The Last Letter

Frank Freniere · Post by **Frank Freniere** » 29 Oct 2005 8:47 pm

About 20 years ago I attended a Jeff Newman C6 seminar at the ISGA in St. Louis. At the end of the seminar Bob Browning joined Jeff on "The Last Letter." It was an unbelievable killer weeper, the kind that Jeff did so well.

Did Buddy Emmons also record this song? For whom? Does it feature a lot of steel? Obviously, Jeff's arrangement was slanted that way but even if BE only gets in a couple of licks, I'd want to buy it/download it.

Which reminds me of a story Buddy used to tell on Jeff. I guess the two of them were set up side by side one time, Buddy was using a somewhat clunky and unfamiliar borrowed rig. After a while, Jeff leans over and says, with a concerned look, "Why does my guitar sound better than yours?" To which Buddy replies: "Why, because you have a tin ear." LOL.

Matt Elsen · Post by **Matt Elsen** » 29 Oct 2005 10:35 pm

Well, I don't know if Mr. Emmons ever put his stamp on "The Last Letter", but Ralph Mooney sure did. Check out the live Waylon Jennings album. The break is Mooney at his absolute finest. Great stuff.

M.E.

Jack Stoner · Post by **Jack Stoner** » 30 Oct 2005 3:05 am

That song has been recorded by many people and I wouldn't be surprised if Buddy didn't do it somewhere along the line -either backup or as an instrumental.

I have the old Texas Troubador album with Jack Greene doing it with Buddy Charleton on Steel. It doesn't have a lot of steel but it's a great cut. Jack told me that was the first singing recording session he did (Jack was picking drums for the Troubadors at the time).

On Bob Browning, I worked with him in the early 70's at Little Roy Wiggins' music store on lower Broadway. Bob has a great voice and is also a great musician - his primary instrument is lead guitar but he also is an excellent bass picker and even plays good pedal steel. If it wasn't for his wife taking off and leaving his young son to raise we would have surely heard more commerically from Bob. As a side note, Bob picked bass for Jim and Jesse and the Virgina Boy's for a while, along with Doug Jernigan and Bob is picking bass on the "Freight Train" session. Bob used to do a lot of song demo sessions (singing).

Howard Tate · Post by **Howard Tate** » 30 Oct 2005 4:25 am

Hope I'm not hijacking this thread. Last Letter has been a favorite since I first heard Jack Green do it. Bobby Bowmans instrumental version is one of the finest things I've ever heard, so much feeling in it. I'd love to hear Jeff Newman or B.E. do it.

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Norm Kidwell · Post by **Norm Kidwell** » 30 Oct 2005 4:30 am

Nic Du Toit does a good job on this song. It's on his Nightmare On Emmons C.D. Norm Kidwell

Steve Hinson · Post by **Steve Hinson** » 30 Oct 2005 5:31 am

Great song!

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[This message was edited by Steve Hinson on 30 October 2005 at 05:33 AM.]

Lynn Owsley · Post by **Lynn Owsley** » 30 Oct 2005 5:42 am

Buddy Emmons is featured on the Last Letter, instrumental on the Pickin On Shot CD which is a tribute to Shot Jackson...And Buddy,as always turns in a stellar performance.There are 2 volumes of this and 26 steel players are on this along with Buddy,this is, IMHO, one of the finest steel guitar recordings.
It is available from Ernest Tubb Record Shops,Scotty's and From Donna Darlene Jackson when she appears at select steel shows.

Dave Van Allen · Post by **Dave Van Allen** » 30 Oct 2005 6:14 am

will somebody with the Ray Price box set please verify if it was BE on the early 60's version ?

or Buddy? was it you?

Craig A Davidson · Post by **Craig A Davidson** » 30 Oct 2005 6:23 am

On the album titled "The Other Woman", Buddy takes a ride on the version of "The Last Letter". So, yes that is him. The songs on that album are the same as what's in the box set mostly.

Nic du Toit · Post by **Nic du Toit** » 30 Oct 2005 9:56 am

Norm, Thanks for the plug. I heard Jeff and Bob do this song live during 1980, and always wanted to play it. So, I finally managed to do it the way I remember it from those days.
For the guys who are interested, just click on my link.
**** You won't believe it....it's playing on Steelradio right now!!!

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Frank Freniere · Post by **Frank Freniere** » 30 Oct 2005 11:56 am

This is why I love the Forum - thanks to all.

Leslie Elliott · Post by **Leslie Elliott** » 30 Oct 2005 2:48 pm

One of the best cuts of The Last Letter in my opinion is the recut by Jack on his cd titled Jack Greene Sings His Best with his ole Jolly Giant steel buddy - Ron Elliott
playing the steel. This was one of their most requested songs during the eight years that Ron played with Jack and their blend was magic. Hope you get a chance to hear it.
Musically yours,
Leslie

Ron Sodos · Post by **Ron Sodos** » 31 Oct 2005 9:51 am

The Last Letter is on Bobby Flores' new CD. Amazing singer and amazing player as well. Check it out. Some of the best country I have heard in years.....

Ray Minich · Post by **Ray Minich** » 31 Oct 2005 3:36 pm

Talk about having to find a book in my dust covered archives...
DVA, The Last Letter was recorded by Ray Price on May 10, 1965, from 18:00 to 21:00 hours, with Big E on steel. Also that nite they recorded "Born to Lose", and my personal favorite "Just Call Me Lonesome" (I love to belt that one out, 'cause I can sing it word fer word...).[This message was edited by Ray Minich on 31 October 2005 at 03:37 PM.]

Mark Herrick · Post by **Mark Herrick** » 1 Nov 2005 11:21 am

I think it's also on one of Asleep At The Wheel's early albums with Chris O'Connell singing and Lucky Oceans playing steel.

Jerry Overstreet · Post by **Jerry Overstreet** » 1 Nov 2005 1:42 pm

Yes Mark, I have that record. It's their self titled LP from 1974. Johnny Gimble and Ray Benson have solos as well.[This message was edited by Jerry Overstreet on 01 November 2005 at 01:47 PM.]

Willis Vanderberg · Post by **Willis Vanderberg** » 8 Nov 2005 8:11 pm

This must be a pretty old song. I recall E.T doing it back in the forties. My dad used to sing it in the forties too.
I know who wrote it, but who had the first recording of it. E.T maybe ?

Tommy Alexander · Post by **Tommy Alexander** » 9 Nov 2005 4:33 am

Frank,
back in the early 60's, I was in Nashville trying to make my fame and fortune and I had the pleasure of knowing Jack Green. One night after the opry, Jack, his wife and me and my wife were setting in Linbraughs Cafe across the street, and Jack said that he had just cut a song that he thought would be a hit record; the song "The Last Letter" was it. I always like that song, to bad somebody else didn't record is again; like Gene Watson! Leslie Elliott send me Jack's latest cut of that a few years back and I still listen to it today. Just thought that I would throw that at you........

Donny Hinson · Post by **Donny Hinson** » 9 Nov 2005 6:32 am

Rex Griffin wrote and recorded the song in 1937. The following year, it was recorded by the Blue Sky Boys, and then, in the '40s by the Carter Family, and Wilf Carter. Eddy Arnold recorded it in 1962, followed by Willie Nelson in'63, Don Gibson in '64, Ray Price in '65, and then by both Jack Greene and Connie Smith, in 1968.

I'm sure I've missed a few up to '68. Altogether, it was probably recorded a hundred times.

Great song.[This message was edited by Donny Hinson on 09 November 2005 at 06:33 AM.]

Michael Breid · Post by **Michael Breid** » 11 Nov 2005 2:27 pm

Has anyone listened to Laney Hicks' recording of Last Letter? It's bound to become a classic. She really put her heart and soul into this one. Great job. Someone once told me that Rex Griffin got the idea for the Last Letter from reading a suicide note that was printed in a newspaper. Can anyone varify this? It would be interesting to find out if this is true or false.
Michael in the Ozarks

Graham · Post by **Graham** » 12 Nov 2005 6:56 am

Rex also wrote The Answer To The Last Letter. Was recorded by Ray Price on his 1967 Born To Lose lp. Bobby Bowman has a real nice version of the Last Letter on his cd "Pure and Simple"

*Should have added, Ray originally cut this in 1951. Four of the cuts on this lp are from 1951, with Jack Evins on steel.

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[This message was edited by Graham on 12 November 2005 at 07:30 AM.]

Michael Breid · Post by **Michael Breid** » 13 Nov 2005 8:25 am

According to my record collecting/country trivia/friend Wayne Glenn, Rex Griffin(1912-1959) wrote "The Last Letter" as his own suicide note after his wife left him. He didn't attempt suicide though. Just one of the many stories in the world of country music.........

Michael
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