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 Blind Steelers ?
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| Author | Topic: Blind Steelers ? |
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CrowBear Schmitt Member From: Ariege, - PairO'knees, - France |
posted 20 August 2001 12:36 AM
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Greetings y'all This past weekend i was initiatin' my fellow PairO'Kneans to Steelin' i was asked by an enlightened fellow if i knew of any blind steelers. i was at a loss to answer. i knew it was a job for SteelGuitForum. how many of us can play w: eyes closed or without lookin' ? are there any blind Steel players ? Steel waitin' to see...  |
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Boomer Member From: Brentwood, TN USA |
posted 20 August 2001 03:41 AM
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Barbara Mandrell used to play & sing at the same time. Never had to look. Best, Boomer |
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KENNY FORBESS Member From: peckerwood point, w. tn. |
posted 20 August 2001 07:35 AM
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Many times I've seen Jimmy Day play whole breaks in a song with his head tilted back, eyes closed, never miss a note. Same with Fills and phrases. But of coarse Jimmy had everything in his body connected to that Steel at all times. ------------------ |
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Al Marcus Member From: Cedar Springs,MI USA |
posted 20 August 2001 09:26 AM
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That's a good question. I think that players should look out at the audience and smile more too. That's is always the way I used to do it, I looked away from my steel a lot. It makes a lot more rapport with the dancers going by.....al |
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CrowBear Schmitt Member From: Ariege, - PairO'knees, - France |
posted 20 August 2001 10:58 AM
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Good point Al. it is hard to look away but it ain't that hard to keep smilin'. where is Smiley ? |
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JERRY THURMOND Member From: sullivan mo u.s.a. |
posted 20 August 2001 11:06 AM
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Jim Scott is blind, an plays very good in fact he was on the road with Jim & Jesse back in the 70's. He plays at church now but still plays very good. ps also he plays left handed Jerry |
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Donny Hinson Member From: Balto., Md. U.S.A. |
posted 20 August 2001 04:20 PM
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Kenny Dail once told me of a blind player by the name of Tom Kaufmann, who was from this general (Balto.) area. I think he said he played fiddle and lead, as well. |
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wayne yakes md Member From: denver, colorado |
posted 20 August 2001 04:48 PM
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Bobby Garrett said Buddy Emmons ripped off his fretboard and played a tour without it on his steel! |
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Roger Shackelton Member From: Everett, Wa. |
posted 21 August 2001 03:13 AM
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Neal Livingston of Washington state, played with Charlie Ryan on "Hot Rod Lincoln" doing all those sound effects. I believe Neal could see a little bit, but was considered legally blind. Neal may be playing steel in Spokane.?? Roger |
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Joe Casey Member From: Weeki Wachee .Springs FL (population.9) |
posted 21 August 2001 04:44 AM
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I knew of one who played an old multi chord but haven't run into any others.I know there are a lot of deaf ones out there tho |
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Donny Hinson Member From: Balto., Md. U.S.A. |
posted 21 August 2001 08:36 AM
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What'd you say??? |
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Smiley Roberts Member From: Hendersonville,Tn. 37075 |
posted 22 August 2001 09:55 AM
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My very good friend,Mr.Jan Jones,(who happens to be vice pres. of the N.T.S.G.A.) is blind. He owns an old Sierra S-10,3 & 5. Doesn't do a bad job on,"Together Again" either. Here's the "kicker". He's a drummer by trade. ------------------ |
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Bobby Lee Sysop From: Cloverdale, North California, USA |
posted 22 August 2001 03:38 PM
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I think that Mike Perlowin was legally blind before his recent eye surgery. |
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Joe Casey Member From: Weeki Wachee .Springs FL (population.9) |
posted 22 August 2001 05:49 PM
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Hey Smiley you forgot Paul Caputo alias Paul Comet who you were so kind as to hold up the words of a song for him to sing.  He did play pretty good steel and I believe he had a DEKLEY.Paul was and still is a one of a kind Musician .Blind from birth he was once put in the position where he had to land a small plane after the Pilot died of a stroke in flight. He was guided in by the Air force reserves from Barnes AFB who followed him down and he made a perfect three point landing. He also was a transmitter tower repairmain ,yes he climed the towers.He was also a channel 22 news caster and played bass for me for over a year.A remakable human being to say the least.He wound up I'm told playing with a version of the Texas Playboys when he moved to Texas.------------------ |
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Don McClellan Member From: Kihei, Maui, Hawaii |
posted 22 August 2001 09:31 PM
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I saw a street musician in S.F. playing a lap steel through a little battery powered amp with one hand cut off at the wrist and the other hand missing 3 fingers. He was rolling his head around like Stevie Wonder which made me think he may have been blind too. I'm not sure though. This was a sobering sight. |
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Bill Nauman Member From: Cresco,Pa,USA |
posted 23 August 2001 08:56 AM
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Lee Knight,Tacoma Washington 1969 |
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Larry Miller Member From: Gladeville,TN.USA |
posted 23 August 2001 09:02 AM
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I've played blind drunk before. Larry------------------ [This message was edited by Larry Miller on 23 August 2001 at 09:04 AM.] |
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Tim Rowley Member From: Pinconning, MI, USA |
posted 24 August 2001 11:46 PM
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Here in the Flint MI area (actually Owosso I believe) we had a well-known blind steeler for many years. His name was Hank Evener, and he was great on the steel. Although I never worked with him, friends of mine have and they all say he had a great personality as well. One of the things he liked to do was to have his musician friends take him to the middle of a large empty parking lot, then he would hop behind the wheel and drive the car while the friends would coach him right, left, fast, slow, stop, etc. He would get the greatest kick out of that and they would all enjoy the fun. Hank did quite a fair amount of studio playing. He developed a technique of "measuring" back to the nut with his left hand in between licks and it must have worked well for him because he always fretted true. Of course he had a highly developed musical ear which aided his playing considerably. I understand that Hank passed away several years ago, but examples of his recorded output are still floating around out there on local gospel and country recordings cut in the Flint area. Tim R. |
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CrowBear Schmitt Member From: Ariege, - PairO'knees, - France |
posted 25 August 2001 06:14 AM
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Many thanx to you who have enlightened me on this topic. Considering PSG is hard enough even w: open eyes, i gotta bow to those who are blind and probably kick you know what, better than me ! Onward Steelers, to that promised land... [This message was edited by CrowBear Schmitt on 25 August 2001 at 06:14 AM.] |
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Gary C. Dygert Member From: Frankfort, NY, USA |
posted 03 October 2002 04:43 PM
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Can I reopen this thread? I caught part of an Opry show on tv with Jack Greene doing Night Life, and I thought the steel player was blind. Anybody know about him? |
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Marty Pollard Member From: a confidential source |
posted 03 October 2002 05:46 PM
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quote:Are you KIDDIN' me???This place is FULL of 'em! Just read the threads. There are none so blind as those who refuse to see. |
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Donny Hinson Member From: Balto., Md. U.S.A. |
posted 03 October 2002 06:11 PM
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Gary, I think you're talking about Tommy White's little snippet of a ride that there was a thread about a few weeks ago. Tommy literally smoked for his 13 seconds of the song, Night Life...while staring up into space. It was awesome! He sees quite well, and plays pretty good too! |
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Kim West Member From: Des Moines, Iowa, USA |
posted 03 October 2002 06:26 PM
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i JUST finished posting a reply on the buy/sell section to a guy from macon, georgia, looking for the blind steel player who sat in on two songs for my band's album in january down at capricorn studio. his name is "goose" goodrich, he's legally blind (though i'm fairly certain he his vision is extremely limited: we had to help him out of the palying room into the engineer's room after he played...), and he's from the macon, georgia area. he played in the house band at a place called "whiskey river", but we went out to see his band and, after taking our $20 cover charge, the owner told us that he'd fired the band, and, no, we couldn't get a refund! anyway, goose (i don't know his real name) plays a burled sho-bud d-10, and knows his stuff. but i can't locate him. (any help?) i went back to macon in april, and asked around, but no one could help me. folks had heard of him, but... has a nice mystery/legend ring to it, huh? |
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Bob Kagy Member From: Lafayette, CO USA |
posted 03 October 2002 06:36 PM
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Joe Wright - not blind, sees very well, but who can Play, PLAY that is, without looking. |
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Kenny Dail Member From: Kinston, N.C. 28504 |
posted 03 October 2002 08:22 PM
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Hi Donny, Tom Kaufman is declared "legally" blind and is presently living in Denton, Maryland. He has email capabilities. If anyone would like, I will give you his email address. Very talented player... Yes, he does play lead guitar and fiddle as well as PSG. ------------------ |
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Herb Steiner Member From: Cedar Valley, Travis County TX |
posted 04 October 2002 09:12 AM
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For the record (if there is one ) Mike Perlowin was not anywhere near blind before his lasik surgery. He was just extremely nearsighted. I've known him since 1962, and have been in vehicles with him behind the wheel as well as on the back of his BMW R27 when we were in high school. It was scary, though... ------------------ [This message was edited by Herb Steiner on 04 October 2002 at 09:15 AM.] |
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Mike Perlowin Member From: Los Angeles CA |
posted 05 October 2002 01:09 AM
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Actually, I WAS legaly blind without my glasses,(my uncorrected vision was 20/1000, which is the definition of legal blindness,) but while wearing them I could see well enough to function and drive. Needless to say, I always wore them. Legally blind isn't the same as actual blindness. Even without my glasses I could always more or less make out what I was seeing. Everything was blurry, but I could always see colors, and although I might not have been able to see any details, I could usually tell what things were. It was actually never a problem. I just wore my glasses and everything was always fine. Like others in the same position, it was something I and everybody else just took for granted. It certainly never interfered with my steel playing (or anything else for that matter.). However, the Lasic worked out well, and I now have 20 20 vision, although I need reading glasses due to my age. I'm quite pleased with the results of the surgury, especially when I go outdoors and can see every leaf on every tree with great detail. Herb, I'm astounded that you remember that old motorcycle. That was like 40 years ago. |
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CrowBear Schmitt Member From: Ariege, - PairO'knees, - France |
posted 05 October 2002 01:14 AM
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those were some good bikes and great times BMW the besser motorrad (former R50/2 R60/2 R69S owner) Steel got my R80/GS Thanx for reviving this thread i got an email from Stuart D in Australia telling me about Mr Fred Heyden, a blind Steeler from Germany who plays in the Hamburg area. Fred and his wife Monica have attended ISGC in St Lou as well as the British Steel Convention. [This message was edited by CrowBear Schmitt on 05 October 2002 at 01:20 AM.] [This message was edited by CrowBear Schmitt on 05 October 2002 at 01:21 AM.] |
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Gary C. Dygert Member From: Frankfort, NY, USA |
posted 05 October 2002 05:21 PM
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Thanks, Donny. Yeah, he smoked! The space staring threw me off. |
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