The photo above was taken around 1981 or 1982 and is from one of the many (and I do mean many) steel guitar sessions over at Carlue's house.
For those of us who knew Carlue, he will be sorely missed. His love of steel guitar was second to none and his passion for it was so infectious that you could visit with him for five minutes and you were ready to sit down and play your steel for hours.
For those who didn't know Carlue (as well as for those who did), I'd like to do something I know Carlue would have liked and that is to share some of my own memories of him with you. In a phone conversation with him a few months ago, Carlue acknowledged that he was declining and expressed that when he was gone he "didn't want a lot of grief and sadness" over his passing; rather, he was the sort of man who'd prefer us remembering him with good times and humor and, so, I'd like to honor him by sharing a few of my own memories and experiences with Carlue.
He was pretty much a one-of-a-kind fellow with a fantastic sense of humor. I first met Carlue in 1980 and have known him ever since. Carlue spoke with a very pronounced "Louisiana" accent that was very pleasant to the ear and he was forthright and direct in his speech. Carlue liked to "tell it like it is" and he'd speak his mind ... his direct approach was always refreshing because he didn't hold back.
Just about anyone who was a steel player was a "hero" to Carlue and he loved to hear everyone play. If you were a steel player and Carlue met you, it was instant friendship and Carlue had a way of encouraging you in your playing so that it brought out the best in you as a steel player.
Back when I was living in the same area as Carlue he had a Session 500 amp and two Emmons D-10 guitars (a black one that had these stick-on letters that said "LUE" on it and a wood-grained one which, if I remember right, was rosewood mica). At least one of them was always set up in his living room and a visit to Carlue's house always meant a long and very fun jam session of steel playing.
Here's a photo that shows a typical visit to Carlue's house (if I'm remembering right, I think Charlie Moore was there that day and snapped this photo) ... it was kind of a usual thing, after Carlue had played a couple of tunes, he'd do his favorite thing and turn to me and say, "Oh, well now, that's enough of that. Wormy, sit down and play me a few!" and there I'd go and play for him for hours ...
At that time, Carlue hadn't yet settled on a copedent for his guitar and, so, he had his black Emmons set up with my copedent for awhile to see how he liked it. Many times, while he was using my copedent, we'd swap around and I'd play his Emmons and he'd play my MSA. We had a lot of good times at those sessions. Sometimes I'd not even take my guitar, we'd just take turns playing Carlue's Emmons and it was playing his Emmons that really steered me in the direction of wanting to buy an Emmons myself.
When a steel show would come along somewhere, Carlue was always the first to jump and say, "Hey, let's pack up and go to it" and trips to steel shows with him were always fun and adventurous. I didn't get to go to many with him because I was gigging so much, but the ones I did get to attend with him were fun and it'd take me a week before my jaws quit hurting because he kept me laughing so much with his wit and humor. Part of the joy of attending a steel show with Carlue was to look into his eyes and see them lit up, like those of a kid at Christmas.
Carlue seemed to have a nick name for everyone and his nick name for me was "Wormy" because I was so thin and small when we met that he figured I must have a tapeworm (especially, after he witnessed me eat ten MacDonald's quarter pounders in one sitting and I didn't gain a pound of weight).
The last time I saw Carlue in person is when he and his charming wife came to visit me and my wife. I was playing with Ty Herndon at that time and during one of our breaks he made me choke while taking a sip of Coke when he said, "Damn, Wormy, I see you've expanded quite a bit since I saw you last!" Of course, he wasn't just talking about expanding in my steel playing, but expanding in the mid-section as well! He even remarked that he'd have to think up a new nick name, but he never did ... he always called me "Wormy".
Carlue's sense of humor extended to himself as well as everything else. I didn't know of Carlue playing with too many bands (I think he mostly played at home), but once in a great while he would play a night or two and invite me to come and hear him if I wasn't gigging. On those rare occasions when I got to listen to him play with a band he'd sometimes have an "adventure" with his steel and he'd laugh and make remarks that kept me in stitches.
I went to see him play one night (if I remember right, I think the name of the place was The Swamp Room, but I don't remember the name of the band). It was a little local club in the Alexandria LA area and as they were about to play "The Wildwood Flower" in one of their sets the band leader said, "Let's all rear back and play The Wildwood Flower!" and as the band all reared back getting ready for the first note, Carlue reared back so far he fell backwards off his steel guitar seat. The guitar player rushed over to see if he was okay and as he got up he said, "Man, that wildwood flower almost had me pushing up daisies!" Then he hopped onto his steel and they played the song as though nothing had happened. It's probably the only time I ever saw Carlue blush about anything.
During his band break, he came to me at my table and said, "Wormy, you breathe a word about me falling off my seat to anyone, especially Charlie, and we're gonna tangle, son!" And then he laughed so loud that people were looking at us and wondering what was so funny.
We lost contact for a long time and then over the last year and a half, Carlue and I regained contact again and had many long and pleasant conversations on the phone.
It's a little difficult to share this particular memory because it's so personal and precious, but it shows the kind of wonderful man that Carlue was. In one of our phone conversations Carlue and I spoke of his declining health and he said something that touched my heart more than anything anyone else has ever said and that was, "Wormy, before I close my eyes for the last time, what I'd really love is to see and hear you play one more time". That was Carlue ... so, I made him a promise that I'd upload videos and it's actually for that reason more than any other that I have so many videos up on YouTube.
These are a few of my memories of Carlue and some that I know he'd have enjoyed me sharing. Knowing Carlue like I did, I know he'd love for others who knew him to share their memories as well. He always welcomed and enjoyed a good "Carlue story".
From the time I met him, Carlue became like a second father to me and words cannot express how sorely he'll be missed, but he'll never be forgotten. He'll live in the hearts of everyone who knew him and his memory will continue to enrich our lives. Go with God, Carlue, and rest in the arms of the Lord.
