Where's Sonny Garrish?

Bobbe Seymour · Post by **Bobbe Seymour** » 19 Feb 2009 12:33 pm

Sonny Garrish is standing right here beside me in my office right now, getting ready to read this post, I gotta' get his money for the Cobra Coils strings befor I let him read it though!

What do you want to ask him, QUICK!
Bobbe and Sonny

Bobbe Seymour · Post by **Bobbe Seymour** » 19 Feb 2009 12:35 pm

Sonny Garrish is standing right here beside me in my office right now, getting ready to read this post, I gotta' get his money for the Cobra Coils strings befor I let him read it though!

What do you want to ask him, QUICK!
Bobbe and Sonny

Roger Crawford · Post by **Roger Crawford** » 19 Feb 2009 12:47 pm

No question, just a big "THANKS" for all the great stuff you've given us to listen to over the years.

Bobbe Seymour · Post by **Bobbe Seymour** » 19 Feb 2009 1:27 pm

Thank you Roger, Bobbe says good things about you, don't I remember emailing you about five years ago?

Sonny

Theresa Galbraith · Post by **Theresa Galbraith** » 19 Feb 2009 2:32 pm

So many have mentioned Sonny Garrish going in the " Steel Guitar Hall of Fame", he's way over due.

John McGlothlin · Post by **John McGlothlin** » 19 Feb 2009 4:28 pm

When I was living in Pulaski Virginia my wife gave me a picture that she took at a show that Bill Anderson did in Pulaski I can't remember the year but the picture was of Sonny Garrish sitting behind an Emmons guitar...I'll have to look around and see if I still have that picture.

Roger Crawford · Post by **Roger Crawford** » 19 Feb 2009 6:12 pm

Sonny, yes, I had the great priviledge and surprise of receiving your email encouraging me to stay on Bobbe when he was waffling on the "Priceless" project. You had heard some of his preliminary stuff and knew it was something that needed to be recorded. You were correct, it's killer stuff, and remains one of my favorites.
Thanks Again,
Roger

Tim Fleming · Post by **Tim Fleming** » 20 Feb 2009 9:59 am

I own his steel that he used from 1977-early 90's
here 'tis - Played on all the hits.

I love it!!!

Ken Byng · Post by **Ken Byng** » 20 Feb 2009 10:16 am

I saw Sonny play at the London Palladium around '71 or '72 with the Po' Boys. They had an awesome guy on lead guitar called Wayne Gray. Sonny was incredible too, and just knocked me out. It was no surprise that he became one of the most prolifically recorded steel players in the world.

Bobbe - Sonny's use of Cobra Coils has to be a great endorsement for them. Hope you gave him a good deal.

Skip Edwards · Post by **Skip Edwards** » 21 Feb 2009 2:12 pm

Tim, that's the gtr on the cover of the "Nashville Bar Association" LP.
Too cool...

Richard Sinkler · Post by **Richard Sinkler** » 21 Feb 2009 2:32 pm

Did he leave any of his licks on the guitar

Max Stuckey · Post by **Max Stuckey** » 21 Feb 2009 3:12 pm

In 1978 Sonny was playing a Multicord Steel on radio station WCBG in Chambersburg, Pa. with his mom and dad George and Jane. Sonny was probably about 12 years old at the time. My show was either right before or right after their show. I have not seen Sonny since, but two of the guys that were in my band I think keep tabs on him after his move to Nashville and break with Bill Anderson.

Jim R. Harrison · Post by **Jim R. Harrison** » 21 Feb 2009 4:00 pm

I understood that Sonny was born on May 14, 1943. If this is correct (Tom Bradshaw, reference), he wouldn't be 12 in 1978?

John Macy · Post by **John Macy** » 21 Feb 2009 4:00 pm

Must be earlier than 1978...

He was already cutting hit records by then...

Max Stuckey · Post by **Max Stuckey** » 22 Feb 2009 5:36 am

Hey fellows and Sonny: My big mistake. The 1978 date should be 1958 or maybe even 1957.
Sorry. MAX

Tim Fleming · Post by **Tim Fleming** » 23 Feb 2009 12:49 am

Yes Skip, it is. A couple of more pics on this page.

http://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopi ... 7&start=25

Reggie Duncan · Post by **Reggie Duncan** » 6 Sep 2010 7:27 pm

Been listening to cutting edge pedal steel by Sonny Garrish....still recording, still at the top of his game. To be overlooked by the Steel Guitar Hall of Fame is unconscionable.

Evelyn Whitney · Post by **Evelyn Whitney** » 6 Sep 2010 7:51 pm

I met Sonny in Grand Rapids, Mi while he was with Bill Anderson. I remember getting the whole band to come out after the show and go to the club where my husband and son were playing that night.
Some of them sat in with our group.
Sonny sat a a table with me and a few other folks I knew. I remember the naughty girls at the club tried to get to him and he just sat there and blushed and didn't even have a reply for them. ( I did though)
I've always appreciated him for that. His christianity was ingrained in him and you could see that.
Leonard T Zinn has known Sonnys family since Sonny was a child taking music lessons.
We would dearly love to hear from Sonny again.
Is there someone out there who would give us an email address or a land address? Anything. If not I imagine I can find him. If so..Thank you..

Larry Johnson · Post by **Larry Johnson** » 10 Sep 2010 4:53 am

I bought an Emmons string machine from Sonny back in the early 80's. The string machine had coils mounted on a strip that you slide under your strings. You could trigger any string.
Sonny said he used it on his sessions. I donated it to the Country Music Hall Of Fame.
Sonny Is a very nice man,And a very gifted steel player. Larry J.

Bob Lawrence · Post by **Bob Lawrence** » 10 Sep 2010 5:41 am

Sonny Garrish Biography

Growing up in a musical family, steel guitarist Sonny Garrish was surrounded by musical ambition at an early age. His father, who wanted to be a professional musician, began using Sonny in his various bands when he was as young as seven. By 15 Sonny was no longer singing with his father, but backing him on steel guitar. And, while still a senior in high school, Sonny started playing with a group of musicians from nearby Washington, D.C. A standing gig in Fairfax, VA at Hunter's Lodge, which often hired Nashville talent such as Johnny Paycheck for weekend gigs, led Garrish to his first job in Nashville. After giving his number to members of Bill Anderson's band, the bandleader called Garrish and offered him a job. That opportunity led to session work and, for the next several years, Garrish slowly built a name for himself around Nashville.

Not an overnight success by any stretch of the imagination, Garrish often put his name on substitute lists, filling in for the first choice musicians who were sick, or playing on writer's demos in hopes that his playing might stand out to a producer. Slowly he began getting breaks such as the 1976 Eddie Rabbitt session he played on that subsequently became a hit. And, by the '80s, Garrish had become a top notch steel guitarist playing on records by Glen Campbell, Billy Ray Cyrus and B.B. King among others. ~ Steve Kurutz, All Music Guide

Source:
http://www.artistdirect.com/artist/bio/ ... ish/434305

Erv Niehaus · Post by **Erv Niehaus** » 10 Sep 2010 6:12 am

I listened to a Gene Watson CD the other night and Sonny was playing on it, outstanding! :
If you are listening to a song and can't quite figure out if it's Buddy, Paul, Lloyd, etc. on steel, chances are it's Sonny.

Evelyn Whitney · Post by **Evelyn Whitney** » 10 Sep 2010 7:43 am

Thanks to Reggie....I have given Sonny a phone call.
Left a message on machine...Waiting with hightened excitment for a reply call from him. You know I'll let you know if he will allow us to chat with him OR NOT....If he wants us to leave him alone, we will surely do that. I want him to know how very much we do appreciate him and his playing.

Tommy White · Post by **Tommy White** » 10 Sep 2010 8:09 am

It can't be said enough fellas'. Sonny should be in the "Hall of Fame".

Bobbe Seymour · Post by **Bobbe Seymour** » 10 Sep 2010 8:22 am

Bobbe Seymour · Post by **Bobbe Seymour** » 10 Sep 2010 8:23 am

Yes on the Hall of Fame Tommy, but then so should YOU!

Bobbster

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Where's Sonny Garrish?

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Where is Sonny Garrish