I was an endorser and field consultant regarding the design and input of Fender steel guitar projects. Noel Boggs and myself gave our idea’s regarding design and feature’s of the Stringmaster and Pedal 1000 steel guitars.

Steve Scholes, then head of A&R at RCA Victor records appointed me studio steel guitarist, which was in 1951.

Some of my recording credits are with:

Elton Britt and Rosalie Allen
Texas Jim Robertson
Wilf Carter (Montana Slim)
Homer Haynes and Jethro Burns
Chet Atkins
Guy Mitchell
Perry Como
Fontaine Sisters
Theresa Brewer
Johnny Ray
Jimmy Dale
Julia Steele and members of Count Basie's orchestra under the direction of Sammy Benskin (Basie's arranger.)
Mort Lindsay (former musical director for Judy Garland and Merv Griffin)
Vaughn Monroe
McGuire Sisters.
Tony Mottola
Bucky Pizzarelli
Don Arnone
Herb Greene
Mitchell Ayres and his Orchestra "Musical Director for Perry Como.
Toots Theilman and his group.
Ken Griffin & Tony Mottola

Some of my Television credits include working with:

Perry Como TV show
Ken Murray TV show
Arthur Godfrey TV show
Milton Berle TV Show
Sid Caeser and Imogene Coco TV (Show of Shows)
Ed Sullivan TV show
Rosalie Allen & Elton Britt TV show "Prairie Stars" three days weekly.
Ken Carson (formerly of the Sons Of The Pioneers) weekly TV show.
Merv Griffin TV show with Mort Lindsay and his Orchestra
George Skinner TV show as a guest appearance, this followed the Godfrey appearance.

Some of my personal music achievements:

---Played at New York's Village Barn with my group from 1950 till 1960. Danny Davis 'Now Nashville Brass" was the show band, and my group was the alternate band.
---I played steel guitar at “The Hawaiian Room” at the Hotel Lexington, NYC in 1956.
---Hawaii Kai on Broadway and 50th street Manhattan 1957
---Luau 400 on Madison Ave and 69th St Manhattan 1958
---Peppermint Lounge New York City 1958
---Wagon Wheel Lounge New York City 1958
---Sahara Hotel Las Vegas opposite Louis Prima Keely Smith and Sam Butera 1954 who was the main attraction while my group played the lounge. I was the only ever steel guitarist to have the pleasure of sitting in with Louie and his great band.
---Toured with Guy Mitchell I directed the musical group of 6 musicians and myself. We toured most of all Canada and a good portion of the Northeast.
---The Off Broadway Show "HAYRIDE" starring Sunshine Sue "Wortman" which opened at the 48th street theatre in NYC in 1954.
---I played steel guitar with the group that was under my direction. The group was the house band that consisted of Roy Horton “leader,” Ray Smith, Eddie Smith, Johnny Newton and myself. Featured artists were Lester Flatt & Earl Scruggs and the Foggy Mountain Boys, Joe Maphis & Rose Lee. This show ran for 4 weeks before poor attendance and lack of finances caused the show to close.
---I played steel guitar with Vaughn Monroe and his orchestra at the Starlight Room at the Waldorf Astoria for six weeks.
---I toured with Elton Britt and Rosalie Allen for 5 months doing personal appearances.

During this period I was also a Fender sales representative. I resigned from Fender in 1955 to pursue my musical career, My position was then assigned to a personal friend and I continued as an endorser and "liaison" rep for Fender.

I recorded an LP Album in 1958 with my partner Johnny Cucci titled "The Hot Club Of America" this was recorded on Coral records. The group consisted of four musicians including myself.

Following the HCOA LP, the group was booked into Hidden Valley dude ranch, located in Lake George NY. We had a two year consecutive run and then the group was no longer together. We all went our separate ways.

I then went back to Fender as "Eastern Divisions" Regional Sales Manager. My duties aside from my sales responsibilities included public relations with all musicians and groups here in the Northeast, calling on recording studios and making Fender Musical Instruments available to recording artists such as Buddy Rich (Rogers Drums) another one under the CBS endorser program.

Some of those musicians included:

Herb Alpert
The Beatles
Herbie Hancock
Miles Davis
Roy Clark
Joe Zawunal
Roy Lanham
Bob Dylan

I had the good fortune of meeting Wayne Newton and Jerry Newton back in 1960 when I had taken Fender instruments to CBS for the use of Wayne and Jerry. That was their first ever national TV appearance. They were then known as The Newton Brothers. Whenever Wayne came to New York I was able to furnish him with Fender guitars and amps etc.

My knowledge of musicians and studio's here in the Northeast was Fenders choice of my being positioned as "liaison" between Fender (CBS) and the Fender Company as well as PR person for Fender Musical Instruments.

I resigned from Fender (CBS) to pursue the rest of my sales career with Leo Fender and his "then new" Music Man Company. Since Leo Fender had decided to leave Music Man. I was then self-employed.

I had been off the steel guitar during my salesman's career and have now returned to playing local gigs and currently writing a book on my life's experiences with Fender and my musical career.

Now, the question, who am I??

Fred

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The spirit be with you!
If it aint got a steel, it aint real

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  ~ ~
  ©¿©  It don't mean a thang,   
  mm   if it ain't got that twang.
       www.ntsga.com

Fred

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The spirit be with you!
If it aint got a steel, it aint real

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JUST 'CAUSE I STEEL, DON'T MAKE ME A THIEF

I look at the Tab Forum and watch it shrinking and even the Extended Family has become significantly smaller in the past few months. And I wonder, is it growing old as well ??

Then along comes a day like this with new and invigorating discussions both by Jody and about Jody. I haven't read the rest of the Forum yet today and there may well be still another Jody story for me to be inspired by.

We have all followed the threads about Reece and Julian and now in the flick of an eye, we have yet another on the list of well earned and deserving steel guitarists who have still to be recognized by our own community. The situation begs for clarity and change.

Regards, Paul

[This message was edited by Paul Graupp on 21 August 2003 at 07:31 AM.]

Fred

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The spirit be with you!
If it aint got a steel, it aint real

quote:

---

There are several more folks out there who have contributions that far outweigh "Sleepwalk".

---

Who do you think,possibly,made arrangements for S. & J. to have those Fender Guitars,so they could record,"Sleepwalk"?

------------------

  ~ ~
  ©¿©  It don't mean a thang,   
  mm   if it ain't got that twang.
       www.ntsga.com

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Steel what?

Fred

------------------
The spirit be with you!
If it aint got a steel, it aint real

Then a few weeks ago,Fred e mailed me and asked if I had a biography and I said ,sure,
Fred asked me to send it to him. I had no idea as to what Fred had in mind.

I think I do now, and I have to tell all of you this,if those who are deserving of being
nominated and inducted into the SGHOF,it is
not me.

There are many others who are more deserving
of that honor than myself.

I can name one right off the top of my head,
in fact if you look closely at my head you can still see the hole in my head.

There are many better players than I, and you all have your favorite's and I'm sure you that feel that those who are your favorites should be considered.

BUT,,no one can predict who and what and why
people are overlooked who are deserving of being inducted into what has become something of an issue on this Forum.

I can name at least 6 people who are deserving of this honor,and as Scotty once said,and I quote " I wished I could induct 100 players a year into the SGHOF unquote.

Since Fred brought this up,let me tell you my feelings and Im going to repeat myself.

There are others who are more deserving than
I. I would feel uncomfortable if and I doubt
would be in fact inducted into the SGHOF while those who rightfully deserve it much more than I stand by and watch that happen.

I didnt ask to do the Arthur Godfrey show,my mom wrote to CBS and submitted a few things about my playing.

I was not aware that she did that,it was my dad whom I was working with at New York Citys Village Barn who told me.

My dad told me my mom wrote in to CBS and I said great,when do we go on?? My dad replied
"we dont go on" You do. I said yeah right,what the h**l am I going to do play a single? my dad said if you are accepted yes.

I said Forget it dad, I cant play that good and besides Im used to playing backup and fills with the group( which was my dad's group).

He told me,well dont worry,you may not be accepted anyway. I felt releived.

I prayed to God that my mom would never hear from the program director at CBS,,I prayed constantly.

I think God was a Godfrey fan because an audition was arranged for me. Then I prayed that I would NOT be accepted to do the show.

The audition was terrible and I played very bad being backed up by an older lady playing piano.

When I got outside the studio,my dad said well how did it go?? I said GREAT..I was LOUSY Oh God how I prayed not to get on that show.

Me?? a young guy of 24 years of age with a Fender Triple Neck guitar? and doing a solo no less.

Once again God didnt hear me,I was called to do the show on February 7th 1955.

I can only recall that I was so nervous that
my hands were wet from persperation and my picks wouldnt stay on as I paced back and forth as my mom spoke to Arthur Godfrey since my mom was my talent scout.

There were two other contestants and myself.
It was not how good or bad I played,the appluase meter was in my favor and I won the Godfrey show.

Still I was upset and hurt that the other two people who tried so hard didnt win as I did. I felt guilty and had wished that all three of us would have won.

I often wonder what became of those two talented people and I wonder how they must have felt at that time and right now so many years later.

I listen to my performance on record for one
reason,and that reason is not to hear myself
but to hear my moms voice as she introduced me to Arthur Godfrey.

So you see,I am in awe of many players more deserving of the honor of being inducted into the SGHOF..I too have favorites who deserve that MUCH more than I should I ever be inducted and I seriously doubt that will ever happen.

My Hall of fame is my mom and dad,my wife Marilyn and my two daughters Marie Elena and Lorrie and my two grandsons and the love of my life my 8 year old granddaughter Casey,and to add to that,all of you who have been my friends over the past few years.

Gene, Roy, Keoki, Ray, Paul, John P, Howard R, Crow
Bear,I dont know why Crow uses that name,,he's not a crow and certainly not a bear,in fact he's a pussy cat. and then there is Nick Allen who e mails me the daily weather report from France and there is Everett Cox another fine human being and there is Bill Hamner another fine man,and the list goes on and on,too many for me to mention,if you dont see your name on the list
e mail me and I'll add your name. and my buddy Kenny Foy from Kentucky.And my special thanks to Al Marcus a steel guitar pioneer and a wonderful man,,and to Sunny Callen who did me proud a few months back. Dennis O'Learchick,another good friend and adviser. And to the guy with two first names
David Donald..which comes first David or Donald? I can never get that straight,,well anyhow he is my legal advisor.

Dave Van Allen who made that nice Tribute to myself and my friends Johnny,Augie & George,
so you see, I am already in the HOF,and its all I really need. And I cant forget Smiley and Bobbe and Big John Bechtel my daily e mailer,,and all of you who have shown me your friendship over the past few years.

If it were not for this Forum, I would have never have known any of you and I thank bOb
Lee for that.

I appreciate Fred doing what he did for me,but I want all of you to know how I feel.

There are 8 people who make the decision as to who is inducted into the SGHOF. Yet there
are hundreds of you who have who you feel should be worthy of that.This Forum has close
tp 4000 members, most dont post for one reason or another and probably because they feel they have nothing to offer. But they are mistaken,,everyone should be posting,this is a learning tool and meant for that reason and besides having Howard R making fun all the time, we all learn from one another.

I had to make this a LONG story,because I want all of you to know how I feel.

There are MANY others who have the credentials to be HOF members other than myelf.

I was there are the right place and the right
time during my life. I really wasnt that good
I was lucky.

I wish that those who you feel should be inducted into the SGHOF get your wish.

I have my wishes in order,and My wife and family are my HALL OF FAME.

Thank you Fred and I think of "Where the River Shannon Flows" or something like that.
Fred I forgot to include I was nominated for the Longest speech writer on this Forum
My what a speech I just made. You people sleeping yet?? you should be, you cant learn much from me, You can from Buddy Emmons ,but he cant tell a short story this long.

Thanks to all of you. And to the Ace of this Forum JOEY. Thank You for my trip to India
all expenses paid.

[This message was edited by Jody Carver on 21 August 2003 at 05:57 PM.]

Fred

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The spirit be with you!
If it aint got a steel, it aint real

Jody-I remember back in the 50's Rico Turchetti was also on Arthur Godfrey's show. He played "St.Louis Blues " on a home built guitar. A song that Alvino Rey recorded in about 1942.

I had my Electra-harp at the time and I was teaching guitar and playing 6 nights a week as a duo. A few of my friends urged me to go on Godfrey's show. But I couldn't take off from the jobs. Besides, I didn't think I would win anyway.

I sure couldn't compete with JOdy CArver!....al

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My Website..... www.cmedic.net/~almarcus/

[This message was edited by Al Marcus on 22 August 2003 at 10:18 AM.]

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Steel what?

Leo Fender and Don Randall always asked my opinion on anything pertaining to steel guitar and this is news to me.

Whoever did this guitar,had the use of a fine
machine shop and a lot of imagination. It's
a fine attempt at maybe what should have been could have been,but never was.

It looks authentic, but I can assure you it
never happened.

Might be a good sounding guitar regardless.
Very impressive.

Thanks for posting this.

edited to add,I saw the proto type of the first Fender pedal guitar and it was not as this is.

It looks very good and the parts alone are worth having. Thanks to both of you.

[This message was edited by Jody Carver on 23 August 2003 at 05:39 AM.]

Ebay is a Circus "unquote Crow Bear"

I like the Circus, I worked for the Circus.
" C B S "
I am a Circus

FRED

------------------
The spirit be with you!
If it aint got a steel, it aint real

[This message was edited by Fred Shannon on 25 August 2003 at 06:01 AM.]

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My Website..... www.cmedic.net/~almarcus/