Al Marcus'
Steel Guitar Web page
Hi, my name is Al Marcus. Here are some of my musical memories, I hope you enjoy them.
I was in the County Childrens Home from age 9 to 12 . During that time I played cornet in the school band, a 12 grade country school. So I could read notes.
In 1936 when I was 15 years old, I traded my cornet in on a 60 lesson Oahu numbers course with a wooden hawaiian guitar. After 4 lessons with numbers, I said let me look ahead 20 lessons, I played them all and quit.
Then Jerry Stone in Cleveland , where I lived, had a special. Supro Electric 6 string and Supro amp for $1.50 a week for 60 weeks, and the guitar was mine. That included one lesson a week. I took a few lessons on E7 using the Alvino Rey Singing Guitar Method, in note form. I still have the book, but lost the cover. After all that was about 66 years ago!
Jerry was a good guitar teacher, but not too familiar with steel. I learned a lot from him, but after a few lessons, I was learning songs, etc . and found myself playing in neighborhood bars with guys twice my age. I looked older and got away with it. I made $3.00 a night for 4 hours and my Mom was working in a factory 8 hours for $3.00. So I knew right then what I wanted to do. On tunings, I switched back and forth during a job from Amajor to E7, and C# minor, depended on type of song I was playing.
 |
This is me at age 15 with the wooden guitar, when I got the Supro Electric, I took the nut out and learned guitar on it. The house where we lived, we rented the upstairs, was right next to the factory that my Mom and older Sister worked. I worked there too when I got older for awhile. |
| That 's me on the left in the army in San Francisco for awhile. |  |
After discharge from the Army in 1945, I joined the Musicians Union and joined this band at the Showboat, dinner and dancing club with floor shows. The arranger, Karl Braun wrote some Alvino Rey Style charts, featuring me on the double 8 steel, for the band and I loved it. I played the guitar, then leaned over to play the parts for the steel. We played 6 nights a week for quite a while.
This is a nice group that I played with for awhile, around 1946.
Add a comment to this page, click here!
If you would like to make a comment about this web page, please send your comments via E-mail, Please include your name and where you live. The page will be updated as comments are received.
Home-Page 2: -Page 3: -Page 4: -Page 5: -Page 6:-Page 7:-Page 8:Guest Comments Page