(This is the same coal mining county mentioned in the John Prine song "Paradise".) [3], He then released a 1970 solo single about D. B. Cooper which was withdrawn due to controversy over its subject matter. Bud Bresh died in 1987, four years after Travis' death. This Homespun video series is a must for all fans of Merle Travis! Stelling Son Flower. Ike had grown up in Muhlenberg County, Kentucky, and was a gifted guitar-picker whose playing helped to shape the playing of such country greats as Merle Travis and Chet Atkins. Facebook Good old country boy from Kentucky. It recorded an instrumental track "Pink Dominos" and issued it on a single with "Breakout" on the B-side. Wikipedia - the free encyclopedia - "Merle Robert Travis (November 29, 1917 – October 20, 1983) was an American country and western singer, songwriter, and musician born in Rosewood, Kentucky." [4], Bresh recorded two albums for ABC Records as well: Kicked Back in 1977 and Portrait a year later, both produced by Jimmy Bowen. Bresh was born on February 23, 1948 in Hollywood, California as the son of country singer Merle Travis. Three and half years later on May 9, 1979, they welcomed their second son, Justin Randi. Merle Travis, United Mineworkers' Journal, reprinted in Edith Fowke & Joe Glazer, Songs of Work and Protest, New York, NY, 1973, p. 51. The only son of the legendary guitarist gives us an in-depth look at … His first charted single, "Home Made Love", made number six on the Hot Country Songs charts in 1976. His son, multi-instrumentalist Thom Bresh, has continued to keep his father’s music alive. As a child, Bresh began acting in films and recording his own music. Flint is shown with Travis' son, Thom Bresh, as the two played together around 1987. Complete song listing of Merle Travis on OLDIES.com Merle Travis ~ Songs List | OLDIES.com COVID-19: Because of processes designed to ensure the safety of our employees, you may experience a delay in the shipping of your order. When Merle Travis passed away in 1983, we lost one of our most innovative and distinctive musical voices. Merle Travis Music Center - Powderly, KY. September 28, 2018. When Rob Travis took a job at a nearby mine in 1925, the family moved to a coal company-owned farm near Ebenezer, Kentucky. Merle Travis definitely exposed the masses to the scroll headstock with his Martin D-28 custom neck acoustic dreadnought (pictured above), as well as his usage of one of the first Bigsby electrics. Madagascar back/sides, too!! [4], Starting in 1972, Bresh recorded for Kapp Records. Growing up around guitarists, his natural talent flourished, as did his showmanship. Birthplace: Rosewood, KY Location of death: Tahlequah, OK Cause of death: Heart Failure Remains: Cremate. From the DVD "Sixteen Tons." Influential fingerpicking country guitarist. He became interested in the guitar early in life and originally played one made by his brother. Merle Travis' 1969 D-28 As the fingerboard inlay suggests, this 1969 Martin D-28 was owned by the influential finger-picking singer/songwrite Merle Travis. [5] This was included on an album of the same name for Farr Records. |  [6] Record World magazine published a positive review of Portrait, calling the album "versatile" and noting the variety of musical influences. Travis reportedly saved his money to buy a guitar for which he had window-shopped for some time. Longtime Travis fan Doc Watson named his son Merle Watson, Glen Campbell's country music loving parents named him Glen Travis Campbell, and Travis admirer Chet Atkins named his daughter Merle Atkins, all in Travis's honor. Yes, worked on shows with Merle. Merle was in at least thirty-six western movies with Charles Starett, Smiley Burnette, and various other actors. Illegitimate son of actor-musician-writer Merle Travis and Ruth Johnson, who later married renowned Hollywood photographer Bud Bresh. Topic: Merle Travis & Son: Larry Robbins Member . But many fingerstyle guitarists, including Grammy and Academy Award-nominated Thom Bresh, son of Country Music Hall of Fame great Merle Travis, prefer to go it alone. Lyrics as recorded by Merle Travis on Aug 8, 1946, Hollywoood, CA, originally released as Capitol 48001. He is a composer, known for Tough Enough (1983), San Quentin Film School (2009) and American Masters (1985). He also worked as a movie stuntman at the Corriganville Movie Ranch. When Merle Travis passed away in 1983, we lost one of our most innovative and distinctive musical voices. Great song writer. Thomas Charles Bresh (born February 23, 1948), sometimes spelled Tom Bresh, is an American country music guitarist and singer. Official Sites, Was taught his famous "finger-picking" style of guitar-playing by. Fortunately, his songs and fingerpicking style live on in the hands of his son, Thom Bresh, a talented and dynamic guitarist who learned the real Travis-style guitar right from the source. The single peaked at No. His father, Merle Travis, was the most influential American guitarist of the 20th Century. Smoke! Vassar told me it was Merle Travis’ son. With this sort of heritage and upbringing, what do you have? Merle Robert Travis, son of local farmer Rob Travis and his wife, Etta, grew up in the heart of western Kentucky coal country. Other Works Merle Travis Peterson, the front man and Johnny Cash double, made the announcement on social media. (That Cigarette)" which featured Bresh performing thirteen different impersonations. When the younger Bresh was 'allowed' to discover his true biological father, Travis (who had stayed close to the boy as a family friend) made him promise he would keep the secret until his stepfather died. The Real Merle Travis Guitar . 16 Tons: “You load 16 ton and whada you get, another day older and deeper in debt, Saint Peter don’t you call me cause I cain’t go. Merle Travis Travis was the son of a tobacco farmer, but by the time he was four-years-old the family had moved to Ebenezer, Kentucky, and his father was working in the mines. Recommended Listening His father played the banjo, but Travis preferred the guitar. When the younger Bresh was 'allowed' to discover his true biological father, Travis (who had stayed close to the boy as a family friend) made him promise he would keep the secret until his stepfather died. Bresh, as all musicians know, is the son of legendary guitarist Merle Travis, known for developing so called “Travis picking” and influencing generations of Nashville musicians. Bresh grew up in Hollywood and made his onstage debut at age 3 with a ukulele. Merle Travis, Leon Rusk: Leon Rusk: July 1946: Covered by : Bayou Baby: Merle Travis: Merle Travis: December 4, 1952: Covered by : Blue Smoke: Merle Travis: Merle Travis and His Guitar: January 21, 1946: Covered by : Cannon Ball Rag: Merle Travis: Merle Travis: September 3, 1952: Covered by : Cincinnati Lou: Merle Travis, Shug Fisher As a producer, he has been employed by country legend Jerry Reed, classical guitarist Valerie DuChateau, and Merle Travis. [7] Included on Portrait was a cover of "Smoke! Publicity Listings Merle Travis was born and raised in Muhlenberg County, Kentucky, a place which would inspire many of Travis' original songs. In 1983, Merle surprised Desiree with their new home on County Road JJ. AKA Merle Robert Travis. On October 17, 1975 they welcomed their first son, Travis Jay. Both Doc Watson and Chet Atkins named sons after him. |  Bresh claims that he is the biological son of Travis. The Breshman was born in Hollywood, California and raised in the middle of guitar royalty. As Chet Atkins put it, “Thom Bresh is a "World Class" guitarist that deserves to be heard.” Fortunately, his songs and fingerpicking style live on in the hands of his son, Thom Bresh, a talented and dynamic guitarist who learned the real Travis-style guitar right from the source. Travis' son, Thom Bresh, has this first Bigsby vibrato ever built. Thom Bresh is Merle Travis' son, and a great picker, so you are learning from the right teacher. Travis's father often remarked, 'Another day older and deeper in debt', a phrase his son used in Sixteen Tons. [2] He also worked as a movie stuntman at the Corriganville Movie Ranch. Due to the song's success, Bresh was nominated by the Academy of Country Music as Top New Male Vocalist that year. Cash Box magazine reviewed Kicked Back favorably, saying that Bresh had "[a] perfectly mellow voice and vital tracks with excellent material and interpretation". Who’s Thom Bresh? That is one slender neck - spec'ed at 1-21/32", it is even slimmer than the standard 1-11/16". By this time, he had settled down with wife number four, but his years of contentment were to be short-lived as he suffered a fatal heart attack on October 20, 1983. At age twelve Merle became obsessed with learning Muhlenberg County’s unique guitar finger-picking style, which involved picking syncopated … Rare, personal insights and one-on-one instruction from true Fingerstyle legends. IMDb - worlds biggest movie database - List of Merle's movies and credits. [8], Bresh hosted a weekly television variety show of his own creation, Nashville Swing, was a regular on The Merv Griffin Show and Dinah!,[8] and made a guest appearance on the TNN special A Salute to the Country Greats. From: Fort Edward, New York, USA: posted 10 October 2006 03:41 PM profile 69 on the Billboard Hot 100 in early 1964. And, you know, we both agreed that if Merle (Travis Peterson, the band’s front man) tried to push him out, he would basically try to burn The Cold Hard Cash Show to the ground.” There are several great tunes, all broken down in detail (picking and fretting hands) which makes learning the style a lot easier than trying to figure it out just by ear. As a child, Bresh began acting in films and recording his own music. Tom Bresh was born on February 23, 1948 in Los Angeles County, California, USA as Thomas Charles Bresh. The great Merle Travis performs "Cannonball Rag" and "Who's Sorry Now" on 70s TV. The story of this guitar is told by Travis' son Thom Bresh (himself a noted fingerpicking guitarist) in a signed note that accompanies this instrument: I was honored with "Recording Of the Year", for my CD, "TIME", at the 2018 THUMB PICKERS HALL of FAME Awards Ceremony. Merle Travis. As a videographer, Bresh has shot, produced, and edited projects for Hank Thompson, Lyle Lovett, Brooks & Dunn, George Jones, Tanya Tucker and Jerry Reed. Later in 1979, they moved to the family farm north of Holly. Merle helped on the family farm whenever he could. He performed in the award winning film From Here to Eternity with Burt Lancaster, Deborah Kerr, Montgomery cliff, Donna Reed, Frank Sinatra, and Ernest Borgnine. Plus, exclusive in-depth interviews with Fingerstyle masters, Phil Keaggy (Grammy nominated Fingerstyle legend), Thom Bresh (Merle Travis’ son), and Pierre Bensusan (Guitar Player Magazine’s 2008 World Guitarist of the Year). I will admit that it's a thrill walking around with that beautiful award knowing that your peers found you worthy of getting to be shown a little love. View agent, publicist, legal and company contact details on IMDbPro. One of a kind. Illegitimate son of actor-musician-writer Merle Travis and Ruth Johnson, who later married renowned Hollywood photographer Bud Bresh. Bresh was born on February 23, 1948 in Hollywood, California as the son of country singer Merle Travis. In 1963, he was a member of the rock and roll band The Crescents. Active since the 1970s, Bresh has charted multiple singles on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts. S —– Hi Sonny, did you ever have the chance to work with Merle Travis? Illegitimate son of actor-musician-writer Merle Travis and Ruth Johnson, who later married renowned Hollywood photographer Bud Bresh. Smoke! [9], Pat Bovenizer Interview - NAMM Oral History Library (2016), https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Thom_Bresh&oldid=1019499032, Articles with dead external links from November 2019, Articles with permanently dead external links, Short description is different from Wikidata, Pages using Template:Infobox musical artist with unknown parameters, Wikipedia articles with MusicBrainz identifiers, Wikipedia articles with WORLDCATID identifiers, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, "Hey Daisy (Where Have All the Good Times Gone)", This page was last edited on 23 April 2021, at 17:37. Well, I guess the apple doesn’t fall too far from the tree, as Vassar then told me months later that you can close your eyes and never know the difference between the two. Merle played the custom Martin guitar from the time he had it re-necked until his death in 1983 on all his acoustic tracks. 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