Johnny Carson-Jimi Hendrix-P.Keaggy
cad...@miavx3.mid.muohio.edu
the Johnny Carson show, and that the host asked Hendrix what
it felt like to be the greatest guitar player in the world.
His answer was "I don't know, I'm not Phil Keaggy(sp?).
True or Untrue?????
Dale Schouten
Untrue.
Lonnie J. Borntreger
Here we go again!!
Filologist
Filologist
I was in attendance at a Keaggy concert where the emcee told of such an
interview in GUITAR PLAYER magazine. It was supposedly a '65 issue if my
memory serves me correctly. Phil didn't deny it, but neither did he
confirm it since he isn't into that kind of ego building. He's a very
approachable and kind person who is very fun to talk to. He's amiable and
humorous. I think that is the real issue: what he's like. You can check
out all the back issues of Guitar Player from 65 to 69 but really there is
no "best" guitarist, just 'favorites'.
If you got to see the Legends of Guitar tour this year ( it had Leo
Kottke, Joe Pass, Paco Pena, and a classical guitarist whose name escapes
me ), then you saw this point illustrated clearly. Each one of them had
unique talents that varied drastically from the others ( and from Phil),
but they were all masters. I've heard Phil comment about how he can't
play classical guitar. Actually he can't read the music. I watched a
music student transcribe a solo from a live performance then he showed it
to Phil. Phil just held it up and said "Randy (Stonehill), look what I
did! Of course I have no idea what it says."
Have fun sampling guitarists!
Wade
Filol...@aol.com
Dale Schouten
>I was in attendance at a Keaggy concert where the emcee told of such an
>interview in GUITAR PLAYER magazine. It was supposedly a '65 issue if my
>memory serves me correctly.
The emcee was sadly misinformed and shoud stop spreading disinformation.
I'm not positive, but I believe Phil Keaggy was in grade school in 65.
Maybe junior high.
Dale
scho...@uiuc.edu
Peter E. Jorgensen
In a previous article, scho...@sp95.csrd.uiuc.edu (Dale Schouten) says:
>In article <329so4$n...@search01.news.aol.com> filol...@aol.com (Filologist) writes:
>
>>I was in attendance at a Keaggy concert where the emcee told of such an
>>interview in GUITAR PLAYER magazine. It was supposedly a '65 issue if my
>>memory serves me correctly.
>
I could be wrong, but I don't think GP was even in existence quite that
early; in any event, the story's all nonsense. On the other hand, Eric
Johnson did list PK as among his favorite players in an interview in GP a
few years ago. I have a copy somewhere....
--
From Peter Jorgensen
eq...@cleveland.freenet.edu
*I don't live in Cleveland; I just get my e-mail there.*
Russell D Irons
I'm not sure where my info comes from, but I remember that while
I was an oldies DJ that the myth about Hendrixs naming Keaggy as
"the greatest guitar player he ever heard" was in fact not true.
Keaggy was in the group "Glass Harp" at the time I believe, but
I don't think there is any validity to the quote--not to say that
Keaggy isn't a master on the ax! Hopefully, someone will have
a more solid bases for their discounting of this opinion!
Rusty
--
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Rusty Irons WB8VOW ed...@cleveland.freenet.edu
"Aslan reigns over much more than Narnia!"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Dale Schouten
>I don't think there is any validity to the quote--not to say that
>Keaggy isn't a master on the ax!
Is that how he lost his finger?
:-):-):-)
BSimcoe
~A friend told me that Jimi Hendrix was on a talk show, possibly
~the Johnny Carson show, and that the host asked Hendrix what
~it felt like to be the greatest guitar player in the world.
~His answer was "I don't know, I'm not Phil Keaggy(sp?).
~
~True or Untrue?????
I've heard that story at least a dozen times, and usually the details
changed...first, it was Rolling Stone and Jimi Hendrix, then it was
Rolling Stone and Eddie Van Halen...this is the first I heard Johnny
Carson...how about Howard Cosell and Arthur Fiedler? or Dan Rather and
Beverly Sills?
Well, I heard this one, too... they asked Phil Keaggy if it were true,
and he said he'd never heard of it. If it were true of YOU, wouldn't
someone have shown you?
I suspect that it is a hoax along the lines of the little old lady who
tried to dry her cat/poodle/lap dog in the microwave oven...has anyone
ever actually seen the original? Because if so, good research should be
able to produce the actual interview.
________________
|Brian K. Simcoe | \Holy Haze is in my brain
|bsi...@aol.com| \Lately things don't seem the same
|________________| \Acting funny, but I know why...
\'Scuse me while I have my
quiet time!
Stargazer
Sure! Why not!?
I actually saw that show last year. Hendrix looked real good.
I think it's the same show that had Elvis on it.
He and Jimi even played a duet or something together.
I think it was "Johnny Be Lonesome Tonight".
Great stuff.
Still not as good though as when Clapton put out the fire in Jimi's
hair. Now *THAT* was entertainment (with Keaggy in the wings as well).
For now we'll just have to do with Ms. Mariah "satan" Carey on Arsenio reruns.
Popculturally yours,
--
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be turned off until further notice.
IS...@vm.cc.latech.edu
>cad...@miavx3.mid.muohio.edu writes:
>
>>A friend told me that Jimi Hendrix was on a talk show, possibly
>>the Johnny Carson show, and that the host asked Hendrix what
>>it felt like to be the greatest guitar player in the world.
>>His answer was "I don't know, I'm not Phil Keaggy(sp?).
>>
>>True or Untrue?????
around Christian circles and make us look foolish. I read an interview
with Keaggy in CCM about 10 years ago where they talked about the rumor.
Keaggy is much embarrased by it and thinks it was started by wishful thinking
fans.
>I was in attendance at a Keaggy concert where the emcee told of such an
>interview in GUITAR PLAYER magazine. It was supposedly a '65 issue if my
>memory serves me correctly. Phil didn't deny it, but neither did he
>confirm it since he isn't into that kind of ego building.
emcee. That would fit his character as well.
wegh...@cnsvax.uwec.edu
Not true. The guest on Carson was actually Beethoven, and he said that
Keaggy is the greatest musician of all time. Pretty amazing for a guy
who chewed off all 8 of his fingers and plays only with the nubs....
Sam Lee
: In article <1994Aug9...@miavx3.mid.muohio.edu>,
: cad...@miavx3.mid.muohio.edu writes:
: ~A friend told me that Jimi Hendrix was on a talk show, possibly
: ~the Johnny Carson show, and that the host asked Hendrix what
: ~it felt like to be the greatest guitar player in the world.
: ~His answer was "I don't know, I'm not Phil Keaggy(sp?).
: ~
well, well, well..... well..
This thing's kinda like the Proctor and Gamble issue--it never dies.
This story comes out once in awhile on the guitar groups. The short end
is the story is not true. By the way, there's an impressive FAQ about
the myth. If I can find the ftp site, i'll write back.
sam
Filologist
of the story in question. The emcee did tell the story in Phil's
presence, but Phil isn't the type to make a big deal of it whether its's
true or not.
THE REAL POINT I WAS MAKING IS: I don't think there is such a thing as
the 'best guitarist in the world', and that there are are so many
excellent guitarists around. ( Joe Pass whom I mentioned as being one of
the 'Guitar Summit' performers has passed away. He was one of the greats)
In clarification, I relied on a very foggy recollection of that emcee's
intro that night. I think I said so in my previous post. It's possible
that GP wasn't published back then, as has been suggested. Phil might
have been only a teen as has been suggested. So I make a motion that we
change the subject! Does anyone know how he Really lost that finger? (I
do but I promised not to tell) :-D
Wade Curry
(filol...@aol.com)
Stargazer
Ok, since you asked, I'll oblige.
According to an article I read in some magazine (the name of which escapes me),
Jimi Hendrix confessed to having cut off part of Keaggy's middle finger (of his right
hand) after having to concede that Phil was the greatest guitarist alive one time
too many.
In a subsequent appearance on the Tonight Show Jimi was asked how it felt being the
greatest guitarist alive with only nine fingers, to which he replied:
"I don't know! Ask Phil Keaggy!" -- while snickering uncontrollably.
He then proceeded to set fire to his hair again, but Clapton was not on hand to
extinguish the fire this time around, hence the end of the popularity of "afros".
--
Stargazer
Thomas Soerens
>> >Keaggy isn't a master on the ax!
>>
>> Is that how he lost his finger?
>> :-):-):-)
>According to an article I read in some magazine (the name of which escapes me),
>Jimi Hendrix confessed to having cut off part of Keaggy's middle finger (of his right
>hand) after having to concede that Phil was the greatest guitarist alive one time
>too many.
>In a subsequent appearance on the Tonight Show Jimi was asked how it felt being the
>greatest guitarist alive with only nine fingers, to which he replied:
>"I don't know! Ask Phil Keaggy!" -- while snickering uncontrollably.
>He then proceeded to set fire to his hair again, but Clapton was not on hand to
>extinguish the fire this time around, hence the end of the popularity of "afros".
>--
>Stargazer
Actually, my grandmother saw Django Reinhardt (sp?) in concert and the emcee
said that Django was considered "the second best guitarist in the world next
to Phil Keaggy -- and Phil is missing a finger". Django, always too proud for
his own good, went and purposely crippled two of the fingers on his left hand
just to prove that he could play with fewer fingers than Keaggy.
-TS
Thomas Soerens
Actually it wasn't me (Thomas Soerens) who wrote that. I've been a Keaggy
fan for about 20 years. I'm the one who said that the "greatest guitarist..."
quote was from Django Reinhardt.
-TS
>mot.com> <32rbpc$3...@constellation.ecn.uoknor.edu>
>Organization: Illinois State University
>Thomas Soerens (epas...@tiger.ecn.uoknor.edu) wrote:
>: >> >I don't think there is any validity to the quote--not to say that
>: >> >Keaggy isn't a master on the ax!
>: >>
>: >> Is that how he lost his finger?
>: >> :-):-):-)
>He lost his finger on an old water well. You know.. those that you have to
>pump. ( Look at his new acoustic Cd, and in the first song, "Way Back Home"
>there is a quote that says "And the water pump that took a part of me,
>gracfully, remebering that day when I was Four" )
>Ben Miller .. New the the christian music group
Jay Rinkel
that I have never heard before. Someone posted an article saying that Phil
Keaggy at one time lost a finger. Did he really lose a finger? Is he
still without one? I would really like to know because that fact can be
used as an encouragement to a youngster I know.
Thanks for the Info ahead of time!
Jay Rinkel (jri...@dynalhost1.dynal.com)
-Andy Whitman
Jay Rinkel <jri...@dynalhost1.dynal.com> wrote:
>I have been reading the postings here about Phil Keaggy and I saw something
>that I have never heard before. Someone posted an article saying that Phil
>Keaggy at one time lost a finger. Did he really lose a finger? Is he
>still without one? I would really like to know because that fact can be
>used as an encouragement to a youngster I know.
From "1001 Urban Legends About Phil Keaggy" (Hendrix, Van Halen et. al.):
UL#784: "At the age of 14, Phil cut off all the fingers on his left
hand in a fit of pique after intentionally being snubbed by Eric Clapton
as "only the second greatest guitarist in the world." After a
three-year stint in Iron Butterfly (where he recorded the immortal
guitar solo in "In a Gadda Da Vida" using only his thumb), all but
one of Phil's fingers miraculously grew back following the immersion
of his hand in holy water shipped from Lourdes, France. Unfortunately,
the miracle also seemed to take something out of Phil, and his
formerly 6'9" frame was somewhat diminished. Rumor has it that
the one finger still missing is buried under the Temple of the
Rock in Jerusalem, and will be revealed in all its gnarliness at
the second coming of Christ."
The real answer: Yes, Phil is missing a finger. He lost it when
he was four years old. And he's gone on to play many guitar solos
greater than the one in "In a Gadda Da Vida". May your young friend
be encouraged.
>Thanks for the Info ahead of time!
>Jay Rinkel (jri...@dynalhost1.dynal.com)
Andy Whitman
AT&T Network Systems
Columbus, Ohio
a...@cblph.att.com
Daryl Westfall
: I have been reading the postings here about Phil Keaggy and I saw something
: that I have never heard before. Someone posted an article saying that Phil
: Keaggy at one time lost a finger. Did he really lose a finger? Is he
: still without one? I would really like to know because that fact can be
: used as an encouragement to a youngster I know.
Yup! Look at the cover of "Crimson" and you'll see for yourself.
--
Daryl Westfall
west...@sc-uni.ktu.lt
west...@indirect.com
