The Country Pianist Who Influenced Everyone From Jimi to Elton 

Aimee, In the late nineteen sixties I played a lot of record dates, I was a bass player, with Floyd Cramer and came to know Don Robertson. Don was a great L.A. writer who also sent songs to Chet from time to time. One night a few years after Hank Locklin's hit record, Don came to a session I was doing for Chet, on a break between songs, Don told me about making a demo of his song "Please Help Me I'm Falling" and he played a style on that of piano hoping Chet would have the steel player convert the part. Chet played Don's demo to Floyd they decided to have Floyd keep it on piano . . the record was a hit and a new style was born. I love your web site!!!!

I'm gonna share my story about how Iearned the Floyd Cramer style. It was after Marty Robbins died, and the story was on the evening news. They showed a clip of him singing El Paso, with those cowboy harmonies in the background and I thought, why don't I hear songs like that on my radio station? So I switched to CKRC, the local country station, and the announcer was saying, "Stay tuned this weekend for the TOP 500 COUNTRY SONGS OF ALL TIME!" I figured this was the perfect chance to get my country education, so I tuned in. And every 20 minutes or so there would be a break, a piano would go "glung, glung....glung glung" and they would say, "You're listening to the top 500 country songs of all time". But that little piano break was Floyd Cramer playing Cool Clear Water. It was about three weeks later that it hit me all of a sudden: I think I knew how he was doing it! So I went to a piano and tried it out...I was right! rolling into the melody from a whole tone below, with the fifth of the scale above as a pedal point. Played the whole song right through almost without mistakes. And that's my story. Yes of course I already knew how to play piano...I just never did the Floyd thing until that moment. Been going to town with it ever since.

My older brother (r.i.p.), was a great pianist. Took lessons, but had the most incredible ear. He taught himself how to play, Kramer, gospel, and yes, even Elton. He had Kramer down cold! Thanks for sharing this Aimee!

In 8th grade, I took an elective class called Communications. In one module, we got to role play as DJs, and we had to bring in records of two songs. I had no allowance or job, so no music of my own, instead bringing a couple of my parents' Floyd Cramer records, which I loved, by the way. They were not well received by my classmates for some reason. This was little more than a decade after the release of Cramer's Last Dance. There is no accounting for taste, or lack thereof.

I spent some time in Nashville back in the 80's and had the great pleasure of hearing scores of great stories from and about numerous country greats. One such tale was about famed producer Larry Butler, whose first job upon arriving in town was running a demo session for a publishing company. Anxious to impress his boss with his knowledge of what was hip, he pressed the studio talkback button and addressed the pianist. "Gimme some Floyd Cramer licks in the intro. Can you do that?" "I guess so," said the pianist. "I AM Floyd Cramer."

I love your piano skills but I equally love your storytelling skills.

This music is like seeing an old friend again.

Excellent video! Thank you, Ms Nolte! I was 17 when "Last Date" first aired here in NYC, and I loved it ever since. I love Floyd Cramer's music and accompaniments, especially Patsy Cline's "Sweet Dreams."

You did a great job here. Floyd Cramer was an excellent musician and I'm glad he's being remembered this way.

I was 8. My dad was the A&R manager for a record label in South Africa. Jim Reeves, Chet Atkins, Floyd Kramer toured and I spent best part of 2 weeks travelling with them (road plane,) with my dad taking them to game parks, and visiting the venues before they performed. His piano style convinced me to play the piano which I then started a year or to later. I have his autograph somewhere. He was also a nice man and he used to chat to this starstruck kid too

When I was a kid in the 60s my parents had lots of Floyd Cramer albums. I loved listening to his renditions of popular songs. When I was ten, I told my parents that I wanted to take piano lessons because I wanted to play like Floyd Cramer. It's very likely that without his influence I never would have taken piano lessons and would not be playing today. Thanks Floyd!

Your video brought sentimental tears to my eyes. I was born in Texas in the 40s. My dad loved Floyd Kramer, Patsy Kline, etc San Antonio Rose was a favorite and we lived for a time in San Antonio. Dad and Mom gave me piano lessons with my neighbor a professional pianist and organist. I think Floyd Kramer ( and others) planted that love of Western music I still recall juke box music and sawdust on the dance floors. Even children danced to Floyd Kramer. Thank you a thousand times!

Thank you for this. Floyd Cramer was my idol in the 60's. I would go into our major music store in Perth, Western Australia, and ask to listen to his latest LP, and I always left with it tucked under my arm. I tried to emulate his style and still use elements of it today ... I am about to turn 76. He did so much more than I thought he did. Once again, thank you.

Aimee, fascinating video. I had no idea who invented that style. When you mention Dr John as another iconic stylist, I would have to add Ray Charles to the list. Ray and Floyd were surely aware of each other. Ray had country influences too, but much deeper into gospel and blues.

I am 86 and a lifelong steel guitar player. This is a wonderfully done article. Let me give you a bit of pre history. Floyd and steel player Jimmy Day played together on the Louisianna Hayride together when slip note pedal steel was in its infancy, so Floyd understood the principle first hand. They came to Nashville together. I believe the first time the Floyd Cramer style was heard was on Hank Locklin's "Please Help Me I'm Falling".

I'm a Nashville based piano player. You really did a great job on this video. Very authentic. I thought everyone knew about Floyd! I need to get out more. I did not know Chet had encouraged Floyd to write something like Last Date. I'll have to find it, but I believe Hank Jones even played some very blatant Floyd licks in the some old jazz standard. He's everywhere. I've been working for 30 years out of Nashville for country artists people would know and it's probably mostly due to learning what Floyd did with harmonizing a melody. And yes, it does feel great on the hands. Thank you for the video.

Seeing Jimmy Dean(Big John) hosting a show featuring Chet Atkins, Boots Randolph and Floyd Kramer? Priceless. Three recording giants of the Nashville RCA Studio in that era. Notice the 'doubled' Bass at 10:33. That also was a common arrangement of the 'Wrecking Crew'. And I still enjoy Jimmy's sausage and the Benny Hill theme. The quotes, stills, and archived videos are wonderful. Exceptionally well done profile.

I was fortunate to see Cramer, Atkins, and Randolph three times as theu did benefits for East Tennessee State University Music Department in Johnson City, Tennessee. This was, I believe, in the early 80s. Thank you so much for broadening my knowledge and love of my favorite pianist.

I was just watching Keith Emerson's interview on the Oscar Peterson show from 1976, and he said Floyd was the first pianist he was influenced by. My God, what an amazing player!

Anytime Floyd wasn’t available in the 90’s my grandfather would be asked to sub for him. There were a few Chet Atkins events where he would fill in for Floyd. He really admired Floyd

I remember that piano style from my childhood in Brooklyn, New York. I remember Floyd's name but didn't know much about him. I'm now 73 years old and thank you so much for this nostalgic and very informative post 👍🏾🎶

56 years old and I've never known any of this! Love learning new things! Thanks, Aimee.

I'm 77 and grew up listening to all of this and I've been a gigging keyboard player since 1965. I learned Last Date on accordion in high school when I heard it on the radio. My grandmother had the album and I learned it by ear because there was no sheet music for it yet. Later on I also learned Crazy and that intro is not easy to play clean and in time to bring in the vocal. So smooth, tasty, perfect. It really is a musical work of art and I consider that one of the greatest piano intros ever. I still use those Floyd licks to this day on stage keyboards doing classic rock, jazz, blues, no more accordion. Like you said good younger players may not know his name but they'll know the licks and style and if some don't then they need to watch this vid and start picking it up.

I remember those ads! Definitely thought it was dated as a kid but damn, I realize he played on so many songs I loved. But in his own words, mostly whole tones? Super interesting.

You're research is impressive, I learned a lot... my fav first record when i was maybe was fancy pants... any who never knew it was floyd. imagine a 4 year old with an old crappy suitcase record player, playing the hell out of Fancy Pants? thanks, fun video.

I've played keys and country and rock bands for years. I even used to play "Last Date". I played many of those songs that you referenced and had no idea I was copying Floyd Cramer over and over. Kind of funny. I thought I was learning styles of different players.

Thank you. So inspiring.

Oh, let’s not forget Leon Russell, who was also a huge influence on Elton John. It’s like a pantheon of greats, and now, even though I knew about ‘Floyd licks’ and their connection to Floyd Cramer, I get that Floyd is part of the piano/keyboard ‘godhead’ with various other undisputed greats. So cool. Thanks, Aimee!! Really excellent content!! Cheers!!

As soon as I saw the title, I knew who it was about. Lovely video.

I’ve been playing piano a long time and this is the first time I’ve heard about “slip note”. And I do it all the time. Amazing how much there is to learn. Thank you for this!

Wow, I didn't know who he was, but I sure knew that sound from hearing Elvis , Dolly P and Linda R Now I'm going to learn his technique too. Its great to be versatile. I enjoy twenty different genres of music. I always have and always will. Ty Aimee for sharing you skills with us. PS, Libras are the best!

My grandfather would always play this song when we visited my grandparents back in the early 70's and referred to it as 'Papa's Music'... Great memories...

I knew it was Floyd Cramer from the title and watched to confirm. I wasn't much into country music way back when but Floyd's playing was just so prominent and inescapable in the sixties. I remember reading about his playing in Keyboard magazine and always remember how he developed a technique to emulate steel guitar. There are few pianists who impacted their music genre to the extent he did. Without a doubt a music genius....and I actually think his playing transcends genres....any pianist can gain something studying his style. Nice video.

I've loved Floyd's sound since childhood: so grateful for Aimee providing this background.

My mom loved Floyd Cramer. I've been working out Last Date on guitar. That song reminds me of my youth and her.

I fell in love with Floyd's song On the Rebound as a little kid, I had the seven single and couldn't stop listening to it. Then I started noticing his style popping up everywhere. Many years later I played in a band with a pianist who slipped notes into rock n roll tunes and I would shape my guitar parts around that, it gave our band a unique sound that made us stand out. I can't really play piano but when I want that sound and I say to a pianist to give me the Floyd lick they often don't know what I mean, until I demonstrate it to them with my basic version. It's definitely part of my guitar style, both semitone (more blues/rockabilly sound) and wholetone slips (for a more country/soul sound). Floyd was the man, what a legacy

😢 hello Miss Amy Nolte. My name is Walter Mills aka the left-handed bloke. In the sixties I remember hearing this song on AM radio back then I would go to four different channels to try and capture the emotion coming through whatever speaker I was able to speaker glue my ears to. I have watched a few videos but today I subscribed I'm a guitar player / bass hopefully one day learn to play my banjo. But you touched me today where I actually had tears. Your sincerity, your honesty from your inner self totally cloaked me with joy. One of the reasons I watch this program's I saw my hero Jimi hendrix's photo. Yes the example songs that you played. I also hear him using the slip no technique in the solo The Wind Cries Mary. I don't have a keyboard at this time I lost the one I had. I'm thinking about taking your course down the road.. oh my gosh you are definitely a deep influence on me and I'm going to go to your Channel on nebula. Thank you so much I deeply appreciate your approach and how you want to share your gift with others who worked on that road of expressing their art and inner voice. May you your family and friends all be safe and may the year yield health and prosperity to you . Sincerely Walter the left-handed bloke

I knew who the video was about from the title. However, with your first few keystrokes, I was put back in my childhood living room with my Father.

One of our greatest pop composers Jimmy Webb has an LP out called "SlipCover" that is dedicated to the Nashville piano sound developed by Floyd Cramer. Billy Joel also incorporates the Cramer technique in many., many of his piano songs. Thanks Aimee!!!

Well presented and very informative was a fan of Floyd Cramer but you opened up a lot more than i new,much appreciated regards from Scotland 💙🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🇬🇧🙏

Aimee thank you for sharing this. My Dad listened to Floyd all the time. As soon as you played the first notes, I screamed to my wife, “ooh Floyd Kramer babe!!”. Your a blessing Aimee and a great pianist.

Having worked in county radio in the 80s I can confirm that last dance is one of the most beloved songs ever

Last Date closed my radio request show. My mother wore out the 45, I grew up and took it to work. What an influence.

When I first saw the posting on main RU-vid page, with the shadow of a man and no name, I knew immediately who your were talking about. Cramer is the guy who inspired me to want to play the piano some 50 years ago Loved his playing then, love it now. Plus it was my privilege to see the big 3 -- Atkins, Cramer and Randolph in concert in Lubbock, Texas back in the mid-60's. Great presentation, you certainly did your homework. I enjoyed it.

Thanks for shedding a spotlight on Floyd Cramer . His slip note style is so distinctive and defined country music for many years. I’m a big fan and I love to play it.

Angie by the Rolling Stones. Thanks, Aimee!

Outstanding! What a wonderful tribute to Floyd and a great history lesson on the origins of the slip note sound.

Thanks for closing a knowledge gap for me! I took piano lessons for several years as a kid, not because my parents coerced me, but because I asked. You see, I've always loved the piano. And classical music. Then in college in the late 1960's (in the science & engineering track, not music), there was a piano in the lobby of our dorm, and Ken, one of the other residents, showed me a few things, including _The Maple Leaf Rag,_ and two Floyd Cramer songs: _The Last Date,_ and _On the Rebound._ These were about the most fun to play of anything I knew. Mostly because of that "slip note" technique you mention. Incidentally, at this time I was just learning guitar, and that technique on a keyboard reminds me strongly of the "hammer-on" technique on the guitar. But not having followed popular or country music at the time Floyd was popular, I had no idea of the connections you reveal here. So thanks! Fred EDIT: Now having watched the rest of the video, I see you make that "hammer-on" comparison, too!

Neil Young named Floyd Cramer as a huge influence. You can hear that slip-note all over his guitar playing.

Creamer’s influence is also very evident in Chuck Leavell’s piano solo on the Allman Brothers tune, “Jessica.”

I had heard of Floyd Cramer, but only knew he was a country music artist. So, thank you so much for this video and introducing him to me. I’m 74 years old and I’m not surprised by many RU-vid videos, but this one blew me away. Thanks again.

This video is extremely impressive from a construction point of view. LOTS of examples all tied together in a well thought out interplay that a music historian would be thrilled to death to watch. There should be an award for this type of quality.

A beautiful, rich tribute, brilliantly researched, & pulling together many profound influences that went in so many directions. Makes me think of the beautiful simple piano solo on the Emmylou Harris studio recording of Buck Owens' "Together Again" (played, I think, by Glen Hardin). I love that Hendrix credited Kramer (as well as the great Curtis Mayfield)! Bruce Hornsby did a very distinctive thing with that influence, extending the slip-note in time. Love his work. It would be interesting to look at classical piano with these things in mind...

This is topnotch musical history! The hair and clothes color is working for you too. "Oh, my Aimee"....there's a lyric for ya, dear!

Thank you for recognizing and explaining this about Floyd. I borrowed this style 50 years ago and have enjoyed it for a lifetime.

I remember those commercials for his albums. Growing up in North Carolina, I heard his music and the artists he played with.The clip of him playing for MJ's mother is cool 😎. I'm glad I found your video, it's great.

I had no idea this style of playing is called 'slip note' until you enlightened me. I am a great admirer of Chet Atkins ever since I was in my early teen, (now 78).It is because of Chet I learnt to play the guitar. I generally play the lead guitar and copy this technique, so now I know who pioneered this style. Floyd & Chet, what a pair of great musicians. God Bless them both. You explained everything so beautifully. Thank you for making my day ❤

I had heard about the legendary Floyd Cramer, but this video really nailed the whole story and fleshed out the reality of this remarkable and active pianist from the Nashville world. Truly excellent musician biography and documentary work. All of us are grateful to have seen this video. I'm a trombonist, but like many musicians also play arranger style piano and my son is pretty serious about developing his piano chops. I'll recommend this video to him.

I am totally speechless. This is the most moving and inspirational video I have ever watched. The compilation of musicians using Floyd’s style actually brought me to tears! YOU have truly created a masterpiece and because of that I will never forget your name also.

Thank you Sweetie for honoring my life friend Floyd Cramer ..!

I was quite sure you meant Floyd Cramer. Even though I was not that familiar with him, I can hear that characteristic everywhere. I immediately thought of the intro to the Beatles "Don't Let Me Down", Bob Seger's "Blame It On Midnight". Hendrix, absolutely, they are easy and also great fun to play on guitar.

I grew up with Floyd Kramer (and others) music playing in our house. I still have the album of his greatest hits. My favorite tune: "On the Rebound."

Girl, you've taken me on a bit of a nostalgic trip with some of this music. It has made me remember times so long gone thank you. Nice presentation / lecture.

YES MA'AM I KNEW IT WAS HIM!!!! FC undoubtedly influenced many country and country blues musicians in the first place. You can hear his touch in Dolly Parton, too, and also Norah Jones often adds those slip notes as embellishments in her songs. Thanks a lot for talking about Floyd Cramer, who happens to be one of my most inspirational musicians! ❤️❤️

Thank you this amazing video! He influenced me so much, and I’m a fiddle plater!🫶🏽🙏🏽🎻

I've never heard of Floyd Cramer before but I love his technique already. I can't believe I haven't heard of him sooner.

Thank you, i'll be 66 this Oct and i learned a lot about Floyd Cramer from your video. 😉👍

There's a lot of his style in Fats Domino's playing too, Billy Joel... Like so many. Great video! You bring back some classic memories I have forgotten about. Thank you ❤ Please do more of these 🙏

Thank you for the Country Music education! I definitely grew up hearing Floyd's "slip note" style, but I'm not sure when I first heard his name.

This was a great bit historical trivia. He was good. Very definitive sounding piano playing.

Floyd Cramer was one of the musical heroes of my childhood.

Well Done Aimee. This is my favorite video you have created here: history, influential people, people influenced by a pioneer, well researched topic. A perfect video. And you give a great intro for NEBULA, I'm glad to leave RU-vid, and you give a perfect reason why to move over there. Thank you for saying the better reasons to join Nebula, if for nothing else than to help the video-creators to bring us great topics! Cheers, Don.

Thank you for this. I knew who the subject must be from the opening. As a kid I heard a lot of country on tv; I didn't like country (for association reasons that had nothing to do with country music) but I often heard a little sound on those songs - i fought to find out who was playing that sound and got the name Floyd Cramer. I never forgot his name or sound, didnt know it was called a slip note, in my mind it was called the Cramer note. Im glad he is still recognized. There was no reason for a kid watching tv hearing music he was not a fan of to sit up and focus on a 'note' that "slipped" by so quickly but that was Cramer's genius.( I think it was teaching himself by doing it by ear is exactly what allowed him to imitate what he was hearing on guitar. )That is my humble tribute to him, but as I am always talking about music, I often hip my associates to this man's name. Seeing you play it, Im going to continue paying tribute but now with my fingers lol. Thank you again.

Thanks for putting this together. I’m at the point as a professional Jazz musician that I just can’t subscribe to any labels any more. There’s too much great music that all the cats put down. Problem is, they’ve never even taken the time to listen. I would venture to say that Floyd Cramer actually swings harder than many so called jazz pianists of today. The blues, and also folk element is almost completely absent. Do more of these, please! Dr. John, etc. All the guys who had serious chops but never let the burden of what’s expected of “Jazz” musician pigeonhole them.

Like so many, I've heard Floyd Kramer's distinctive and beautiful way of playing countless times, without knowing his name or the name of his piano playing style. His influential and soulful way of playing can be heard everywhere. Thank you Aimee for making such a wonderful video, and shining a well deserved light on the history and contributions of a great musician. It was an absolute delight to watch this video. It must have taken quite a lot of time to make, but it was surely worth it. I hope you make more videos like this, as your presentation, content, and explanation was superb. 👏👍😎

Took me back to my childhood. Thanks for this video, Ms. Nolte.

Not that I would call myself even a muso, but I instantly recognised his sound & had never heard of him. Wonderful presentation thanks :) Wishing health & happiness to you & yours in 24 & beyond :)

What a wonderful deep dive and tribute to one of my favorite pianists! ❤️ A story (possibly apocryphal) I heard from back at my days in the Commercial Music Department at South Plains College, was that Floyd developed his famous slip-key style of playing during a recording session with Chet Atkins. The story goes that, after several unsuccessful takes, an exasperated Floyd asked Chet what he wanted. Chet told Floyd to, “Play your piano like a pedal steel guitar,” and the rest, as they say, was history.

Well thank you I’ve been playing like Kramer style the last few years on my recordings and never realised

Been playing all my life, basically that style, which works well in rock too, especially scaling relative majors in minor key songs. Thank you for doing a video on one of the true piano greats! Hard to find good material like this. Thanks again.

Music appreciation doesn't get any better than this video, Aimee. As for an additional hit song with Floyd's sound, am I right in thinking that Philip Aaberg's piano on Elvin Bishop's "Fooled Around and Fell in Love" from early 1976 qualifies?

What a wonderful video and beautiful tribute! How have I been alive 53 years and never heard of Floyd Cramer until just now(although in my defense, I'm a guitarist, but still)?! It's such an iconic style that even before you got to the sample songs, I immediately thought of 'Behind Closed Doors': an iconic style within an iconic start within an iconic song. It's so lovely of you Amy to share this with us. And as an added bonus, how cool and humble for Cramer to give a shout out to a female musician instead of just taking all the credit for himself!

Thanks Aimie…what a great history lesson!

I've been following you for years. This is one of your best!I love the fact that you were able to shine a light, and your viewers are now enlightened. Based on the comments above, there are a lot of Floyd enthusiasts.

What a great history lesson! Thanks so much. I found Jason Coleman a while back and went down the Floyd Cramer rabbit hole. Now that you mention it, I do remember those eighties commercials!

Brilliant program as usual. There should be Emmys for RU-vid. Where did you get all those album covers or were they online? There’s a vocal version of “Last Date” that was a hit for Conway Twitty (I think) and one by Emmylou Harris on a live album. A couple of guitarists have recorded it: the Ventures, of course, and an obscure one by Zal Yanofsky, from the Lovin’ Spoonful, that for some reason omits the bridge. I did an r’n’b treatment a couple of decades that thankfully never saw daylight. My theory about that country sound is that the wider “slider” intervals make the listener lean into the song as the interval is completed. Also, that wide open interval space can evoke the open prairies. (OK, a little stretch, but after a couple of Old Fashioneds…) And some examples you asked for: I think that style is all over Pat Metheny’s first two records, with Lyle Mays on piano, I think. And if you can dig up “I Can’t Stop Loving You” by Arlen Roth (the studio version), a great example of all those Interval slips. Thank you!

You are the cutest of all time, and absolutely encyclopedic about pulling up examples of that slip-note, gospel-harmony stuff. When I got started in country music, a good friend, older, classical-music-appreciating guy, used to get so annoyed by my sliding into notes vocally. He heard it as a lack of precision, of "knowing what not you want"! LOL!

This was one of the most informative & inspirational videos I’ve seen in ages. Thanks so much

Thanks Aimee, great stuff! As a kid coming up in the '50's-'60's, Floyd's playing sure grabbed my attention. And thanks for that terrific compilation.

Wow, I'm embarrassed to admit I'd never heard of Floyd Cramer and thought the video was going to be about Pig Robbins. I feel like a big hole in my musical knowledge has been plugged. Thanks!

I've called that a "country third", and I am guilty of over using it. It was great to get the history here. Thank you!

Thank you so much for this video! I´ve learned at first what some people call "double stops" in a very second hand version, by Jimi Hendrix. As usual, there´s always someone who did it before, and before, and before. And of course I´ve never heard about him ´till today.

Wonderful, I just learned so much. I had fun guessing from the title who this was going to be about (I got it right). You're spot-on that I first learned his name from those old TV commercials, and then I started picking him out on Elvis records and elsewhere. But I had no idea that was him on "End of the World", and I've been on a bit of a Skeeter Davis kick lately (possibly thanks to your recent Carole King tribute). The stretch from 15:10 to 16:56 is utterly amazing, and a series of revelations. The work and research here couldn't be more impressive.

I knew who you were talking about before i ever clicked on the video. Floyd was the best in the biz. A technique, a style, . Immediately identifiable. The best. Great video!!!

You just popped up! Been a long time, too long. Deeply appreciate your style, voice, and passion for the 88s. Bravo.

Gee Aimee, such depth of knowledge, and appreciation of a great artist. I learned a lot, liked and subscribed!

his style is instantly recognizable. he's great!!

Very educational video. I knew it was Floyd Kramer from the title :-)

Thanks for educating the current generation about the great Floyd Cramer! Great lesson. 👍👍

Granny played cassettes with Floyd Cramer and with Jim Reeves. She fed me a lot of great music, whether she planned it or not ;)