Who's Now Married BECAUSE of the S.G.?

About Steel Guitarists and their Music

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Dr. Hugh Jeffreys
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Who's Now Married BECAUSE of the S.G.?

Post by Dr. Hugh Jeffreys »

For Ray Montee: A woman told me recently that she did'nt know if she got married because she loved him or the steel guitar. Her husband was of notable fame and now deceased. She says she's always loved the sound of the steel guitar, however. There's always another way to look at a situation (that's what the fly said when flying over a mirror!)....Best, Hugh
Robbie Bossert
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Post by Robbie Bossert »

How many are now divorced?!?!?!?!?!?;-)
Paul King
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Post by Paul King »

After working in a factory for 14 plus years, I quit and moved off so I could play and travel with a band. I was 33 years old and had never been married. I met my wife in that little town of New Waverly, Texas . We dated 5 months and got married and we just celebrated our 9th anniversary. Nine years and 2 children later, my wife really does not care for music or singing. I remind her often the steel is why what brought us together.
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Ray Montee (RIP)
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Post by Ray Montee (RIP) »

To the Good Doctor and/or anyone else that might think they care. (See, I am a good sport!)
My present #7, lovely little wife has always "loved the sounds of the steel guitar". Altho' we met over the InterNet, she informed me that my steel guitar connection did in fact make a special impact on her psyche. It was, let's say, the door opener in our early relationship.
Thus far, 18 months into the program, she still loves the steel guitar and me too! She is proud when I'm asked to sit in with a local group of cowboy pickers like Duggy Jones and Earache West. She is equally proud when I'm invited to play with a local Hawaiian group and was thrilled when I made the studio appearance a couple of weeks back.
She's not "pushy" like a stage door mother but not once has she complained even the slightest when an opportunity for me to play has arisen. She sees no threat when those charming ladies in the audience gaze longingly at me since most cannot reach the stage for the instability of their walkers, wheel chairs, canes, crutches, knowing well that some will not even be able to recall where they're at, during the course of the evening.
In fact, she is the one that has consistantly out-bid a host of others for more than one of my little Rick Bakelites.
WHAT A WIFE! WHAT A LIFE! She too, is the one that booked our trip last March to the Texas shindig and also Scotty's St.Louis extravaganza! She does love steel guitar and I'm part of that package.
She has yet to discover MANY of my other fine, unequalled, unparalleled qualities, like my being humble, shy, quiet, reserved, modest, non-aggressive, swavee and deboner and the like. Later.........
Donny Hinson
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Post by Donny Hinson »

Just a quick post to say...I met my present wife (and all my ex-wives) while playing steel guitar! Image
Dr. Hugh Jeffreys
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Post by Dr. Hugh Jeffreys »

Ray - Your modesty is over-shadowed only by your desire to express it! Very interesting, however. I met my wife at one of my boat parties: she liked the boat, but did not know for many years that I played steel. I was a young doctor too. She denies that that was a factor (??)....HJ
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Ray Montee (RIP)
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Post by Ray Montee (RIP) »

Hummmmmmmm
Thank You Donny.....I needed that reinforcment! Whew!
Well Doctor, you may think you have it made, but I'll be quite Frank, (that sounds better than saying I'll be quite Ray) I have only one more lesson to go in my correspondence course on "Becoming a Brain Surgeon in 12 Easy Lessons". I've made 11 payments of only $29.95 per month and have received high grades throughout my strenuous mail order training.
Upon graduation, I will be receiving an authentic looking, full colored, lithographed, Certificate of Graduation, suitable for framing....then I'm finished with trying to make a mediocre living by flying impressive looking airplanes, driving Tour busses with lots of smoked windows, REALLY BIG TRUCKS (a position where people from all walks of life look up to me)......and playing music in these smoke filled dens of inequity with all that chicken wire or whatever.
I too, will be ready for the big time and the good life. But I'll still have my little wife and all those Ricks hanging on the wall to admire.
Reece Anderson
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Post by Reece Anderson »

My father in law (Ben Harvey, now deceased) while in Nevada on business, heard a man named Travis Martin singing and playing. He was so impressed, he moved him and his family to Dallas and financed his first recording session, which the producer called me to play.

Upon arriving I immediately noticed a stunningly beautiful lady with a glowing spirit, whom I later learned was also a singer. She was introduced to me as Ben Harveys daughter.....Teresa.

About two years later we were married. That was 23 years ago last Oct.11th. One would have to say, steel guitar brought us together.

By the way, Travis Martin went on to become famous, known as "Box Car Willie"!

As Paul Harvey says, (no kin to Ben Harvey), "now you know the rest of the story".
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Roger Rettig
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Post by Roger Rettig »

In Summer of '99, I was booked to play steel on a production of 'Always - Patsy Cline' at the Southern Appalachian Repertory Theatre in Mars Hill, NC.

The Costume Designer for the show provided the band with the obligatory western shirts, jeans, neckties and Stetsons, but footwear was left to us. I made my first big impression on her by wearing white socks - a heinous crime, particularly as I was positioned 'center-stage'!

Now, that same lady (Susie) monitors my sartorial blunders on a daily basis.

In three years she's gone from dismissing it all as 'goat-roping music' to attending two ISGCs, and declaring Doug Jernigan one of her favorite musicians!

That 'Patsy...' show was a lucky gig for me.....

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Roger Rettig
Larry Gerdeman
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Post by Larry Gerdeman »

I met my beautiful wife through steel guitar. Her sister had a country music show and hired me to play for her, and then introduced me to my wife. We have been happily married for four years now.

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Gene Jones
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Post by Gene Jones »

CHARLOTTE and I met when she had a date with the vocalist in the band I was playing steel with. They always get the BEST ones!

She was only 18, had long black hair down to her waist, was wearing a bright yellow off the shoulder dress that revealed more than it probably should have, the brownest most enchanting eyes that I have ever seen.....and fortunately for me, she decided that "she liked me best"!

We have been together now for more that 50 years while I was playing full time, while I was only week-ending, and for an extended period of being completely away from music.......and she has supported me completely through all of those phases. She even insisted that I buy a Harley when she found out I wanted one.....and rode to all those rallys across the USA with me.

God bless her...she has been the BEST thing that has ever happened to me in my lifetime! www.genejones.com
Gary Walker
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Post by Gary Walker »

Was playing in a group in '83 and one of the band members' daughter came to practice and started playing piano with us and we have been married 14 years and is the love of my life.
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Roy Ayres
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Post by Roy Ayres »

Met my first wife, Shirley, in 1947 at a live radio broadcast we were doing from the furniture store of our sponsor on WAVE in Louisville. We were married in 1949 and were almost at our 40th anniversary when she passed away from cancer in 1988. Met my second wife, Laurie, in 1990 through my computer business. Her husband had died 15 years earlier. We hit it off right away and were married in June 1990. We celebrated our 12th in June and have a great relationship. She is an avid country music fan, which gives us one more thing in common. Neither marriage was actually BECAUSE of the steel -- but being a steel player didn't hurt in either case.

Roy
Gene Jones
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Post by Gene Jones »

Roy.....those live radio broadcasts on Saturdays from all those furniture stores back in that era sure did supplement our Friday & Saturday night club jobs! Image It's too bad they don't still get all that advertising money from their suppliers so they can still do that! www.genejones.com
R. L. Jones
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Post by R. L. Jones »

How do we ever know for sure? We were teenagers, when I met my wife, her deep blue eyes were captivating. I fell like a rock, two years later we moved. I would seeher when I could find her, usually on Saturday`s in town. I started playing a little old Hawaiin steel guitar, I courted her with it. Kinfolks to her would hold dances in their homes, I of course would show up draggin my little treasure around and play with the guys , not a band ,just guys that play something.
Then W W 2 , I left the next week , after 3yrs. and her graduation she said "YES"
WE celebrated our 58th. Anniversary last June
Again I ask how do we really know? I think These women know all along and just dont tell us

R. L.
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Al Marcus
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Post by Al Marcus »

NOT me! My wife, "Sweet Lorraine", never liked the Steel Guitar. But she liked my singing, and Guitar playing.

But she came to a club with her mother, where I was on the road playing a two week job. I had to move on, But...

We corresponded and six months later we were married. That was 55 years ago!

I have been just pure LUCKY and blessed all my life....al Image Image Image<FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Al Marcus on 03 November 2002 at 08:02 AM.]</p></FONT>
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Bobby Lee
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Post by Bobby Lee »

I met Mrs. Lee at a bar gig 25 years ago. She liked the sound of my steel guitar. Image

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