Steel player for Bob Wills?

Jim Cohen · From: Philadelphia, PA

Got an email tonite from someone asking if I knew of a California Highway Patrolman who quit his day job to play steel for Bob Wills. Anybody know who that would have been?
Thanks,
jc

Dave Birkett · From: Oxnard, CA, USA

Broderick Crawford?

Gene Jones · From: Oklahoma City, OK USA, (deceased)

It could have CHUCK HAYES. He is retired now and living in Muskogee, Oklahoma, but lived in California many years ago and played for Wills for awhile. I don't know about the Highway Patrol connection....
www.genejones.com

Bob Blair · From: Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

Sounds like something Jason should know! I'll send him an e-mail and tell him about the thread.

Buddy Emmons · From: Hermitage, TN USA * R.I.P.

Dave... thanks for kick starting my day.

Smiley Roberts · From: Hendersonville,Tn. 37075

.....me too Dave. I,absolutely,fell out when I saw your reply. Best laugh I've had in years!

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  ~ ~


  ©¿©  It don't mean a thang,   


  mm   if it ain't got that twang.


       www.ntsga.com

Paul Graupp · From: Macon Ga USA

I never knew Broderick Crawford played steel....

Regards, Paul

Leigh Howell · From: Edinburgh, Scotland * R.I.P.

Oh sure he did!! He did'nt use a bar though. He played with a bottle. Doug Beaumier used to do the same thing!!!

Jim Eaton · From: Santa Susana, Ca

Where I live in Santa Susana, California, alot of the "exterior" shots from old TV shows were shot in my neighborhood. Where they shot the start of "Highway Patrol" where that 49 Mercury patrol car whips a U-turn and light's em up going after the bad guys is about two blocks from my house.
10-4
JE:-)>

Chris Bauer · From: Nashville, TN USA

I thought everyone knew that Broderick and Jimmy were steel-playing twins seperated at birth.

Jason Odd · From: Stawell, Victoria, Australia

Bob Blair alerted me to this topic.

Well, it's not Leon McAuliffe 1930s-1940s, 1940s steelers Noel Boggs, Les 'Carrot Top' Anderson, Roy Honeycutt, Herb Remmington.. I don't think any of those guys fit the description.

An apparent temp player is Dale 'Pete' Amend, a steel player who filled for Wills circa 1946-1953, born in 1925 and still alive he later played with Red Foley on the Ozark Jubilee.

1950s: Billy Bowman, Bob White, Bobby Koeffer, Shorty Messer, Vance Terry, Gene 'Jean' Crownover who went intot he 1960s group as well.

1960s: Reece Anderson and Crownover were Bob's last regulars. After that, it was mainly one-offs and session steel from 1964 to 1969.
Bobby Garrett (steel) works with Wills for a short time in 1968.

April 26 1969 at the Dell City Civic Centre in Texas, Bob Wills performs his (supposed) last ever live appearence. The group at this performance included Tag Lambert (guitar, vocals), Bobby Penton (steel), Burt Parker (guitar, vocals), Bill Ramsey (bass) and David Bost (drums).
On 30 May 1969, he suffered a stroke and was rushed to hospital where he underwent two operations. Afterwards the stroke left him paralysed on the right side and he was hospitalised for some months.
In March 1970, further sessions were held to finish off Bob’s Kapp (MCA) album. It was basically a studio crew finishing off the songs as Wills was still unable to attend or perform while slowly recovering.

Jason Odd · From: Stawell, Victoria, Australia

Anyway, that's the steel guys I know of, but any California Highway Patrolman relation is beyond my real of knowledge, sorry 'bout that.

Buddy Emmons · From: Hermitage, TN USA * R.I.P.

The only reference I can tie to the topic is having met Gene Crownover's brother, who was a patrolman in Tulsa at the time.
As for the Crawfords, it has been a well kept secret, but I've been told that Jimmy got most of his chops from uncle Broderick before they left home and went their separate ways.

Larry Bell · From: Englewood, Florida

y'know . . . there is a bit of family resemblance.

10-4
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Larry Bell - email: larry@larrybell.org - gigs - Home Page
2000 Fessenden S-12 8x8, 1969 Emmons S-12 6x6, 1971 Dobro

[This message was edited by Larry Bell on 05 December 2002 at 07:21 AM.]

Larry Miller · From: Dothan AL,USA

Jody Carver · From: KNIGHT OF FENDER TWEED

Jack Webb played with Bob on a few dates,but
only on FRIDAY's because he didnt want to give up his day job,,just the facts mam,

Joe Thursday

It used to be Joe Friday,but it ruined my weekends.

edited for the facts,just the facts mam.

[This message was edited by Jody Carver on 05 December 2002 at 09:05 PM.]

Smiley Roberts · From: Hendersonville,Tn. 37075

Chris Bauer · From: Nashville, TN USA

And, come to think of it - their former boss' names weren't so very different either, ya know. Wills? Wells? COINCIDENCE??? I think not...

Jody Carver · From: KNIGHT OF FENDER TWEED

Where there's a will,,,,,,,there's a relative

Courtesy of Howard R. my writer.

Gene Jones · From: Oklahoma City, OK USA, (deceased)

....when I go to western-swing events I wear a name tag that says:

"I am the ONLY musician here who NEVER worked for Bob, not even one time"

www.genejones.com

Ron Page · From: Penn Yan, NY USA

Broderick was a cop?

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HagFan

Bill Hankey · From: Pittsfield, MA, USA

Jim C.,

When Bob was making changes, he added a drummer, and his bass player who also played steel guitar part time, left the band. Could Kermit Whelan be the musician referred to? Just a guess on my part.

Bill H.

[This message was edited by Bill Hankey on 06 December 2002 at 04:34 PM.]

Tim Rowley · From: Pinconning, MI, USA

Bill,

No, I don't believe it was Kermit Whalen. You are right that Kermit played upright bass and acoustic steel up into the early Tulsa years, prior to the hiring of Smokey Dacus. But that happened one heckuva long way from California, both geographically and timewise. Actually it was the movie rolls that first brought Bob Wills and the band to California circa 1940, but of course he did later relocate and live there for several years up into the mid-1950's.

Bob did use some short-term steel players in the late 1950's and into the 1960's. Albert Talley and others worked with him off and on during that era. But mainly he used Gene Crownover during that period.

But as Gene Jones hints, an awful lot of steelers worked with Bob Wills at one time or another, and some of them did have other professions (like Vance Terry who worked in the banking business). So who knows, maybe there is some truth to the California Highway Patrolman story.

Hey, I guess that I would quit just about any job to get the chance to play steel for Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys. Yeah, I know, too little too late, but it's a kinda cool thought.

Tim R.

Mike Black · From: New Mexico, USA

In case anyone's still interested. I knew I had heard of this player but his name didn't come to mind until recently. The CHP officer that played with Bob Wills was Gerald M. Dixon. In the photo I've seen of him he's playing a Fender Custom and 54 Wide Face Twin~Amp. I just waved good-bye to his old Twin. The best amp I never tried!
It's true he quit one job to keep another but Jerry chose to stay a CHP instead of going on the road with Bob Wills in the mid 50's. Huh?Wha?Sa?
Sadly he passed on a few years ago in Central California.
So I wonder how many tickets he wrote to Musicians he pulled over?

[This message was edited by Mike Black on 11 February 2003 at 10:50 AM.]

[This message was edited by Mike Black on 11 February 2003 at 10:58 AM.]

Jim Cohen · From: Philadelphia, PA

Thanks for solving the mystery, Mike! Unfortunately, I no longer have the contact info. from the guy who wrote me wanting this info., but I did turn him on to this thread which he was following back in December, so maybe he'll think to check it again and see your post. Thanks again,
Jim

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