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 The Steel Guitar Forum
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 Steel on Homer and Jethro
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| Author | Topic: Steel on Homer and Jethro |
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Dan Tyack Member From: Seattle, WA USA |
posted 24 April 2005 11:44 AM
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Who played on tunes like Lil' Old Kiss of Fire or the Billboard song? Sounds like Jerry Byrd to me.... There's some amazing musicianship on those records, notably Jethro Burns and what sounds like a young Chet Atkins. ------------------ |
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John Rosett Member From: Graham, NC USA |
posted 24 April 2005 12:54 PM
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dan- i don't know it for a fact, but i'd be willing to bet that it's jerry byrd on steel and chet atkins on guitar. these guys were all in the "nashville string band" and the "jazz from the hills" album. jethro and chet were brother in laws, married to twin sisters, and were close friends. i always wondered why they never really recorded an album together. |
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Smiley Roberts Member From: Hendersonville,Tn. 37075 |
posted 24 April 2005 04:27 PM
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John, You're absolutely right! It is,indeed, Jerry Byrd. I'm a BIG H. & J. fan,& have most of their albums. Unfortunately,I never got to see them work in person,but I'll just bet that they were a real "hoot" just to be around. ------------------ |
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Gene Jones Member From: Oklahoma City, OK USA |
posted 24 April 2005 04:58 PM
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I had the privilege of working a package show tour one time that included H & J, and as Smiley surmised, they were a "hoot" to be around. Jethro's brusque manner and Homers quiet reserve were a perfect complement to each other and they played off of it continually for effect.......and those H&J after-the-show scotch & jazz sessions in the rooms should have been recorded for posterity. Jethros perfection on jazz classics and Homers excellant chord work was memorable. The only really serious moment I witnessed during the entire tour was in a hotel coffee shop one morning when Jethro severely admonished one of the young performers on the show for "stealing" one of Homers jokes. Homer & Jethro were great performers and musicians. |
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Charles Curtis Member From: Bethesda, Maryland, USA |
posted 24 April 2005 05:05 PM
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Wasn't Chet married to either Homer or Jethro's sister? |
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John Rosett Member From: Graham, NC USA |
posted 24 April 2005 05:38 PM
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charles- jethro and chet were married to twin sisters. i had the previledge of taking mandolin lessons from jethro in the early 80's. to say that it was a life changing experience would be an understatement. he was one of the most talented, funny, and just plain nicest people ever. steve goodman once said of jethro burns; "he never said or played anything that wasn't the exact thing everybody else in the room wished they'd said or played." by the way smiley, i have alot of the H&J albums, but i'm still looking for a copy of "live at vanderbuilt university" if you come across one. [This message was edited by John Rosett on 24 April 2005 at 05:45 PM.] |
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Paul Norman Member From: North Carolina, USA |
posted 24 April 2005 06:07 PM
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I thought Chet married Mother Maybelle Carter s daughter Helen. I didnt know she he had a twin. |
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Delbert Aldredge Member From: Willis, Texas, USA |
posted 24 April 2005 07:18 PM
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"Cousin Jody" played his "Biscuit Board" (steel) some with H&J. Cousin Jody was a remarkable musician in his on rights. Sure miss that kind of entertainment. CORRECTION: Cousin Jody played with "Lonzo & Oscar" rather than with Homer & Jethro. Thanks Bro. S. Roberts for bringing this to my attention. "Oooo I'm my own Grandpaw"!!!! [This message was edited by Delbert Aldredge on 26 April 2005 at 10:05 AM.] |
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Ray Montee Member From: Portland, OR, USA |
posted 25 April 2005 12:10 PM
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Obviously you've heard their knocked-out version of "Lady in Red"? Just the intro' is pure symphony. Anyone disagree? |
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Savell Member From: |
posted 25 April 2005 01:27 PM
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. [This message was edited by Savell on 29 May 2005 at 06:49 PM.] |
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Michael Hillman Member From: Boise, Idaho, USA |
posted 25 April 2005 03:51 PM
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One of the musical highlights of my young life was my father taking us to see Homer and Jethro in Jackson, Wyoming, in, as I recall 1959 or 1960. I was amazed, to say the least, Jethro Burns did not have small hands, and the way he played mandolin was unlike anything I'd ever seen. I don't remember a steel player on this tour. I do remember Homer's big archtop Gibson, flawless rhythm and beautiful fat chords. I took my copy of "Homer and Jethro at the Country Club" to be autographed. I'd give a month's pay to see that show again! |
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Perry Hansen Member From: Bismarck, N.D. |
posted 25 April 2005 05:11 PM
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If I remember right, in the late 50s there was a group out of Nashville called the Country Allstars. I believe part of the lineup was Jerry Byrd, Chet Atkin, Homer and Jethro, and I belive on one album Lightning Chance had some credit.??? |
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Bill Ford Member From: Graniteville SC Aiken |
posted 25 April 2005 05:22 PM
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Smiley, Set me straight if i'm wrong...I seem to remember the team of Byrd,Atkins, and Dale Potter, back in the 50s, or thereabouts. The Nashville Three?? Bill |
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Dan Tyack Member From: Seattle, WA USA |
posted 25 April 2005 10:28 PM
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Jerry Byrds playing on that stuff just kills me. He is funny as hell and musical at the same time. Just like Homer and Jethro. |
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Smiley Roberts Member From: Hendersonville,Tn. 37075 |
posted 26 April 2005 05:39 AM
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quote: Bill, The "Country All-Stars" consisted of: Jethro Burns - Mandolin ------------------ |
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Jussi Huhtakangas Member From: Helsinki, Finland |
posted 26 April 2005 06:15 AM
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"I can't seem to recall the drummer's name right now" W.S. "Fluke" Holland |
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Ray Montee Member From: Portland, OR, USA |
posted 26 April 2005 06:21 AM
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Smiley.........was that the same George Barnes that garnered Les Paul's wife? Mary Ford? |
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Smiley Roberts Member From: Hendersonville,Tn. 37075 |
posted 26 April 2005 02:16 PM
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"W.S. "Fluke" Holland" That's it Jussi. Thanx. ------------------ |
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Ray Montee Member From: Portland, OR, USA |
posted 26 April 2005 05:07 PM
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Smiley.........Mary Ford divorced Les Paul or visa versa, and married a guy named George Barnes who did a number of guitar releases similar in nature to Les Paul's hits of the day. His work was perhaps a little broader than was Les' however it never captured the listening audience to the extend of Les and he faded into oblivian. |
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Dan Tyack Member From: Seattle, WA USA |
posted 26 April 2005 07:43 PM
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George Barnes was an amazing guitar player, one of my favorite jazz players. He's a little unusual in that he frequently used vibrato (not with the whammy bar with his fingers). Not easy to do on those jazz boxes with piano wire for strings. ------------------ |
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Bill Ford Member From: Graniteville SC Aiken |
posted 27 April 2005 09:59 AM
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Smiley, Thanks, I remember now,don't know where I got the (three)from, course I was just a little kid then..LOL Bill |
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Smiley Roberts Member From: Hendersonville,Tn. 37075 |
posted 28 April 2005 11:05 AM
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Ray, The tale that I heard was,Les divorced Mary,because she had a "drinking problem". This is only speculation on my part,but that's what I heard. However,I had never heard of her marrying George. ------------------ |
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Dan Tyack Member From: Seattle, WA USA |
posted 28 April 2005 12:01 PM
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According to Mary Ford's neice quote: So there might be some mis information on this page. ------------------ |
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T. C. Furlong Member From: Vernon Hills, Illinois, USA |
posted 01 May 2005 08:56 PM
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I didn't know that Jethro had ever played with a steel player. I knew him quite well. He never mentioned Jerry Byrd and I must have missed that record. I was so fortunate to have been in a band with Jethro in the late seventies. We played every Monday night for several years in a band called Swingshift. I played steel and he stood directly behind my right shoulder and looked down upon me and made his trademark faces whenever I took a solo. I listened to him play so great night after night. His ability to insert an out-of-the-blue musical quote at the most spectacular moment was nothing short of incredible. Very fond memories indeed. I still get together with the last "Homer" John Parrot, from time to time. |
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Al Johnson Member From: Sturgeon Bay, WI USA |
posted 02 May 2005 04:25 AM
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Well, I don't have a list but Jerry Byrd, Chet Atkins, Homer and Jethro make a lot of recordings together. Also backed up a lot of singers on recordings. Yes, I saw them Homer and Jethro in person twice very great. Great players. Al |
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Gary Harris Member From: Hendersonville, TN, USA |
posted 12 May 2005 09:15 AM
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Homer Burns had a brother who played upright bass. I played with him at the local service club in Furstenfeldbruck, Germany. Us younger guys called him "pappy Burns." Pappy was really old, probably fourty at the time. If you have a recording of Jerry Byrd playing the "Steel Guitar Ragg" then you have heard the fabulous double slapp of "pappy Burns". I spoke to Jerry about this after I got back from Germany and he confirmed that "Pappy" did the bass work on Steel Guitar Ragg. |
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Gary Harris Member From: Hendersonville, TN, USA |
posted 12 May 2005 09:17 AM
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Homer Burns had a brother who played upright bass. I played with him at the local service club in Furstenfeldbruck, Germany. Us younger guys called him "pappy Burns." Pappy was really old, probably fourty at the time. If you have a recording of Jerry Byrd playing the "Steel Guitar Ragg" then you have heard the fabulous double slapp of "pappy Burns". I spoke to Jerry about this after I got back from Germany and he confirmed that "Pappy" did the bass work on Steel Guitar Ragg. |
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Kenny Dail Member From: Kinston, N.C. 28504 |
posted 12 May 2005 10:29 AM
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Gary...don't you mean Homer "Haynes" instead of "Burns?" ------------------ |
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