What's the LARGEST CROWD you've performed for?

Ray Montee (RIP) · Post by **Ray Montee (RIP)** » 12 Jun 2004 11:00 am

I may be OLD; I cain't "speed pick"; I'm not a current player at Oregon's largest truck stop Saloon; my guitars are all very old, the newest being a 1972 Emmons......but today this olde man was heard by untold MILLIONS of folks, many of whom have never heard a steel guitar before.
That's right! The Portland, Oregon, Rose Festival Parade was today and the Hawaiian float featuring Manny K. Fernandez and a wonderful group of his Hawaiian friends was a prize winner, just like his CD in the Hawaii Music Awards...........and guess what?
As I sat there comfortably in my big over stuffed chair in my living room in front of the TV.......I heard none other than myself playing "loudly" before the happy crowd. At first it really caught me off guard.
Not only were these great Hawaiian tunes heard by the street side crowd, but television viewers throughout Oregon, Washington and various, unknown cities across this great land.
Hopefully the TV Viewers will enjoy what they heard, and just maybe, something they heard me playing will catch their "ear" just enough to make them curious about steel guitar. No way to measure this.....but it is a thrill to think of the possibilities.
Now, those of you inclined to flame others that you don't care about, let the flames begin. I'm proud that my playing was thought worthy enough to be used in this beautiful Hawiian float and related events. Never before, have I enjoyed such a huge exposure. Isn't music wonderful!

Jim Vogan · Post by **Jim Vogan** » 12 Jun 2004 11:14 am

Way to go, Ray! Hope it was a Ric!

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Jim Vogan
Fessenden SD10 3&6
G.D. Walker Stereo Steel Combo
Bakelite Ric
Hilton volume pedal

Ray Montee (RIP) · Post by **Ray Montee (RIP)** » 12 Jun 2004 11:16 am

It was, my friend!

Eric West · Post by **Eric West** » 12 Jun 2004 11:21 am

You're being too hard on yourself again Ray.

Don't be so modest.

EJL

Stephen Gambrell · Post by **Stephen Gambrell** » 12 Jun 2004 12:52 pm

Out of the park, Ray! Congrats on being found "worthy," for getting the steel guitar heard, and for playing the thing in the first place.
BTW, the biggest crowd I ever played for, was about 70,000, at the old Union Grove, N.C. Fiddler's Convention. We didn't get paid, and most of those folks were out of their minds, screaming, and falling down, but it's still a rush!
The second largest was at some bar in Ames, Iowa, in 1983. Saturday night, about 18 people---mostly there to sell stuff to the band.
Show business--YA GOTTA LOVE IT!
Right, Eric??

Rick Schmidt · Post by **Rick Schmidt** » 12 Jun 2004 2:28 pm

Last night I got a standing ovation...but I guess the guy was just going to the mens room.

Eric West · Post by **Eric West** » 12 Jun 2004 2:34 pm

Well, the most fun I ever had, there was just two of us..

EJL

Tony Prior · Post by **Tony Prior** » 12 Jun 2004 2:35 pm

Hey Stephen, I was one of the 18 that night, but I don't count, I didn't go to hear the band, I went to sell you stuff, so it was really 17. Just to set the record straight.

The biggest crowd ( all drunk) I ever played Steel for was back in Norwalk Ct for the Fall Oyster Festival..Sunday night the last show approx 15,000 to 20,000..all drunk..
t

Ray Montee (RIP) · Post by **Ray Montee (RIP)** » 12 Jun 2004 2:54 pm

WEll Eric, THANK GOD, I wasn't the other person........just wanted to set the record straight.

Eric West · Post by **Eric West** » 12 Jun 2004 2:56 pm

It might have been you Ray. It was dark.

EJL

Mike Bagwell · Post by **Mike Bagwell** » 12 Jun 2004 3:49 pm

Ray,

I played Dobro on the Prairie Home Companion radio show. We had a packed house at the venue and a ton of people listening on the radio, it scared me big time.

Mike

Bill Hatcher · Post by **Bill Hatcher** » 12 Jun 2004 5:47 pm

1996 Olympics. I played bass for a Chinese rock star named Wei Wei. 200,000 people in the outdoor area where the stage was and satellite broadcast to the entire Pacific Rim with an estimated ONE BILLION people watching so I was told by the officials there.

Roy Ayres · Post by **Roy Ayres** » 12 Jun 2004 7:41 pm

Way to go, Ray. But we are gonna have to go some to beat Hatcher's billion.

At the last gig I played there was only one guy sitting in the audiance when the curtain opened. We told him that even though there was just one in attendance we would perform the entire show. He said, "O.K. but hurry up. I'm the janitor and I gotta clean this danged place when you are finished"

James Morehead · Post by **James Morehead** » 12 Jun 2004 10:47 pm

Now Bill, if a guy could just get a nickel for each one of those billion you played for-------------------------

Bill Hatcher · Post by **Bill Hatcher** » 13 Jun 2004 1:57 am

I would settle for a buck!!!!

HowardR · Post by **HowardR** » 13 Jun 2004 5:17 am

Me too. I need the doe!

Tony Prior · Post by **Tony Prior** » 13 Jun 2004 5:38 am

Howard you win !! You're top dawg..

What a great album cover !

t

Smiley Roberts · Post by **Smiley Roberts** » 13 Jun 2004 6:52 am

I couldn't give you a head-count,but one time was at Madison Sq. Garden,N.Y.C.,& the other time would have to be at the largest Country Music fest in Europe,at the time,the Wembley Country Music Fest.,in London,Eng. Both of these occured in the mid 70's.

P.S. Howard,yer a certified NUT!!

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<pre> ~ ~
©¿© It don't mean a thang,
mm if it ain't got that twang.
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[This message was edited by Smiley Roberts on 13 June 2004 at 07:55 AM.]

Bob Hickish · Post by **Bob Hickish** » 13 Jun 2004 7:33 am

Ray ! That's Grate ! I know about that Old age ! And I have heard you play and you deserve to be heard !!! to your question ! 600 was the number and it may not have been the biggest audience I ever played for but ! They were all sober /not dancing / quiet and focused on the music being played [ a very scary proposition ] I was playing the Dobro doing " Maidens Prayer " with my best imitation of Jush Graves ! with three back up fiddles in three part harmony - what a rush !! and like Winny Winston said one time about this song ! it was coming from a place I had never played form - like being on auto pilot - Winny made it sound more romantic than that but I know how he felt .

Ed Altrichter · Post by **Ed Altrichter** » 13 Jun 2004 7:48 pm

Howard,
I'd be curious to know what song you were playing. Was it "You Can't Be True, Deer" ?
Or maybe: "Jimmy 'Cracked Corn'"?

Ed

Eric West · Post by **Eric West** » 13 Jun 2004 9:24 pm

He was probably soliciting doe-nations.

Problem was, neither one of them had had a buck on them since last fall..

<...rim shot....>

I know..

EJL

David L. Donald · Post by **David L. Donald** » 13 Jun 2004 11:59 pm

In an original rock act around '80 we played for around 2500 people.
It was a rush when the 1000w Par came on in my face.
I sang the only cover tune, by Joe Jackson, and it went over really well.

This band was negiciating with Warners lawyers to sign, but a band member passed away and that was that.
We had 6 sets of originals and 12 sets of covers...but had been gigging almost exclusively originals for that year.

Ernie Renn · Post by **Ernie Renn** » 14 Jun 2004 8:22 am

There are several shows that come to mind:

We played a show at Jones Country in Texas. We went on right before Tanya Tucker. Ricky Van Shelton, Randy Travis adn George followed. People as back far as you could see... Incredible!

The was a show in Richmond, VA that was an all day event, similar to the show above. There was more artists there, whew. I'd list as above but it'd take a while to do. After the show in an autograph line, I stood next to Charlie Daniels. Sure felt out of my league, but what the heck...

The other was when I played on Nashville Now. I was carrying my steel onto the set and Larry Sasser, trying to be funny, said, "Remember there's only about twenty million people watching you." I was pretty nervous to begin with and what he said really didn't register. Luckily, it waited to register until I was carrying the guitar off the set...

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My best,
Ernie

www.buddyemmons.com

Richard Sinkler · Post by **Richard Sinkler** » 15 Jun 2004 10:49 am

Not sure of how many thousands it was, but I performed at the Oakland Colliseum for a sold out Warriors basketball playoff game.

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Carter D10 9p/10k, NV400