Steel player with Kitty Wells

[Joel Jackson]

Old picture at a place I like to stay in Wisconsin. Anyone know who the steel player is?

[Jerry Overstreet]

That looks like Russ Hicks to me.

[Joel Jackson]

Thanks Jerry, wasn't sure if anyone would have any idea. Looks like an old cut tail Emmons he's playing.

[Marco Schouten]

Elvis

[Dave Hopping]

Jake Blues!

[Diane Diekman]

I vote for Russ Hicks.

[Tiny Olson]

Definitely Russ. What a cool photo !! Reminds me of the good 'ol days out there beatin' the road.

[Joel Jackson]

Thanks for the replies. It really is a great photo. I'm embarrassed to say I know Russ Hicks by name only. I'll have to listen to some of his playing.

[Ben Lawson]

Joel, Russ played on many sessions, but "Don't the girls all get Prettier at closing time",by Mickey Gilly, was his only #1 recording.

[Bill Cunningham]

https://youtu.be/7tvSalSLi8c?si=JtbXljMZVb-Wn0VL

One of the greats. Grateful for everything I learned from him playing bass on the steel shows.

He was the main guy on the Playboy label sessions. Check out the Wynn Stewart album where he redid a lot of his hits.

[Rick Campbell]

Russ was a super picker and a super guy. I think I might have played on his last performance. It was a private steel jam in East TN. RIP Russ

RC

[Joel Jackson]

Appreciate the recommendations. I'll give em a listen.

[scott murray]

hey Joel!
it’s also Russ on the Ween country album and if you’ve ever seen Heartworn Highways, he’s featured with Barefoot Jerry playing Two Mile Pike, an instrumental he co-wrote. starts at 34:20 (oops.. Bill already posted it)
https://youtu.be/Ot8cbjVkA9I

he also does some killer stuff with the Nashville Superpickers, alongside some guy named Emmons? jump to 3:30 for starters
https://youtu.be/xV_FviNIi3I

and check out the Chicken Pickin albums he did with Jimmie Crawford while yer at it!
derka derka

[Jack Stanton]

Don't forget all the great playing on the Barefoot Jerry records

[Lauren Broido]

I played a summer tour with Kitty Wells in either 1975 or 1976. Somewhere in there. Her guitar play Alan something punctured a lung doing karate so Johnny Wright asked Earl Spielman for a recommendation and he gave him my number. He called on a Tuesday and I met them at the bus in Franklin that Thursday. It was supposed to be two weeks but the player with the lung got an infection in the hospital and I got to do the whole summer. No rehearsal. Nothing. First gig one of the big state fairs in the midwest. I remember the Budweiser Clydesdales were there and I got to see them close up. I was 25 at the time and having the time of my life playing with the Nashville people. We get on stage and there are about 5,000 people in a big outdoor theater. We're on stage and George (Please see my edit below. It was Chuck Bartlett playing steel, not George Edwards) is to my right. He must have just started recently with the band. I have zero idea what's going to happen. I hear, "And now, from Nashville Tennessee; The Queen of Country Music Miss Kitty Wells. Chuck turns to me and says guitar plays a turn around in G NOW. Okee Dokes y'all. He would call me the numbers on each song till I got it. No worries. Such a nice man. We had a good laugh. I was so looking forward to a gig In the fall on a cruise across Lake Wisconsin but unfortunately for me her regular player healed. A few weeks later she asked me to come to her house. I had never been to one of the stars houses let alone inside. When I spent an unfortunate year with Leroy Van Dyke we stopped his parent's house outside of Sedalia, MO a couple of times but we had to wait in the bus until he finished his visit. We weren't allowed to get out and walk around. Bizarre. Anyway, she invited me in and I sat on the big comfy sofa and she brought me iced tea. I was from NY so no sugar. We talked for a little and she told me she wanted to hand me my check in person so she could tell me how much everyone enjoyed having me in the band even for a short time. I was astounded that a star would treat me like that. She was really an awesome human and had great but subtle sense of humor.

[Lauren Broido]

Look, I'm old...hahahaha...I thought back on that tour and it was Chuck Bartlett on steel Great player.