Ed Black remembered.

Russ Tkac · Posted 21 Dec 2008 12:40 pm

I just listened to The Eddys CD with Ed on guitar and steel. He was a great talent and for the music community a big loss.

Here is a clip of Ed with Linda Ronstadt from 1970.

This is an old thread about Ed.
http://steelguitarforum.com/Forum15/HTML/008643.html

If Ed was still with us I'm sure he would making great music! Rest in Peace.

Russ

Stu Schulman · From: Ulster Park New Yawk (deceased)

That's a friend who I truly miss. Sad

_________________
Steeltronics Z-pickup,Desert Rose S-10 4+5,Desert Rose Keyless S-10 3+5... Mullen G2 S-10 3+5,Telonics 206 pickups,Telonics volume pedal.,Blanton SD -10,Emmons GS_10...Zirctone bar,Bill Groner Bar...any amp that isn't broken.Steel Seat.Com seats...Licking paint chips off of Chinese Toys since 1952.

Skip Edwards · From: LA,CA

Me, too.
Thanks for remembering, Russ.

Fish · Posted 21 Dec 2008 5:36 pm

Ed was one in a million....one of the most generous people I've ever met.
Steve Fishell

Russ Tkac · Posted 21 Dec 2008 5:41 pm

Thanks guys.

Skip - When did Ed move from the ZB to the Emmons? Here is a concert he did with Karla Bonoff in 1977. I always liked his guitar playing. Smile

Anyone have a picture of ED you could share?

Russ

Tom Mortensen · From: Nashville TN

Bob (Willard) Henke on the left, Ed Black on the right.

Skip Edwards · From: LA,CA

Russ,
Ed switched to Emmons around 1976. He had a blue D10 that was signed by Buddy E...Dan Dugmore has that gtr now. He also had a black D10. Not sure what became of it.
Here's a pic of the Eddys. (Leatherwork by Ed)
L-R: Ed, Paul Marshall, Hugh Wright, Rick MacDonald.

Steve Feldman · From: Central MA USA

Russ Tkac · Posted 22 Dec 2008 7:30 am

Cool Steve. How long have you had it?

Ed with his ZB and strat. Smile

Steve Feldman · From: Central MA USA

Let's see, Russ. I'd say I got it ~8 (possibly 9) years ago. Came from someone in AZ who said that he took lessons and got it directly from Ed. '66 black bolt-on. Like I said, this is what I heard. I can't verify the provenance beyond what I've noted here.
_________________
"...An admission of interest in protracted commentary is certainly no reason to capitalize on surmised aberations that do not exist." - BH

Russ Tkac · Posted 22 Dec 2008 7:41 am

Cool.

Some time ago, I got some pictures from Rick MacDonald but for some reason I can't find them. I bet your Emmons sounds great!

Thanks,
Russ

Olli Haavisto · From: Jarvenpaa,Finland

Russ, thanks for the Karla Bonoff link.
Her 1st album is one of my all-time favorites.
_________________
Olli Haavisto
Finland

Russ Tkac · Posted 22 Dec 2008 11:22 am

Thanks Olli,

I saw Ed with Karla and Linda Ronstadt a few times. He did a tour with Linda that had Dan Dougmore on steel as well. Two steels! Now, Linda always did support steel guitarists. Very Happy

Russ

Stephen Silver · From: Asheville, NC

I contacted Bruce Wandmeyer this morning to post up on this thread. He Had both of Ed's Emmons, the blue one, which he subsequently managed to get to Dan Dugmore, and still has the black one. Great sounding steel as well!! Still has the original case with Ed's name on it.

I miss Ed. I got to spend a lot of time with him in the the late 70's early 80's up in the Hollywood hills where he was most generous with his time and tutoring. Even managed to play a few gigs as part of the Eddys. Then after he moved to Phoenix I managed a few trips out and got to spend time with him there. A more 'real' person would be difficult to find and his musicianship was second to none.

Bless you Ed for all you did for all of us through the years.

SS

Life is mostly Attitude and Timing

Bruce Wandmayer · From: Sedona, AZ

Steve, interesting about Ed's black Emmons you have. Is that a D-10 or an S-10? Did you get it from Bill Watson in Phoenix?
First, regarding Ed's blue Emmons: When Ed passed away, Bill was entrusted with selling Ed's instruments. I wanted his black '68 Emmons D-10, the Silver Threads guitar as it was known. Bill also had a mid-60's S-10 of Ed's but that's not the one I wanted. Bill told me Ed had willed the D-10 to Danny Sneed, a fine steel guitarist in the Phoenix area, whom Ed respected highly. OK. Well, there was his blue Emmons. I bought that. A wonderful guitar, as were all his instruments. I played it for quite a while, onstage and in the studio.

Several years ago I ran into bassist Mark Prentice on a road gig in Southern California. I was playing bass with a band out of Nashville, the Trailer Park Troubadours, on this particular gig. I knew Mark from when we both lived and played around Phoenix. Mark was now living in Nashville. In conversation he happened to tell me that Dan Dugmore was looking for Ed Black's blue guitar and wondered who had it. I told him that I had it. He asked if I wanted to sell it. I didn't really, it was such a fine playing guitar; but if Dan wanted it he really should have it as they played together in Linda's band. It's only fitting. So I gave Mark my contact info. Before Dan could call me his wife did, saying that she wanted to surprise him with the guitar for their 30th wedding anniversary. So I told her I'd sell it to her (for what I paid for it - not going to gouge anyone here). When Dan called to ask about the guitar I told him it had been sold, which was the truth. He was disappointed but took it like the gentleman he is. I sent the guitar off to his wife, she gave it to him and all is good. And yes, the guitar was signed by Mr. E (during Ed's ownership) using an engraver on the endplate.

Now, regarding that black '68 D-10 - the Silver Threads guitar - Danny Sneed had it. I found myself in Scottsdale, AZ playing a gig and went up to the Buffalo Chip Saloon in Cave Creek where Danny played with the Pat James band. I saw that Danny wasn't playing the Emmons; he had a red guitar. I asked him about it and he said that even though Ed was so generous in giving it to him he just wasn't an Emmons guy so he was trying to sell it though nobody had come up with the money yet. Somebody's tried to lowball him and he wasn't going for that. I told him I'd meet him there the next day with cash. I met him and picked up the guitar, which I still have. Played it on many shows and sessions.

This one was at Slim's in San Francisco. Yes, I'm playing through a Mesa Boogie. It was part of the onstage backline for the show - a benefit with many bands; I was playing with Johnny Colla, sax player and songwriter for Huey Lewis and the News, doing a side project. (No, he's not the accordionist - that's Henry Salvia.) No sound check; just plug and play. And pray. It sucked.

Dan's got the guitar he wanted so I'm keeping this one. Is it the Silver Threads guitar? Well, I don't know for absolute certain but it seems to be. Hope this helps.
_________________
Bruce Wandmayer
Sedona, AZ
Steel on the rocks: shakin', not stirred

Russ Tkac · Posted 22 Dec 2008 1:43 pm

Thanks Bruce! Great story and a ton of history there. Smile

Well, I guess I wont be falling into one of Ed's steels none too soon. I always thought that the ZB was the "Silver Threads" guitar. At least it was when I saw him play. Anyone ever find that one?

Thanks for the history lesson.
Russ

Steve Feldman · From: Central MA USA

Kevin Hatton · From: Buffalo, N.Y.

Silver Threads was recorded on his ZB as far as I know. It wasn't until later that he got the black Emmons. Check the recording date. The ZB tone is clearly audible on the recording and sounds nothing like an Emmons push/pull.

Skip Edwards · From: LA,CA

Kevin, I think so, too. I remember asking Ed when he quit playing the ZB, and he said it was in the middle of the '70's, or thereabouts.
I'd be very surprised to find out if ST&GN was cut with the Emmons.
Did Mickey McGee play drums on that track? He's on the Forum, maybe he would remember. Does anybody have a listing of the players on the date? I can ask around...
We're talking about the cut that was on the LP "Don't Cry Now", since she also recorded it a few years earlier.

Mickey McGee · From: Phoenix,Az

Skip Edwards · From: LA,CA

Well, there it is. Thanks, Mickey.
And another old pic...
Ed on bass, yours truly on a Vox Super Continental organ(!),Doug Heywood on a Rhodes, Larry Knight on gtr, and Mickey McGee on drums...circa 1983.

Stu Schulman · From: Ulster Park New Yawk (deceased)

I played in a band with Ed at a little club in Whittier,Ed's girlfriend Pat Quinn played bass,Ed played guitar,and I played steel,When we played Silver Threads Ed would announce my solo as "Here's Ed Black" and I would play his solo note for note...We got big yuks out of that for a few months. Laughing

_________________
Steeltronics Z-pickup,Desert Rose S-10 4+5,Desert Rose Keyless S-10 3+5... Mullen G2 S-10 3+5,Telonics 206 pickups,Telonics volume pedal.,Blanton SD -10,Emmons GS_10...Zirctone bar,Bill Groner Bar...any amp that isn't broken.Steel Seat.Com seats...Licking paint chips off of Chinese Toys since 1952.

Herb Steiner · From: Spicewood TX 78669

Thanks for the reminiscences... Ed was a good pal o' mine, as he was to many of y'all, obviously.
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My rig: Infinity and Telonics.

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Kevin Hatton · From: Buffalo, N.Y.

I'd like to know what ever happened to that ZB. I've seen the blue emmons in person. Skip, do you still have the Vox?

Russ Tkac · Posted 23 Dec 2008 3:10 pm

Brandin

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