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Merle Haggard, Phil Baugh, and the Pickers Came Today

Posted by Lance Davis - April 3, 2011 - Bakersfield, Glen Campbell, Merle Haggard, Phil Baugh, Ralph Mooney, Roy Nichols

Merle Haggard is certainly one of America’s greatest singers and songwriters, but the secret weapon throughout his career has been an army of guitar badasses. Roy Nichols, James Burton, Glen Campbell, Roy Buchanan, Eldon Shamblin, Ronnie Reno, Bobby Wayne, Redd Volkaert, Ralph Mooney, Norman Hamlet, let alone Merle himself. It’s a veritable roll call of […]

RIP Ralph Mooney

Posted by Lance Davis - March 25, 2011 - Bakersfield, James Burton, Merle Haggard, Ralph Mooney, Roy Nichols, Waylon Jennings, Wynn Stewart

Ralph Mooney died last Sunday and calling him a pedal steel pioneer seems woefully inadequate. He was the crucial link between Bakersfield country and Texas outlaw country, the two most significant reactions to the Nashville Sound between 1955-80. Think about this. Moon played for Wynn Stewart at Wynn’s peak (1950s-’60s), played for Waylon Jennings […]