Jerry Douglas on the Grand Ole Opry

Jason Stillwell · Post by **Jason Stillwell** » 13 Jan 2003 6:27 am

I guess at this moment, Jerry Douglas is my A-#1 favorite musician, and I don't even play dobro. My wife got me his new Lookout For Hope CD along with Alison Krauss+Union (AKUS) Live. I dig the AKUS stuff more for JD content than the Douglas CD, with a few exceptions. I missed the Opry this weekend

. Hopefully my neighbor David Alexander caught it on tape; Douglas is his hero.

Jelle Biel · Post by **Jelle Biel** » 13 Jan 2003 7:15 am

For all who think or say,,,,,( Richard Sinkler)""I don't like these terms (foremost, best, etc...) That seem to get assigned to players. Buddy Emmons is NOT the best steel steel guitar player nor is Jerry Douglas the best Dobro (reso) player.""

I will say this:my first time in StLouis 1977
was the FIRST INTERNATIONAL(Steelguitar Convention,My Brother Koos was the "FIRST"Intern.S.G.C.player)We talked with and listen to many of those GIANTS(all the big names),and NO(n) EXCEPTION,,, BUDDY EMMONS was&is there FIRST CHOICE above all the others.(25 years later its the SAME(incl.ao PF.&T.Wh. and others "youngsters")
With LOVE&RESPECT for all the TOP STEELERS.
about Jerry Douglas i did hear some Jazzstuff on dobro ,,,i was thinking it was Big E.,,,the same touch-tone,,,and TASTE
(also a first choice,,,musician,,,,)
However it is possible when you are around the age of 65(and+-50 years steelplaying) the holy fire is NOT alwayes there,,,(?)
Thank you Big E for your choice,,,,,the STEELGUITAR (you'r the BEST)and thanks Carl Dixon that you are back on the forum,,,
Jelle

C Dixon · Post by **C Dixon** » 13 Jan 2003 7:29 am

If a person feels that there is no "greatest" and that that most top performers are "among the greatest", that is fine.

But it is ALSO fine for those of us, through out time, who have rated and will continue to rate "the greatest" in a given genre'. Just a few names come to mind (I am positive some of you can add to this list):

1. Ted Williams

2. Joe Dimaggio

3. Vladimir Horiwitz

4. Jack Nicklass (but a young male tiger in the woods looming)

5. Barbara Striesand

6. Yasha Heifitz

7. St Paul (Preacher-formerly Saul of Tarsus)

8. Princess DI (All she had to do was breathe and most of the world felt in love with her)

9. Betty Grable's legs

10. Bette Davis

12. Chet Atkins

13. Jesse Owens

14. Esther Williams

15. Earl Scruggs

16. Hank Williams (song writer)

17. Bill Monroe

18. Jerry Douglas

19. Lionel Hampton

And last but NOT least is THE greatest steel guitar player who has ever lived...

BUDDY EMMONS

And that includes those yet unborn!!!

And I have NO hesitation or apologies to make to anyone for saying it.

God bless All the above INCLUDING Buddy Emmons for achieving the one status that few, if at all, will ever take away.

There is NO steel guitar player on this earth; living or dead; or yet to be born; that could even come close to Buddy Emmons IMO. The same goes for MANY in the above list in their respective fields.

carl

Earnest Bovine · Post by **Earnest Bovine** » 13 Jan 2003 7:43 am

20. Bobby Trendy

Tony Prior · Post by **Tony Prior** » 13 Jan 2003 9:57 am

Barbara Striesand ? Thats it..no more credibilty for you..one year...

Today , and I mean today..Monday..She's on TV...she wants all of us common lttle folk to stop driving SUV's which she would like to have banned and she also wants us to conserve heat in our meager little common folk homes.

Update: I said it wrong ..sort of..Shes part of a group that claims that if you drive an SUV and you don't conserve fuel you support Terrorism...Evidently these exremely wealthy Hollywoodites don't have much faith in thier own plight..they have only received 50K in donations to date...why thats probably close to Barbara's home heating bill for a typical heating season !

Ok , the gal can sing but she should know when to shut her piehole...

Oh yea..I heard she has a Hummer....or two...

[This message was edited by Tony Prior on 13 January 2003 at 01:59 PM.]

C Dixon · Post by **C Dixon** » 13 Jan 2003 11:09 am

Theresa Galbraith · Post by **Theresa Galbraith** » 13 Jan 2003 11:33 am

Stephen Gambrell · Post by **Stephen Gambrell** » 13 Jan 2003 4:10 pm

OK, guys, but it's A-U-L-D-R-I-D-G-E, Mike Auldridge! And if you listen to Jerry's early playing with the Country Gentlemen, he sounds EXACTLY like Mike. Now, of course, Jerry has developed his own voice on the instrument, and what an incredible voice it is! Be it Mike Auldridge, Buddy Emmons, Dale Earnhardt, Ty Cobb, Chet Atkins, Or anyone else who's head and shoulders above the rest of us mortals, we all should be grateful for ALL of them! They show us where to start, and give us something to admire, and aspire to.
And Carl, I prefer St. Peter. Although shaky when the Saviour was around, after the Ascencion, it was Peter who preached at Pentecost, and over 3000 were saved. But no argument there, where would would we be without either one???

Patrick Ickes · Post by **Patrick Ickes** » 13 Jan 2003 11:13 pm

Getting back to the origins of this thread, Jerry Douglas is the all time best Dobro player. Mike Auldridge is my favorite.... well, next to my little brother Rob, and that little freak that tweaked you guys named Gabe on the fiddle, plays better dobro than most other players listed here. He might not be much to look at, but just listen sometime. KILL your television!!!
Hey Carl Dixon, glad to see you're back. I always enjoyed your insight in the past.
Pat

Jason Stillwell · Post by **Jason Stillwell** » 14 Jan 2003 5:02 am

The thing that makes players like Jerry Douglas and Buddy Emmons, in my opinion, stand out above the rest is not merely the fact that they can perform so well on their instrument, but the fact that each of these men is a founder of something totally unique to his instrument. In other words, these men went from Point A to, say, Point R (for "Rippin'") and skipped B through Q, giving other players who followed the possibility of advancing to "R" as well.

Does anyone have a spare tape of Jerry's Opry performance this past weekend? I can't seem to dig one up around here. If so, please e-mail me. Thanks!

Richard Sinkler · Post by **Richard Sinkler** » 14 Jan 2003 2:14 pm

Ooh Retcop, OUCH. I don't know if I can ever overcome that viscous personal attack on me. Shows me the real piece of crap that you are.

Well, this forum has really deteriorated to the point where it's no longer fun to read.

B0B, please cancel me membership.

------------------
Carter D10 9p/10k
Richard Sinkler

Terry Wendt · Post by **Terry Wendt** » 19 Jan 2003 1:09 pm

Well, for what it's worth...

Jerry and the band was AWESOME! [in my opinion]

...and I am humbly greatful he will be appearing on the front cover of our NEW STEEL GUITAR MAGAZINE - FEB ISSUE (www.PedalSteel.us)

...actually, he's there now

http://pedalsteel.us/FebCVRpage.htm

...also, his new CD is remarkable!

------------------
PedalSteel.us Magazine

TheEarlyDays.com

and appearing regularly...
Jimmy Crawford/Russ Hicks... and Buddy Emmons on Bass! aLotOfSpace.com

[This message was edited by Terry Wendt on 28 January 2003 at 11:36 PM.]

Terry Wendt · Post by **Terry Wendt** » 28 Jan 2003 11:37 pm

Herb Steiner · Post by **Herb Steiner** » 29 Jan 2003 12:13 am

Incidentally, it's... BARBRA!!

IMHO, in steel guitar there is no "best," "greatest," "formeost", etc., with three notable exceptions: Jerry Byrd, Joaquin Murphey, and Buddy Emmons.

Byrd's category would be "beautiful, pure, music"; Joaquin's would be "western swing," and E's would be "all of the above."

------------------
Herb's Steel Guitar Pages
Texas Steel Guitar Association

Dave A. Burley · Post by **Dave A. Burley** » 30 Jan 2003 9:15 am

Very interesting thread. Who's the best? I guess that it's according to the listener.
I know a steel guitar player in Michigan, name Ron Lawrence, no thumb and yet still is considered one of the best.
I had a concept a short while back. I wanted to put Buddy, Jernigan, Franklin, Jerry Douglas, Randy Koors (Dolly's band), Rob Ickes(session dobro player), a west coast jazz drummer, Pat Martino, Tony Rice and a jazz bassist on the same stage in Nashville and record the doings.
I talked to everyone but couldn't pull it off.
BOy, it sure would have been a good one.
Ah, for the lack of money.
Thanks,
Dave Burley

Robert Todd · Post by **Robert Todd** » 30 Jan 2003 1:35 pm

There are many fine dobro players in the world, but I have never heard anyone pklay fast clean stacatto scales like jerry douglas. I've seen hime live many times and walk away amazed each time I do.