Buddy Emmons book

[Eric Hershkowitz]

I don't know if it has been mentioned before here on SGF, but Steve Fishell's book entitled "Buddy Emmons - steel guitar icon" is a great read for anyone into steel guitar. There are very interesting stories about Buddy's career, techniques, inventions and remarkable practice habits, such as playing in the dark. It's a MUST for you all....

[Dean Parks]

Eric, thx for the reminder. I just bought it on Kindle and it is excellent. Great work, Steve Fishell!

[Diane Diekman]

Here's my review from 2022: https://internetreviewofbooks.blogspot. ... -icon.html

[joe long]

Call me crazy but I'm in my 5th reading of the book.

[Roger Crawford]

It took quite a while for me to read the book. As I was reading and it mentioned a particular song, I got on YouTube to take a listen. It made it come alive!

[Craig Stock]

Such a great book, so worthy of multiple reads, so much great info packed in and the music selections that are referenced, it could be a whole college course on Buddy and steel guitar!

[robert kramer]

Buddy Emmons "Steel Guitar Icon" is always available at the Country Music Hall of Fame Museum bookstore where Steve has produced and narrated several important Emmons related events.

[W. C. Edgar]

Great read, I enjoyed very much
Thanks Russ Wever!

[Jack Tekiela]

That book is awesome, reading it right now. Very fascinating read.

[J D Sauser]

I think I reviewed the book soon after I got it. I read thru it like I had last read a book maybe 20 years ago... I couldn't stop.

I would tend to assume that most are interested by his story after he became proficient, known and professional and the stories about whom with and where, and I feared that would be what the book would be mostly about.

I was mostly interested about his earliest days and HOW he learned and while I had a theory about him having had an early interest in Jazz, Be-&-Hardbop, the first 3rd of the book proved very resourceful and revealing: His early fascination for Jazz Blues (which remained one of his favorite show-offs) and Bebop, the fact that the first record he bought was had Coltrane, Cannoball Adderly and other Bebop Greats on it (MGC 601 https://youtu.be/fdQoeBKYVL4 and it's back side MGC 602 https://youtu.be/zfpPC_1Te4A) the back side he wore out, as the story goes on.
His "hiding" in the basement and playing "blind" in the dark. While he didn't play staring into emptiness like Bobby Koeffer was known for, BE was able all thru his career to look up and smile at the audience, a singer or buddy session musician while soloing, for extended periods and remain creative, in control and in perfect intonation.

The book confirmed some of my suspicions on his musical inclinations and also changed the way I go about practicing.
I wished BE had been aware of the importance of HOW he learned and have felt compelled to share it while he was active on this Forum. I do not think that he held back, but that over the years, especially after that event described in the book in the late 60's or early 70's when he threw up his bar exclaiming "I can't f'up anymore", I think his method had bore the fruit he had been after and he never looked back again. Why would he.

I remember in the late-late 90's when Maurice surprised everybody suddenly showing up with a non-pedal steel instead of his "feared" Bb6th-Universal with 8&5 on one single 12 string neck and play the living daylights out of it, I called him up and asked for a few full day lessons in single note improvisation on C6th. To me, it was 2 things at once, single note playing AND improvising (which I was a novice at both). Maurice told me "let me think about how to go about that, I call you back in a couple of days"... I told him there and then, just show me how YOU learned it. Teacher often forget that. 3 days later Maurice called and said, "I had to go way back but I think I know how to show you".
I and I know some others asked BE "what are you thinking when you play" or if he would tutor them one-on-one.
The answer I got to the first question and I read that he told many others to the same question, ranged from "I don't really know what I am thinking" to "I am not sure I AM thinking". You can imagine the answer to the second question. He was a very honest person. Ha!

Again, I wished he had ben conscious of how important his memories about his early days were. I am glad the writer was able to extract and save this information before it would vanish with him so too soon.

Thanks!... J-D.

[Roger Rettig]

Buddy was generally very accessible and forthcoming; how I miss the days when he would pop up here on the Forum and contribute to a thread, always with logic and good sense and usually with a humorous twist!

Steve Fishell's book is remarkable. Despite the fact that Emmons called a halt to the interviews and note-taking at a certain point, the story is seamless and there's no indication that his source was no longer available.

We're all surely grateful that Buddy gave Steve permission to use what he had when the time came.

Emmons is arguably THE most influential player in history. Steve - no slouch himself (!) - has crafted an important account of a unique musical journey by one of America's finest musicians.