|
 The Steel Guitar Forum
 Music
 Merle Travis was great!
|
| next newest topic | next oldest topic |
| Author | Topic: Merle Travis was great! |
|
Henry Nagle Member From: Santa Rosa, California |
posted 21 April 2006 10:27 AM
profile
I just wanted to start this thread to sing the praises of Merle Travis. I just picked up a cd called "Strictly Guitar" and it's all Merle. What a great player... And songwriter. Did anyone ever write anything like a biography about him? |
|
Mike Neer Member From: NJ |
posted 21 April 2006 10:38 AM
profile
Yes, he was great. I like Joe Maphis a lot, too. [This message was edited by Mike Neer on 21 April 2006 at 10:39 AM.] |
|
Bill Hatcher Member From: Atlanta Ga. USA |
posted 21 April 2006 11:28 AM
profile
Go to YouTube.com and do a search for Merle Travis. There is a great old clip of him playing Too Much Sugar for a Dime on there right now. He playing a nice Bigsby guitar. |
|
Kenny Burford Member From: Lexington, Missouri USA |
posted 21 April 2006 11:30 AM
profile
Travis was the man. I only got to see Travis perform live once, it was at the Grand Ole Opry, Christmas weekend of 1996 and I was fourteen. My folks took us to Florida that year for Christmas and on our way home to Missouri we stopped in Nashville to see the Grand Ole Opry. It was an event I have never forgotten. Merle came out on stage unannounced in a canary yellow suite and it wasn't until he had played about 30 seconds that I realized who it was. I jumped up and went down and took a picture of him, unfortunately when my Mom passed away I did not get all of the pictures I took that evening and Merle's was one I did not get. I did manage to get a picture of the Osborne Brothers which had my friend Dale Sledd in it, and four other pictures. |
|
Charles Davidson Member From: Alabama, USA |
posted 21 April 2006 08:18 PM
profile
His son Thom Bresh[not sure if I spelled his name right]is also a great player in the style of his dad. |
|
Jack Stoner Sysop From: Inverness, Florida |
posted 22 April 2006 03:09 AM
profile
Merle and Chet have been two of my guitar heroes. Back in the 60's I tried my hand as a lead picker, with my 61 model PX6120 Gretsch "Chet Atkins" model. I got several band jobs because I could do a little "Chet", not because of how "well" I picked lead. In another current thread there is a discussion about using a thumb pick on lead. I've mostly used a thumb pick for lead. |
|
Randy Mason Member From: Nashville, Tennessee, USA |
posted 22 April 2006 10:12 AM
profile
Kenny, i don't think you meant 1996. Merle Travis died in 1983. |
|
Larry Robbins Member From: Fort Edward, New York, USA |
posted 22 April 2006 10:27 AM
profile
I wish that they would release the album that Chet and Merle did together: "Atkins, Travis Traveling Show" on CD. Man I wish I still had that album!! Two of my all-time heros! ------------------ [This message was edited by Larry Robbins on 22 April 2006 at 10:37 AM.] |
|
Jack Stoner Sysop From: Inverness, Florida |
posted 22 April 2006 11:04 AM
profile
I've seen that Atkins Travis Traveling Show CD listed on the Internet (don't remember where but a google search will get it). According to what I saw it noted it was a Japanese import. |
|
Charles Davidson Member From: Alabama, USA |
posted 22 April 2006 12:04 PM
profile
When I was about ten and got my first little Stella guitar ,I KNEW without a doubt if I could ever get me one of those Chet Atkins model guitars,I could play just like him.As Waylon would say,WRONG,WRONG,WRONG!!!!!!It's a shame youth is wasted on young folks. |
|
Larry Robbins Member From: Fort Edward, New York, USA |
posted 22 April 2006 12:57 PM
profile
 [This message was edited by Larry Robbins on 26 April 2006 at 02:08 PM.] |
|
Jennings Ward Member From: Edgewater, Florida, USA |
posted 24 April 2006 06:38 PM
profile
AH YES....YOU GUYS TELL MY STORY.... JENNINGS ------------------ |
|
Billy Wilson Member From: El Cerrito, California, USA |
posted 24 April 2006 07:04 PM
profile
Gotta go with you on Merle, Henry . He just seems to be on a whole nuther plain. He was supposed to pick up at the San Rafael fairgrounds once but didn't show. Luckily Doc Watson, Maybelle Carter, Jimmie Martin, Vassar Clements. Taj Mahal, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, David Grisman, Jim and Jesse, Emmy Lou Harris,and many many more did show. |
|
Jussi Huhtakangas Member From: Helsinki, Finland |
posted 24 April 2006 10:54 PM
profile
The book by Rich Kienzle which comes with the Bear Family box set is worth the price of the whole set itself, tons of great pictures too. And I think Merle's daughter Patty has written a book about his dad too. |
|
Peggy Poovey Member From: Dallas,Texas USA |
posted 25 April 2006 08:38 AM
profile
In Search of my Father: Written by Pat Travis Eatherly Broadman Press 1987 Very good book,well worth the read for Mearle Travis fans.
|
|
Mike Perlowin Member From: Los Angeles CA |
posted 25 April 2006 09:10 AM
profile
A little trivia: Merle Travis lived on the same street as Red Rhodes. ------------------ |
|
Dave White Member From: Fullerton, California USA |
posted 25 April 2006 11:47 AM
profile
Merle Travis played a few tunes on the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band's immortal "Will the Circle Be Unbroken I" album produced in 1971. There's a great clip on there of him meeting Doc Watson for the first time, and plenty of good pickin' with Earl Scruggs, Vassar Clements, Maybelle Carter et. al. This album is a masterpiece--I wore it out on vinyl and now have it on CD> |
|
Jussi Huhtakangas Member From: Helsinki, Finland |
posted 26 April 2006 02:38 AM
profile
Thanks Peggy, that's the one I was referring to. |
|
Kenny Burford Member From: Lexington, Missouri USA |
posted 26 April 2006 10:40 AM
profile
Randy, you are right, I meant 1966. Lord, it has been more than 10 years since I was fourteen years old. |
|
Rick Alexander Member From: Florida, USA |
posted 29 April 2006 07:55 PM
profile
A SCRAPBOOK OF MY DADDY, MERLE TRAVIS by Pat Travis Eatherly peatherly@aol.com It's a great book, full of photos, cartoons, poetry, songlist, and anecdotes spanning Merle's entire life. |
|
Darryl Hattenhauer Member From: Phoenix, Arizona, USA |
posted 29 April 2006 08:11 PM
profile
Here's a great Merle Trvis DVD http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000096IAQ/qid=1146366994/sr=1-2/ref=pd_bbs_2/102-5929001-7911308?%5Fencoding=UTF8&s=dvd&v=glance&n=130 ------------------ |
|
Gary Walker Member From: Morro Bay, CA |
posted 30 April 2006 09:34 AM
profile
Travis also used my steel hero, Curly Chalker starting in 1961 with the "Travis" album and used him on many sessions as their styles blended so well together. |
|
Jerry Overstreet Member From: Louisville Ky |
posted 30 April 2006 11:24 AM
profile
I wish ol' Tuck Raisor was still with us. In addition to being Buddy Emmons' biggest fan and hosting the Louisville steel shows in the '80's, Tuck also hosted the Kentucky Thumbpickers shows which still continue today. I'm sure he could shed light on the western Kentucky roots of thumbstyle guitar. My friend and accomplished musician Boogie Sherrard, also a fan of thumbstyle, told me about a man named Mose Rager and playing a show with the man who is credited with unifying styles of thumbstyle and is credited with being Merle Travis' mentor. Boogie's recount stirred me to do some research on Mose and I found this info online. Merle and Chet had more exposure, but Merle learned it from Mose who learned the basic style from earlier black innovators. [This message was edited by Jerry Overstreet on 30 April 2006 at 11:42 AM.] |
|
Peggy Poovey Member From: Dallas,Texas USA |
posted 30 April 2006 08:52 PM
profile
Rick, I can't get the email link to work. Anyone else get it to work? Thanks,Peggy |
|
Charles Davidson Member From: Alabama, USA |
posted 01 May 2006 04:20 PM
profile
May be wrong,but seems I read some where that Ike Everly[The Everly Brothers father]was an influnce on Chet. |
|
James Lombard Member From: Wisconsin, USA |
posted 01 May 2006 10:43 PM
profile
Mose Rager and Ike Everly were heavily influenced by a Black semi-itinerant musician named Arnold Shultz. They,in turn, as we know, were both a great influence on Merle, who, along with Blind Lemon Jefferson,were Chet's major influences.I believe Chet once said "If it hadn't been for Merle Travis, I'd probably be looking at the back of a Mule" |
|
Jody Carver Member From: The Knight Of Fender Tweed~ Dodger Blue Forever |
posted 04 May 2006 05:21 PM
profile
Merle Travis "was great"? He still is and lives on in the world of innovators and great musicians. His music will never die. |
|
Henry Nagle Member From: Santa Rosa, California |
posted 04 May 2006 09:22 PM
profile
Excuse me. Let me clarify Merle Travis' music is great and will forever be great. While living, Merle was an extremely talented guitarist, songwriter, and singer. His greatness will never expire so long as there are trees in the forest to hear the immortal sounds of his music Is that better, Jody? |
|
Drew Howard Member From: Mason, MI, U.S.A. |
posted 05 May 2006 10:33 AM
profile
Just got the Merle at Town Hall Party DVD at Elderly. Joe Maphis is on it too, pickin' and fiddlin'. Billy Mize on steel. Do yourself a favor and buy it. http://www.elderly.com/videos/items/BEAR-DVD20008.htm cheers, ------------------ |
|
Jody Carver Member From: The Knight Of Fender Tweed~ Dodger Blue Forever |
posted 06 May 2006 08:09 PM
profile
Henry Yes that is much better, and I thank you sir |
|
Doug Beaumier Member From: Northampton, MA |
posted 07 May 2006 11:13 AM
profile
A lot of people don’t know this, or maybe don’t care, but Merle Travis only plucked with his thumb and one finger… his index finger. The other three fingers on his right hand (middle, ring, and pinky) were just planted on the guitar for support. He played everything this way, all songs, fast patterns, rolls, etc. I was shocked to see this in a compilation video of Merle’s performances a few years ago. I noticed it immediately. At first I thought… this guy gets all the credit for creating a style which bears his name… “Travis Picking”, and he doesn’t even use three of his fingers on his right hand? Meanwhile Atkins and other “Travis” pickers used thumb and two - sometimes three - fingers? Then I came to realize that Merle really was an amazing player because he got so much from just his thumb and one finger. Merle’s son, Thom Bresh, covers his dad’s unique picking style fully in this article. |
All times are Pacific (US) | next newest topic | next oldest topic |
 |
|
Contact Us | The Pedal Steel Pages
Note: Messages not explicitly copyrighted are in the Public Domain.
Powered by Infopop www.infopop.com © 2000
Ultimate Bulletin Board 5.46