The Piano Players in Modern Country Music ~ 1959 - 1990 (2/2): Floyd Cramer

For decades, pianos have been an integral part of the country music sound. When available, pianos were part of rural string bands performing for dances. Its percussive rhythms made the dance beat more definable. One early country piano recording was done in 1927, when Virginia's Shelor Family String Band was recorded by Ralph Peer at the legendary Bristol Sessions. However, many early country performers thought little of using the piano. Charlie Poole was once ejected from a recording session when he wanted to use one; his New York producers felt it wasn't country sounding. But this was not the case with early Grand Ole Opry star Sam McGee, who learned some of his instrumentals from a player piano roll.

Floyd Cramer, who began as a pianist on the Louisville Hayride, later became Nashville's primary studio piano player during the 1960s. In 1959, Chet Atkins played him a demo of a song titled "Please Help Me, I'm Falling." The next day, Atkins planned to have Hank Locklin record it. Chet liked songwriter Don Robertson's style on the song's demo, using chromatic grace notes to recreate the changing pitches of a pedal steel, so he told Cramer to learn what later became known as the "slip note" style for the Locklin session. Cramer's piano figures became a integral part of the song and led to his own composition in that same slip note style: "Last Date." Other singers like Ronnie Milsap, Mickey Gilley, Becky Hobbs and Gary Stewart all used piano as their primary instruments. Today, electronic keyboards have become an integral part of country recordings, some well-played, others used to excess. The following is a partial listing of piano players who worked on session recordings from the 1950s through the 1990s, beginning with the top-five in ranking order.

1. Hargus "Pig" Robbins (era: 1950s-1990s)
2. Floyd Cramer (era: 1950s-1980s),
3. Bill Pursell (era: 1950s-1980s),
4. Marvin Hughes (era: 1950s-1960s),
5. David Briggs (era: 1960s-1990s)

• Benny Martin (era: 1950s)
• Barry Beckett (era: 1970s-1980)
• Billy Liebert (era: 1970s)
• Bobby Emmons (era: 1980s)
• Bobby Ogdin (era: 1970s-1980s)
• Bobby Wood (era: 1970s-1980s)
• Bobbie Nelson (era: 1970s)
• Earl Ball (era: 1970s)
• Evelyn Rowley (era: 1950s)
• Del Wood (era: 1950s -- 1980s)
• Doc Lewis (era: 1960s)
• Edwin Carver (era: 1950s)
• Glen D. Hardin (era: 1960s-1970s)
• George French (era: 1960s-1970s)
• Glenn Hardin (era: 1960s-1970s)
• Gordon Stoker (era: 1950s-1960s)
• Jerry Lee Lewis (era: 1950s-1980s)
• Jerry Smith (era: 1960s-1970s)
• Jim Pierce (era: 1960s)
• Jimmy Pruett (era: 1960s)
• John Gordy (era: 1960s)
• John Hobbs (era: 1980s-1990s)
• John B. Jarvis (era: 1980s-1990s)
• Larry Butler (era: 1960s - 1970s)
• Madge Sutee (era: 1950s)
• Marty Gold (era: 1950s)
• Merrill Moore (era: 1950s-1960s)
• Mickey Gilley (era: 1960s-1980s)
• Maijohn Wilkin (era: 1950s)
• Mark Yeary (era: 1970s)
• Merrill Moore (era: 1960s-1970s)
• Moon Mullican (era: 1940s-1950s)
• Owen Bradley (era: 1950s)
• Paul Mitchell (era: 1960s)
• Pete Wasner (era: 1980s)
• Ron Oates (era: 1970s)
• Roy Hall (1940s-1950s)
• Tony Brown (era: 1970)

Also see: The Piano Players in Modern Country Music ~ 1959 - 1990 (1/2)

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[dcfilms97]

Hey I saw this guys grandson in concert!

He's pretty good =)

[Featureman]

That is an impressive list of piano players. I don't think you missed anyone.

[jtls8]

Love to hear the great piano players and Floyd is surely on of them!!!

[drfernandooscargil]

Jerry Lee Lewis is the greatest pianoman of them all. Fernando Gil.-