WHO PLAYED DOBRO ON HARPER VALLEY PTA?

[Tim Harr]

I have always wondered that....


I had heard once that it was James Burton... but was never sure about that.


Thanks!

[Craig A Davidson]

Tim I heard once that it was Jerry Kennedy. The topic was on here about a year ago, but wow, do I hate forum searches.

[basilh]

An excerpt from this post :-
http://steelguitarforum.com/Forum2/HTML/002443.html

A fine example of fretted Dobro playing is on the old Jeanie C Riley record of Harper Valley PTA. It was done by Jerry Kennedy who also played it on some of Tom T Hall's recordings.

[Kevin Hatton]

Classic expressive playing.

[Tim Harr]

Kevin,
That's exactly what I am thinking!

[Kevin Hatton]

That playing is so inspirational that I am thinking about adding it to our set list. I'd like to do tribute to it.

[Tim Harr]

That type of playing has character and instant recognition that unfortunately alot of todays music does not have.

Not meant to take anything away from current session monsters doing thier job. It is just an honest observation.

[Kevin Hatton]

Very keen observation Tim. I whole heartedly agree. Every thing sounds the same today. That playing was stylistic. Thats why I listen to XM Satellite now. They play a variety of country music and artists.

[John Steele (deceased)]

I was hoping someone could explain a bit about "fretted dobros". I've never heard of that before.

-John
Edit: I see Basil's link actually explains it. Thanks Basil.

[Mitch Daniels]

On the extremely short lived Sit-Com, it was Don Buzard playing Dobro.....

[Larry Bressington]

Jerry Kennedy was the player, and Correct me if i'm wrong, but wasen't that played on a round-neck dobro instead of a square neck, in a standard plectrum guitar style?

[Steve Hinson]

The Dobro Jerry Kennedy played on"Harper Valley PTA"was a 60's model, built by Mosrite...it is a fretted Dobro,with a really"skinny" round neck...

It was co-owned by JK and Grady Martin...Grady played this guitar on"Skip a Rope"and many other hits...Jerry played it on the Tom T Hall hits and a lot of other records around this time...

This guitar hangs in the"Musicians Hall of Fame"in Nashville...

SH

[Fred Treece]

Just to be clear on how Mr. Kennedy played the “fretted dobro” on Harper Valley, does anybody know if he was also using a slide of some sort? It sure sounds like it.

The fretted/slide hybrid guitar style is fairly common now, but back in 1968 I imagine it would have been a bit radical.

[Steve Hinson]

Just to be clear on how Mr. Kennedy played the “fretted dobro” on Harper Valley, does anybody know if he was also using a slide of some sort? It sure sounds like it.

The fretted/slide hybrid guitar style is fairly common now, but back in 1968 I imagine it would have been a bit radical.

No,no slide...Jerry bent the notes with his fingers...

SH

[Fred Treece]

Wow! It’s a great sound.

[Steve Hinson]

Wow! It’s a great sound.

There's an interview with Jerry somewhere(can't remember where)and he tells about the HVPTA session...he says that Shelby Singleton wouldn't give him any direction other than"play everywhere"...he said he played and played, thinking his fills would be edited out in places,and was really running out of licks to play, but he played all the way to the end, and when the record came out, every lick was still there!

What a great guitar player-talk about a resume!All this while running Mercury Records Nashville during some really successful years...look him up!

SH

[Daniel Dickie]

I've always loved the Dobro on that track.
That is pretty amazing that he didn't use a slide!