RIP Ralph Mooney – The Best Steel Guitar Player Ever
Ralph Mooney was the best steel guitar player ever. Period. End of story. And anybody who disagrees with me, I will come to where you are and personally kick your ass.
And beyond the steel guitar, he was one of the most important and most influential musicians in country music history. Top 5. Maybe even top 3. Hell, right now I can’t even think of one I would put above him. Bill Monroe, Lester Flatt, Earl Scruggs? Yeah, I would include him in that company. You might be able to find some that could move their fingers faster, but nobody had more taste, more soul than Ralph Mooney. Ralph Mooney is the reason when those strings ring out, it reminds you of the past, it tugs at your heart, it awakens something deep inside of you that seems forgotten but totally familiar all at the same time. Ralph Mooney is responsible for the sound we all call “country music.” It is simple as that.
More specifically Ralph Mooney was the man responsible for the “sound” of early Merle Haggard, of heyday Waylon Jennings, and just last year for the great steel guitar work on Marty Stuart’s award-winning Ghost Train: The Studio B Sessions, which included a song Ralph Mooney wrote himself, “Crazy Arms”. If it wasn’t for Ralph Mooney, country music would be something very different than we consider it today, if it even still existed. You can find a dozen big-named country stars with a dozen or more #1 hits that could not even come close to being as important or influential to country music as Ralph Mooney.
And all this from a man who doesn’t even have a Wikipedia page to add a deceased date to.
Sickening.
Ralph Mooney is the exact reason that we should never forget the sidemen, not just the songwriters; the musicians, not just the mega-stars; the men and women that actually make the music that we all love. And above all, with 20 years under his belt with Waylon Jennings, and a man that always created the trends, and never conformed to them, Ralph Mooney was red-blooded, deep in the trenches country music Outlaw that fought for purity with both hands.
My heart hurts, my soul wrenches at the news of his passing, but at the same time my blood boils and my passion mounts with the knowledge that Ralph’s story is beyond untold, and his legacy grossly under-appreciated. The fire that breeds in me is the whole reason I don the yoke of Saving Country Music every day.
Ralph Mooney’s strings ring eternal with the most infinite beauty, his life’s work reverberates in our souls with zero diminish till kingdom come. When our society downfalls from selfishness, over-consumptive hedonism, and a wanton unappreciation of art, and the archeologists of the future sift through our ashes to find something, anything worth preserving and paying forward, they will find the sound of Ralph Mooney’s steel guitar, and make sure it is heard by the future to stir the souls of mankind forever.
RIP.
(Please stay tuned to Saving Country Music for details on a Ralph Mooney tribute).
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
Ralph Mooney with Waylon Waymore Watashin Jennings:
Ralph Mooney with Wynn Stewart:
Ralph Mooney with Merle Haggard:
March 20, 2011 @ 10:33 pm
Mooney, and Ferlin Husky in less than a week. Shitty week.
March 20, 2011 @ 10:57 pm
Very sad. Am enjoying listening to those links now. Look forward to your forthcoming tribute to Ralph.
January 1, 2022 @ 9:21 pm
Bring it on big boy. Because although he was a stylist, he definitely wasnt the best by far.
March 20, 2011 @ 11:48 pm
Just today as I was driving down to historic Gruene Hall from Austin to broadcast the Ruby Jane show, I was listening to Marty Stuart’s album Ghost Train, and the songs “Crazy Arms” and “Little Heartbreaker” that Ralph appears on.
March 21, 2011 @ 12:29 am
I love those little moments of poignant synchronicity. Maybe you were driving and listening to him it was as he was passing from this mortal coil?
March 21, 2011 @ 9:30 am
What is interesting is I had a show Saturday night and two of the songs I played were those same ones from Ghost Train. And then yesterday I was doing some work and had Dale Watson’s Live in London album playing and it reminded me about how Dale talked a lot about Ralph and had his steel player play a ton of Ralph’s famous sounds when I was at his show in Lexington.
March 21, 2011 @ 10:29 am
Last night I was hanging out at Ginny’s Little Longhorn, which is an Austin landmark, where Sunday afternoons they do “Chicken Shit Bingo” and Dale Watson hosts. Carla knows about it, she went last year. Well it was Dale and his brother, Hellbound Glory, Whitey Morgan & The 78’s, Ha Ha Tonka, Nan from Bloodshot Records, all hanging out at Ginny’s. I’m kind of glad I did not find out about Ralph until I got home, it would have killed the mood, but the spirit of Mooney was in that little honky tonk last night.
March 21, 2011 @ 10:32 am
Yeah, the spirit at Ginny’s last night was awesome. Heightened for us as well by Billy Dee Donahue chatting with us for a bit.
The mood was great. I went home after that, and after you texted me and told me about Mooney, I passed it on to Whitey. I’ve heard reports of the name “Mooney” being hollared alot as the boys(and gal)were travelling around Austin the rest of the night.
March 21, 2011 @ 3:44 pm
Sounded like a really amazing way to end SXSW Trigger and Jeremy: good music, great company and all around good fuzzies. No doubt about it, Ralph Mooney was there too 🙂
March 21, 2011 @ 10:33 am
This is an early Misfit Radio recording.. The boys were trashed but listen to Whitey in the beginning.. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ag0fGpfkVJw
March 21, 2011 @ 10:54 am
Nice Misfit!
This is what I wrote in my Marty Stuart Ghost Train review:
“Ralph Mooney is all over this album like a bad rash, adding a thick, countrified feel to many of the compositions. He co-wrote two of the songs, including one of the standouts, “Little Heartbreaker,” which when I first heard it, sounded so much like Waylon”™s “Rainy Day Woman” my rip-off alert started to sound. But of course, that”™s because Mooney played on that song as well in 1974, as well as many other Waylon songs for 20 years, as well as all those great early-era Merle Haggard songs and so many others that define what real country fans think of when they think “country.”
https://savingcountrymusic.com/album-review-marty-stuarts-ghost-train
March 21, 2011 @ 10:59 am
Its funny.. That comment by Whitey has always stuck with me.. It obviously stuck with Jeremy too because he posted it on his FB page and beat me to it.. 🙂
March 21, 2011 @ 12:41 pm
Just uploaded this video of Whitey Morgan & The 78’s with Eddie Spaghetti doing “Mama Tried”, a song I’m not afraid to say would have not been as big without that Ralph Mooney lead in. It’s from the Bloodshot Records showcase at SXSW Saturday night.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_GfXk_BzWMA
Of course, my video skills and gear are not nearly what Misfits are.
March 21, 2011 @ 4:31 pm
Wow! What a crew to be hanging out with in Austin! Many of my favorite country musicians were in that room Triggerman.
September 5, 2012 @ 2:15 pm
Well triggerman I disagree with you, I would love for you to come to where
I am at , and try to kick my ass.
I personally like Leon McAuliffe. Never heard a steel like that on the
” Bob Wills Special “.
March 20, 2011 @ 11:57 pm
Very sad, but he left a legacy that anyone would be proud of.
March 21, 2011 @ 2:05 am
A beautiful tribute to a talented man. Your words are significant Triggerman.
” … find the sound of Ralph Mooney’s steel guitar”
March 21, 2011 @ 3:23 am
One more, Moon!
March 21, 2011 @ 6:03 am
RIP
March 21, 2011 @ 6:59 am
I am the technical director for the church where Ralph and his wife attend. He will be truly missed by all of his church family. RIP my friend.
March 21, 2011 @ 8:15 am
Ralph was an incredible man. Attended church with him for a number of years now. Great musician and an even better man. He will be missed.
March 21, 2011 @ 8:24 am
wow — what a loss…RIP and thanks for the legacy and memories… Trigger, looking forward to the tribute!
March 21, 2011 @ 9:52 am
Sure sad to hear this. A Mooney lick could make any song better. Great article,Trig.
March 21, 2011 @ 10:33 am
I agree, I don’t think anyone defines the greatness of what Country Music was more than Ralph Mooney.
His lead into Big Big Love is epic. I tell my rock friends that he’s the Jimmy Page of country….
March 21, 2011 @ 10:47 am
“the Jimmy Page of country”
That’s a good way of putting it.
March 21, 2011 @ 4:33 pm
That’s it that’s it! “The Jimmy Page of country”. I love it!
March 21, 2011 @ 7:29 pm
Would it make youn’s mad if I said he’s the SRV of country? More fittin’ I think.
March 21, 2011 @ 9:55 pm
No, I think I like the SRV comparison myself also, but …hey (nuthin against Led)…we’re talkin music to die for…right?
March 21, 2011 @ 10:50 am
I never me Ralph Mooney but as a country radio personality for nearly 40 years I sure played music with his INCREDIBLE steel guitar in it! Ralph played in WYNN STEWARTS early band on the west coast and Las Vegas played on early music from my old (radio station owner) boss…BUCK OWENS and of course many others including Moon’s incredible run with WAYLON JENNINGS.
Like many song stylists Ralph Mooney certainly had a “style” of his own. He made that pedal steel “talk” his language and country music was always the BETTER for it. Sad to hear of his passing, I was a big fan of his playing.
A close second to Ralph might be TOMMY BRUMLEY (of the Buckaroo’s & Stone Canyon Band) Sadly we have lost Tommy too.
May 10, 2021 @ 11:54 pm
Anyone sing with Betty Caldwell or verdie (V.H) Caldwell in Bakersfield CA
March 21, 2011 @ 11:19 am
Adam Sheets, who I first heard this news from, has written a tribute over at No Depression that includes some thoughts from Jeremy Mackinder of Whitey Morgan & the 78’s:
http://www.nodepression.com/profiles/blogs/another-great-one-leaves-us
March 21, 2011 @ 11:23 am
R.I.P Mr. Mooney people always forget about the sidemen It seemed that nobody reported when Don Helms died and Don Helms made the steel guitar badass.
Charlie Louvin Ferlin Husky & Ralph Mooney all in the same year its sad.
March 21, 2011 @ 11:34 am
Got to play with Don Helms for two days. Backed him up. Great moment–he stopped us right after we started the song…looked over at us, and said..”Hold on fellas, I’m over 80 years old, I can’t play that fast anymore.” Whole crowd had a laugh. I learned more in those couple days than you could imagine.
We were scheduled to play with Mooney a few years back in Dallas, He had a stroke shortly before the gig was supposed to happen. Our good friend Fred Newell called him and asked him if he was alright and what had happened. Mooney apparently told Fred, “I’ve just been playing to much jazz.”
March 22, 2011 @ 12:44 pm
Awesome
March 21, 2011 @ 1:31 pm
http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.wynnstewart.com/WynnandRalph.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.wynnstewart.com/pictures_7.html&h=556&w=738&sz=51&tbnid=MO_v3SMhZVaYRM:&tbnh=106&tbnw=141&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dralph%2Bmooney&zoom=1&q=ralph+mooney&hl=en&usg=__SDLCSWCF9O5XUcP9HJZxoz5Jbks=&sa=X&ei=77SHTaOnMILrgQf17b3aCA&sqi=2&ved=0CFoQ9QEwCQ
R.I.P Mooney
March 21, 2011 @ 1:51 pm
Mr Moon will be missed FOREVER! Not only for his steel playing, but as a person!
He did not know how GREAT he was..he didn’t care..he loved his steel guitar and Miss Moon! I have played on the same stage with him..and was amazed everytime at his playing AND his heart!
As they say..One More Moon!
March 21, 2011 @ 1:55 pm
Again, a really beautiful tribute. I’m passing this along for anybody interested:
Public memorial service for Ralph Mooney
Wednesday @ 10:00 AM
Pleasantview Baptist Church
Arlington, Texas
Church tel: 817 483 7100
Church located I-20 at Kelly-Elliot exit.
(South side of I-20 between Arlington and Kennedale)
Country Elegance Flowers 817 567 7000
Kennedale Florists 817 478 2451
Emerald Hills Funeral Home
500 Sublett Rd.
Kennedale, Texas
Tel: 817 572 1681
March 21, 2011 @ 4:53 pm
That is only about 3 hours away from me. We’ll see what transpires.
March 21, 2011 @ 2:09 pm
I knew this was coming, but I’m still sad. Moon means more to me as a guitar player and budding steeler than just about anyone besides Roy Nichols. His sense of melody, his soulfulness and aforementioned ability to talk through his instrument with attitude and sensitivity in equal measure is one of a kind.
In another case of kismet, a new steel-playing buddy and I were trading licks yesterday, and it ended up with me showing him some Ralph-styled lines and sending him home with a CD of early Buck so he could immerse himself.
As long as young people keep picking up the pedal steel guitar, the sound, feel, and spirit of Mr. Moon shall always remain.
March 21, 2011 @ 3:44 pm
Well said Trig. You’re thoughts ring true with me also.
Ralph Mooney IS the sound that i consider country music. There are many more out there that i’m sure feel the same. It’s unfortunate that most never knew the mans name.
He left us all with many gifts, lets never forget that we have them or who made them.
March 21, 2011 @ 3:56 pm
For reasons I didn’t understand, I’ve been thinking a lot about Ralph Mooney all week. I’d just be walking along and think, “oh yeah and he recorded that cool album with James Burton too” All week, couldn’t keep him out of my mind. Now I know why…
R.I.P Ralph Mooney
March 21, 2011 @ 4:37 pm
I heard this news last night from Jeremy (or Misfit?), and it hit me deep down. Great article Triggerman, you said it all. At work this afternoon I listened to that Marty Stuart album, Merle, and of course Waylon. It was a nice little tribute, and a lot of great music.
“Pick it Moon!’
March 21, 2011 @ 5:45 pm
The real Super Moon!
March 21, 2011 @ 6:30 pm
haha yes sir!
March 21, 2011 @ 6:29 pm
Great piece Trigger. Really sad. I never got to connect with him later in life. We had some talks on the phone, but I really regret not flying down there and hanging out with him. He was a pioneer. Fuck he improved the instrument literally. I agree with every word u said.
March 21, 2011 @ 6:31 pm
In our video for ‘Steady at the Wheel’ I was wearing this sweet blue MOONEY shirt. It was sick. I lost it for a while, but I found it again. It has a moon on it and a white twotone of him
March 21, 2011 @ 8:32 pm
March 21, 2011 @ 6:32 pm
THE JIMMY PAGE OF COUNTRY!
March 21, 2011 @ 6:57 pm
There will always be debate as to whether page was the best guitarist ( Hendrix, Slash, etc…)
No debate about Mooney. That solo alone on “Rainy Day Woman” cancels all debate.
March 21, 2011 @ 9:51 pm
AWESOME links, R.I.P. Mr. Mooney! REAL country wouldn’t be as good had you not shared your heartfelt steel! May your ghost inspire todays musicians . . . and maybe kick a few “music” executives in the ass!
March 22, 2011 @ 4:22 am
This is a great loss. We saw Mooney last summer at Marty Stuart’s late night jam. The history created and witnessed by that man is staggering. All the Great Ones are leaving us, and what remains is Rascal Flatts, Taylor Swift and the rest of that drek.
Slán agus beannacht leat, Mr. Mooney, goodbye.
March 22, 2011 @ 7:15 am
We must never for get our side men… Roy Nichols who played for Merle, and the amazing Don Rich who not only played lead guitar for Buck Owens, he also was a renowned fiddle player. Listen to the three part fiddle pieces on “Made In Japan”…
March 22, 2011 @ 3:04 pm
Thanks so much for this story, the truth is he was a very modest man. I’m his only grandaughter and I never knew most of his accomplishments in music. All I ever knew was he played music for a living! He never over exaggerated about his musical talent, but he sure had some funny stories about being on the road. He was a loving and kind man, he was special to his family for being himself. I’m very shocked about how many people loved him too, and I thank you all for the kind words. He would have loved to read this!
Laura
March 22, 2011 @ 5:19 pm
Laura, I don’t think anybody can even imagine the world of country music without your grandfather. He played a huge role in the development of both the Bakersfield sound and, later, outlaw country. He left behind a legacy that you and your family should be damn proud of.
If you would, I ask you to please check out the piece I wrote on your grandfather on No Depression that Triggerman linked to above. Not for my writing, but for the statement from Jeremy of Whitey Morgan and the 78s, quite possibly the best pure country band out there right now. His words, along with Shooter’s words above and the general outpouring of sadness from the entire country music community is living proof that your grandfather was the best of all time.
March 22, 2011 @ 5:30 pm
Sorry for your loss Laura. Grandparents are very special and it sounds like your granddad was an exceptional man.
March 22, 2011 @ 5:05 pm
I first met Moon in 1961 at the Nashville Nevada Club in Las Vegas. He was playing with Wynn Stuart.I was a green kid playing with Hank Thompson at the old Golden Nugget.Moon was so friendly to me and I will never forget that. Since those early years, I,ve had the pleasure of visitng and re-living old road stories with Moon at some of the after-show parties during TSGA convention in Dallas. He was a great stylist, and we will miss him greatly. RIP Moon, and give em, hell on the big bandstand up there. B>R>
March 22, 2011 @ 9:34 pm
A friend of mine whos name was Larry Caldwell, was playing in Vegas in the late shift with Mooney,,,,A Drunk Lady came up to the bandstand and asked if the band knew Crazy Arms, she said her husband had wrote the song, my friend asked her how the last verse went, she said she didn’t know. My friend looked at Mooney and laughed and said….I knew you was lying Mooney,.,,(Ha Ha Ha) Mooney was one of a kind,,,,,,,going to be missed…….
March 23, 2011 @ 5:57 am
From Waylon’s autobiography:
“Chet Atkins likes to tell the story of when Mooney had been riding on a plane and found himself seated near Johnny Gimble. Johnny admired Ralph a lot and went up and said ‘Hello, I’m Johnny Gimble, the fiddler, and I want you to know that I really love your steel playing. I appreciate your work.’
Mooney could drink a bit, and when he did, he usually turned mean. ‘Aw, fuck you,’ he said to Johnny. Gimble slunk back to his seat.
About a year later, he ran into Ralph on a session. They were having a good time, and Johnny said, ‘Hey Ralph, you remember when we were on that plane a year or so ago, and I told you how much I loved your playing and you said ‘fuck you’? What did you mean by that?’
Ralph said, ‘Don’t you know what I meant by that?’ Johnny shook his head no. Mooney looked at him. ‘I meant ‘fuck you!'”
March 24, 2011 @ 8:56 am
Got this today from Bobbe Seymou at Steel Guitar Nashville, thought it would be good to post here. Hope Bobbe doesn’t mind……
Hello fellow players,
As promised, I will devote this newsletter to the legendary Ralph Mooney. Big basic facts, you can get from google and many other places, however I will give you just some warm, personal memories that I have of this wonderful, fun guy and great player.
I”™ll never forget in one of my first passes through Nashville in the late fifties, stopping by Buddy Emmons house on the way from Virginia to Oklahoma. Buddy being the gracious host that he was, invited me into his house and there were 45 rpm records all over the floor. I reached down and picked up a Buck Owens record entitled “I”™ll Play Second Fiddle”.
I had heard this record many times on the radio and marveled at the great steel guitar. I told Buddy, “I sure love what you did on this record session.”
He said, “Well I”™m glad you like it, but that”™s not me.” He said, “That is Ralph Mooney.”
I was astounded and said, “Well I”™ve been telling everybody it was you.”
Then Buddy busted out with a laugh and a big smile and said, “Keep telling them that.”
When I got out of the Air Force I joined the a western swing band based out of Duncan, Oklahoma. While playing one night in Duncan, a nice gentleman came up to the stage and said “Could you guys do Crazy Arms? My brother wrote that song and I just want to help keep it going around.”
I said, “Then your last name better be Mooney because Ralph Mooney wrote Crazy Arms.”
He replied, “Yes. My name is Cecil Mooney.”
It”™s kind of ironic that my career playing steel guitar took off in the same town that Ralph Mooney started his career. One of our first major bands that we worked with was The Merle Lindley Band out of Oklahoma City.
Mooney went to Bakersfield, California. He worked with The Skeets McDonald Band. Ralph never really did have a great steel guitar in the beginning and just played a home modified little double eight Magnatone guitar that he put two pedals on which was the start of his style that he used on the Buck Owens hits Under Your Spell Again, Above and Beyond, Foolin”™ Around and on the great Jan Howard hit I”™d Rather Be The One You Slip Around With.
Mooney worked the road for a little while with some big stars, but while I was visiting with him one night in Las Vegas, he confided in me that he hated working the road and was going to quit and his time in Las Vegas was stretched out to about six years.
During this time he worked recording sessions with Bobby Austin and Merle Haggard and spent a lot of time working in Haggard”™s club in Vegas named The Nashvegas Club on South Fremont Street.
The thing that put Mooney over the top was what he and James Burton played on Merle Haggard”™s “Sing Me Back Home”, “Swingin”™ Doors” and “The Bottle Let Me Down”. He wrote several successful songs, the most popular being “Crazy Arms” which was a great hit for Ray Price and also rejuvenated Linda Ronstadt”™s career.
The most fun and the things most steel players will remember about “Moon” as he was affectionately called, were just the visits they had with him while sitting in a bar or restaurant. I remember standing on the stage beside him as he was being inducted into the Steel Guitar Hall of Fame and him telling me later how much he appreciated me being with him.
He told me he was always totally at a loss every time he had to stand up while on the stage. He never knew what to say or how to act and he was so glad I was there when he got his award.
I said, “Well, how are you going to repay me for this, Ralph?”
He said, “I guess I”™ll just have to be there when they put you in the Hall of Fame.” This was a wonderful thing for him to say, but unfortunately I think I”™ve outlived his offer.
This is a hard newsletter to close on because I have so many things to say about this great player and wonderful guy.
Any time I see a home-built pedal on a Magnatone steel or a Fender 1000 I have to think about the great friend we all had in Ralph Mooney.
I just received a call from Ray Rider. Ray was the road manager for Waylon Jennings through the 80”™s. He always brought Mooney”™s guitars for me to service when they had a slight break in their road schedule. Ray came in the store one day and said, “I”™d like to get Mooney a new steel guitar for his birthday next month and upon calling the factory, they said you, Bobbe Seymour, were the only one that they knew of that could put one together for him, setup the way he likes it.”
I told Ray that I could and would. It was a black Sho-Bud Super Pro with wood necks. The inside neck was his main neck that he played his E9th style on. The outside neck was tuned like a “G” dobro. The inside neck just had one knee lever. I would the pickups to 9000 ohms to try to get that old Fender tone.
The band presented Mooney with this steel guitar during a San Antonio show that Waylon was hosting. Mooney called me after the show telling me what a surprise it was and how happy he was with the guitar. I said, “Well thank Ray Rider and the band. They”™re the ones that paid me for it.”
This showed me how much all his fellow employees and people that worked the closest to him thought of him. I had better bring this letter to a close because I could go on forever. I have many stories of this guy and our friendship. God Bless him and may he rest in peace.
With respect,
Bobbe
http://www.steelguitar.net
April 3, 2011 @ 5:15 am
I’ve been blessed to have known Moon since I was 5 years old. I’m now 37. There a so many stories I could share but I wanted to share one that showed the person that he was. Once when I was little in a hotel room somewhere, I was proceeding to tell him that he was “the greatest”. After all he was in my eyes. Without hesitation, he stopped me and said “Let me give you a history lesson” and he told me all about his hero Bud Isaacs. He never thought of himself as great and that’s what made him great.
Another quick story: I’ve gotten to sing with Moon at the Int’l Steel Guitar Convetion in St. Louis a few times. One particular time, he had a former Waylor named Larry Whitmore with him. I commented to Moon that I gueesed this would be the closest I would ever get to being a Waylor. He said, “You can be a Waylorette”
I just wanted to show a little of the person that he was. Hw was a precious person who gave us some great music along the way.
Love you, Moon
Melanie Renfro
April 3, 2011 @ 10:16 pm
One more Moon !
April 5, 2011 @ 6:04 am
I think Mr. Mooney made his greatest music with Wynn Stewart. All accounts indicate that they were like brothers. If you listen to their work together during Mr. Stewart’s heyday, they sang and played to one-another. It was an incredible blend. Moreover, Mr. Mooney’s steel guitar sound sparkled like bright and dark jewels of many many colors–treasures untold. I can’t think of a sweeter sound.
April 5, 2011 @ 5:19 pm
Thank you for the sweet tip. 😉
April 11, 2011 @ 8:20 pm
moon was the first and only one i ever heard pick a steel like a telecaster..
his pickin back and fourth with waylon was legendary stuff for sure…
April 12, 2011 @ 7:22 pm
I was fortunate to have met Moon a couple times and actually got the chance to jam with him and Waylon years ago in South Bend Indiana.
Big “E” you have to come out of retirement. We are running out of real steel men..
First Papa John,now Moon.
April 24, 2011 @ 7:08 am
Ralph Mooney R.I.P. Much Respect and thanks for all the beautiful music.
May 9, 2015 @ 11:01 am
i had a small recording studio in Las Vegas in the late 1960s and early 70s but before that I would do al my demos
At Bill porters United recording studio in Vegas and also Roy Wards studio. I’ve . still got a half dozen
Songs now on CDs where I sang the demos. I did probably maybe 30 or so songs withe Ralph Mooney .
And Bobby Austin on bass ,gentleman Jim Piece on piano. The drummer was a girl that was very good .her name was Peaches Price I think .Bill porter was the sound engineer on most of them.Bill
Porter was the sound man on tons of Nashville hits.on RCA records.I played with Ralph Mooney for a few
Weeks at the maverick Club I’m glad I had the privilege . My brother Larry Caldwell worked with Moon also Roy Caldwell
I
July 8, 2015 @ 2:34 pm
I personally believe the 2 best sidemà n in music were of course Ralph Mooney and the other was Don Rich. Don left this earth way too soon! But Mooney is in a musicians class all his own. You can’t replace him though many have tried to imitate him. “Pick it Moon!”
March 8, 2016 @ 10:12 am
Sure is nice to see that so many people loved Ralph and appreciated his talent as much as I did. He was and always will be the greatest steel player of all time. I got his autograph in Jackson, TN in January of ’85 and I cherish it greatly.
March 12, 2016 @ 4:23 pm
Who voted Ralph Mooney the best steel guitar player? He can’t hold a torch to Jerry Byrd, Buddy Emmons, Henry Ellis or the many Hawaiian players. After all, the steel guitar was invented in Hawaii, not Nashville! Jim Wigley- Ringgold GA
May 8, 2016 @ 6:55 am
Jim Vest, Stu Basore, Tommy White , Don Helms , Little Roy Wiggins, Lloyd Green etc.. Ralph was great but there a lot of others who were / are great. Jimmy Day was hard to beat too. Tommy White is a real innovator of that instrument . Jim Vest has done a lot to the hall of fame as did Dewitt Scott. I might ad a great player . Scotty was an ambassador for the steel. The hall of fame is full of the best steel players and ones who will be the “best” . There is no best just masters of steel. Steel players know what that is.
February 14, 2017 @ 10:20 am
I concur with almost everything written in the fabulous Mooney article. For the record, Merle’s “Mama Tried” is lead acoustic and electric guitar all the way though. Moon would’ve told us that too.
Gary Hoetker
Bakersfield, CA
June 12, 2017 @ 6:46 pm
Isn’t it interesting that two of the best steel guitar players ever were such nice people and loved by those that they performed and worked with. You can read similar comments about Dickey Overbey after he passed away in 2014. Although they had different styles, both Ralph and Dickey’s playing was so unique that you could immediately recognize them after hearing just a few bars; Ralph for his staccato picking and Dickey for his soulful expression and unique harmonies. Their mastery of the instrument left all other steel guitarists in the dust. I can’t get enough of both of their music.
MJ
Pennsylvania
December 27, 2019 @ 8:11 am
Mooney was awesome. He did not play on the Merle Haggard hit recording Mama Tried, the lead is guitar, and the steel rhythm was played by Norm Hamlet.
August 15, 2020 @ 7:56 am
If Ralph Mooney was to trip and fall, Norman Hamlet would put a footprint in his butt. That’s how close behind Norman is.
September 5, 2022 @ 11:57 am
Ralph Mooney was a great steel man. I especially liked his work on Lost in the Feeling but I still believe, IMO, Buddy Emmons was # 1. In the end it really doesn’t matter for the industry has done their best to throw the steel in the closet and let the six stringerr boys run top dog, but then again, it’s not real country music anymore. Steel men are an endangered species. You only hear real steel on southern gospel music. Keep bending them brothers & sisters.
October 3, 2022 @ 8:20 pm
I will agree 100% that Ralph Mooney was the greatest pedal steel guitar player of all time! In my book no one and I mean no one can ever touch him! Don’t get me wrong! They are some good pedal steel guitar players around but they can’t even come nowhere close to the great Ralph Mooney! Ralph Mooney is like the old saying that pro wrestler Bret the hitman Hart said the best there was the best there is and the best that they will ever be bottom line honest truth! I’m just saying that I loved Ralph Mooney and I admired him ! Rest In Peace my dear friend that I never got to meet! I love and admire your work that you done on your pedal steel guitar! No matter what others think you will always be the greatest pedal steel guitar that ever lived! Love you my friend!
February 11, 2024 @ 9:28 pm
Bob Lucier is the one of Best if you know pedal steel at all? Just saying >-)