>From Randy Willis www.randywillis.org Jimmy Day and My Dad in Long Leaf, Louisiana Rapides Parish Everyone who saw my grandfather play the fiddle said he was the best they had ever heard. My father played the pedal steel guitar. One day, my sister Johnnie Ruth (who is 16 years older than me) brought her young beau to our home, located near Long Leaf, Louisiana, to meet our parents. Her beau's name was Jimmy Day. He saw my dad practicing the steel and ask him to teach him how to play the steel. Daddy taught Jimmy how to tune a guitar and he and another local steel player, by the name of Harold Whatley, taught Jimmy his first licks. My dad and Jimmy both played in the local Happy McNichol's band. The first venue that they both played was called "The Wigwam." Jimmy's dad was the store manger for the local sawmill commissary operated the "Crowell and Spencer Lumber Company," located in Long Leaf, Louisiana (Rapides Parish). (See http://www.forestheritagemuseum.org) Later, Harold Whatley's brother Horace would co-write the song "Sawmill" with Mel Tillis, which became a hit. It was based on this same sawmill. Jimmy went own to play first with Web Pierce on The Louisiana Hayride, and then was the only picker to play with all three Super Stars: Pasty Cline (he was with her on her first appearance at the Grand Ole Opry and was the session steel guitarist on many of her hits such as "Sweet Dreams"), Elvis, and Hank William's Sr. Hank had ask Jimmy to join his band the "Drifting Cowboys" towards the end of 1952. He told Jimmy he only had three more gigs left on his current tour which would end New Years Eve; but Hank died New Year's Day, 1953, before Jimmy could become an official member of the "Drifting Cowboys." Jimmy was a member of Ray Price's band (he laid down the famous opening licks on Ray Price's "Crazy Arms") and later Willie Nelson's original band "The Offenders." He also played for Red Sovine, Jim Reeves, Lefty Frizzell, Ernest Tubb, Ferlin Husky, and George Jones. Country music recording artist would arrange their recording sessions around Jimmy's off-the-road schedule so he could play on their sessions. Later, when I was managing Johnny Rodriguez, I hired Jimmy to play in our band. When Jimmy moved to Alabama from Louisiana, as a teenager, he befriended a young man in high school. The young man ask Jimmy to teach him the steel; Jimmy said no way - "choose another instrument." He chose the piano, his name was Floyd Cramer of "Last Date" fame. Jimmy and Floyd played in Elvis' first band. When Elvis decided to head to California, he asked Jimmy and Floyd to join him. They both declined, citing that their dream was to be on the Grand Ole Opry. Jimmy once told me that if he had not made that decision, Rock Music would have a steel guitar in it today. Three years ago (1997), I was on stage at Willie Nelson's annual 4th. of July picnic with Jimmy. We were standing with Willie's former wife Connie Nelson and Willie's two youngest daughters Paula and Amy. Jimmy told Paula and Amy that they would not be here if it was not because of him because he had introduced Willie to Connie. I said, just think girls, you would not be here if my father had not taught Jimmy the steel which later enabled Jimmy to be in Willie's band. (I was booking Paula some at that time). We all laughed and took a picture together. Jimmy died of cancer January 22, 1999, at the age of 65. At his funeral, Connie Nelson (she now manages Waylon Jennings) asked me if I would be so kind as to send her a copy of that photograph; she said, "she would cherish it." The enclosed photo of Elvis and Jimmy is one of my most cherished possessions. It's inscribed: "To My life-long friend, Randy - Jimmy Day." I also have my dad's copy which is inscribed: "To my first teacher Julian, Keep on pick'n, Jimmy Day." I loved Jimmy and will miss him...... Randy Willis