posted 02 March 2000 04:57 PM         

While touring Florida with a Nashville road band during 1980, I was invited by guitarist Ray Wiley to go hear Julian picking on the job. I was playing a gig in Tallahassee and at closing one night, Ray and I " beat it" to Panama City and made Julian's last set of the night. I was smart enough to take along my tape recorder and recorded Julian on the job. I have never before or since heard such a great sound come out of a steel guitar. Julian was burning up his 14 string BMI steel guitar, that the late Zane Beck had made for him. I was to become a disciple of his style of playing steel and had Zane custom build me a steel just like Julian's. Though my floor pedals are setup backwards, everything else is like Julian's.

Julian throughout his career played several steels. Besides steel guitar he also played guitar, piano and could sing. He came from a musical family too. The steels that I know he played at various times included: a 14 string Sho-Bud (pictured on "The Jet Age" album cover), a Wright Custom (White steel), these had "Umpteen Jillan Pedals," (18-20 floor pedals). In addition he also played and demonstrated the 12 string MSA for Maurice Anderson (another steeler who belongs in the SGH of Fame). Zane Beck custom built at least 4 of the 14 string BMI steels for Julian. (Two of which burnt up in club fires), the last one, BMI, I saw it when I went to pick up my custom built 14 string BMI at Zane's house, 1984 Little Rock, AR. It was the most beautiful steel I ever saw! It was a maroon red in color and it had real gold plated hardware on all of the metal parts. The last steel guitar he played was a 14 string Serria Steel and it is pictured on the cover of his "Deep Feelings,' steel guitar album, the last album he recorded.

Julian recorded 4 L.P.s. under his own name these are: "Take Your Pick," "The Jet Age," "Southern Fried Steel," and the "Deep Feelings," album. He also shared an album with our mutual friend Zane Beck, titled "12 + 14 = Country Jazz."

Julian played, toured and recorded with Ray Price, The Allman Brothers Band, Barabara Mandrell and many other artists.

When Julian died it hurt me greatly! I have remained in contact with his family. His daughter is almost grown. She plays the fire out of a piano but wants to be a writer/journalist. She will graduate from highschool this spring.

Julian rests today in the family cemetary at Skipperville, AL.

Why should Julian Tharpe be included into the Steel Guitar Hall of Fame?

Here are some reasons:

Julian helped to pioneer the steel as a legitimate instrument in all areas of music including Jazz, Rock, Country, Gospel, Bluegrass, Disco, etc. He was one of the first to experiment and play the Universal tuning. He was the composer of several great steel guitar instrumentals and other songs.

There are several steel guitar players who rightly deserve to be inducted into the Steel Guitar Hall of Fame including: Maurice Anderson, Jimmy Crawford, Bobby Koefer, Sonny Garrish and Bobby Black, as well as others. I hope those who decide and vote to bestow this honor, will one day remember my friend Julian Tharpe, for he truly deserves this honor! Boy, what I'd give or where I would go to just hear Julian pick just one more time! I hope this will help!

posted 03 March 2000 05:45 AM         

His "arpeggios" alone would make many a piano player want to choose another career

His mind was not of this planet as one admirer would often say. Yet, he could lay back and play some of the most beautiful songs and turn right around and rival a fine fiddle player on a fast "hoedown".

Truly and incredible musician. I miss him badly.

God bless you all, and may HE rest his soul,

------------------
Sj
"The Carolina Wildman"

[This message was edited by Sleepy John on 04 March 2000 at 02:23 PM.]

posted 04 March 2000 04:31 PM         

quote:

---

I may have a picture of your steel with Glynn Andrews sitting behind it. It was taken at Uncle Sam's Club in Birmingham about 1973 or 1974.

---

I would love to have the picture. Glynn was one of my early heroes and a great teacher.

posted 05 March 2000 08:51 PM         

Thanks for sharing this great convention picture of Julian, Pappy Wade Ray (fiddle) and Mr. Guitar Bobby Caldwell! I am sure the steel players will enjoy it.

posted 08 March 2000 06:42 PM         

Thanks for posting about Julian. I know it took a lot of courage for you to do that! We all loved Julian dearly!

We are pulling for Julian to be included into the Steel Guitar Players Hall of Fame. Tell Julie we said hello!

posted 09 March 2000 06:57 PM         

I read your posting regarding your unfamiliarity with the steel guitar playing of Julian. You also asked which album best represets his style. I'll try to help if I can, but others may disagree or rather have their own favorite recordings by Julian.

As mentioned earlier no other played like Julian. His style was so varied, yet he had his own unique sound. I was attracted to it, because it was so different from the more frequent sounds we are all associated with. Julian truly was a stylist.

The album "Take Your Pick," features Julian on steel and Blondie Calderon on Vibes or Xylophone. They play some really great arrangements blending Jazz, Country, Swing, Pop and what could possibly best be described as "The Julian Sound."

"The Jet Age" album is different but just as good with Bobby Caldwell on guitar, and also features some nice sax and trumpet It's a variety of Country, Pop, Easy Listening, etc. Again Julian's unique styling shines through.

"Southern Fried," features a lot of the songs I liked to hear Julian play. Jimmy Day plays bass on the entire album. Though the album is really good, I personally never thought the mixed tone of Julian's steel done him justice. Though his incredible playing makes up for the poor mix job. The 12 string BMI pictured on the cover of this album is not the steel guitar Julian played on this record. He was playing a 14 string BMI that Zane Beck had built for him. I might also add, Zane had set him up with an amplifier in a configuration unlike any I ever saw before or since. It was two amps put together somehow, stacked on top of each other in some sort of configuration. His sound absolutely filled the entire room where he was playing (Panama City, FL 1981) and it changed my steel guitar life forever!

Julian's last L.P. was also produced by Dewitt Scott on the Midland label. It is titled "Deep Feelings" and as I posted earlier, features the 14 string Seirra that was posted by Jon and Charlie Owens. This album is really a great album too!

Julian's playing shines through on each album or tape. Nobody I ever heard before or since sounds like him. I have been told by some steel players that my playing sounds similiar to his. I probably play somewhat like him, since I dedicated several years to following his style. I loved Julian dearly and he was without question the greatest musician that I've ever heard.
He could play it all and he did, and in his own wonderful and exciting style.

Hope this help!

Terry Wood

posted 12 March 2000 08:32 AM         

My fondest memory of Julian is the first time I saw him in the late '60's at the DJ Convention in Nashville, demonstrating an early black MSA (at least 12 strings, if not 14), before nylon tuners.

The thing that impressed me was how he played Danny Boy with all the chords, never once using the bar....very impressive to a young lad from Ontario.

posted 12 March 2000 09:10 PM         

I talked to Edna Tharpe over the weekend and she is considering releasing a real informative newspaper article to post on the Steel Forum.

I was given a copy of this a few years back by Julian's family and it was an article a leading Alabama newspaper had published regarding Julian's steel beginnings and it covers a good deal about his professional career. It shows a picture of Julian and his wife Morna, taking shortly after their marriage.

Also for those of you who are familiar with Bob Mackial's Pedal Steel Guitar Association in New York, several years ago they wrote a great article on Julian that showed pictures and included his tuning chart. I recommend you contact them and you may still order that particular back issue.

Fellow steel players, please help with the induction of Julian in the Steel Guitar Hall of Fame. It is one of the last things that we can do for him and he deserves it!

God Bless You All!

posted 16 March 2000 04:54 AM         

I forgot to mention that a new memorial is in the process of being established to honor Julian.

After discussing with his sister and a brother, we are in the process of setting this up. There will be more information on this tribute in near future, after we get some of the details worked out.

I hope those that knew Julian are interested and will reply!

God Bless!

posted 17 March 2000 04:52 AM         

This can be fairly expensive, I know because I checked into it last summer. The cost of a colored photo 5 X7 fastened in an oval, and attached to the gravestone I was told is around $700.

I thought about all this, and contacted Edna again and Julian's brother Leamon "Dick" Tharpe suggesting, how would the Tharpe family feel about us steel guitarists helping out. They agreed and thought it would be fine.

Next, I am not sure but maybe if there were enough funds accumulated, maybe there could be a separate marker to be placed at the foot of his gravesite. For instance my Uncle was an artist and there is a foot marker (smaller stone) with his name and an artists pallete on it.

If you are interested in helping us. You will need to send the funds to Mrs. Edna Tharpe Cheek at the following address:

Edna Tharpe Cheek
234 Harmon Rd.
Hopkins, SC 29061

e-mail Edna at

ednatcheek@axs2k.net

Any amount would be appropriate such as $5, $10, $20, $25, $50 for the Julian E. Tharpe memorial funds. Just mail to Edna and she is establishing an account for this purpose.

Julian has another sister living and he still has one brother living, his name is Mr. Leamon "Dick" Tharpe he would like to hear from some of you too. His address is at

Mr. Leamon "Dick" Tharpe
Rt. 1, Box 722
Ozark, AL 36360

Julian was the baby or youngest of their family and Dick told me that he started out playing steel by sliding their mama's kitchen knife on the strings of the of an old accoustic guitar. Julian rests today near his mother and father's gravesite at Skipperville, AL.

Julian Earl Tharpe was born March 28, 1937 and died November 7, 1994. He should be included in the Steel Guitar Players Hall of Fame.

God Bless All of You!

Terry J. Wood
A Julian Tharpe Fan Forever!

posted 19 March 2000 02:32 PM         

I know that Tom Bradshaw still sells the tape titled "Take Your Pick." This features Julian on steel and Blondie Caldron on Vibes or Xyolophone. It is one of my favorites, because it has several original instrumentals they wrote and some classy arrangements of Classics Pop and Country tunes. Tom's address is

Tom Bradshaw
Pedal Steel Guitar Products
P.O. Box 931
Concord, CA 94522

Next, Scotty produced the "Southern Fried," and "The Jet Age," and the "Deep Feelings," albums. These were originally on L.P.s. I bet he still has some copies laying around.

I might mention that all these years they have taped all the steel players and shot a lot of videos too at the Steel Convention.

Personally, I think it's time they released some of these. They used to say they were stashing these back for the building when it was completed for the Hall of Fame?

Steel players you should write to Scotty and those others who vote on the inductees, and talk to them. If anything happens to Scotty it may all fold. You'd better be thinking about all of this.

I agree with some of the other forum steel players it is time to induct some of these steel players into the Hall of fame before they are gone too.

Truthfully, some may not like what I am saying, but it makes me sad, when I think of how some of these great steel players have been treated.

I say, why not do like they did years ago when they inducted two or three in at a time and get some more of these guys into The Guitar Steel Hall of Fame.

Back to the Julian recordings they have a bunch of them on Julian and others if they will just release them.

Finally, I think his family deserves the rights to some of those recordings so they can re-release them on tape and CD. None of his great playing is available on CD, his family is interested in those recordings too.

Terry Wood
A Julian Tharpe fan forever!

posted 19 March 2000 04:00 PM         

Wayne Broyles
Blessed to have known Julian Tharpe

posted 19 March 2000 08:54 PM         

I'll try to answer the question what ever happened to Julian's steel guitars.

First, I know that two of the BMIs that Zane built for him burnt up in club fires. I don't know whatever happened to the custom white Wright steel he played. However, I do have a couple of pictures that steel showing him playing that particular steel with none other than Barbara Mandrell and her sister Erline on drums.

I know he played a green colored BMI and a redish brown colored BMI. I saw him playing the green one at Panama City, FL 1981. The redish brown BMI I have two pictures of him with that steel. One with him and the steel, the other with Scotty standing beside him with that steel.

Bill Stafford and Julian's brother Dick Tharpe both told me that a guy named Jimmy Miller in Alabama owns Julian's last steel the 14 string Sierra, he recorded "Deep Feelings," on that steel.

What I would like to know is whatever happened to the last BMI that Zane Beck built for him around 1983. It was the prettiest steel I ever saw. This particular steel was a bright Maroon red and all of the metal hardware was plated with real gold. Faye Beck Milsap told me that Zane liked to never found anybody to do that gold plating. I last saw this steel in the basement of Zane's house which was his personal workshop at LittleRock, AR fall 1984.

I would be interested in purchasing this steel if it can be bought. You own it, just name your price. You know where it's at, I'll pay a reward for locating it. How's that for a steel deal!