RIP Larry Knechtel

[David Doggett]

For those who might be interested, here's an interesting link about Larry Knechtel: click here.

[Mark Eaton]

Thanks for the link, David.

And here is the thread about Larry that Pete Finney stared on 8/21:

http://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=165372

[Chris Boyd]

Thanks David...

[Bill Bassett]

I am sure sorry to hear of Larry Knechtel's passing.
I had the pleasure of meeting him once. The story goes like this:

In early 1980 I had a small 8 track recording studio in Bellingham Washington. We needed to have our piano tuned and I was referred to a young man named Todd Smallwood to do the job. The deal was that he would tune my piano in exchange for me playing steel guitar on a couple of demo songs at his little studio. Sure, sounded like fun.

Turns out that Todd was pretty well connected and his neighbors and friends in the town of Maple Falls WA included Larry Knechtel and Jim Horn. After I had done my steel parts I was invited to Larry's home and studio just to check it out. Larry was very gracious. He showed me around his farm and the barn where his own studio was located. He seemed very proud of the old mixing console and other equipment that had come out of one of the big shops in L.A. He listed off all the hits that had been recorded through that old board. The 5th Dimension's Up Up and Away comes to mind.

So, later on I received a copy of this demo tape. A lousy cassette copy mind you. But regardless of the dubbing quality, there I was playing along with Larry Knechtel on piano and Jim Horn on flute.
I still have that old cassette by the way. Today I'll open up a few old boxes until I find it and see if I can get it to play one more time, and remember Larry Knechtel.

BDBassett
Rimrock AZ

[Chris Boyd]

What a terrific story Bill....