Jimmy Day
American musician; steel guitarist (1934-1999) / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Jimmy Day (born James Clayton Day; 1934–1999) was an American steel guitarist active in the 1950s and 1960s[1] whose career in country music blossomed about the time the pedal steel guitar was invented after pedals were added to the lap steel guitar. He was a pioneer on pedal steel in the genres of Western swing and Honky tonk and his modifications of the instrument's design have become a standard on the modern pedal steel. Day's first job after high school was performing on the Louisiana Hayride as a sideman accompanying developing country artists including Hank Williams, Webb Pierce, Willie Nelson, Jim Reeves, Ray Price and Elvis Presley.[2] He recorded and toured with all these artists and was featured on hit records by of many of them, including Ray Price's, "Crazy Arms" and "Heartaches by the Number". He was a member of Elvis Presley's band for about a year, but, along with fellow bandmate Floyd Cramer, resigned after Presley requested them to re-locate to Hollywood; instead, Day moved to Nashville to work as a session player and Grand Ole Opry musician. He was a member of the Western Swing Hall of Fame (1994) and the International Steel Guitar Hall of Fame (1999). Day died of cancer in 1999.
Jimmy Day | |
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![]() Jimmy Day, c.1975 | |
Background information | |
Birth name | James Clayton Day |
Also known as | Jimmy Day |
Born | (1934-01-09)January 9, 1934 Tuscaloosa, Alabama, U.S. |
Died | January 22, 1999(1999-01-22) (aged 65) Austin, Texas |
Genres | Country, Western swing, Honky tonk |
Occupation(s) | Musician |
Instrument(s) | lap steel guitar, pedal steel guitar |
Years active | 1950–1970 |
Labels | Abbott Records and others |