From the Mailbox

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving so we’re sending the newsletter out the day before instead of the day after. We have a great Black Friday Sale figured out and it will be posted on the front page of the website on Friday morning. Of course, readers of this newsletter have already seen the sneak peek at www.steelguitar.net/blackfridaysale.html

I’m going to answer or comment on a few emails in this newsletter. I got one nice note from Larry Sasser, former steel player on Nashville Now. He says, “Hey Bobbe, how are you? Getting better I hope. Been wanting to talk to you and see just how you are.”

Vic Lewis’ daughter wrote “Good to hear from you again, Bobbe, I’m Vic Lewis’ daughter and I spoke to you a few years ago. I think it was just after my Daddy died in 2009.

Loved this newsletter. Your memories are an important part of history. I regret not asking my dad more about his travels although I have several stories he’s written.

I’ll bet you’ve got hundreds of road stories, what a life!

Louis Armentaro wrote “This is Louis Armentaro from Livingston, Montana. So nice to see you up and running again. It has been a pleasant experience buying supplies from you and your store down thru the years. I would like to know the ages of some of the old time steel players that are still active and playing steel guitar, even for just a few dates a year but still playing steel guitar at home. I am going to try to claim the title of the oldest steel guitar player who still pumps those floor pedals and knee levers. In ten months I will be 90 years old and my feet, knees and hands and fingers work as good as ever. Every day playing at home keeps you in good shape with the feet, hands, fingers, knees and the mind.

The director of the Atlantic Steel Guitar Club sent this email.

I would like to have your opinion on the CMA award show! The only thing “Country” I saw was a very old looking Alan Jackson, and an even older looking George Strait. At least they gave George a lifetime achievement award (which the called “Entertainer of the Year” — they already had Kenny Rodgers lined up for the Lifetime award.

I guess George and Alan have a steel player. It certainly was not dominant like it should have been.

If so, it was the only thing on the three hour show that had any steel — Is that show still controlled by Dick Clark’s former company? Did someone properly drive a wooden stake through his heart yet?

I’m surprised you’re still in business. Hope you can survive a few more years — I hope I can survive a few more years.

Keep Steelin’
Charlie Fullerton, director
Atlantic Steel Guitar Club
Sackville, Nova Scotia

It’s so good to hear from all of you. This way I don’t think I’m talking into the wild blue yonder. I’ve been forgetting to congratulate Lynn Owsley on his induction into the Steel Guitar Hall of Fame in St. Louis. Lynn is a good friend to all steel guitar players everywhere.

I congratulate anybody that has been selected by this organization because it sure makes the players appreciate the fact that they are appreciated. Lynn Owsley was a steel player with Ernest Tubb for 13 years until his untimely death. I remember many years ago Lynn wanting to borrow a couple hundred dollars from me. I asked, “How are you going to pay me back?”

He said “I’m going out on the road this weekend with Claude Gray and Claude loves to play cards. I know I’m going to win a small fortune from him.” So I said ok and a couple weeks later Lynn came in and I asked, “Well, did you win or lose?”

He said, “I always win.” He pulled several hundred dollars out of his pocket and the title to Claude’s bus out of the other pocket. I said, “What are you going to do with that?” He said, “I don’t know. You want to buy a bus?” Then he stated he was going out on the road with Ernest Tubb on a permanent basis.

I said, “Good. Bring me Ernest Tubb’s bus title.” I understand he did win it in a poker game and ended up giving it back. Lynn is quite a character and a friend of all that know him.

I asked Lynn, “What do you enjoy most about being in the Hall of Fame?” He said, “Being there with all my heroes, Ralph Mooney, Don Helms and Bobbe Seymour.”

I said, “I know what you’re talking about. A lot of great steel players have been honored by the Hall of Fame.”

Tommy White, a dear friend of many years who I’ve known since he was 14 years old. He should have become a member of the Steel Guitar Hall of Fame way before now. He obviously is one of the greatest steel guitar players of our time. If anybody should be a member of the Hall of Fame, he should. I think we all know that if we know steel guitar.

My heartfelt congratulations to both Lynn and Tommy.

There are several more I personally would like to see in there. Of course, there are a lot of players outside of Nashville that deserve to be honored also. There are many of you that I think an awful lot of around the world that I don’t get to see very often. Anytime you’re on a trip through this town, I would really like to have you drop by so I can see you.

I’m going to be making a new DVD at the beginner level. This will be designed for beginning players to build a firm foundation with classical steel guitar tunes every steel player worth his picks should be able to play. The DVD package will include my Steel Guitar Classics CD with all these tunes on it recorded with some of Nashville’s finest studio musicians.

I would like to thank all of you for being on my newsletter mailing list and don’t be afraid to let me know what you want to hear about. It’s not easy coming up with ideas week after week and I appreciate any input you give me.

Bobbe Seymour

www.steelguitar.net
info@steelguitar.net
www.youtube.com/bobbeseymour

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Steel Guitar Nashville
123 Mid Town Court
Hendersonville, TN. 37075
(615) 822-5555
Open 9AM – 4PM Monday – Friday
Open 9AM – 2Pm Second and Third Saturday of each Month
Closed Sunday

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