Speedy West left us 11 years ago

[Billy Easton]

We lost my pal, Speedy, on Nov. 15, 2003. I miss him, he was my first steel guitar hero, then later my friend. We used to chat every week on the phone, and when Meriul and I went to visit with him and Mary, he insisted we stay overnight and required us to sleep in his bed! He and Mary went to the guest room and gave up there own bed. They cooked us a wonderful dinner and stayed up for half the night listening to his stories....what wonderful memories!! After he passed, Mary gave me one of his tone bars, and the $2 bill he carried in his wallet for good luck. She also gave me a caricature drawing of Speedy drawn and given to him from Merle Travis. Just thinking about my friend tonight and wanted to share these things.

Billy Easton

[Craig Baker]

Billy,
When I was a kid, out of school for the summer I would help my dad do plastering and concrete work. I would mix mortar and push the wheelbarrow. When 4 o'clock in the afternoon came, I was in our '49 ford pickup tuning in the only country music we could get. It was a 500 watt station with a half hour "Jack Day Show". The theme song was Speedin' West. Of course at age 13, I didn't know the title but I knew I was hooked. What a sound. It played to open the show, then again to close the show. I listened every day, just to hear that steel guitar. Years later I was honored to have a cup of coffee with Mr. West late one night after the convention had wound down for the evening. Very nice man, a wonderful talent, and a great story teller. He really engaged people. Thank you for reminding us of Speedy.

Best regards Billy,
Craig Baker 706-485-8792

cmbakerelectronics@gmail.com

C.M. Baker Electronics
P.O. Box 3965
Eatonton, GA 31024

[Mike Neer]

Listening to Speedy really cemented my desire to play steel guitar. His recordings meant so much to me and he wrote some of the best steel instrumentals ever.

I wish he was still with us.

[Terry Wood]

Speedy was one of my heroes and mentors too!

He was such a Great Guy! I really miss him, Julian Tharpe and Zane Beck immensely! We've lost so many of the Steel Guitar Greats!

Thanks for posting this!

Terry Wood

[Gary Walker]

Billy, as a young teen, I was blown away by Speedy's explosive work behind the likes of, Ernie Ford, Kaye Starr and many more. He even played behind Bing Crosby's "Y'all Come." Like you, he was my first steel hero and then I got to meet him in 1959 at a trade show in the Fender room. He fulfilled a young boy's request of playing STR and I was asked to play rythum when Roy Lanham stepped out for a break. For a few minutes, I was alone with a musical hero. He truly paved the way for many others and the things he did, are unequalled yet today.

[Ray Montee (RIP)]

What is the very first instrumental you heard/learned by Speedy West?

Mine was "STEEL STRIKE"..........

Such a great sound and very smooth...........

[Billy Easton]

Thanks to each of you for sharing your memories of Speedy....I miss being able to pick up the phone to just chat with him about music or anything else...

Billy

[Craig A Davidson]

Speedy once gave me a piece of advice. He said to me, "You have to play your own guitar. You can copy licks from Buddy, Hal, Jimmy, and others but you have to play your own guitar." He meant that you can learn from them all but you have to have your own style. I believe Speedy managed to do just that. It took me until my third convention to get the nerve to speak to him. I was in such awe of the man. To me he was ten feet tall.

[Billy Easton]

Speedy told me that when he moved to California from Missouri, that his hero was Joaquin Murphy and he tried to copy every lick he heard from Joaquin. Then he said he was never successful in his own career until he started doing his own thing in bar crashes and doo wahs....I think we can all take a lesson from this.

Billy

[Herb Steiner]

One of the best human beings ever!

The first time I played a solo set at the TSGA Jamboree, probably about 1992, I did a rendition of "Blue Bonnet Rag" and mentioned that I was inspired by Speedy's version of the song on "Two Guitars Country Style." In the middle of my performance, Speedy came up onstage and wrapped a towel around my head, face, and eyes. The audience roared with laughter, as did I.

When I got offstage, Charlie Norris told me "you're part of the crew, now." I asked why and he said "because Speedy (messed) with you onstage. He only does that to the crew." I felt honored.

Over the years at steel shows we'd get together in the restaurant and elsewhere and he'd regale me with stories about SoCal, where I grew up. He'd talk about Bryant quite a bit because he knew I had worked with Jimmy in Los Angeles before I moved to TX. He'd discuss his stroke and how the neuropathy in his hand felt and how it caused him to wear his glove constantly. It hampered his playing but not his spirit or sense of humor.

I've seen all the videos, but I did get a chance to see him perform live and in person one time. We were in Nashville for the 1977 DJ Convention and he was playing in one of the jam rooms. Totally rocking out on a Speedy West Marlen guitar. Bryant was in the room but didn't play, incidentally.