Tuesday, July 21, 2015

Eldon Shamblin

Eldon Shamblin



Eldon Shamblin was born in Clinton Oklahoma April 24th 1916.  Shamblin took up guitar at an early age and was inspired by pioneering guitarist Eddie Lang.  His older sister taught him to read music and she played piano,  when he was a teenager he moved to Oklahoma city and played bars and dance halls and a daily radio broadcast where he sang and played guitar.


IN 1934 Shambling joined the Alabama boys led by Dave Edwards, he did not play and instruments or sing.  Shambling played regularly with the Alabama Boys for three years.


After Leaving the Alabama boys Eldon finally exempted an offer the Play with the Legendary Bob Wills, Eldon had turned him down a couple times do to scheduling conflicts.  Shamblin officially joined in november 1937.  Shamblin and Wills worked together the rest of Wills life, Shamblin was Wills right hand man being in-charge of all the arrangements and payroll for the band.


Shamblin with an early lineup of the texas playboys 1938 Eldon is playing his 1938 gibson super 400


Bob Wills only told Eldon what to play twice in his time with the Texas Playboys the first time was while recording take me back to Tulsa he told Heldon to "put a lot of runs on this one."


Shamblin demonstrating what he did on take me back to Tulsa and talking about how Bob respected him enough to let him do his thing


Shamblin and Drummer Smokey Dacus talking about what it was like to work with Bob back in the day.  this was filmed at Cains Ballroom in Tulsa Oklahoma



Another Video of Eldon showing his unique style at mere mortal speed for once skip to 1 minute 45 seconds to see Eldon but the whole video is great.


The Playboys playing years after Bob Wills Death





Eldon's Fender Stratocaster


The Great guitar builder Leo Fender Loved Eldon's playing and gave him a very early 1954 start in a custom gold color that was not available to the public. He used this guitar for the rest of his career and it is his signature instrument.  The guitar now resides in Tulsa Oklahoma and the guitar store strings west.








Playing Pennies from Heaven with Debbie Campbell in the 1980s



In 1986 at a Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys Reunion 

In the late 1960s until the late 1970s Eldon and a few other Surviving Playboys started touring with Merle Haggard. Shamblin also started teaching music at Oklahoma University.




In the studio with Merle Haggard recording a Bob Wills Tribute album


A video tribute to Eldons Life

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