memorable.

The only really serious moment I witnessed during the entire tour was in a hotel coffee shop one morning when Jethro severely admonished one of the young performers on the show for "stealing" one of Homers jokes.

Homer & Jethro were great performers and musicians.
www.genejones.com

Charles Curtis · Post by **Charles Curtis** » 24 Apr 2005 4:05 pm

Wasn't Chet married to either Homer or Jethro's sister?

John Rosett · Post by **John Rosett** » 24 Apr 2005 4:38 pm

charles-
jethro and chet were married to twin sisters.
i had the previledge of taking mandolin lessons from jethro in the early 80's. to say that it was a life changing experience would be an understatement. he was one of the most talented, funny, and just plain nicest people ever. steve goodman once said of jethro burns; "he never said or played anything that wasn't the exact thing everybody else in the room wished they'd said or played."
by the way smiley, i have alot of the H&J albums, but i'm still looking for a copy of "live at vanderbuilt university" if you come across one.[This message was edited by John Rosett on 24 April 2005 at 05:45 PM.]

Paul Norman (RIP) · Post by **Paul Norman (RIP)** » 24 Apr 2005 5:07 pm

I thought Chet married Mother Maybelle Carter s daughter Helen. I didnt know she he had a twin.

Delbert Aldredge · Post by **Delbert Aldredge** » 24 Apr 2005 6:18 pm

"Cousin Jody" played his "Biscuit Board" (steel) some with H&J. Cousin Jody was a remarkable musician in his on rights. Sure miss that kind of entertainment.

CORRECTION: Cousin Jody played with "Lonzo & Oscar" rather than with Homer & Jethro.

Thanks Bro. S. Roberts for bringing this to my attention. "Oooo I'm my own Grandpaw"!!!![This message was edited by Delbert Aldredge on 26 April 2005 at 10:05 AM.]

Ray Montee (RIP) · Post by **Ray Montee (RIP)** » 25 Apr 2005 11:10 am

Obviously you've heard their knocked-out version of "Lady in Red"? Just the intro' is pure symphony. Anyone disagree?

Savell · Post by **Savell** » 25 Apr 2005 12:27 pm

.[This message was edited by Savell on 29 May 2005 at 06:49 PM.]

Michael Hillman · Post by **Michael Hillman** » 25 Apr 2005 2:51 pm

One of the musical highlights of my young life was my father taking us to see Homer and Jethro in Jackson, Wyoming, in, as I recall 1959 or 1960. I was amazed, to say the least, Jethro Burns did not have small hands, and the way he played mandolin was unlike anything I'd ever seen. I don't remember a steel player on this tour. I do remember Homer's big archtop Gibson, flawless rhythm and beautiful fat chords. I took my copy of "Homer and Jethro at the Country Club" to be autographed. I'd give a month's pay to see that show again!

Perry Hansen · Post by **Perry Hansen** » 25 Apr 2005 4:11 pm

If I remember right, in the late 50s there was a group out of Nashville called the Country Allstars. I believe part of the lineup was Jerry Byrd, Chet Atkin, Homer and Jethro, and I belive on one album Lightning Chance had some credit.???

Bill Ford · Post by **Bill Ford** » 25 Apr 2005 4:22 pm

Smiley,
Set me straight if i'm wrong...I seem to remember the team of Byrd,Atkins, and Dale Potter, back in the 50s, or thereabouts. The Nashville Three??

Bill

Dan Tyack · Post by **Dan Tyack** » 25 Apr 2005 9:28 pm

Jerry Byrds playing on that stuff just kills me. He is funny as hell and musical at the same time. Just like Homer and Jethro.

Smiley Roberts · Post by **Smiley Roberts** » 26 Apr 2005 4:39 am

The Nashville Three??

Bill,
I don't remember THAT group. There was the "Tennessee Three" w/ Johnny Cash. Luther Perkins was the guitar player in that group.
Marshall Grant was the bass player. I can't seem to recall the drummer's name right now.

The "Country All-Stars" consisted of:

Jethro Burns - Mandolin
Chet Atkins - lead guitar
Homer Haynes - rhythm guitar
Jerry Byrd - steel guitar
Dale Potter - fiddle
George Barnes - lead guitar
Chas. Grean & Ernie Newton - bass

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<pre> ~ ~
©¿© It don't mean a thang,
mm if it ain't got that twang.
www.ntsga.com</pre>

Jussi Huhtakangas · Post by **Jussi Huhtakangas** » 26 Apr 2005 5:15 am

"I can't seem to recall the drummer's name right now"

W.S. "Fluke" Holland

Ray Montee (RIP) · Post by **Ray Montee (RIP)** » 26 Apr 2005 5:21 am

Smiley.........was that the same George Barnes that garnered Les Paul's wife? Mary Ford?

Smiley Roberts · Post by **Smiley Roberts** » 26 Apr 2005 1:16 pm

"W.S. "Fluke" Holland"

That's it Jussi. Thanx.
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Ray,
I don't know about that. I've never heard that "tale". I have one album by George,& in fact,that's the name of the album.("Guitars.....By George") Its on Decca,the very same label that Les was on before he moved to Capitol. I bought it new in '64. Several of the song on it are VERY reminiscent of Les Paul,as they are "multiple recorded".

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<pre> ~ ~
©¿© It don't mean a thang,
mm if it ain't got that twang.
www.ntsga.com</pre>

Ray Montee (RIP) · Post by **Ray Montee (RIP)** » 26 Apr 2005 4:07 pm

Smiley.........Mary Ford divorced Les Paul or visa versa, and married a guy named George Barnes who did a number of guitar releases similar in nature to Les Paul's hits of the day. His work was perhaps a little broader than was Les' however it never captured the listening audience to the extend of Les and he faded into oblivian.

Dan Tyack · Post by **Dan Tyack** » 26 Apr 2005 6:43 pm

George Barnes was an amazing guitar player, one of my favorite jazz players. He's a little unusual in that he frequently used vibrato (not with the whammy bar with his fingers). Not easy to do on those jazz boxes with piano wire for strings.

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Bill Ford · Post by **Bill Ford** » 27 Apr 2005 8:59 am

Smiley,
Thanks, I remember now,don't know where I got the (three)from, course I was just a little kid then..LOL

Bill

Smiley Roberts · Post by **Smiley Roberts** » 28 Apr 2005 10:05 am

Ray,
The tale that I heard was,Les divorced Mary,because she had a "drinking problem". This is only speculation on my part,but that's what I heard. However,I had never heard of her marrying George.

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<pre> ~ ~
©¿© It don't mean a thang,
mm if it ain't got that twang.
www.ntsga.com</pre>

Dan Tyack · Post by **Dan Tyack** » 28 Apr 2005 11:01 am

According to Mary Ford's neice

Mary married her high school sweetheart (a non-musician) and basically retired from the music business. She lived in Monrovia, California until her death in 1977

So there might be some mis information on this page.

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T. C. Furlong · Post by **T. C. Furlong** » 1 May 2005 7:56 pm

I didn't know that Jethro had ever played with a steel player. I knew him quite well. He never mentioned Jerry Byrd and I must have missed that record.

I was so fortunate to have been in a band with Jethro in the late seventies. We played every Monday night for several years in a band called Swingshift. I played steel and he stood directly behind my right shoulder and looked down upon me and made his trademark faces whenever I took a solo. I listened to him play so great night after night. His ability to insert an out-of-the-blue musical quote at the most spectacular moment was nothing short of incredible. Very fond memories indeed. I still get together with the last "Homer" John Parrot, from time to time.
TC

Al Johnson · Post by **Al Johnson** » 2 May 2005 3:25 am

Well, I don't have a list but Jerry Byrd, Chet Atkins, Homer and Jethro make a lot of recordings together. Also backed up a lot of singers on recordings. Yes, I saw them Homer and Jethro in person twice very great.
Great players. Al