55 and Steel Pickin - Musicians and Studios

Here's a little more info on the musicians and bands that you'll hear on my CD, "55 and Steel Pickin'"


1977 - The Bois d'Arc Bottom Band was Gary Moreland (guitar), Mike Erwin (drums), Bob Robinson (lead guitar), Kelly Connell (bass), Phillip Rozell (harmonica), David Trout (guitar) and Gary Manning (piano), Boyd Hudgens (steel) By 2006 Manning is deceased and Lanny Milton (vocal) is a member of the band. Recorded at Huddlestons Studio, Garland, TX.

1985 - Robert Joe Vandygriff and Shades of Country included Terry Downs (lead guitar), Earl Gaddy (bass), Jeff Gwinn (drums) and Jim Shanks (saxophone), Boyd Hudgens (steel/banjo/dobro). Recorded at McKnights Studio, Mesquite, TX.

1986 - The Red Horse Band included Benny Vincent (lead guitar), Danny Batchelor (vocals/rhythm), Bob Campbell (vocals/bass), Jeff Williams (drums/vocals), Boyd Hudgens (steel)

1996 - Mike Grigsby and Triden's Prairie included Kevin Hudgens (drums), Roger Stripland (bass), Mark Welch (piano), Steve Carter (guitar), Chad Coursey (fiddle), Boyd Hudgens (steel, banjo) and guest Terry Down (lead guitar). Recorded at Eric Marino Studio, Paris, TX

2003 - Landon Teague - Gary Preston (guitar), Scott Ashmore (bass), Kevin Preston (drums), Eric Peel (mandolin), Brandon Teague (harmony), Boyd Hudgens (steel/dobro)

2005 - Wade White - Eric Peel (fiddle), Todd Hines (drums), Rickey Bond (bass), Boyd Hudgens (steel). Recorded at Holly Bond Studio, Reno, TX

2006 - Post Oak Savannah - Russell Wilson (guitar/vocal), Kent Gooding (guitar/vocal), Jason Dyess (guitar), Jerry White/Randy Simmons (bass), Kevin Hudgens (drums), Boyd Hudgens (steel/banjo). Recorded at Siesta Ranch Studio, Gilmer, TX

2007 - Eldon Page - Boyd Hudgens (steel), Band-In-A-Box (all other instruments)

2011 - Lou Ann Petty - Brad Davis (guitars/mandolin/keys), Ross Holmes (fiddle), Brandon Andrews (bass), Donald Higginbotham (drums), Boyd Hudgens (steel)

Holiday CD Project

Another holiday season has rolled around and I'm at it again. I guess the banjo instrumental CD will have to wait.
As I was looking over my music collection a couple of weeks ago, I realized that I've done a fair amount of studio recording in my 55 years. (Yes, I turned 55 this month.) I didn't start playing an instrument until I was around seven or eight, but I saw my first recording studio when I was twenty. I played steel and high-strung guitar on Bois d'Arc Bottom Band's first 45 RPM record in 1977. In 1980 I got to record in the famous Nashville studio, Bradley's Barn, as part of Jeff Newman's E9th steel guitar class.
So, I decided to take some cuts from various sessions and put them on a CD. Why? Because I have first hand experience at being a grandson who treasures the few recordings left behind by his grandfather. Maybe someday my descendents will be interested in playing music and possibly be inspired by this small amount of audio I've left behind.
As you can see from the preliminary CD cover design, there are twelve different sessions indicated. I've picked from one to three songs from each session for this CD. There were other recording sessions over the years, but most of those were Gospel music and I wanted to first document the Country music sessions. The quality of the recordings range from...well...what you would expect from ripping from 45RPMs and cassette tapes to modern CD quality. Debbie helped me produce this work and we both enjoyed listening to these cuts and reminiscing. I had only recorded in maybe three studios before we married, so she's been right there supporting me since then. We both hope you enjoy it!
Boyd and Debbie

Picker's Poetry

The Banjo

by Boyd Hudgens

A Banjo is an odd thing,

Four longs and one short string.

It matches the fingers on my hand,

That's natural I guess, made by man.

But when I pluck it,

Now there's a word…

A beautiful sound

Is immediately heard.

The notes run together,

Lickity split.

Eighth and sixteenth notes,

They never quit.

My mind switches gear,

As a banjo I near.

I can't let it sit,

I’ll pick it a bit!

As long as my fingers

Will move and bend,

I'll keep on picking

The Banjo, my friend.

LA Petty

Just want to let you know about a friend of mine and her new CD. Many of you know Lou Ann Petty. She has appeared in several plays at the University Playhouse, Texas A&M Commerce (Smoke On The Mountain, Hank Williams – Lost Highway, Always – Patsy Cline, and others) and has been playing and singing music for many years in and around the Hunt County area. I first met her father at L3 Communications, then E-Systems, in 1977 when I first started working there. I didn’t meet Lou Ann until several years after that when she also started working there. Sometime during those years, we both started participating in the musical portion of our company’s annual “Project Christmas Spirit” program. Lou Ann came to Paris several years ago and sang on the “Texas Music Shop”, a show produced by Mike Grigsby and his band, Triden’s Prairie, which I was a part of then.

Lou Ann is a talented songwriter (winning the Ruby Allmond Songwriting Contest in 2010) and has recently recorded some of her compositions in the studio of Grammy Award winner, Brad Davis (formally of the Marty Stewart band). Lou Ann asked me to play steel guitar on her project, "I'm Falling", and I gladly accepted.

Check out Lou Ann’s website at http://www.lapetty.com/ . There are clips of her music on the site and her new CD will be on the streets real soon. (Check out #2, “Good and Gone” for a little steel guitar!)

A Weekend In Mountain View

My bluegrass band, Hard 2 Git, and a bunch of family and friends usually make the trek to Mountain View Arkansas on Memorial and Labor Day weekends. We typically leave the Paris area sometime Friday morning (some earlier than us others!) and make a couple of stops on the 325 mile journey. Most everyone has arrived there by around 4pm Friday evening. That’s when the fun starts! (Of course, there is checking in at Pine Wood Cabins and unloading your automobile at your weekend home.)

After unloading and saying hello to everyone, it doesn’t take long before someone breaks out an instrument. On that signal, others follow suit. An hour or so later, it’s time to eat! How about everyone meeting at Bar None Barbeque?! Gotta jump in the car for a short drive to the east edge of town. After a lot of good food and laughs, it’s back to the cabins.

Back at the cabins, some sit down in the porch swings and chairs. There’s always some reminiscing and humor about the last time we were here. Some walk to downtown to shop a little and see what’s going on. There’s always groups of musicians playing in different spots around town… music store porch, novelty shop porch, one of several gazebos, courthouse lawn. Maybe a treat from the Soda Shop would be good right now?! “We’re going to Wal-Mart to get a few things. Anybody else need to go?” “Naw, I’m going to the music store and buy a new set of strings.”

Back to the cabins for some late evening pickin’ and grinnin’! The sun’s going down and the temperature is just right! Pull up a chair and pull out an instrument. Here comes the folks from the other cabins with their lawn chairs. There’s some strangers walking by. They decide to stop and listen for a while. Song after song after song. A few instrumentals and a lot of laughs. It's been a whole year since we've seen the Nichols family! Boy, it’s fun to pick along with them as they sing and play!

Finally, we (or some folks) just can’t keep their eyes open any longer. With the trip and all that evening fun, it’s been a tiring day. “Good night everybody. See you in the morning.” “Goodnight.”

Saturday: Same fun and no LONG drive from Paris. Get out of bed and put on some coffee. Sounds of guitar and mandolin next door. “Coffee and Music Lessons by James” on his front porch. 9am, breakfast and laughs at the Country Tyme Restaurant. Back to the cabins. “Let’s go see what’s happening up town.” Listen to music, shop, visit, meet new friends. Back to the cabins. “A nap would be nice right now. It’s getting’ a little warm outside!” Some of the kids… and a few grown-ups go to the pool. A few hours later, nappers slowly drag out to the porches and strike up more conversation... some awfully humorous! “I’m getting hungry. Ain’t it about supper time?” “Where are we going?” “How about Jo-Jo’s Catfish down on the river?” “See ya there!” Luckily, Jo-Jo's had a room big enough for 30-something cut-ups from Paris and Heber Springs!

Back to the cabins. “There’s a gazebo empty up town!” “Somebody hold it and we’ll be right there!” Hard 2 Git opens for the Nichols Family. After a couple of hours of pickin’, it’s time for a soda or some ice-cream. Sounds of music everywhere. Bluegrass, Country, Gospel… Banjo’s, guitars, fiddles, dulcimers, basses, dobro’s, mandolin’s, singing… Let’s head back to the cabins and see what’s going on down there.

Before you know it…it’s time for “Late Evening Pickin’“ again. Strangers walk up and sit down to listen. Other strangers walk up and ask “can I sit in?” “Sure, pull up a chair!” …tick-tock…tick-tock…tick-tock… “Man, I didn’t know it was this late! Guess I’ll call it a day.” Others slowly drift away.

Sunday: Some visit the local church at the top of the hill. Breakfast at Country Tyme again? Repeat a lot Saturday’s activities. Maybe see some of the local attractions…Ozark Folk Center, caverns, swinging bridge, outdoor amphitheatre…

Monday: Coffee on the porch, pack the cars and trucks, breakfast at Country Tyme, checkout of Cabins, goodbye’s, “Y’all take care!” “See ya next time!”

If this all sounds like a lot of fun to you, why don’t you join us sometime?! From what I wrote above, it may sound like the same thing each time, but I guarantee you that it (…pardon my Texan…) AIN’T!

BanjoBoyd

"Steel Guitar Favorites" is available!

If you would like to have a copy, just mention the CD next time you see me. I'll be playing dobro with Hard 2 Git Bluegrass band at various places this year (check their schedule at http://www.hard2git.com) and I'm sure our 1970's band, Bois d'Arc Bottom, will be performing in 2011 also. Sometimes I play steel guitar for Southern Cross (Bonham) and Ace Deuce (Paris).

The CD is $10.00 and if I mail one to you, there will be a slight charge ($1.50)for shipping and handling. Send a check or money order to Boyd Hudgens, 6445 FM 1508, Paris, TX, 75462.

As Earnest Tubb would say..."Thanks a lot!" -Boyd

New CD Forthcoming

It seems that I always have a project going around the Christmas holidays! (Just ask Debbie J) Last year I recorded music in my home studio for a CD that I called “Singing Strings”. This year, having never recorded much steel guitar music (other than what was on my “Merry Christmas” CD), I embarked on yet another project…and I’m still not finished with it. (Where did those holidays go?!) And, having not blogged in a long time, I thought I’d give you a few details…in case you MIGHT be interested in it.

Name? Well, I haven’t decided on that yet. It might be “Steel Guitar Favorites”, or something like that. Here’s how the idea came about. I can count on two hands the number of instrumentals I play on the steel…and that’s almost enough to put on a CD. There’s a few folks at my church who keep bugging me to record another CD. Seems as though several of them go to bed at night listening to my dobro CD. (I find that hard to believe, but that’s what they tell me.) I also get the notion that they’re getting tired of listening to the same old songs over and over and won’t go buy a REAL CD. I also think about the reason why my band from the 70’s, Bois d’Arc Bottom, decided to record a CD. For posterity! We wanted something to share with our grandchildren and great grandchildren. (It bothers me to think about what kids will be listening to in 20 or 30 years! What comes after rap? Maybe, and I say MAYBE, they’ll appreciate a little Country & Western!

So, after having trouble with a couple of the instrumentals I had thought about recording, here’s what I came up with. I’ve added a note about some of the great steel guitarists who have recorded and performed each song. And, I’m honored to say that I have been friends with all but two of them.

Steel Guitar Favorites (maybe)

“Panhandle Rag” – I first heard Tommy Morrell (Dallas) perform this as an instrumental at Granny’s Dinner Playhouse in Dallas with Ray Price somewhere around 1980. I had never heard it played any better! Tommy filled in for me when I made my first trip to Nashville to study at Jeff Newman’s school. My band at the time was “Southfork” and the lead singer knew Tommy.

“Last Date” – Debbie and I were honored to be friends with the late John Hughey who played steel for Conway Twitty for so many years. In the mid 80’s, after opening for Conway at the Crystal Chandelier, south of Dallas, Robert Joe Vandygriff and the Shades of Country had to play one last set after Conway finished. As I was performing with Robert, one of my fellow band members, probably Terry Downs, tapped me on the shoulder and pointed back-stage. There was John, giving me the thumbs-up as he listened to ME play! WOW!.

“Today I Started Loving You Again” – What country musician hasn’t played this one? And, RJV and SOC also opened for Merle Haggard at Sulphur Springs in the 80’s. Merle’s steel player, Norm Hamlet always did this one justice!

“I Love You So Much It Hurts” – I’ve heard two particular steel guitar greats plays this at the International Steel Guitar Convention in St. Louis. It seems that Buddy Emmons or the late Jeff Newman would usually perform this number. But I have to give a lot of credit to my teacher, Jeff Newman, for showing me everything I need to know to figure out a song like this.

“I Love You Because” – Along with Jeff Newman, Buddy Emmons was my other teacher at Jeff’s school. Buddy taught us the intricacies of the C-6^th tuning. I still have a recording of Buddy performing this instrumental with Ray Price on Austin City Limits in the 80’s. It doesn’t get any better than that cut! I always enjoy playing this one when I perform live.

“San Antonio Stroll” – I fell in love with this instrumental when I first heard Lloyd Green play it on one of his instrumental albums. You probably remember Tanya Tucker singing it. Debbie and I always spent some time visiting with Lloyd and his wife Dot in St. Louis. He always kept me informed about his studio friend and one of my banjo heroes, the late Bobby Thompson of Nashville. Bobby performed all of the background music for the TV show, "Hee Haw".

“Your Cheatin’ Heart” – This is one that I’ve never really played as an instrumental, but Debbie suggested it and I thought it was a great idea. After all, I just played the role of “Shag” (Don Helms) at Texas A&M University Playhouse in the production of “Hank Williams – Lost Highway” during the last year.

“There’s Just Something About That Name” – This is one of my favorite Gospel/Praise songs. After all, it IS about the greatest name of all, Jesus!

Stay tuned! Hopefully I’ll finish this project in a few more weeks.

Boyd