Gatton students ?

[String Stinger]

I recently bought the Hotlicks DVD telemaster. Danny several times while watching the DVD
refers to students he taught ex " my students often ask me..." Which lead me to
wondering have any of his students gone on to any kind of fame or have any continued to
play in the Gatton "tele style" for lack of a better terminology.
I know Johnny Hiland was heavily influenced by him. But someone who took actual lessons.
Just curious and this seems to be the right place to ask this sort of question.
cheers
.j

[firewire]

I took six lessons from Danny in his garage, with old cars, amps, etc. He was a super nice guy. We taped every lesson. We typically played a bunch of jazz tunes, Autumn Leaves, rhythm changes, impressions, monk tunes. Those tapes are really funny, usually, at some point in the song Danny would blow my mind and then I'd cause a train wreck. Then we would laugh and try again. Danny always made me feel at ease. Sometimes we'd trade guitars, he would tweek my tele from time to time, sometimes we'd just chew the fat, not only about music but philosophical stuff.

Do I play in the Gatton style? I've played almost everyday for 30 years and I couldn't play in the Gatton style even if I wanted to (which I do). Like most tele players, I know a bunch of his licks, although I don't like playing them at a gig (too many great tele players here in DC!!).

There are others here in DC (and I think on this site - I'll let them identify themselves) that took lessons. I don't think he did a lot of teaching - he was too busy with old cars.

One thing about Danny that I don't think gets mentioned much is that he had incredibly "big ears." He could really listen.

As I said, he was the nicest guy you would ever want to meet. I talked with him at 100s of gigs, he let me (and anyone else who wanted) tape dozens of his gigs. Those tapes (and the ones from the lessons) are my greatest treasures.

Suicide sucks.

[RockinCarl]

Wow Firewire, great story. Suicide REALLY sucks.

[Chris S.]

Well, I'm about as far from famous as you can get, but did I take a couple of lessons from Danny. And I need to preface this story by saying I can NOT play like Danny Gatton! Couldn't then, can't now (although I've certainly tried to swipe a bunch of his licks over the years!) ;-)

But back in the early to mid 70s, I had gotten to know Danny through some mutual friends, and I was a HUGE fan. So when I heard he was open to giving lessons, I asked him if he wouldn't mind giving <u>me</u> some. He said sure, so we arranged to meet one Saturday at his shop in Silver Hill, Md. The deal was supposed to be $20 for a half-hour lesson. Danny told me to bring a tape recorder, which I did.

When I got there, he pulled a couple of Teles off the wall, and we sat down to play. He asked what I wanted to know, and I told him I hadn't played a lot of country music (which I hadn't... at that point, anyway), so maybe we could try some of that. So he started playing a few licks, and I would stop him, and say, "What's that?" Then he'd show me. That sort of thing.

Well, I'd already been playing for a dozen years or so, and had been attending Berklee for a couple of years, so when he showed me how to play a lick – and I could see what he doing – I would play it back to him. Well, that seemed to surprise him a lot, so he'd play something else, and I'd say "Show me that," and he would, and then I'd play it for him. Then he'd say, "Well, you obviously already know that one." and I'd say, "No, you just showed it to me!" Well, this went back and forth, back and forth, and he really seemed to be getting a kick out of it, and we wound up playing for a solid 3-1/2 hours! Took up the whole afternoon. At the end he said, "Well, I don't know what I showed you" to which I replied something on the order of "A LOT!" And then he played some solo guitar stuff on tape for me to work on.

So I went home and worked really hard on it and learned it, and went back the following Saturday. I played him what he had put down on the tape the week before, and that pretty much floored him. So we started playing – again, it was supposed to be a half-hour lesson – and again, we wound up playing all afternoon, another 3+ hours! This time we played a lot of jazz chord solo-type stuff, which Danny was absolutely astonishing at, just breathtaking, really (even though he referred to it as "that old schmaltz #$%#"...) ;-) But I had a few chordal things of my own that I had worked out which he liked, so we kept swapping licks back and forth, just having a "pick and grin" as he called it. ;-) Anyway, at the end of the afternoon, when I paid him he said, "Look, I can't figure out what it is that I know that you don't know that you're paying me to learn," to which I replied, "Well, I can't play like YOU!" (which was true). And he kind of shrugged and said it was pretty much just a matter of learning the licks, putting in the hours, that sort of thing, so we left it at that.

Anyway, as a result of those sessions, we sort of bonded, and we got to be pretty good "guitar buds." Whenever I would see him after that, it was like catching up on the news with an old friend – he was really enthusiastic about wanting to talk to me – about Teles, and amps, and music, and licks – he'd just be bubbling over about everything. We had many subsequent "pick and grin" sessions over the years, and I was lucky enough to share a stage with him several times (talk about frightening... and humbling!). =:-O And the really flattering thing was that he would talk to me like an equal (which I was anything but...). It was just amazing to me that this guy who had clearly taken guitar playing SO far beyond anything I had ever seen (or even imagined!) could be so humble, and would treat me with such kindness and open arms. I was just overwhelmed by his warmth and humor, and I'll be forever grateful for his friendship and the time we were able to spend together.

So that's my "Gatton lesson" story (and not only am I stickin' to it, but I never get tired of telling it, if even just to impart a little bit about what kind of guy he was...) ;-) CS

[Chris S.]

Hee. Timing is everything, right? I was typing out my (long and rambling) post while firewire was putting up his. But I agree 100% with everything he said, Danny was just one of the nicest people you'd ever want to meet. :-) Sure do miss him. – CS

[Jon C]

Chris is too modest IMO, he's one of the finest players I've heard and IMO he can play like DG more than a little bit (which goes a long way, LOL).

Chris has heard this story, which is how in a small way I consider myself a DG student though I never took a lesson from him with guitar in hand.

I met Danny a couple of times through a mutual friend, at the old Birchmere gigs. One time we were in the dressing room pre-show and talking and I said "I learn something from you every time I see you play because you never play anything the same way twice. You teach me how to think about playing music, only what you do is so amazing that I don't know whether to go home and practice, or throw my guitar in the river."

He laughed and said "Whatever you do, don't throw your guitar in the river (LOL)... I've never heard you play but I KNOW that there are at least 2 or 3 or 4 things that I do that you can do. You should try to focus on those and make them part of what you do.... why would you want to sound like me? That would be boring. You should want to sound like you!"

We both laughed and I said I didn't think so, but in hindsight Danny gave me one of the most important insights --- one of the greatest lessons -- that I've had in nearly 40 yrs. of playing guitar.

I was crushed when he left us and I still miss him terribly, and even listening to recordings just cannot fill the void, there was nothing --- NOTHING --- like seeing him live, as the inspiration and genius poured out of him on a moment's notice, even as he referred to it as that "schmaltzy #$@T."

He was a wonderful, kind, and funny person, and generous to a hamfisted guy like me.

Jon

p.s. firewire... if you have a minute, pls PE me at fendertweed AT yahoo.com -- thanks! JC

[sidneystreet]

Thanks for sharing these stories, guys. I love hearing stuff like this. Most of all, it is cool to hear that a player the caliber of Danny Gatton was such a genuinely nice person.

[Ericwest53]

These stories are among those that I heard in MD when I was in the AF learning the Steel Guitar from an equally generous man.

I bought the DVD yesterday, as I'm diving into my Tele with all my fingers will take.

I'll leave the saddness and anger at the "big" people that couldn't "take it" , frustrating some of his ventures. Nuf.

In the years of 75-9, it seemed EVERYWHERE in the DellMarVa country there were "students" of Danny Gatton.

I was able to see him in Danny and the Fat Boys, and several other venues. I only briefly talked to him a couple of times, and it was like looking into a woodstove in a cold day.

I think at the time, maybe started by Roy Clark, his hometown predecessor, it was an origin of "shredding", in a much more solid and musical manner than is today's nomenclature.

Playing just over the edge, with your WHOLE heart. Danny took it to the highest form. REALLY LIVING on a bandstand. Forgetting the "rest of it".

No music was out of his grasp, no "High Tone" player safe from him. That got proved time and again. (Sometimes to their chagrin, but I think that was just too friggin bad...) Sometimes his "students" played other instruments...:)

Oh, I suppose some "Instruction Videos" might show a more "Structured" "Method", but to me, it showed Danny, How he approached things, and a glimpse of his life. I'll be spending a lot of time with it in my evening hours..

I especially like the Tele on the Video.

My fingers hurt.

My heart's a little sore too..

Play On Danny.

:)

EJL

[firewire]

Originally Posted by Ericwest53

REALLY LIVING on a bandstand. Forgetting the "rest of it".

I'm not sure what you mean by "forgetting the rest of it." But, in my observation, Danny was an excellent family man - husband and father. Several times during our lessons, Holly (his daughter - then about 4 or 5) would come in and Danny would stop playing and talk to her about, e.g., caterpillars. In fact, to me, he didn't really seem obsessed with music...there's more to life than a damn telecaster. Like most of us middle aged folks, he seemed more concerned with career decisions - past and future. He appeared to be a well-adjusted all around intelligent nice guy. That's why this suicide thing is just so incredibly hard to understand.

I'm quite sure that to those who knew him, Danny was not your typical, self-destructive genius.

And as far as "living on the bandstand" - (I could be wrong about this) - but I think Danny gigged about 3 (maybe 4) times a week...not counting the occasional tour...for a professional musician, that's not exactly living on a bandstand.

[tweedtone]

Awesome stories. Keep 'em coming!

Never got to meet the man, but in some small way, I feel I've gotten to know some of the flavor of his personality and sense of humor via his music.

I'm always intrigued by how non-singing guitarists' playing relates to the cadence of their conversational voice. Any insights as far as Gatton?

[telel6s]

I can't really compare to the stories and experiences above, but living in NoVa, I did get to see a number of Danny Gatton shows.

I remember once after catching him at Tornado Alley, where he did the play slide with a full beer bottle while spilling it all over himself, guitar, and whoever was fortunate enough to be in right in front of the stage. He'd then grab a towel and just keep on playing while wiping off the guitar.

So the next day, I had to try it (the towel part, not the beer). The disappointing thing is, it's really not that difficult to play with a towel over your left hand....of course I still sounded like crappy ol' me.

[JoeyV]

As some of you may know my stepson comitted suicide in April and a month ago his girlfriend did the same thing as she could not deal with the pain and guilt of his death. What is inside somebodys mind and heart is something that others can just never know. Depression is s stange thing as people can look and appear as happy as a lark and then kill themselves. Who really knows the pain that they have that just one day overwhelmes them. Alot of times they will commit suicide when they have all there pins lined up and everything appears to be going great as opposed to when everything is in the crapper..
Only Danny knows what kind of pain he was in that pushed him to kill himself unfortunately the family goes through complete hell for a long time with grief, the whys, anger, missing them, guilt a zillion different emotions everyday..it is complete hell to go through and I hope none of you ever have to go through it. Everything changes and your life is not the same after somebody you love does this..This Christmas is going to be very difficult for the Mrs. she is going through so much pain and there is nothing you can say or do to make it go away..suicide is a horrible , horrible thing..

[BB]

Joey.....I am so sorry for your loss. Blessings to you and your family.

[Tony]

This thread is great. Thanks to everyone for sharing their experiences with Danny. I've never met the man, but having read the biography, you are just confirming what I already thought about him. He really seems like a great guy. Thanks!

[TJNY]

.....next time in Maryland to visit my sister & brother in-law can I get a lesson or two from ya!!??

[charlie chitlin]

I talked to Danny in the parking lot of "Club Soda" in Bethesda (?)...we got so into it, he was late for the next set.
I made the mistake of showing up in my '56 Ford.
I didn't know Danny was a Ford guy...all we talked about was Fords. I couldn't get a word out of him about guitars!
One of the sweetest guys I ever met.
Also...some great nights at "Gatton's Place" in the basement of some club in Georgetown (M St.?)
Man...that was a long time ago. Around 1979.

[Chris S.]

Originally Posted by TJNY

.....next time in Maryland to visit my sister & brother in-law can I get a lesson or two from ya!!?? :wink: :lol:

Hey, shoot me an email, ya never know. ;-)

But just FYI, if you're going to be in the area and want to see a guy who really can play a lot like Danny, check to see if Dave Chappell is playing anywhere. He's worked out a LOT of Danny's stuff, and he's pretty much got it down cold – it's pretty amazing:

http://www.davechappellguitar.com/

Also, there was another DC guy named Joe Kojok who played with Danny a number of times, and had also really nailed a lot of his 'signature' licks – so much so that one night after Joe played a particularly hot (and Gatton-esque!) solo, Danny 'complimented' him by saying, "Man! You just played my @$$ off!" -LOL- Enjoy, CS :-)

[Ericwest53]

FW..

English is a hard language to master, and easy to misunderstand, but my meaning was that I have rarely seen anybody so "alive" on "The Bandstand". At the point in my own experience where I am doing what I call "flying", there really doesn't seem to be anything else in existance. It doesn't happen all the time, but I know the feeling when it happens. It can be a gig we're getting fired from, it can be a gig where my teeth are hurting, or my day job is in the toilet, a relative dies... Whatever. I know the feeling when it happens. It can even be a time when "Everything Else" is going OK. Time seems to stop, and "other things" seem to melt away. Bad or Good.

I'm sure he was a dedicated father, and I know very well his mastery of Ford Restoration. He was well known for stating that he could be just as happy working on an old car. Kind of like my work on old harleys, it's more enjoyig the work itself, than the finished bike. I never seem to ride mine as much as I work on it.

I have no more explanation or judgement on what particular "chord" he played at any moment, or at what volume, than I do for the path of his life, what I'd call mistakes tragedies, or anything else. Nobody else can understand mine, and I know that.

I guess I can go further, and mention that I saw him onstage at a certain point, and it was pretty obvious that he was not pulling back when the situation might have called for it. He was "flying" musically, and nothing else seemed to matter.

I think the thing that Danny Gatton, like My pedal steel teacher gave me the most, was a glimpse into their souls at the moment of their absolute rapture when playing, and especially "Live".

In my case as a Steel Player, some three thousand gigs later, after the times in the 70s when I would go see Danny and start learning pedal steel there in Oxon Hill MD, the "Onstage" moments are the ones that I feel have nailed me to a certain place in the cosmos. Most are good, some haven't been.

I realise like many others that I'm only as good as my last one, and it keeps me playing at least every week to keep seeking the better ones.

I've known many many players that I spent time with on "The Bandstand", that never experienced any kind of "life" there.

All of us die, I guess, but like they say, not all of us "Live".

Danny certainly did. Especially on the stages I saw him on.

;)

EJL