Impersonations

Walter Stettner · Post by **Walter Stettner** » 23 Jul 2006 11:28 am

...seem to be a thing of the past. They used to be a fun part of a live show - but of course you need(ed) two things: A singer who can capture the identity/style of another voice and significant voices that are identifiable enough to be imitated.

I listened to several live albums recently, Mel Tillis, Merle Haggard, Ferlin Husky (aka Simon Crumb) used impersonations in their shows. Of course, back then there were a lot of significant voices that everybody recognized immediately: ET, Hank Snow, Kitty Wells, Tex Ritter, Buck Owens etc.

Maybe there are no more voices today that are significant enough to be imitated (and recognized!)?

Any bands out there that still do impersonations as a part of their live shows?

Kind Regards, Walter

www.lloydgreentribute.com
www.austriansteelguitar.at.tf

Billy Wilson · Post by **Billy Wilson** » 23 Jul 2006 12:03 pm

Can you imagine Britanny Spears doing an impression of Ahshley Simpson?

Walter Stettner · Post by **Walter Stettner** » 23 Jul 2006 1:09 pm

Or Kid Rock doing Eminem...?

Jon Light (deceased) · Post by **Jon Light (deceased)** » 23 Jul 2006 1:28 pm

You guys are funny!

The impersonation thing is entertaining--especially since in order for it to work you have to pick up on and exaggerate particular elements of the target's sound and it becomes like a caricature.
On a different track--how about instrumental impersonations? Was is Bill Kirchen who cut a song where he impersonates a dozen different guitarists, soloing in each one's style? Whoever it was, it's a gas.

Jim Cohen · Post by **Jim Cohen** » 23 Jul 2006 1:57 pm

That was Hot Rod Lincoln. Great tune with great impersonations. I've been trying for years to persuade Joe Wright to record the definitive steel guitar version of that song. Can you imagine the great imitations:

Speedy West pulled over (Woo-wooooo!)
Curly Chalker pulled over
Buddy Emmons pulled over
Lloyd Green pulled over
Maurice Anderson pulled over
Hal Rugg pulled over
Paul Franklin pulled over

and on and on... it would be soooooo great. Heck, I wish I could play like that... and then I WOULD!

Billy Wilson · Post by **Billy Wilson** » 23 Jul 2006 2:20 pm

You should have seen the look on Bobby Black's face when he was sitting in with Kirchen and Bill pulled out the new version of Hot Rod Lincoln.

Price of admission: $8

Look on bobby's face: Priceless!!

Jerry Hayes · Post by **Jerry Hayes** » 23 Jul 2006 3:18 pm

The afore mentioned artists used to do impersonations on a regular basis in their shows as does Del Reeves. Unfortunately they don't anymore. Like someone said, there just aren't those distinct voices or styles out there anymore in modern country music. Also if you did some for a younger crowd they probably wouldn't know who you were impersonating anyway. My grandson who's eighteen went to dinner with me one night where they had a 3 piece country band. The guitar player did an impersonation of Walter Brennen & Ernest Tubb in one of the tunes which I thought was great but my grandson didn't even know who either one of the were! The boy needs some education!.....JH in Va.

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Don't matter who's in Austin (or anywhere else) Ralph Mooney is still the king!!!

Jim Cohen · Post by **Jim Cohen** » 23 Jul 2006 3:53 pm

Billy, what's the "new version"?

Andy Greatrix · Post by **Andy Greatrix** » 23 Jul 2006 3:55 pm

These days all the top forty country singers
do impersonations. That's why they all sound alike. They all have the same accent, use the same musicians on their recordings and dub in the same crowd roar in the background.

Charles Davidson · Post by **Charles Davidson** » 23 Jul 2006 4:30 pm

You have to have a definate STYLE to be imitated,such as Hank Snow,Tubb,Marty Robbins,Cash,Acuff,Faron Young,Kitty Wells,Porter,all of these REAL artist had style,which is null and void today except for a FEW rare exceptions.Just a bunch of clones,male and female.

Billy Wilson · Post by **Billy Wilson** » 23 Jul 2006 5:39 pm

Jim, Kirchen got to this idea already where he he is barreling down Grapevine hill and who does he overtake? Les Paul!! (Les Paul licks here) Jimmi Hendricks (Jimmi licks here) etc etc. Very cool.[This message was edited by Billy Wilson on 23 July 2006 at 06:43 PM.]

Jim Hartley · Post by **Jim Hartley** » 23 Jul 2006 6:03 pm

Jerry, thanks for mentioning Del Reeves. I had the great pleasure of playing drums for Del for about six years and he truly was one of the very best impersonators in the business. That was always a big part of every show we did. The voices were one thing, but he had a real talent for getting the manerisms down to perfection. Backstage at the Opry was always a blast, some of the best shows ever. He and Tater would get into it and if you shut your eyes, you'd lose track of who was talking. Sad to say though, Del is not doing too well these days. I try to keep in touch with him every couple of months or so, sometimes he is doing OK, sometimes not so OK. Whenever I call, I just hope for the best.

By the way Jerry, have you ever run into Ron Hoeben in Va. Beach. What a great player and really a good guy. I think he is working in one of the guitar stores there. Tell him I said hey if you see him.

Jim

Petr Vitous · Post by **Petr Vitous** » 24 Jul 2006 6:25 am

Since the 80's, it seems everybody impersonates somebody.

Best, Petr
http://www.luma-electronic.cz/lp/elpe.htm [This message was edited by Petr Vitous on 24 July 2006 at 10:07 AM.]

Stephen Gambrell · Post by **Stephen Gambrell** » 24 Jul 2006 4:08 pm

Kenny Chesney does a MEAN Britney Spears...

Bob Hickish · Post by **Bob Hickish** » 24 Jul 2006 7:38 pm

Walter
in answer to your question ! yes !
in a small way . there is a coulpe inflections
that we add to - Jonny Cash - ET - and every
once in a wile ! Old Sashmo ! Louie Armstrong -
& couple others - But its like Jon
mentioned , its just that little quark that they had .
It does make for more fun !

Hick

Ron Page · Post by **Ron Page** » 25 Jul 2006 7:51 am

Merle's impersonations are excellent on record but even better in person where you can observe the body language and props being imitated, such as Buck's red white and blue guitar and two-handed wave to the audience, or Johnny Cash's long-tailed coat and picking the neck of his guitar.

Quite a voice range to cover when impersonating Hank Snow and Marty Robbins.

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HagFan

ray qualls · Post by **ray qualls** » 25 Jul 2006 8:16 am

I used to impersonate Abe Lincoln but had to quit when a guy took a shot at me from the balcony!

Probably the two easiest ones to impersonate are Johnny Cash & Ernest Tubb. Back in my younger days I tried to sing "Pretty Woman" one time and got a hernia.

Seriously tho, I was always envious of those guys that had a wide voice range.

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Ray Qualls
President(KSGA) www.rayqualls.com

Charles Davidson · Post by **Charles Davidson** » 25 Jul 2006 9:39 am

Ron,your right Merle was great at this,I have an old LP of Merle live in Philly Pa years ago.He did the best take off of Hank Snow I have ever heard,he almost fooled me,and Hank was my childhood hero [still is].Also a great Marty Robbins,which is a feat in it's self.

Stephen Gregory · Post by **Stephen Gregory** » 25 Jul 2006 9:42 am

Impressions or impressionist?

Kenny Burford · Post by **Kenny Burford** » 25 Jul 2006 9:47 am

I am in agreement with Stephen Gambrell about Chesney.

Charles Davidson · Post by **Charles Davidson** » 25 Jul 2006 7:01 pm

88,YOU GOT THAT RIGHT !!!!!!

Per Berner · Post by **Per Berner** » 25 Jul 2006 10:13 pm

Junior Brown does Ernest Tubb better than ET did himself ("My baby won't dance to nothing but Ernest Tubb").

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´75 Emmons p/p D10 8+4, ca '72 AWH Custom D10 8+3, Hybrid Zum coming soon, Peavey Nashville 1000

Ron Page · Post by **Ron Page** » 26 Jul 2006 7:59 am

Charles, I have that same album, and was fortunate enough to see a Hag concert during those days when he was doing the impersonations. That "Fighting Side of Me" show must have been particularly cool for the audience as Hank Snow was on that same show; recall Merle borrowing Chubby Wise, Hank's fiddler from The Rainbow Ranch Boys.

The night I saw Hag do the impersonations he turned his back while putting on the long-tailed coat. As the audience anticipated a Johnny Cash impression, Hag turned aroung, grabbed the mic stand, and using some Elvis "the pelvis" body language he blurted out "You ain't nothin' but a hound dog!".

Shortly thereafter the anticipated guitar intro to Folsom was played.

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HagFan

Don Walters · Post by **Don Walters** » 26 Jul 2006 11:40 am

On those Opry package tours that used to come around in the 50's & early 60's, One of the singers used to do an imitation of Ernest Tubb as he would sound on a cracked 78 RPM! Can't remember who it was but it was well done... typically brought the house down, 'cause we all had a cracked 78 or two or three in those days.