Bill Phillips... still touring?

GaryHoetker · Post by **GaryHoetker** » 14 Jul 2005 3:42 pm

His Decca recordings with Dolly singing harmony, e.g "Friends Tell Friends", "Put It Off Until Tomorrow" are timeless.

Marty Pollard · Post by **Marty Pollard** » 14 Jul 2005 4:03 pm

I remember playing with him quite a few times in Texas in the '80s. He drove a gold Caddy with longhorns for a hood ornament.

Wore Nudie suits and all!

What a character.

Sonny Priddy · Post by **Sonny Priddy** » 14 Jul 2005 4:06 pm

Bill Done A Great Job Singing I Always Liked Him. SONNY.

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Cody Campbell · Post by **Cody Campbell** » 14 Jul 2005 8:07 pm

Good Question.

I first heard him on a 'Kitty Wells Show LIVE' record I picked up not long ago. Great vocalist. The album featured (I think) Johnny and Bobby Wright, a father/son duo. .

Anyone hear the record (and know the steeler)??

Bill sings 'the lies just can't be true' on one side, and 'lonely street' on the other. That was the first time I'd heard the song Lonely Street. I enjoy it. Bill's version, and Carl Belew's are the only ones I've heard that I like. (Carl's version is about the same as Bills, except that the eighth notes are straight rather than swung). [BTW, whose cut of L.S. came out first?] Just wondering.

Thanks.

-Cody C.
[This message was edited by Cody Campbell on 14 July 2005 at 09:11 PM.]

Jerry Hayes · Post by **Jerry Hayes** » 15 Jul 2005 5:45 am

A couple of my favorites by Bill is "You're Known by the Company You Keep" and "Lonely Nights and Blues are Sitting In". A great voice and style for sure....JH in Va.

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Steve Hinson · Post by **Steve Hinson** » 15 Jul 2005 10:59 am

"Bill Phillips Style"...what a great album!I met Bill a couple of years ago at the Ryman...he has had some health issues and has retired from performing,I think...his singing style was like Gary Stewart's...good stuff!

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http://home.comcast.net/~stevehinson

ray qualls · Post by **ray qualls** » 15 Jul 2005 11:09 am

Cody, I would assume that Carl Belew had the first record of "Lonely Street" as he is the writer of the song. Just my un-educated guess.

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Ray Qualls
President(KSGA)
www.kansassteelguitarassociation.com

Cody Campbell · Post by **Cody Campbell** » 15 Jul 2005 11:26 am

Thanks R.Q., I didn't know that.

Quote from S.H.: "his singing style was like Gary Stewarts".
Kind of quivery/shakey, right? (though maybe not to the extent of Gary Stewart). I tend to like those type voices too.

Steve Hinson · Post by **Steve Hinson** » 15 Jul 2005 11:58 am

Cody,you are right...Bill had quite a bit of vibrato,but not like Gary...you hardly ever meet a"lukewarm"Gary Stewart fan...either you are a rabid fan(like me!)or you don't like his singing at all...have you heard Ray Price's version of"Lonely Street"?

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http://home.comcast.net/~stevehinson

[This message was edited by Steve Hinson on 15 July 2005 at 01:02 PM.]

Cody Campbell · Post by **Cody Campbell** » 15 Jul 2005 1:40 pm

Actually, Steve, the only version I've heard besides B.P.'s and C.B.'s is by Rex Allen Jr., and I don't like it. I heard Bill's first, like I said. Then next was Carl's version (I found on the Record Lady website). Then the Rex Allen, on this old radio record I have.

Don't get me wrong, I LOVE Ray Price, but I doubt I'd like his version as good as the older ones if I heard it.

Smiley Roberts · Post by **Smiley Roberts** » 15 Jul 2005 4:05 pm

I spoke w/ a friend today,that used to work w/ Johnny & Kitty,& Bill. He informed me that,several years ago,Bill had a stroke,but is still performing today,on a very limited basis. I'll try to get more precise info on Bill,later.

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Steve Hinson · Post by **Steve Hinson** » 15 Jul 2005 4:06 pm

Actually,I think Ray's version is older than Bill's...it is found on the"Night Life"album('61 or'62)...I haven't heard Bill's version,but I will search it out...I'm sure I will love it!

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http://home.comcast.net/~stevehinson

Smiley Roberts · Post by **Smiley Roberts** » 15 Jul 2005 4:33 pm

While we're,temporarily,on the subject of "Lonely Street"I have an RCA 45 of Dave Rich doing it. I've had this record since the mid 50's,so that'll give you an idea how old the song is. Writers listed,in order,are:K.Sowder-E.Hearn-C.Belew.

BTW Steve,your wife,Becky,does a heluva job on "Lonely Street". Wish she'd do it more often.

Okay,back on subject,mainly,Bill Phillips.

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

Steve Hinson · Post by **Steve Hinson** » 15 Jul 2005 5:09 pm

Smiley,I didn't know Bill was singing any now...that's great news!Tell Becky to sing that song more often...she will.

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Per Kammersgaard · Post by **Per Kammersgaard** » 15 Jul 2005 9:17 pm

I think I heard a rumor once, that Wynn Stewart wrote "Lonely Street" and gave it to / sold it to Carl Belew. Can anyone confirm this....

PK

Larry King · Post by **Larry King** » 16 Jul 2005 4:49 am

Per.....I would doubt that story for a couple of reasons..#1 songs like that don't come along every day so you can't be giving the good ones away #2 why would he give it to Carl? Carl was a fellow Oklahoman but not at the level of artistry as to make any writer rich with record sales #3 Carl also wrote several great songs...Am I That Easy To Forget..Stop The World and Let Me Off..and of course Lonely Street.

Larry King · Post by **Larry King** » 16 Jul 2005 5:06 am

We may add to that list the great #1 song by Eddy Arnold "What's He Doing In My World" and one site credits him with writing "Look At Us"....can anybody check their C D's for writer credits on Look At Us? Once again, with all that writing talent, he doesn't need to buy songs or be given songs...besides, this song would represent some continual income for Wynn's survivors..make sense?

Larry King · Post by **Larry King** » 16 Jul 2005 8:19 am

Sorry about the Look At US confusion...apperently Vince and Max Barnes wrote it. Carl was still a great writer nonetheless.

Joe Casey · Post by **Joe Casey** » 16 Jul 2005 11:19 am

Bill was part of a show we worked at Mountain Park in the 70's. He came in with Webb Pierce and we had little time for rehearsing. But he was prepared and did a great opening set and made it easy for all of us by having his music charted. He did a song that I believe Harlan Howard wrote but had not published yet called " I've love you all over this world". I have never heard the song again but it would have been a hit for Bill if he recorded it as planned.If The Tessier Agency is still in Bus. in Nashburg (actually Madison),Rena would have info on Bill.But at seventy something I am not to sure he is on the road again or anymore for that matter.

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Smiley 22-9 Crank&pull&push pro model Deluxe with auto string changer.500ft. roll.

Cody Campbell · Post by **Cody Campbell** » 16 Jul 2005 8:49 pm

This first comment here is a little off the subject, so I apologize.

In the initial post of this topic, the song, "put it off until tomorrow" was mentioned. There is a great version on the the Ricky Skaggs record "Sweet Temptation" that has Emmylou Harris on it. The first tune on that record is "I'll take the blame" which may have been the bigger hit.

Speaking of Ricky Skaggs, FYI, I don't really listen to his solo records. Just J.D. Crowe's first 'new south' line-up, and the stuff with Keith Whitley when they were getting their start in Ralph Stanley's Clinch Mountain Boys.

But that record with Emmylou is great. Tony Rice plays one of the most Rockin' guitar solos in bluegrass music on the tune "I'll Stay Around." (I'd personally rather hear Tony sing, but..) what a great cut! The album also features spectacular dobro work by Jerry Douglas.

OKAY, Back To Bill Phillips. This post has made me want to hear him again, so I went to Record Lady's site again. I can definitely see a slight similarity to Gary Stewart. Even more so he sounds alot like Stonewall Jackson when he pronounces the letter "R" at the end of a word. (with the sound pushed forward real quick). A great example of what I'm talking about is in S.J.'s cut of "A wound time can't erase" when says the line, 'you know I vowwwed, to love you, evermorrrrrre'. Know what I mean??

Bill really is a great singer IMO. His voice has a youthful sound. Gram Parsons does too but he doesn't sound like a "country" singer, just a hippie kid singing country tunes. Who else does Bill's sound take after? I think I can hear a little Faron Young in one of the tunes. I don't really know.