My favorite uncle would sleep from 5:00 PM (after work) until about midnight; then get up, go to a little prehistoric "man cave" behind the house, make a pot of coffee and proceed to play guitar all night. I wanted him to teach me. I was 7 at the time. We lived in Michigan at the time and came back to Kentucky several times a year to visit.

He kept telling me I was too young, so I decided that I would somehow learn to play better than him and show him up on my next visit.

About 6 months later, I stomped into his little building, picked up the guitar and played the Chet Atkins tune, Trombone. Put the guitar down and walked out of the room.

By 11 I was playing Les Paul and Mary Ford tunes at an officers club in Fairbanks, Alaska. They were HARD to play. It was years after that I learned that he used the echoplex he invented and slowed the tape down during the recording. Then, on mixdown, he sped the tape up to correct speed/key.

That was 56 years ago, and I'm still "pickin and grinnin".


Thanks for the memories!


Russ