A Great Picker
Obituary for Henry Sapp, buried,
12/22/2005, posted at my ‘musicthoughts’ Yahoo!
Songwriter’s Discussion Group (with
over 1,200 members) on 12/23/2005. Obituary:
It's with a bit of sadness that I report the passing of the elder Henry Sapp, Buried yesterday, 12/22/05 at Arlington's Dallas/Fort Worth Section for Heroes, who was a studio lead Country picker, (Acoustic/electric) in Nashville and most other major recording studios, yes, even Sun Records where Elvis, Jerry Lee Lewis and Carl Perkins recorded, with Henry picking.
I met him 2 years ago when he was 72 at our local American Legion Hall, where he settled here in small town Cleburne with his wife, Ida. He was playing loud, electric guitar with a much younger country band, when their lead player didn't show up.
Henry was a war Hero from the Korean War, you know, the war we never hear about, and wasn’t 'termed a war' until it was over, just like the following war, first called a 'convict,' then later, when it was officially over with, the 'war' in Vietnam.
We needed a lead guitarist for my 'Greywolf' "The Band of one, and sometimes, some," album, "Directions," wherein we were lucky enough to have Henry record acoustic lead guitar on 3 of the major tracks.
Henry admitted he was never called upon to play and record 'Folk' music, but he was willing to try. I might have begged him to play.
Henry showed on time to the studio in the country of Joshua, Texas, which was as hard to find as a needle in a river of logs.
It took Henry about 30 minutes of going over this one lead song, wherein all I had for Henry was a recorded 'play track' with my vocal, rhythm guitar and drums I had laid down, but no 'lead sheet' as such, of the song. 'Just a copy of the lyrics, with the guitar chords placed up on the word wherein the chords occured; the way I have written songs for decades.
Henry listened closely through the headphones, tried a very country riff, Oops: "Well, I dunno Henry, 'sounds kinda 'country' Pops," I told him, with a big smile. Gruffy ole Henry cussed a bit, accepted a few beers from Gary, the co-producer and Eng., told us stories of playing for Jerry Lee Lewis and how he was in Willie Nelson's first band, taught Willie how to play lead riffs, then quit him one day, being the only picker who ever punched Willie in the nose when he quit. 'They weren't on good terms.
So, a GREAT picker has gone on to jam with the other greats up there in the great beyond on The Great Mystery.
Henry Sapp's last professional album and or recording, appears on our album, "Directions," and Henry said, when we were done with his one and only session when he 'nailed' the 3 songs as I heard them sound in my head (and after the beers), that he was, "Proud to have been a 'Greywolf.' But they sure can howl and stink in a cage."
Yeah, that's right Henry. He 'nailed' that part, too.
“Later on, Henry. Oh, and thanks again, Pops.”
Blessings,
Jason of 'Greywolf' The Band.
http://jasonleigh.org/greywolf1.htm
