golden age players gone home

Terry Wood · Post by **Terry Wood** » 4 Sep 2019 10:56 am

Glad to see you added Jimmy Day , Walter Haynes and Bobby Caldwell. Loved all their music! Jimmy Day had a huge impact on so many of us Steel Guitarists!

Joe Krumel · Post by **Joe Krumel** » 5 Sep 2019 6:49 am

Drew Howard · Post by **Drew Howard** » 6 Sep 2019 11:45 am

That's really Jimmy Day's marker?

Joe Krumel · Post by **Joe Krumel** » 6 Sep 2019 4:46 pm

As far as I know...

Joe Krumel · Post by **Joe Krumel** » 11 Sep 2019 4:39 am

Neil Lang · Post by **Neil Lang** » 11 Sep 2019 10:25 am

It is with a "Heavy Heart" we look at all these names that pulled us into this Love of our Instrument and the music it makes. Hard to believe this many have gone home. It makes a person realize just how fast time does fly by. So glad we can still all enjoy the music they created on their recordings. There has to be one FABULOUS JAM SESSION going on up there guys & gals. Hope to see and hear it...someday!!

Nic Neufeld · Post by **Nic Neufeld** » 16 Sep 2019 2:14 pm

I was in Honolulu last March on Alfred Apaka's 100th birthday and I went by the Diamond Head Memorial Park. It took a few hours of wandering (in the tropical sun!) but I found a host of great musicians there.

Alfred Apaka himself was never known as a steel player (he played uke and bass at least, but mostly a singer), but his albums and recordings had some of the greats playing alongside him...some of my favorite steel guitar on record (you can tell, guys, I'm one of the Hawaiian contingent

). Died far too young, in 1960, aged 40.

Billy Hew Len was an amazing player who became one of the best players in the latter half of the 20th century in Hawaii, despite having lost his right hand in an accident as a teenager! Played nonpedal and pedal, a Fender 400.

Randy Oness, band leader and musician...worked with a lot of the greats back then (including a young Alfred Apaka). Wrote "Haunani"...composed over 200 songs.

Now getting to a couple of my favorites. Jules Ah See, I'm a broken record on him, but also died young, less than a year after Alfred Apaka died. My favorite steel player and a huge influence on me.

Alvin "Barney" Isaacs Jr. A great foil to Jules Ah See on Hawaii Calls (and a good counterpoint to Billy Hew Len on the "Steel Guitar Magic" album). A master at clever chordal work, he was always using open strings to get interesting chords, maj 7 / 9, diminished...definitely a "chord guy" and a big influence on me as well.

Couple others I found while there...Haunani Kahalewai, the rich-voiced contralto who sang on many Hawaii Calls albums.

Lastly, not music related per se, but Kam Fong Chun, aka Chin Ho Kelly from Hawaii 5-0. His first wife and two young children are also buried there...they were tragically killed during WWII when two B-24 bombers collided over Honolulu and the wreckage crashed into their house...very sad story.

It's a peaceful and pretty place, with Diamond Head looming up next door...

Joe Krumel · Post by **Joe Krumel** » 9 Dec 2019 6:21 am

We all have used his products at some point.

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Olaf van Roggen · Post by **Olaf van Roggen** » 9 Dec 2019 10:14 am

Ernie Hagar.

Johnny Cox · Post by **Johnny Cox** » 9 Dec 2019 3:50 pm

I check Gone Home every day to see if I'm still alive. Seriously most of my heroes have gone on way too soon. Many if my contemporaries as well. Thank God Lloyd Green, Doug Jernigan and Tommy White are still around.

Bruce W Heffner · Post by **Bruce W Heffner** » 10 Dec 2019 5:19 am

Very sobering, but at least my ears and eyes got to hear and see most of these great players and innovators.

Tommy Shown · Post by **Tommy Shown** » 16 Dec 2019 12:29 pm

Johnny Cox wrote:I check Gone Home every day to see if I'm still alive. Seriously most of my heroes have gone on way too soon. Many if my contemporaries as well. Thank God Lloyd Green, Doug Jernigan and Tommy White are still around.

I do the same that and the local obits, and I know if I don't see me, it is going to be a great day.

Joe Krumel · Post by **Joe Krumel** » 14 Jan 2020 2:24 pm

Many of you will remember Jesse.

Ronald Ballister · Post by **Ronald Ballister** » 23 Jan 2020 8:07 pm

What was sort of surprising to me was that how many years this gallery of greats have been gone. Seems like yesterday they were all alive and playing.

Michael Breid · Post by **Michael Breid** » 31 Jan 2020 12:31 pm

Didn't anyone collect funds from the steel community or friends of Jimmy to give him a decent headstone, or is that what he wanted?

Joe Krumel · Post by **Joe Krumel** » 1 Feb 2020 10:46 am

I've thought about that myself. Would contribute in a heartbeat, but would need his family's ok.

Andy DePaule · Post by **Andy DePaule** » 3 Feb 2020 5:31 pm

So sad to see how many of the true greats are gone now.

They all inspired so many and still do. In that way they live forever in our hearts.

Terry Wood · Post by **Terry Wood** » 4 Feb 2020 12:24 pm

Well I sure miss a lot of these guys! As most of Y'all many of them were my Steel Guitar Heroes! RIP Steel Guitarists!

Joe Krumel · Post by **Joe Krumel** » 16 Feb 2020 6:49 am

Joe Krumel · Post by **Joe Krumel** » 16 Feb 2020 7:17 am

Terry Wood · Post by **Terry Wood** » 18 Feb 2020 8:39 am

Amazing how many of the Greats of Steel Guitar that has left us! I sure miss them!

Joe Krumel · Post by **Joe Krumel** » 20 Feb 2020 4:04 am

Joe Krumel · Post by **Joe Krumel** » 20 Feb 2020 7:16 am

What a friend of steel guitar!

Joe Krumel · Post by **Joe Krumel** » 20 Feb 2020 7:38 am

Great players and builders. steel pioneers.

Joe Krumel · Post by **Joe Krumel** » 20 Feb 2020 8:09 am

I owe this man so much

The Steel Guitar Forum

golden age players gone home

Gary Hogue

Bill Johnson

Ernie Ball

Amen

Jesse Hurt, Toledo Ohio

Jimmy Day's marker

Jimmy's marker

So sad.

Katz Kobayashi

Vance Terry

stoney stonecipher

Dawn Sears

Zane Beck, Tom Brumley, Terry Bethel

Scotty