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Anyone know Jay McDonald?
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Anyone know Jay McDonald?
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This topic was originally posted in this forum: Wanted To Buy |
| Author | Topic: Anyone know Jay McDonald? |
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GaryHoetker Member Posts: 331 |
posted 02 June 2000 03:49 PM
Relatively unknown by today's standards, Jay could play a Fender 1000 almost as good as the "Moon", IMO. Any recollections out there about Jay? I think he's absolutely great. |
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Mike Black Member Posts: 528 |
posted 02 June 2000 04:06 PM
Gary, I saw this post and a light went on. I have heard Jay's name mentioned, but darn if I can remember where, when, or why? Try asking Larry Petree, he may have some stories if he was a bakersfield player. And if I remember I'll come back to this. Sure, now it's gonna haunt me!  [This message was edited by Mike Black on 02 June 2000 at 04:07 PM.] |
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John Paul Jones Member Posts: 305 |
posted 02 June 2000 05:12 PM
Jay McDonald played for Buck Owens for a while during the Hee-Haw days. John Paul |
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Donny Hinson Member Posts: 9192 |
posted 02 June 2000 05:20 PM
These are the details as I recollect, any of you guys can jump in and correct me if I'm wrong... Before Don Rich came along, Buck played most of his own lead (he was very good at it too!) Jay was the steelplayer for Buck Owens when he cut his first albums. No doubt, Buck owes some of his "Bakersfield" style to Jay. And no doubt, Tom Brumley copied a lot of Jay's sound and technique. Anyway, soon after Buck got national recognition, Jay was out and Tom was in...why I don't know. With two new guys, Don Rich and Tom Brumley, Buck carved his own style that made him one of the top acts in country music for over 10 years. Fuzzy Owens (no relation to Buck) had also played pedal steel for Buck in his early years. Fuzzy went on to play for Merle Haggard, who was one of Buck's early bassmen. In a short time, Fuzzy gave up playing steel for Merle, and became his manager...and still is, to this day. When Fuzzy became the manager, Ralph Mooney took over the role of steelman...and the rest is history. It would be good to see a nice long article on Buck's early years, since he was such an important influence in country music. Buck, Merle, Paycheck, and Tommy Collins had as significant an impact to country music in the '60s as all the new "Hat Singers" have had here recently. |
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Ray Cothren Member Posts: 327 |
posted 02 June 2000 06:31 PM
Ralph Mooney did Buck's first 3 Capitol LP's, Ralph & Jay were both on the 4th & Jay did the 5th by himself. From then on it was Brumley for 6 or 7 years. During the 59-62 period of Buck's first three LPs he didn't have a touring band. He & Don Rich would use house bands. He formed the first Buckaroos in 1962 sometime with Jay as his first touring steeler as a Capitol artist. Jay was with him about a year and a half. Buck had a steel player when he lived in Wash. state before he signed with Capitol. Fuzzy Owen might have backed Buck in Bakersfield before he moved to Wash. but Fuzzy was more or less a staff musician at the Blackboard et al. There is a Rhino 3-CD box set w/booklet out there. The booklet is informative about Buck's early years. |
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Al Marcus Member Posts: 7471 |
posted 02 June 2000 07:51 PM
My good friend Jerry Hendrix of Manistee, Mich. a fine steel player. Played with Buck Owens in Bakersfield in the eary days. He plays both E9 and C6.....al. |
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Donny Hinson Member Posts: 9192 |
posted 03 June 2000 02:16 AM
Thanks for the input Ray...I stand corrected. I suppose that Jay copied from Ralph, and Tom copied from both of 'em! |
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Kenny Yates Member Posts: 321 |
posted 03 June 2000 10:29 AM
Jay wasn't let go for Brumley, he had quit the buckaroos and Buck was looking for a replacement and hired Tom Brumley, Actually Jay and Don Rich played together in the buckaroos band for quiet a while. Ken |
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Jerry Brightman Member Posts: 757 |
posted 16 May 2001 05:13 PM
Hi guys, Several people have directed me toward this post and the comment about Jay Mcdonald. Jay Mcdonald played before Tom. Somewhere I have an album with a picture of Jay on it. I'll have to try and find it. Thanks guys and I hope this clears up the confusion just a little...I also want to thank everyone who has emailed me over the past few months. Please feel free to continue to email me Jerry [This message was edited by Jerry Brightman on 16 May 2001 at 05:31 PM.] |
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Craig A Davidson Member Posts: 1722 |
posted 16 May 2001 05:50 PM
The album "On The Bandstand", has a picture of Jay on the front along with Buck, Don, and a drummer I believe is Ken Presley. Jay is playing a 2000 it looks like. Isn't that the one with two necks. ------------------ |
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Jerry Brightman Member Posts: 757 |
posted 16 May 2001 05:58 PM
Hi Craig, I'm going to look for that album right now and I'll take a close look at it..Gosh, and I'm supposed to know my Buck Owens history...I think I may have just failed basic 101...Oh well..I'll post the info in a little while. Thanks Craig! Jerry |
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Jerry Brightman Member Posts: 757 |
posted 16 May 2001 06:06 PM
Craig, I found the album: It's like you said..Don Rich, Jay McDonald, Kenny Pierce, and Ken Presley. I was getting ready to call Tom and ask him. One interesting note that I just noticed, It use's references of, "Buck and the boys" No meantion of the name Buckaroo's yet. [This message was edited by Jerry Brightman on 16 May 2001 at 06:11 PM.] [This message was edited by Jerry Brightman on 16 May 2001 at 06:39 PM.] |
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Craig A Davidson Member Posts: 1722 |
posted 16 May 2001 06:37 PM
So Jerry would that have been before Haggard played bass for him or near it? Merle played with Jay. Merle also named the Buckaroos which you already know but some don't. I am a big Buck fan. Everytime I see an album in a used record bin or garage sale or whatever I buy it. Also bought some of his CD re-issue stuff. I think I even have a couple albums with you on them. Didn't you do the Live from Vegas album? Or am I wrong? ------------------ |
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Jerry Brightman Member Posts: 757 |
posted 16 May 2001 06:45 PM
Craig, It's strange how things work..I'll be with Merle and of course my good friend, Norm Hamlet on the 27th of this month. I'll ask Merle, if he's up to talking about those years. I'd like to know a little more about those years myself. Also, Don Thanks Craig, Jerry [This message was edited by Jerry Brightman on 16 May 2001 at 06:53 PM.] [This message was edited by Jerry Brightman on 18 May 2001 at 08:21 AM.] |
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Craig A Davidson Member Posts: 1722 |
posted 16 May 2001 06:51 PM
Jerry, What I meant was that album done before Merle joined the band? Because it was called Buck and the boys. ------------------ |
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Jerry Brightman Member Posts: 757 |
posted 16 May 2001 06:57 PM
Craig, That's a good question and sorry I misunderstood your question. I'll find out the answer and let you know. I noticed that there are three other albums pictured on the back. Jason Odd might also know the answer to this as well. I'll also get a hold of Tom and ask him if he knows. Thanks, Jerry [This message was edited by Jerry Brightman on 16 May 2001 at 06:59 PM.] |
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David Wright Member Posts: 1863 |
posted 16 May 2001 07:29 PM
Kenny Pierce would have been the bass player, he was from Modesto, I played with him from 75 to 84 here in Modesto, Where did J.D. fit in to the time slot with Buck? ------------------ |
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Jerry Brightman Member Posts: 757 |
posted 16 May 2001 08:01 PM
Hi David, I've got a call into JayDee to find out the dates for sure. Lots of people have asked me, and I'm tired of saying I don't know. David, I hope to get a chance to hear you one of these days. I hear really great things about your playing. I'll post the answer when I hear from JayDee. Jerry |
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norm mcdaniel Member Posts: 92 |
posted 17 May 2001 04:27 AM
hi don h. i was stationed at castle air force base in modesto ca in 1960 and 61. one saturday afternoon i was at an outdoor fair in bakersfield and i heard this terrific band playing loud. i was sure that id find ralph mooney playing, it wasnt tho it was jay mcdonald and ken presley and od mr buck owens. after that every time i could id go to see thep play at all kinds od places. was great. but i dont know what ever happened to jay. he was hot . also when you name the greats from the west coast like buck merle tommy collins john paycheck dont for get one of the other greats that i really liked was wynn stewart. he had a lot of good songs and steel guitar pickers. i loved that era. it seemed music had more to say than it has now. at least it did to me. keep pickin, norm in waco tx. |
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Jerry Brightman Member Posts: 757 |
posted 17 May 2001 08:29 AM
Hi David, JayDee played in 1969 with Buck and it was about nine months. Buck went with a banjo player and released the album, Ruby. Since I went with him in 1972, it looks like there was almost a two year period without steel. Jerry |
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David Wright Member Posts: 1863 |
posted 17 May 2001 05:30 PM
Jerrry, Thank's, looking forward to meeting you, maybe in St Louis..... ------------------ |
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Jason Odd Member Posts: 2665 |
posted 17 May 2001 06:35 PM
The original Buckaroos included Ken Presley (drums) and Don Rich (guitar, fiddle, vocals), Jay McDonald (steel)and Merle Haggard on bass, this was in early 1962, they probably weren't even officially the Buckaroos, but that was the core group that Buck started to reguarly use. Obviously Haggard had other plans, he did play bass for Wynn Stewart in 1963-1964 before his singles started to chart. Kenny Pirce joined on bass and vocals. Kenny Presley was killed in a auto crash and replaced by Mel King on drums. A few months later in August 1963, Doyle Holly joined Buck alongside Jay McDonald, Don Rich, Mel King , replacing Kenny Pierce on bass. Kenny Pierce apparently got into disagreements with other members of the group over a gambling debt and quit travelling to L.A. en route for a photo session for the On The Band Stand LP Don Rich called in Doyle who was working with Joe and Rose Lee Maphis. Buck had a Fender endorsement with Jay, who soon left the group on good terms with Buck. Don remembers the reason that Jay left was that he wanted to stay home more, the group was working over 300 days a year. In Albq.New Mexico, things came to a head with Mel King. Having set his drum kit on the front line of the stage, Taylor refused to move it towards the back when Don Rich asked him to relocate the kit. Rich simply responded by firing the drummer on the spot and asking him to remove his drum kit altogether. As Doyle Holly remembers the occasion. Don Fired him on the spot. and told him to get his drums off stage. He informed Don that he didn't hire him and he [Don] couldn’t fire him. I went to Buck's dressing room and informed Buck. Buck came up on stage .and proceded to throw Mel’s drums to either side of the stage. I might add it made quite a loud noise. There was a crowd, but the curtian was closed. Mel went to Bucks dressing to confront him.and some altercation took place there. Only Buck and Mel knows, But Mel sued Buck for battery. I dont know the outcome...Thats when we got Willy. Doyle and Don found Willy Cantu. {later when Willy left Don recommended Jerry Wiggins} Okay, now Doyle Holly split the Buckaroos fora time, a good piece of 1966 and returned in 1967. He had been replaced by Wayne Wilson who did sessions and played on the 1967 live in Japan LP. In February 1969 Tom Brumley left the group to work on ZB Steel Guitars in Bakersfield, they originally had it set up in the old Mosrite factory space. Around this point Jim Shaw joined on piano, and then Ronnie joined on banjo in 1971, then our man Jerry joined up in 1972. That's about it, I'm sure I missed someone, and the early group probably had a lot of temps here and there. |
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Jerry Brightman Member Posts: 757 |
posted 17 May 2001 06:48 PM
Jason..Jason..Jason..You got to get up to speed on your Buck Owens history..WOW! Thats remarkable..and thats how it was..Jim Shaw was traveling when I joined, but left when Ronnie Jackson rejoined the group. That David, I am going to try and make it to St. Louis this year just to hang out and visit Also, could the person who sent me an email from oversea's please re-send it. It had Thanks for all the interest..What a great group to be a part of on this forum. Jerry |
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Bob Carlson Member Posts: 1063 |
posted 17 May 2001 09:54 PM
I have kind of a strange LP of Buck Owens. "Togather Again/My Heart Skips A Beat". That's the name of It!. On It of course Is Tom Brumley playing his slick lick on Togather Again. It doesn't give any credits as to who's playing on what...but on Close Up The Honky Tonks and some others, You can't miss the sound of Jay playing through that mellow Fender Bassman as compared to the sharper sound of Brumley. My guess Is those two songs were getting a lot of air play and they wanted to get the LP out so he used singles they had already released which Jay had played on to fill the LP. I don't remember who said Tom copyed Jay, and I don't know If he did or not because a lot of steel players really worked the 3 and 5 strings over back then. I still do. Buck was In Flagstaff In 1964 playing for a rodeo dance and he played all the lead. Don played the fiddle, Doyle on bass and Cantu on drums. They played Togather Again about half the night because the crowd would yell, Play Togather Again again...which is probaly where he got the idea to write that song. Buck was a giutar player In Phoenix before he moved to Bakersfield and the way I heard It he played guitar out there also to start with. Two songs I know he played on was Tommy Collins You Just better not do that and I Guess I'm Crazy. Then after he made the big bucks he bought a Radio station In Phoenix and fired a guy who give him a bad time when he was trying to get work when he lived there. KNIX. It's logo Is his Red, White and Blue guitar. All three of his son's run the station. So the answer to one question Is after Jay played for him Tom came next. If Im wrong on any of this stuff...feel free to correct me. As If I needed to say that. Bob Carlson [This message was edited by Bob Carlson on 17 May 2001 at 10:05 PM.] |
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Craig A Davidson Member Posts: 1722 |
posted 18 May 2001 03:41 AM
Ok, The album which I have has no credits, but the re-issue of the album on CD does. Jay McDonald is on the album but not on the tune mentioned. Tom Brumley has the credits on "Close Up The Honky Tonks". Jay played on these cuts: "Over And Over Again", "Truckdrivin Man","Getting Used To Losing You", "Love's Gonna Live Here", and "Act Naturally". The last two are bonus tracks on the CD. Tom played on "My Heart Skips A Beat", "Close Up The Honky Tonks","I Don't Hear You", "Together Again","A-11", "Ain't It Amazin' Gracie", and "Hello Trouble". Mooney has the rest of the cuts. This is the way it reads guys. I am sure that it was taken off the studio logs. Also wouldn't it make sense for Buck to record with the man he had with him instead of getting someone else to do the session. McDonalds stuff was done in 1963. Mooney's were in 1961 and 1962. Tom's stuff was in 1964. By the way my box set also says Tom played on the cut we are talking about. Do we need any more proof? Sorry Bob. ------------------ [This message was edited by Craig A Davidson on 18 May 2001 at 03:42 AM.] |
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Bob Carlson Member Posts: 1063 |
posted 18 May 2001 08:43 AM
Craig, No need to feel sorry, I like to know the cold hard facts of life also. But do you feel It's hard to tell who's playing on what?. Buck was a big Fender Bassman amp lover and I expect he still uses one today. So maybe Tom was using one on the songs cut before 64. Thanks for the info Craig because every time I play that LP (I put It on tape) I always wonder who was playing on what. When the price of that boxed set goes down I'll have to get It. I wish I could buy just the older ones because after he droped the steel and went rock and roll I don't much care for those songs. Bob Carlson |
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Jason Odd Member Posts: 2665 |
posted 18 May 2001 09:16 AM
Bob, most of Buck's 1960s albums, especially the early ones, have been reissued on CD with lovely packaging by the Sundazed label. www.sundazed.com Check it out. The box set is interesting, but aside from some of the 1950s singles and a few tracks from the late 1960s and 1970s; it is mainly comprised on songs that you can buy on the Sundazed single CD reissues of his albums. ------------------ |
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Henning Antonsen Member Posts: 75 |
posted 18 May 2001 10:02 AM
Bob Carlson, Check your mail  ------------------ |
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Bob Carlson Member Posts: 1063 |
posted 19 May 2001 11:50 AM
Jason and Henning, Thanks for the information and Jason those are good prices. And Henning, do they you still eat luteafisk at Christmas time. I sure loved that stuff when I was young but can't even stand the smell anymore and wonder how I ever ate It when I was a kid. My Mom and Dad Immigrated to America In 1905 and became farmers In Iowa. I'm the last of 10 children. Wouldn't trade my youth for nothing. Sure had a lot of blonde haired blue eyed puppy love girl friends. Bob Carlson |
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Henning Antonsen Member Posts: 75 |
posted 19 May 2001 05:42 PM
whoops.. [This message was edited by Henning Antonsen on 21 May 2001 at 01:11 AM.] |
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Henning Antonsen Member Posts: 75 |
posted 19 May 2001 05:44 PM
Bob, Lutefisk? Never tasted it... don't think I ever will either... sounds yucky! Ewww! I know some folks over here have it for their Christmas dinner, though. But not me! Whoops, severe topic drift. Better shut up before b0b shuts me up.  ------------------ |
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