Butch Cornwell RIP

Patrick Edwards · Post by **Patrick Edwards** » 15 Jan 2016 6:07 pm

I just received a message from Judy that my friend and teacher Butch Cornwell
passed away this morning. I will always be touched by his enthusiasm and love for the Pedal Steel Guitar, I know many that met him at the ISGC were also.
Rest In Peace Butch
Patrick Edwards

Carl Kilmer · Post by **Carl Kilmer** » 15 Jan 2016 7:27 pm

Another very sad loss. I always loved his playing, and he
really impressed me when he would play an entire song with
harmonics and never miss a note. Rest in peace my friend.

billchav · Post by **billchav** » 16 Jan 2016 4:19 am

Rest in peace old friend

Ray Harrison · Post by **Ray Harrison** » 16 Jan 2016 6:33 am

RIP Butch.
I always loved singing and playing with Butch in the Fulawka room at ISGC. Great guy and and a great player.
Condolences to family and friends. He is missed

Larry Baker · Post by **Larry Baker** » 16 Jan 2016 6:44 am

Another sad loss, Jean and I met Butch in the Fulawka room at the St. Louis convention several years ago. A great player and person. He will be missed. Prayers for his family. Larry and Jean

Tom Palmer · Post by **Tom Palmer** » 16 Jan 2016 4:11 pm

I doubt that anyone who ever met Butch could ever forget him. He was a unique character. He was great player and always helpful to newer players. His tone was excellent and his harmonics were his trademark. Rest in peace my friend.

Bob Blair · Post by **Bob Blair** » 16 Jan 2016 9:55 pm

I'm sorry to hear that. I haven't seen Butch for a long time but I always enjoyed visiting with him at St. Louis, and for sure he had a beautiful sweet sound when he played.

Jim R. Harrison · Post by **Jim R. Harrison** » 16 Jan 2016 11:37 pm

I first heard of Butch when I came across his CD, "Heart & Soul from B.C." With that title, I had to buy it. As others said, it was a joy to watch & listen to him in the Fulawka Room in St. Louis. Very easy to talk to.

R.I.P. Butch

Walter Stettner · Post by **Walter Stettner** » 17 Jan 2016 12:37 am

Sad news. My condolences to his family.

Kind Regards, Walter

Dale Rottacker · Post by **Dale Rottacker** » 17 Jan 2016 8:32 am

That’s sad... I’ve been meaning to call him and never got around to it... Been MANY years since I’ve seen and talked to him, but he was such an engaging friendly guy... He had a cool little “studio” outside the back of his house while he was in Tacoma, with a little wood stove if I remember right... Back in the late 80’s early 90’s, Butch and Ray Robinson and myself went to some little steel guitar thing in southern Washington... was a very long, very fun day... Wish I’d taken the time to make that call, cause you just never know...

Allan Thompson · Post by **Allan Thompson** » 17 Jan 2016 11:28 am

So sad to hear of Butch's passing. Met him a number of times at the Dallas show, great company and a great character. R.I.P. old friend.

Larry Dering · Post by **Larry Dering** » 17 Jan 2016 2:28 pm

I met Butch in St. Louis and was knocked out by his playing. Still have his CD. Great player a nice guy.
RIP, Butch.

Herb Steiner · Post by **Herb Steiner** » 17 Jan 2016 7:16 pm

I loved hanging with Butch at ISGC. It seems like he was always the closing player on the Thursday night show, though he was without a doubt a Main Stage quality player. Did he ever play the main show at ISGC? I can't remember.

Anyway we lost touch, ironically, when he moved to San Antonio. Should've contacted him more.

RIP, ol' pal.

Bob Watson · Post by **Bob Watson** » 18 Jan 2016 2:02 am

Like many of you, I too met Butch at the ISGC. I really enjoyed talking shop with him, he was a great guy and a great player. May he RIP.

Ben Rubright · Post by **Ben Rubright** » 18 Jan 2016 7:49 am

Butch always greeted me as though we were long lost friends even though he never knew my name. I feel a personal loss.

Jim Cohen · Post by **Jim Cohen** » 18 Jan 2016 7:56 am

I'm sorry to hear this sad news. Like many others, I enjoyed visiting with him and hearing his set each year at ISGC. Does anyone know how or why he passed? Had he been ill for a long time? I know I'd not seen or heard anything of him for the last several years... And I'd also like to know, at this time, what his given name was (assuming 'Butch' was a nickname). My condolences to his family and many friends. RIP, Butch.

Billy Easton · Post by **Billy Easton** » 18 Jan 2016 1:41 pm

I first met Butch when he lived and worked in Phoenix in the 70s/80s; then we would see each other at the various steel shows. We were never what you would call "close" friends, but we admired each other and I will surely miss Butch. We used to talk about publishing a book about tuning your E9th with harmonics. I don't know if he ever did that or not...
RIP old pal!

Billy

bruce fischer · Post by **bruce fischer** » 20 Jan 2016 2:42 pm

sad to hear this.
i had asked gaylon king last week if he was still in san antonio.
sure enjoyed his playing at the ISGC!
RIP Butch.

Bob Ritter · Post by **Bob Ritter** » 28 Jan 2016 3:08 pm

Butch was my teacher and mentor in the steel guitar. I loved that man dearly. He was quite a character . And he indeed put his heart and soul into his music. He had the best chimes of any steely player I ever heard. Judy, I am so sorry for your loss.
Bobby,

joe long · Post by **joe long** » 28 Jan 2016 4:48 pm

Was Butch still living in the San Antonio area?
At one time he was living in Adkins.

Bob Ritter · Post by **Bob Ritter** » 28 Jan 2016 4:50 pm

His real name was. Ellis .

Stoney Stonecipher · Post by **Stoney Stonecipher** » 12 Feb 2016 11:06 am

Sure hate to hear about the loss of another great Steel Guitar player. Nobody, but nobody could hit the absolute most clear and distinct harmonics that Butch could. And the only player that I ever seen (in my 37 years at the Convention), that while he was doing his (small) set on my Talent Show, go on the P.A., and told Buddy Emmons( back at his booth) to come to the stage and watch him play "WAY TO SURVIVE". Butch said "I've sat out there in the audience for years and listened to you play this song , now I'm waiting until you get on stage, so I can play it for you. Buddy did as Butch had asked- Butch played the song,(flawlessly) they shook hands and Buddy left. That took nerve folks, but Butch had the talent (and enough adult beverages) to pull it off, and he did. It also showed that the 'BIG E' was human enough to do that for a fellow steel player. I've talked with Butch on the phone a few time in the last few years, but I hadn't seen him in quite some time. We were very good friends, and I,like the rest of you that knew him, will forever miss his frienship and great musicianship on the PEDAL STEEL GUITAR. RIP my buddy, BUTCH CORNWELL.

Fred Thompson · Post by **Fred Thompson** » 4 Mar 2016 9:18 am

In 1994, I met Butch at the ISGC, we visited the various booths together and at one, he sat behind a steel and played one of Buddy's songs perfectly... Probably "A Way To Survive". I saw Scotty talking to someone, went over and told him about Butch and that he should be on the show. Scotty came over and gave a listen and agreed he should be on the Talent Search. I believe the next year he was on the main show. I know he hung with Buddy a lot that year, 1995.
Rest in Peace Butch...

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