The great Merle Travis performs "Cannonball Rag" and "Who's Sorry Now" on 70s TV. From the DVD "Sixteen Tons." More info at stefan-grossmans-guitar-works...
Merle Travis is my uncle. He was married to my Aunt Mary, my father's sister. Merle's oldest daughter Patty is my cousin and was a Queen in the Kentucky Derby parade in the late 1950. Sadly they have both passed. Cannonball Rag was played in our home many times by my brother Wayne. When I was very young we all lived in Cincinnati and my parents did a radio show with Merle.
thanks for your comments Karen. I didn"t know Merle had a daughter. Patty must have been very special. I only knew of Thom and not all the details / I met Thom several times when he lived in Phoenix a few years back. I am working on Cannonball Rag but it is not as easy and Merle said it was.. Would appreciate any other comments on Merle and your family. Thanks again.
wow! Im a guitarist in the UK and Merle,Chet and Jerry are my heroes, and Im messaging Merles niece. I am honoured, bless you for posting and God bless youre amazing uncle xxx
Karen, Cannonball Rag will forever be my song. My parents took me to see Merle at Bean Blossom Indiana, either 1980 or 81, he did 2 shows, and took audience requests, during the 1st show, I requested Cannonball Rag, during the 2nd show, he saw me in the audience, and said "I'm going to play Cannonball Rag for my little buddy Bobby". I will never forget that. He made my day. He was the best!
At my age (73+)I have heard and seen some of the finest singers, bands, writers, and all around masters of the guitar. Have owned about 4 or 5 Martins going back to a '67 D-28 all Rosewood, and the last a '73 or so D-45 that was a dream! BUT....when I hear people like Merle Travis and that genre pick and play, my old heart just crys and calls out in total honor and love! Thank you ALL for being there, still, on tape, for us who cries every time we hear perfection played from the heart. Ken Skeen
Good for you Fuzzy. I've been playing nearly 50 years and at 58 will never forget teaching my buddy at 35 his 1st chord. Before he died 8 yrs back he'd gotten much better than I'll ever be and did so in half the time as I.. Never to old to learn guitar if you "most importantly" love the shit out of good music!!
I've been playing guitar for 45+ years. My two biggest regrets are: 1) Not taking personal lessons from the great Pat Martino when I had the chance, and 2) Not learning how to play like this when I first started. This just warms my guitar-pickin' heart so much ... Love it.
...and Doc Watson said he tried for 10 years to figure out how to play Deep River Blues and never did get the sound right: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-ykRWz_SNZ4I.html
Another gem in country music we lost too young like many others before 70 years old. It doesn't seem like Merve Travis, Stringbean, Lefty Frizzell, Marty Robbins, Elvis Presley and Others have all been gone since before 1984. It's like they have all been still alive living into the 1990's and Early 2000's.
To this day there has not been a better guitar player than Merle Travis. I have no idea how he could play like that even when he was a kid. His style is so advanced and sophisticated. Nobody could have taught him to play the way he did because he was the first to do it. He must have been some sort of a genius.
@@glovesoffofficial1382 Yes I’m a guitar player. I’ve seen pretty much every guitarist you can imagine. Merle Travis was in a different league than everyone else. I never saw him make a mistake.
I just finished the book "SIXTEEN TONS...THE MERLE TRAVIS STORY" and hands down the best book I've ever read ... and enjoyed ... about how "IT" all began. Wow...is all I got left partner .... Amazing story about an amazing individual... Hats off to you Thom...God Bless..👊♥️💪
The man ! Never got the recognition he deserved. But old Tennessee Ernie Ford was sure proud to have known him. I love his style of picking. ,And he was a GREAT song writer.
im 15 and cant get enough of all this amazing guitar work i mean merle Travis and chet are the greatest and then tommy Emmanuel took it to a whole new level its just awesome
@@aldenunion if ur 15 and this the tradition of guitar playing you’re getting into, I’m sure you’ll be a monster player lolol. Just keep practicing n life will go good :)
I met Thom about 20 years back and saw him in concert because I had got free tickets.. I had not heard of him or Merle at the time, but became huge fan of both afterwards and started learning style! Thank you Thom for sharing your dads ingenious wonderful guitar style!👍🤙👈🙏🐦
I lived across the street from merle in the 60s on hinderson lake in Nashville ... Used to run with mike, his stepson. Really miss those days!! I moved then he moved from Nashville. He wasn't playing any that I know of. Really nice man, with so much more to be told!
Thom Bresh and Merle Travis are so wonderful here .... I'm so glad that this can be shared with others so we can see a little piece of time of the best guitarist in the world ! The greatest, Merle Travis . ( well... , Thom can " thumb " it great too tho ) ... thanks for the posting .
This is an incredible display of artistry and entertainment…the best part is they are just having fun but they are also inspiring many guitar players and maybe even some to pick one up….pure class.
It is evident that Thom Bresh and his dad Merle have practiced together quite a good bit. Thom was a lot younger then but so was Merle Travis. It is Great to see them together.
Merle was my very first influence when I first picked up the guitar at the age of four, over forty years ago. I admired him so very much and still do. Had many fun (but frustrating) years trying to learn some of his licks and tunes I had to keep rewinding the tape deck back so many times, I wore the damn thing out.
merle is such a smooth genius. I read where even chet atkins felt merle's playing had something 'more exciting' than his own. I've always thought so too, no disrespect to chet of course. He just had that thing you can't quite define
This brings back memories of my friend and I. I'd play the boogie woogie blues on the top 3 strings and he would reach over and under and play the lead on the bottom strings ! awesome time we had as teens.
Merle Travis was a one man band.He and Chet Atkins were the go to finger pickers back in the day.That young man playing with Merle is his son Thom Bresh.He is still playing and telling stories about his remarkable life.
The parents of the leader of a country-rock band I played in for awhile were from Morgantown Ky. Around '81 or so they had us go down there to play their 50th wedding anniversary and another gig at the high school while we were there. On break this old country looking guy with a gleam in his eye came up to Marty our guitar player and asked if he could play his Strat. Marty said sure and this guy proceeded to absolutely shred it in a Travis style. Turns out he lived down the street from Merle and grew up picking w/ him and others in the neighborhood every Sat night on one front porch or another. Just goes to show for every one that does what it takes to get to the limelight there's usually 3 or 4 more back home just as fine.
He was a complete showman......I saw SRV and Jimmie do a similar trick on a double neck guitar once at a Thunderbirds SRV show....a trick learned from Merle no doubt
I live in Nashville, and play Guitar since 1965 & cut an original Guitar instrumental CD back in 99. Spent hours growing up with records playing Chet & Merle. My Mom got me a new Starfire 4 in 67 which I learned on and still have. Use finger roles and thumb stuff. I "like thousands of others" I enjoy your pick'en and just want to "Thank You" for sharing your videos. Your the best! Someday maybe I can catch a Guitar Show. Thanks again for all your contributions to folks like me. God Bless you.
My dad played guitar and said Merle Travis was the best guitar player ever! After 50 years, I’d have to say that I agree that Merle was incredible! It’s funny that my favorite guitarist is Jeff Beck, was also a finger picker and used his tremolo extensively! I’d love to have seen those two guys playing together, omg!
Marcel Dadi would love to hear these guys plays. Except the American Navy during practise missals launches accidently shot down the commercial plane he was on returning to Frances from Nashville .. Alas The Navy said it wasn't us!
Chet Atkins used to listen to Merle Travis on the radio when he was a teenager. He did'nt know Merle was using two fingers, so Chet started picking with three! Thanks for this great video!
I was playing guitar when I was 9 years old, and first time I heard Merle when he played “Divorce Me COD”. I was 10. Inspired me to try his picking style. I did it but only fair on some songs. Fun to do but I’ll never reach that level, I know. My guitar is now 77 years old and still in good shape.
I find that everytime i m getting tired of all that mambo-jumbo-modern fingerstyle-pyrotechnics-sophisticated-tapping 'n goofin' around steel string guitar of our days ,it feels like an oasis hearing Merle Travis and all of his stuff....! Pure Magic!!!!!! And Thom Bresh man .....,he is my hero.That;s what i call real guitar artistry!!!
Thats back when showmanship was just part of the performance Today people have no idea how to put on this kind of a show There was a local group where I live who use to do this same thing with fiddles The music is so great and like I said the showmanship well it speaks for its self Thanks for the memory and post Paul
First hand, I'll give it to you.. Travis is my father, I'm not adopted. I know nothing about antique cars, except they are cool. I have not yet died and we are both playing Gibson Super 400s.. :-)
I play with my fingers also, but quite different to you fellas ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-aUs6S70gkS8.html, it's a pretty little piece
Ive seen you live a few times Thom and always so entertained by your melodic invention! When I found out that Merle was your Dad-I realized why I heard so much of him in there. I study over here in Warrenton, VA with a guy named Mike Harrington and we love to Travis Pick. God Bless!
I met your Dad when I was about 3 years old in Hollywood.He rented a house from my parents. Would love to meet you some day. He is one of my all time favorites. He's one of the reasons I started playing the guitar.
The first half of this video in particular was *AMAZING*! So heartwarming to see that kind of synergy, even if it had been rehearsed beforehand (which is purely my own speculation).
