posted 07 June 2001 08:49 AM         

Gene had just got finished putting little zircons on the Front of his brand new Sho-Bud. He was glueing them in the middle of the 4 suit cards that typified a Sho-Bud. Judy had bought them and wanted Gene to put them there so they would look good to the crowd. Which I felt they did.

Then Gene sat down to his steel and began tuning and practicing a bit. No one was in the lounge at the time. I walked up to him and that began a life long friendship that I cherish.

Gene was an awesome player. He lived and breathed the steel guitar. His idol of course was Buddy Emmons. Gene gave me my copy of "Steel Guitar Jazz". I was wiped out when I heard it.

Gene's tuning at the time was E9th with a G# on top. He had not had that string or change before. So he was delighted to have his knew Sho-Bud with it on there. In fact his 1st string was what is now our 3rd string. Gene's 9th string was an F#. Our first string now. The reason is that is what BE had. And whatever Buddy had, all of us (including Gene) had to have.

Gene did not know a note of music, but you would never know it, to listen to him play. Also, Gene was NOT at all mechanically inclined. So anything under the guitar was a total mystery to him. He had one knee lever. It raised his 4th string from an E to an F#. Since their was no 2nd string as we know it there was no reason for our typical RKR. Since I care MORE for the underneath of a steel than the top, we complimented each other. Gene seemed to like that a lot.

I tell you that Judy Lynn band cooked. And I mean cooked! They were outstandingly good. And the audience loved Judy. The band did NOT. And that is for another place and another time.

That band had of course Gene O'neal on Steel, Bobby Hicks who twinned with Tommy Williams (former ISGC fiddler) on Fiddle. Bobby is presently with Ricky Skaggs. The late Joel Price former bass player for Little Jimmy Dickens. I do not remember the rest of the band member's names. I just recall that they were very fine. I went every night. And the entire band took me in as a brother in kind. I shall never forget it. Since none of them read music, and I did, intermissions were often centered around asking me what they had done. Of course, my ego was swelled beyond.....I loved them all dearly.

Judy played in FtLaud for 4 years running. And Gene stayed at our home (to save expenses for him) and we let him have the use of our 2nd car while he was in town. We became very close over the years.

Some years after that stint, Gene O'Neal called me from Las Vegas in a quandry one night. He said, "Carl, Colonel Tom Parker is asking me to leave Judy and go to work for Charlie Pride. Non of the other steel players Parker talked to wanta travel with him. What should I do?" We talked at length about it.

Well the rest is history. Gene took the job and moved to Nashville. And soon became envied by many as the story goes. Charlie had other interests beyond singing. As such he did not work on the road as much as most singers. But he hired Gene on a yearly basis. So Gene spent many a week doin "HIS" thing like fishing and whatall. He often told me how lucky he was.

Gene never had his tonsils out. And they bothered him a lot. It is a sad commentary that he went into the hospital for a simple tonselectomy and left the hospital a vegetable. As the story goes, (unofficial), they accidently cut an artery to the brain and were unable to get it cauterized before it was too late. And Gene became nothing but a vegetable.

After a long time on life support, the family had them "pull the plug".

Sad, and I cry to this day when I think about it. He is gone, but NOT forgotten. He was a gentleman, my friend, my musical mentor and an incredible steel guitar player.

I miss him.

God rest Gene O'Neal and all of you,

posted 07 June 2001 08:52 AM         

sorry

[This message was edited by C Dixon on 07 June 2001 at 09:01 AM.]

posted 07 June 2001 08:05 PM         

Remember Dan Blocker, in for a gallblader and died right there. And Jeff Chandler, same thing. And now Gene tonsils!

I went to Mr.Lucky's when I worked in Phoenix in 1970 or thereabouts and saw Gene there with Charlie Pride.

Every intermission all night, he came to my table and we talked steel. He was a great player and a great guy too.

posted 08 June 2001 05:11 AM         

------------------
1985 Emmons push-pull, Session 500, Nashville400, 65 re-issue Fender Twin, Fender Tele

posted 09 June 2001 11:46 AM         

George had borrowed Melba Montgomery's motorhome and we ran out of gas several times on the way up there from Nashville, because none of us had enough money to spare to fill the tank(s) until we played the gig and got paid. Gene kept us all in stitches with his dry humor and in particlular with the joke about the Lettuce leaves. If you have never heard this joke it is long and drawn out and at the end has no punch line. Gene was a master at this type humor. It was a fun gig and enjoyed it with Gene's great picking. That was the only time I ever met him and wish I had been able to have known him better, He was a great one and Funny as hell too. That just happened to be my last gig before I left Nashville. The memories are worth far more than the money we got paid.

------------------
John

[This message was edited by John Floyd on 09 June 2001 at 12:00 PM.]