Date: Sun, 13 Apr 1997 

From: Tut Taylor 

The Life and Times of Tut & Clarence 

 

     I have been asked to write of my experiences with Clarence White. Which I will do. First I must bring up some events leading up to this wonderful time in my life. I became friends with Bruce Cummings of SLC Utah, past president of The Inter-Mountain Folk Council (I think)....after all, it's been over thirty years ago. 

     Originally,at his encouragement I decided to do a Flat-pickin' Dobro Course which led Bruce to Call Ed Pearl at the Ash Grove in LA about doing a 12- String Dobro album. At this time I had already come up with and was playing my own make, 12-string dobro. The first one. Later Ed and Rudy Dopera put a limited number of them on the market. Anyway....Ed Pearl contacted Dick Bock at World Pacific Records and it was decided that the folk-boom was up and running and since the 12-string guitar was popular the 12-string dobro, should be also. So WP decided to go for. Lo and behold, who shows up for the session....??.....Glen Campbell....Brad(Bill)Keith....Chris Hillman...John ? and a bass player. Glen was doing a lot of session work then...Bill was out there playing at the Ash Grove with Bill Monroe. I don't remember how the others came to be.  Monroe was out playing at the Ash Grove with a young picker( well..Kinda young ) Doc Watson. 

      I think that it was during this time that I met Clarence and Roland. We hung out out there for about a week, and I, having finished the album, flew back home to Georgia. May I say,that while I was out there I spent a lot of time at the Ash Grove with Doc and he was gracious enough to play some with me and Ed Pearl recorded it all. I still have that treasured tape. This is the first part of the story.......next comes the actual part about the second album, "Dobro Country". 

     World Pacific decided to do another album about a year or so later. They flew me back out there and lo and behold, up comes Clarence and Roland and Billy Ray to record with me. I was astounded that they were to be a part of it. World Pacific decided to call it "Dobro Country",Tut Taylor with Clarence and Roland White. Which suited me immensely. I was out there about a week or so and spent a lot of time (all of it when we were not in the studio). They were playing every night at a little club "The Cobblestone" as the Kentucky Colonels.  Roger Bush and Scott Stoneman were there also. I had my tape recorder and taped most of the sets. 

     During the breaks Clarence would be picking some and I taped some of this also. I still have this tape. After listening to Clarence play , I finally got up enough nerve to ask him if he play with me on my dobro tunes. I told him that I would give him $20 if he would play with me. He said he would be glad to do that. We got together at his apartment( I think ) and did it. I was so excited and so selfish that I wanted to take all the lead and not give Clarence any breaks. He had such rhythm going that I guess I didn't want to break the spell. However he did take a break on one of my tunes and I must say it was terrific. We each had a track so it turned out to be a good tape.It may well be one of the clearest tapes of his rhythm. However I don't know this to be true. All I can tell you is here is this kinda small and short young fella with the biggest sounding prettiest Martin guitar that I had ever seen and I had it all on My tape. 

     Clarence White was one of the kindest, generous, accommodating gentlemen that you would ever want to meet. I shall always remember the short time we had together.  I came back to Georgia and Clarence went on with his music career. I would hear about him from time to time and it always made me feel good to know that this young fella was picking as good as ever and moving on and doing his thing.......picking..... It's some nice memories and I'm happy to share them with you....Glen Campbell went on to be famous...Chris Hillman played mandolin on that album  and he went on to be famous (it's odd, but I haven't met Chris since we did the album) I hope to..one day. They followed their careers. Tut Taylor came home and raised children. Eight to be exact, and collected 67 dobros....I guess I can't complain.... 

Tut Taylor....."the flat picking dobro man"........... 

  

Tut Taylor 

"the flat picking dobro man"