RIP Speedy West Jr

[amoodymule]

[URL="http://m.newsok.com/oklahoma-city-musician-gary-speedy-west-dies/article/3564835?custom_click=lead_story_title[/URL]

...it was fun going to his jam sessions and enjoying the music, a lot of my music buddies were close freinds of his, he will be missed, prayers go to his family and freinds.

...sorry for not getting the link to work...

[Neer]

Originally Posted by amoodymule

[URL="http://m.newsok.com/oklahoma-city-musician-gary-speedy-west-dies/article/3564835?custom_click=lead_story_title[/URL]

...it was fun going to his jam sessions and enjoying the music, a lot of my music buddies were close freinds of his, he will be missed, prayers go to his family and freinds.

As someone who is a huge fan of Speedy, Sr., this is sad news. I had read about this a year ago and held out hope for him. I still have Gary's LP.

[Teleman77]

I'm really sad to hear this. He was a talented, nice man.........like his dad. R.I.P.

[Dickie Fredericks]

Man I hate to hear of this. RIP.

[Hacksaw]

RIP, Speedy. Enjoyed your shows.

[ggwwbb]

One of my best friends grew up next door to Speedy Sr. in the Tulsa OK area and I never knew.....sure wish I had known, as my buddy said that he was a super nice guy & was always willing to talk music. RIP Speedy Jr. :-(

[Ed Alvarado]

Link fixed. RIP
http://m.newsok.com/oklahoma-city-mu...ad_story_title

[buddaman71]

Here's my post from the Sound Lounge thread I started.
================================================== =============================================

Gary "Speedy" West Jr. lost his battle with cancer on May 4, 2011. I've known him and played live and in the studio with him many times over the last 20 years. He was an amazingly gifted, yet affable, kind, funny and humble person. Speedy Jr. played lap steel and guitar equally, and was just an encyclopedia of American guitar styles and sounds. He was also the son of the great lap steel player Speedy West. (Legend is that Leo Fender himself gave Speedy his first guitar.)

Here's my Speedy Jr. story relating my friendship and admiration for him:

I met Speedy in 1990 at Granny's Music Mall. I'm just a self-taught country boy, and I finally wanted to take lessons to try and get better. I asked if I could take a few and Speedy said, "Come on back!" I walked to his little room , plugged in, Speedy hit play on a little backing track and I jammed along a bit. He hit stop and said, "I'm not taking your money man, let's just jam a bit." Over the years, every time I stopped by he'd smile and say, "Hey, Jason! Let's jam a bit."

The first real studio session I ever played on back in about 1996 or so was with OKC music legends: Speedy Jr., Bill Hood, Byron Berline, John Hickman, Richard Sharpe and the Short brothers. I was intimidated to say the least. Speedy was the only one who knew me and said, "This kid can play! This will be great." He was never anything but positive and encouraging to me every time I ever played music with him.

The last time I saw him, a few months before he passed, I walked into Friends, the OKC nightclub that Speedy's band Clique had been house band at for years, and he smiled and said, "Hey, Jason! Let's jam a bit!" We played a few tunes and had a few laughs and as I was heading home he said, "Man, I just wanted to tell you that I've always loved and respected your playing." He said that to me pretty much every time we played together and I appreciated it every single time. In true Speedy fashion, it was the last thing he ever said to me. Positive and encouraging to the end. I'll always remember him smiling and tearing it up on that old red Tele. Great player, fine gentleman and one of my heroes.

Jason Shuck

[Buddy Boy]

R.I.P.