RIP Mayne Smith, Bay Area steel and reso player

[Dave Zirbel]

Mayne died peacefully in his home last night. He was part of the local folk, bluegrass and country music community since the late 50’s or early 60’s on the west coast. I only met him once or twice. He was loved by many.

Here’s a nice steel intro he recorded with Mitch Greenhill in the early 70’s(?)
https://youtu.be/RqdqfJbL_f4[attachment ... ttachment]

[K Maul]

Sorry to hear this. I met him once while doing a show in CA that his band MARLEY’S GHOST was also on. He was a pal of singer Bob White, with whom I did my first road gigs in the late 70s. He did some nice work also on some Rosalie Sorrels recordings.

[Dave Zirbel]

Not sure Mayne was ever a member of Marley’s Ghost…that was Ed Littlefield, but maybe Mayne was subbing.(?)

[K Maul]

Oops you are right! Sorry I got them confused. I never met him but am right about the other things!

[Larry Behm]

I left the SF Bay area in 1972, knew the name but never met him, sorry to her of his passing.

[Dave Magram]

Very sad to hear of Mayne's passing away last week at age 86.

I got the opportunity to play bluegrass with Mayne in 1968 in L.A.; I was playing banjo, and Mayne was playing guitar and Dobro.

I was very impressed with Mayne's depth of knowledge about bluegrass music, about which very little had been published at that time.

• Mayne explained that he had written an article titled "An Introduction to Bluegrass" published in the Journal of American Folklore in 1965, which is considered a foundational piece for the academic study of bluegrass music.

• The article was based on his master's thesis from Indiana University and helped open the door to serious scholarly research on the genre.

Mayne and I jammed a few times in L.A., and then Mayne introduced me to Herb Steiner who was an excellent mandolin player and new to pedal steel (but already playing with Linda Ronstadt).

Shortly after that, Mayne, Herb and I played a bluegrass set at the Ash Grove, the hotspot for folk and bluegrass music in L.A.

• Mayne had a wry sense of humor: I remember Mayne teaching Herb and me how to perform a little comedic sketch: "How much does a monkey weigh?" for the Ash Grove gig, which I used years later when I played a bluegrass/country show with Jim Lauderdale (before he moved to Nashville and became a successful songwriter).

In 1984, I moved to the SF Bay Area and learned that Mayne had moved there also. I went to see him playing Dobro and pedal steel with his band "Alternate Roots", and we reconnected for a bit.

As time passed, Mayne developed some health issues and became somewhat reclusive, so I am sorry to say that we lost touch with each other.

The eerie thing is that, out of the blue, I was thinking about trying to reconnect with Mayne just a day or two before he passed away--I'm sorry that I didn't act sooner!

More about Mayne's musical life at: https://www.last.fm/music/Mitch+Greenhi ... mith/+wiki

- Dave

[Dave Zirbel]

Thanks Dave Magram for the nice remembrance of Mayne. Like I said, I only met him once or twice. I heard his name mentioned a lot, and I think he may have played a little with Linda Ronstadt as well, before she became a huge sensation.

I did see and hear him play once in the 90’s I believe. Seems he was already slowing down and not really interested in hustling gigs.

Thanks again
Dz

[Herb Steiner]

Mayne and I were close friends. He was a bluegrass mentor to me, and in later years a steel guitar colleague. He purchased and used some of my E9 courses, which pleased me to no end. I've tried in recent years to reach him, but in vain. A mutual friend told me of his passing recently on Facebook. I will miss him.

Here's a terrific interview with Mayne that told me things about his family life and early music projects. Fascinating stuff, worth the hour spent.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y_lqrbmKd98&t=6s