Jimmy Day - "Soul of Country Music"
James Clayton Day was born on January 9, 1934 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. At age 17 he started to work for the famous "Louisiana Hayride" in Shreveport, Louisiana, backing up some of the hottest stars at the time, like Hank Williams, Elvis Presley, Jim Reeves, Webb Pierce and Red Sovine. In 1956 he moved to Nashville and became a member of Ray Price's Cherokee Cowboys. He also worked countless recording sessions with stars like Willie Nelson, Johnny Bush, Porter Wagoner and Skeeter Davis.
Jimmy's intros and solos, his incomparable feeling he was able to express on record and on stage is legendary, his instrumental albums like "Steel and Strings" and "All Those Years" are classics and belong to those records that have to be in the collection of every serious lover of the Steel Guitar.
Jimmy Day passed away in January of 1999, shortly after these photos were taken. I consider it a special privilege to have seen him live on stage at least once, he will always be one of my all-time heroes!
Jimmy Day is a member of the Steel Guitar Hall of Fame.