On December 3, 1983, I approached Eric Clapton backstage on the star-stuffed Motion into Analysis for A number of Sclerosis (ARMS) live performance in San Francisco. The tour was heading to Los Angeles with an off night time between. I knowledgeable E.C. that on the fourth, Duane Eddy was enjoying the Baked Potato nightclub, together with his someday bandmate Albert Lee on second guitar.

“Oh!” he perked up. “We’ll need to go to that.”

When Eddy took the stage, he appeared down to seek out Clapton and Jeff Beck sitting within the second row, having taken a cab straight from the airport.

The dying of Duane Eddy on April 30 was not sudden; he was 86 and had most cancers. But it surely hit near residence.

He was a guitar hero to numerous. I used to be hooked the moment I heard “Insurgent Rouser” at age 5, lengthy earlier than I touched an instrument. I’d heard Chuck Berry, Scotty Moore, and James Burton, and my dad had data by Chet Atkins, Tal Farlow, and Barney Kessel. However Duane’s twangy tremolo and reverb registered as electrical to me. After I picked up guitar at 12, I discovered his songs, in addition to the Ventures’ and surf music, although the Beatles had by then pushed instrumental rock out of the highlight.

It’s no exaggeration to say that Duane contributed to my eventual profession path. So I used to be excited when, in 1977, a publicist phoned my workplace at Guitar Participant asking if I’d prefer to interview the person. Being Assistant Editor was a dream gig, and by then I’d interviewed some favorites, together with Jimmy Reed, J.J. Cale, Albert King, Lindsey Buckingham, and David Lindley. However the prospect of assembly Duane Eddy was one other degree of thrill.

It was much more satisfying to seek out that he was all the way down to earth and personable. So was his future spouse, Deed, who sang on the only he was selling, a cool twang-laden “You Are My Sunshine” additionally that includes Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson.

Intermittently, Duane and I stored in contact through the years, and I acquired to see him in live performance for the primary time when he performed Santa Cruz, Berkeley, and San Francisco in ’83, backed by his unique saxophonist, Steve Douglas, drummer Hal Blaine, keyboardist Don Randi, bassist John Garnache, and Ry Cooder on slide. The impact of his data was riveting, however his guitar sounded twice as massive stay. That resulted in a second GP interview and, when he cameoed with Artwork Of Noise in San Francisco in ’86, we spoke once more.

In ’93, I acquired to assist compile and write the booklet notes for Rhino Data’ Twang Thang: The Duane Eddy Anthology. I traveled to his residence close to Nashville and spent the weekend. After espresso and breakfast, we’d retire to his music room, taping hours of dialog, going by means of packing containers of images, and he even provided some unreleased tracks for the double-CD.

In 2008, I used to be honored to play Deke Dickerson’s Guitar Geek Competition, in Anaheim. Deke all the time put collectively a fantastic lineup for receptive crowds, however two years later, he was having hassle touchdown a headliner. I put him in contact with Duane, who initially balked at having a backup band that was unknown to him. I volunteered that I’d seen Deke and his guys again eight acts in a weekend, nailing each type. The mixture not solely labored famously, Duane used Deke’s group on subsequent engagements.

In July, 2010, Deke known as to see if I might fill in on rhythm for Duane at Ponderosa Stomp, in New Orleans. After all I jumped on the likelihood. Then I used to be knowledgeable that the promoter was a stickler for adhering to the previous data – on which Corki Casey performed acoustic rhythm. I needed to borrow a correct guitar and bone up, and Susan Cowsill was good sufficient to mortgage me her Taylor 814ce. George Benson as soon as informed me, “Duane Eddy’s music felt good, man!” – and it was certainly a blast to face onstage with him. Within the picture right here, that’s Deke on bass, and the foggy apparition within the rear is yours actually.

At that first assembly in ’77, Duane had his Guild signature mannequin, and I observed a thumbpick threaded into the headstock. He defined with a shrug that he simply fooled round with Travis selecting – as he performed “Cannonball Rag” completely.

I acquired excited and stated, “No person is aware of you try this. You need to put some in your data” – and he did in ’87, with “Rockabilly Vacation,” co-written with Jeff Lynne. However on the time, he stated, “No, it wouldn’t be Duane Eddy.”

He wasn’t talking in third-person à la Bob Dole, and it wasn’t ego; it was simply the alternative. He was referring to the inventive type he’d staked out. It wasn’t a burden to him, or simply one thing followers anticipated. But it surely struck me that, whereas he might present more-technical playing cards if he selected to, he understood that he had one thing that was his personal. In spite of everything, Merle Travis didn’t play his licks (at the very least not in public); why would he play Merle’s? He was Duane Eddy.

© 2024 Dan Forte; all rights reserved by the creator.

This text initially appeared in VG’s August 2024 challenge. All copyrights are by the creator and Classic Guitar journal. Unauthorized replication or use is strictly prohibited.