An Old Memory Bought Back Last Night

Mike Sweeney · Post by **Mike Sweeney** » 26 Feb 2003 4:26 pm

Last night I played on lower Broadway here in Nashville at Janice's Country Bar And Grill and Jim Unger played at the Second Fiddle the same time so we carpooled.
Well, Jim wanted to go into E.T.'s record shop before we had to play so I went in with him. While he was looking for something I walked to the back and there it was in a glass case with his HOF plaque leaning up against it. Pete Drake's gold laquer ,gold plated Sho-Bud Baldwin Cross-over. Also a pair of cowboy boots were inside the case.
Well, it took me back to Feb. 1980 when the Nashville Superpickers came to the Salem Civic Center in Salem,Va. Well instead of Buddy Emmons, Pete Drake was playing steel. And he played that same gold Sho-Bud that's in that case. I was 20 years old then and Pete was the first big name player I ever met and he was a very nice man and very encouraging to me and talked to me and my dad for 45 minutes after the show which was a home builders expo.
His kindness to me and taking the time out to talk to me is something I've never forgotten and seeing that guitar last night just warmed me up.
Well I just thought I'd share that. Thanks for putting up with it.
Mike Sweeney

Steve Hinson · Post by **Steve Hinson** » 26 Feb 2003 5:19 pm

Mike-thanks for sharing...that old guitar is on many,many old records in my collection!Did you get to play it when you met Pete?It was really something else mechanically...I'm sure it's a lot better since Duane and Jeff restored it.I need to get by there and take a little trip down memory lane too...thanks again-Steve

Mike Sweeney · Post by **Mike Sweeney** » 26 Feb 2003 5:34 pm

No Steve I didn't play it then and I didn't ask either.
I remember he played through a Randall amp for straight steel and used a Sho-Bud single channel to drive his talk box.
Also there was a [chick singer] named Pam Rose on the show with them.
The rest of the band was Buddy Spicher, Buddy Harmon, Pig Robbins,I can't remember the guitar player but it might have been Dale Sellers and the only thing I remeber about the bass player was that he played left handed.
Pete smoked those long brown cigerettes like they weren't gonna make them anymore.
Pete wasn't a great player but he knew how to make you feel good to be around him.

Ted Solesky · Post by **Ted Solesky** » 26 Feb 2003 6:14 pm

Pete knew a lot more than what we were hearing. About a year ago, I saw a video where Mr.Hal Ruggs mention this. He seem to have the talent to know where and when to inject his simple but tasty little slides and licks. At the time when country music was doing doing the cross-over thing, he kept the steel guitar sound in the hit recordings.

Ted Solesky · Post by **Ted Solesky** » 26 Feb 2003 6:18 pm

oopps excuse the error "doing" - I don't stutter. My hands are faster than my eyes.

Mike Sweeney · Post by **Mike Sweeney** » 26 Feb 2003 6:54 pm

I didn't mean anything disrespectfull at all. I agree that Pete knew where to put what he did at the right time. Pete just wasn't a great technician when it came to chops. Pete was a producer and he approached the steel like a producer.
What I meant was that Pete was one heck of a nice guy. And that goes a long way in the studios.
Mike

Bill Ford · Post by **Bill Ford** » 26 Feb 2003 7:24 pm

Mike,
I read the other day that the museum in Augusta Ga. had one of Pete's Sho Buds on display,the article stated he lived there in Augusta at one time.I live about 8 miles north of there in Graniteville SC and don't ever remember hearing Pete's name.Pete did live in Atlanta at one time,maybe they got thier facts misunderstood.
If I ever make it to the museum I'll get some pics and post them,also get the scoop on his time in Augusta.
Speaking of memorys.....Early 70s,I was in the Sho Bud shop upstairs nosing around and the tech that was working on a Bud showed me a couple of great licks,don't remember his name.(a super nice guy) Do you know who it might have been.
Bill

------------------
Bill Ford

Jerry Fleming · Post by **Jerry Fleming** » 26 Feb 2003 7:45 pm

Hi Mike:

I never had the pleasure to meet Pete but others said the same. I know exactly how you feel... I will never forget those that took the time to encourage me along the way. That includes you my friend! I remember Jerry Staley playing one those home shows in Salem back then. I think he was backing Linda Gale? my memory is not as good as yours but he sounded great and had that ShoBud cranked with a tone to die for. I bugged him to show me a lick every time I saw him and he always took the time. He also always had a good joke and a big smile! I sure do miss him! Thanks for jogging some great memories..

Jerry

Ted Solesky · Post by **Ted Solesky** » 26 Feb 2003 10:19 pm

I understand what you're saying Mike. Everyone that met him, admired him as a good hearted person.

Mike Sweeney · Post by **Mike Sweeney** » 27 Feb 2003 12:40 am

Jerry,

Yeah, Jerry Staley was one of my biggest influences bar none. He did get one of the prettiest tones I ever heard in my life. And I don't think anyone bugged him more than I did but he never seemed to mind.

Mike

Steve Hinson · Post by **Steve Hinson** » 27 Feb 2003 12:45 am

Mike...I was in Pam Rose's band at one time...we opened a show at Possum Holler for Ferlin Husky and Pete was playing with Ferlin just for the hell of it...he loved Ferlin and he told me Ferlin was the greatest entertainer in the world!He asked me if I wanted to play Goldie...and I did!I practically had to jump on the pedals to mash them-she was rough to play but it was fun...he gave me a Standel amp with"Pete's Place" stencilled on it-still got it!

Howard Kalish · Post by **Howard Kalish** » 27 Feb 2003 3:15 pm

Bill - Perhaps that tech at Sho Bud in the early 70's was my pal Scott Walls. He worked their while he was in high school. I think he graduated around '73 or '74. He was and is a beefy guy with dark hair. Superb player. He build his own guitar while he worked there, but it's so damn heavy that now he plays an LDG. He gets great C6 sounds out of it as well as E9. His dad, Henry Walls is also a great steel player. Both father and son were buds with Curley Chalker and lionized his playing.

------------------

Mike Sweeney · Post by **Mike Sweeney** » 27 Feb 2003 4:00 pm

Steve,

That's cool. If he had asked me I would have jumped at the chance.
I have played Lloyds "Green Monster" though
Mike<FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Mike Sweeney on 27 February 2003 at 05:44 PM.]</p></FONT>

Steve Hinson · Post by **Steve Hinson** » 27 Feb 2003 5:34 pm

Mike...I'll bet that was fun!I'm sure glad Lloyd got it out and started playing it again...take care-Steve