Billy Thompson 1950's

Fred Shannon · Post by **Fred Shannon** » 2 Apr 2005 6:59 am

Back in either the late 50's or early 60's we had a cat out here in West Texas named Billy Thompson that tore the place up singing "real country" music. He played all over and I know that Curtis Potter played bass in the band, named "Melody---sompin' or other". The steel player was a killer and for the life of me I can't remember who it was. (The memory is the first to go you know). Anybody have any idea who the steeler was and what happened to Billy Thompson? Need the info for Jack Hamlet's Pedal Steel project.

Bobby Tuttle or Rountree do you guys remember who I'm talking about?

phred

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"From Truth, Justice is Born"--Quanah Parker-1904

Mitch Drumm · Post by **Mitch Drumm** » 2 Apr 2005 1:41 pm

Fred:

Shorty Messer played steel for Billy in the late 50s, but there may have been others passing through the band as well.

Thompson's band was called the Melody Mustangs and I think the Melody Cowboys at various times.

I have a Thompson LP from the 1970s on which Ronnie Miller plays steel, but this was after Thompson had moved on to Colorado.

Fred Shannon · Post by **Fred Shannon** » 2 Apr 2005 1:52 pm

Mitch, thanks a lot.... Does that mean that Thompson may still be in Colorado, perhaps? Any of you Colorado players know of this guy?

Phred

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"From Truth, Justice is Born"--Quanah Parker-1904

Mitch Drumm · Post by **Mitch Drumm** » 2 Apr 2005 1:59 pm

Fred:

Not sure, but I think Thompson is deceased 15 years or so?

Bobby Dixon also is said to have played steel in Thompson's band, probably before Messer. Dixon may have been out of Odessa?

Mitch

Gene Jones · Post by **Gene Jones** » 2 Apr 2005 3:29 pm

"Shorty Messer"....boy that's a name from the past! He was with the Rogers Twins & The Prairie Sons in Amarillo way back in 1950, and was one of the fastest single-string players I ever heard before he was even shaving regularly!

When I last heard he was working in an auto-supply store in Dalhart, Texas but that was many years ago. I have often wondered whatever happened to him.

Bobby Dixon currently lives near Weatherford, Texas and is secretary of the "Western Swing Society of the Southwest(WSMSS). He was named "player of the year" at the Dallas steel show this year.

www.genejones.com

Jody Sanders · Post by **Jody Sanders** » 2 Apr 2005 9:54 pm

I was working out of Odessa,Tx, in 1954 with various people. Don't remember Billy Thompson. However, in that day and time, somedays I didn't know who I was. Jody.

George Duncan Sypert · Post by **George Duncan Sypert** » 3 Apr 2005 9:56 am

Shorty Messer lives in Canon City, Colorado according to sources I have. For more info you might contact Jesse Morris of the Western Swing Journal in Colorado Springs. I plan on trying to make a trip down there soon to meet him.
George

Al Johnson · Post by **Al Johnson** » 3 Apr 2005 11:58 am

Billy Thompson also worked with Hank Thompson and his Brazos Valley Boys at sometime. Good artist
Al

Chuck Cusimano · Post by **Chuck Cusimano** » 4 Apr 2005 7:49 am

Another great player that worked with Billy (and Hank and a bunch more) was a fiddle player named Merle David. I was thrown to the wolves when I first started playing six nites a week, and worked with Merle David in Odessa, Tx. He told us some really funny stories. Merle has passed on, and I still miss him and his Humor, and his playing.

Merle told me he worked with Billy Gray too, and Hank Thompson, Bob Wills, and earned the nick name "Two Week Merle" in the seventies, when he went to work with Mel Tillis. It seemes he walked on the bus for the first time, and gave his two week notice! Sorry didn't mean to rob the thread.