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Post by Jimmy Porter on Nov 3, 2004 18:56:12 GMT -5
Hello All Hank Fans. If you have a question concerning Hank Sr and don't know the answer and woud like my opinion or remarks, please log it in on this site. I check my email several times a day and YOU WILL GET AN HONEST ANSWER OR OPINION.
I would appreciate any question you may have regarding Hank, myself, or any of the former Drifting Cowboys.
Thanks in advance.
Jimmy Porter
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Post by John Curly Corbin on Nov 9, 2004 13:54:18 GMT -5
Jimmy, My fiance told me he was John "Curly" Corbin's grandson. He said that John "Curly" Corbin, a member of the Drifting Cowboys, had died around the time of Hank Williams death. We can not find out anything about his Grandfather's death, (John Curly Corbin). Can you help us? Thankyou, Mary and Scott E. Corbin MZahasky@hotmail.com
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Post by Electricbanjoman on Nov 9, 2004 15:19:22 GMT -5
I am ashamed to say I never learned much about the Drifting Cowboys although My Dad was a big Fan of Hank & the boys, I was wondering, Now Shot Jackson was a friend of mine as well as Buck Trent , And made me a couple of Electricbanjos over the years , I was wondering id Hanks Steel platyer was the first one to use the string bending pedals on his steel. Dan Electricbanjoman
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Post by 38Epiphone on Nov 13, 2004 12:42:42 GMT -5
Hi Jimmy, I know I have heard [Hank] sing "Blue Eyes Crying In the Rain", I have looked and looked for it and cant find it on anything that is released on him. Do you know if it was ever released as a commercial release of his?. Thanks, Jerry
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Post by Nathan P on Nov 14, 2004 8:52:09 GMT -5
Hey All,
Thanks for all the great questions. Please keep them coming!
I just wanted to drop a line to let you know that Jimmy has been out of town visiting some new family members. He should be around to answer these questions ASAP.
Thanks again for visiting the page and asking some interesting questions.
Nathan P
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Post by Jimmy Porter on Nov 14, 2004 15:48:54 GMT -5
For John Curly Corbin: John, I'm sorry but I do not recall anyone by the name of John Curly Corbin being a member of The Drifting Cowboys and I have no idea regarding his death around the time that Hank died. I wish I could help you but have no idea as to where you might find out any information on your grandfather. Wish I could help you and thanks for writing.
Sincerely, Jimmy Porter Drifting Cowboy
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Post by Jimmy Porter on Nov 14, 2004 15:56:59 GMT -5
For Dan Electricbanjoman. Hello Dan and thanks for the question. To the best of my memory, Shot Jackson made the first pedal for the steel guitar by adding a couple of pedals to his Fender steel. I assume he became the first to play the pedals. Next, Bud Isaacs probably was the first big name player of the pedals. His recording of "The Waltz You Saved For Me" put the Pedal Steel Guitar on the map. I don't know the exact date that Don Helms started using the pedal steel but it was a few years after these two; I started playing pedal steel in 1969 and unless Don started earlier than this, I guess I would be the first Drifting Cowboy to play pedals (but not with Hank). I hope this will help answer your question and I appreciate you writing to the message board. Sincerely, Jimmy Porter, Original Drifting Cowboy (1941-1944)
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Post by Jimmy Porter on Nov 14, 2004 16:07:18 GMT -5
For 38Epiphone. Hank probably sang this song numerous times on shows and dances but as far as I can determine, there is no record of his having recorded this song on a record label. It is a great song and I wish he had recorded it. Thanks for the question.
Sincerely,
Jimmy Porter Drifting Cowboy
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Post by Nathan P on Nov 14, 2004 16:25:39 GMT -5
Hey 38Epiphone,
I'm sorry to say that "Blue Eyes Cryin' In The Rain" has never been commercially released. Hank recorded a live version of this song during his "Mother's Best" Radio Show (3-B1).
I'm sure you are well aware that the Mother's Best shows are some of the most coveted of all Hank Williams recordings, because many of these songs Hank performed are not available in any other versions. Over the years there have been many legal battles over ownership of these recordings. I believe it was earlier this year a judge gave rights to them to Hank Williams JR and Jett Williams. Fans had high hopes that they would be released soon. As of yet they haven't been.
The recording of "Blue Eyes Crying In The Rain" is out there, but not through legal copies.
Hopes this helps! Nathan P
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Post by Nathan P on Nov 14, 2004 16:38:58 GMT -5
Hey Mary & Scott,
Thanks for dropping us a line about Curly Corbin. I have heard of your grandfather. I haven't added his name to the Bio Page (The Drifting Cowboys Website), because I can't seem to find any information or verification that he truly worked as a Drifting Cowboy. I have read on other sites that he did.
I would love to hear any information about Curly that you can add. Please fill us in. I'll try to find further info for you. Thanks again for writing in.
Nathan P
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Post by 38Epiphone on Nov 15, 2004 13:34:00 GMT -5
Hello Today Jimmy and Nathan. Thanks a lots for your kind replys about the song of [Hanks] I inquired about.. At least I know I wasnt dreaming. Best Wishes, Jerry
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Post by JIMMY PORTER on Nov 16, 2004 20:39:50 GMT -5
FOR JOHN CURLY CORBIN, MSG #1. I wish to apologize to you for my answer a couple of days ago. I continued to do some searching and found out that Curly Corbin was a member of The Drifting Cowboy Band but I have no dates available in which he was a member. I feel sure it must have been in 1951 or sometime in 1952. I found this information on another web site and it had no dates mentioned. Just maybe this is the information you were looking for.
Thanks for writing to this board.
Jimmy Porter
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Post by Tim Ausburn on Nov 17, 2004 14:48:14 GMT -5
For Dan, electricbanjoman; re; pedal steel guitar.
In 1934, a machinist and amateur steel guitar player, in Winsted, Connecticut, came up with the idea for lowering or raising the pitch of the strings by using foot pedals hooked up to a cable mechanism. He approached the Gibson Company with his idea and they bought his patent and hired him to help develop the pedal steel guitar. Julius Belson, longtime Gibson employee, helped with the development of this idea for pedals. I talked to Mr. Belson at the Gibson factory in 1975 and he told me that they had a working pedal steel guitar in the late 1930's but never tried to market it until after WWII. He said they made a few in the late 1930's but they never caught on. Gibson called their pedal steel guitar, Electraharp. They made them up into the 1960's or so. They were made in 6 and 8 string versions with 3 to 5 pedals. I had an early 1950's with a P90 pickup and then a 1957 with a humbucker pickup. In 1955 I dated a girl in Indianapolis who was a niece of the Harlin Brothers who were developing a pedal steel guitar in their machine shop. The girl had a very rough prototype that had been made in the early 1950's. The Harlin Brothers called their guitar a Multi-Chord. They were available with a mixture of number of strings and pedals. They were about as "squirrely" as the Gibson and never did catch on either. Paul Bigsby made solid body electric standard guitars in the mid 1940's. He started making steel guitars and working on a pedal mechanism that was more reliable than the Gibson or Harlin. He made the pedal steel that Bud Issacs used on the Nov.29, 1953, recording of "Slowly" by Webb Pierce. As far as can be determined that was the first country recording to use pedal steel guitar. When "Slowly" hit the airwaves every steel player started trying to get that sound. Gibson and Harlin both had an increase in sales of their pedal steels and Paul Bigsby couldn't keep up with orders for his pedal steel guitars. Leo Fender jumped into the pedal steel guitar manufacturing business and not much later Shot Jackson started making pedal steel guitars. I asked Don Helms when he started using pedal steel but I don't remember what the date was. I'll check with him and get back on the date. Don of course has went back to using the Gibson non-pedal steel that he played with Hank. A rather long answer here but maybe this will answer some questions about the origin of the pedal steel guitar. Tim Ausburn
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Post by Nathan P on Nov 17, 2004 15:02:59 GMT -5
Hey Tim,
Thanks a bunch for the help with this question. I do believe that Electricbanjoman has got the information he was looking.
Thanks!!
Nathan
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Post by Nathan P on Dec 11, 2004 10:20:34 GMT -5
Hey,
I just wanted to let Hank & Jimmy P fans that there is also an Ask Jimmy page on my Drifting Cowboys Website. I just added another question & response today (Dec. 11, 2004). Take a look if you get a minute it is an intersting question about playing steel guitar.
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