Rare Photograph ' S, RCA, Fate & Fed Vanderpool, Harvie June Van, Chet Atkins, RCA
Item History & Price
| Reference Number: Avaluer:8532335 | Size: (2) 5X7 |
| Country/Region of Manufacture: United States | Modified Item: No |
| Band: Harvie June Van, Fate & Fed Vanderpool Chet Atkins |
This was the Bio and two of the photographs that were submitted to George Gruhn when Fate placed his guitar in George Gruhn's store for sale in 2017. The guitar sold in under two hours. You will receive these two photographs (5X7), Bio and a Free B/W copy of The Vanderpool Guitar Article written by George Gruhn.
Photo #1) Fate Vanderpool playing his GOWER Guitar (The Vanderpool) with his sister RCA Recording Artists Harvie June Van. Getting ready to perform at DJ Conventio...n in Nashville, TN..
Photo #2) BR, Doug Kirkham (Millie Kirkham's Husband) Chet Atkin's/RCA Producer, John D. Loudermilk, Bob Moore (Bob played on more #1 Records than anyone in the world)Velma Smith played Rhythm Guitar. Front Row Fed Vanderpool (AKA/Van Houston on Columbia Records) Fate Vanderpool hands crossed, Fate played lead guitar and their sister Harvie June Van. Chet Atkin's Produced Harvie June Van on RCA. George Gruhn wrote an article about Fate Vanderpool and his Custom Gower Guitar, which is now named "The Vanderpool."
Bio onCustom Gower GuitarBuilt by J.W. Gower, Nashville, TN. The year was 1956-57;I was working a lot here in Nashville on WSM Channel 4 TV. One of the guys weworked with on TV was a good friend of Dad’s, Zeke Clements one of the greatestsong writers of all times. Daddy and Zeke had known each other since the earlydays of the war. That’s where daddy, Paul Black, Wally Fowler and Ray Calihanmet at Oak Ridge where they worked and started a gospel group called The OakRidge Boys Quartet. It was on Zeke’s Show where I met this bass player namedJ.W. Gower and we became close friends. J.W. told me hewas thinking about building guitars, and he had built several already. Well onthese shows were a lot of Nashville’s great pickers, Grady Martin, HankGarland, Sam Pruitt, Chet Atkins, Spider Wilson, Billy and Floyd Robinson andBilly Byrd. Chet Atkins signed for me to join the Union when I was only 17. We had all triedto improve our instrument but now I have found someone who really knows what heis doing. I went out to his shop and heshowed me what he was working on. And we made a deal Hank Garland was helpinghim with a new electric he was building. When it got to mine J.W. and Hankwound the coils on the pickups on an old sewing machine bobbin winder. The pickups on myguitar had double magnets and probably were the first double wound pickups thathad been made at that time. Somebody showed one to Gibson, and they startedmaking them. The wood being used on this project was 26 years old in 1956, Curley Maple, Tiger Maple, Birds Eye Maple. The inlay is Mother of Pearl allhand crafted. I think there were three guitars of this type made; mine, SpiderWilson and one went out of state, or country. My Best Friendgrowing up was one of the greatest guitar players I have ever known, his namewas Jerry Anderson. We grew up together with guitars in our hands. About thetime I got the Gower, Jerry received his John D’Angelico New Yorker. This wasthe last one the old man made and this one was because Jerry and Johnny Smiththe great Jazz player were very close friends, and Johnny asks the old man tomake one more, and it was for Jerry. Weput my guitar and Jerry’s guitar side by side and it was easy to see the highlevel of quality and workmanship, of these two great guitars. When my guitarwas finished I was in the Military and I let my friend Hank Garland take itwith him until I got home. I thought he was going to cry when he had to give itup. As soon as I got the Gower I started playing sessions again. I think thefirst session was at King Records in Cincinnati, Ohio for Sid Nathan. Iremember playing a lot of sessions for Noel Ball on 3rd Avenue No., the studio was at a radio station. There was a studio on Church Street; a lotof this was guys out of Memphis. Joe Taylor wasdoing a lot with this bunch. I remember a group out of Chicago recording a songmy brother Van Houston wrote. I played on sessions at the old Quonset hut for Columbia;I remember playing there with Tony Moon for my brother’s songs. The ReavisStudio owned and operated by Joe Reavis, Jr., was another on Third Avenue inNashville. I played a lot of sessions there with another great friend andpicker Hargus Melvin “Pig” Robbins, born in Spring City, TN... This guitar wasplayed on the second session at Studio B, there’s a photo at that session. Thissession was for my sister Harvie June Van on RCA. The photo shows Harvie JuneVan and her Producer Chet Atkins, Session players and backup singers, BobMoore, Doug Kirkum (Millie’s husband) my brother Van Houston (Columbia Records), Velma Smith, John D. Loudermilk and Fate Vanderpool. There is also aphoto of Harvie June Van/RCA Recording Artists and Sessions Player FateVanderpool playing this Gower Guitar getting ready to perform at the 2ndD.J. Convention downtown Nashville, TN... I think it was at the Andrew JacksonHotel and was held on the 1st and 2nd floor. The dress mysister was wearing was made by our Mother, Ina Copeland Vanderpool who was aProfessional Tailor. Everybody on the Grand Ole Opry had signed a small pieceof Japanese Silk and this was embroidered and sewn together to make thisdress. Harvie June sang at the D.J.Convention wearing this dress and she also wore it on the Opry. The last timethis guitar was used on a session was in 2004, a Trio from Michigan named J3 werecorded at Gene Golden’s Studio for Rosebud Records. Gene who ran Kenny RogersBand for over 20 years, Gene Golden played Keyboards, Johnny Bellar the greatDobro Master played Dobro and I played the Gower. The last song recorded that I played theGower was a great little upbeat song entitled “Good for Us.” Fate VanderpoolProducer/Rosebud Records/1996-2018
Photo #1) Fate Vanderpool playing his GOWER Guitar (The Vanderpool) with his sister RCA Recording Artists Harvie June Van. Getting ready to perform at DJ Conventio...n in Nashville, TN..
Photo #2) BR, Doug Kirkham (Millie Kirkham's Husband) Chet Atkin's/RCA Producer, John D. Loudermilk, Bob Moore (Bob played on more #1 Records than anyone in the world)Velma Smith played Rhythm Guitar. Front Row Fed Vanderpool (AKA/Van Houston on Columbia Records) Fate Vanderpool hands crossed, Fate played lead guitar and their sister Harvie June Van. Chet Atkin's Produced Harvie June Van on RCA. George Gruhn wrote an article about Fate Vanderpool and his Custom Gower Guitar, which is now named "The Vanderpool."
Bio onCustom Gower GuitarBuilt by J.W. Gower, Nashville, TN. The year was 1956-57;I was working a lot here in Nashville on WSM Channel 4 TV. One of the guys weworked with on TV was a good friend of Dad’s, Zeke Clements one of the greatestsong writers of all times. Daddy and Zeke had known each other since the earlydays of the war. That’s where daddy, Paul Black, Wally Fowler and Ray Calihanmet at Oak Ridge where they worked and started a gospel group called The OakRidge Boys Quartet. It was on Zeke’s Show where I met this bass player namedJ.W. Gower and we became close friends. J.W. told me hewas thinking about building guitars, and he had built several already. Well onthese shows were a lot of Nashville’s great pickers, Grady Martin, HankGarland, Sam Pruitt, Chet Atkins, Spider Wilson, Billy and Floyd Robinson andBilly Byrd. Chet Atkins signed for me to join the Union when I was only 17. We had all triedto improve our instrument but now I have found someone who really knows what heis doing. I went out to his shop and heshowed me what he was working on. And we made a deal Hank Garland was helpinghim with a new electric he was building. When it got to mine J.W. and Hankwound the coils on the pickups on an old sewing machine bobbin winder. The pickups on myguitar had double magnets and probably were the first double wound pickups thathad been made at that time. Somebody showed one to Gibson, and they startedmaking them. The wood being used on this project was 26 years old in 1956, Curley Maple, Tiger Maple, Birds Eye Maple. The inlay is Mother of Pearl allhand crafted. I think there were three guitars of this type made; mine, SpiderWilson and one went out of state, or country. My Best Friendgrowing up was one of the greatest guitar players I have ever known, his namewas Jerry Anderson. We grew up together with guitars in our hands. About thetime I got the Gower, Jerry received his John D’Angelico New Yorker. This wasthe last one the old man made and this one was because Jerry and Johnny Smiththe great Jazz player were very close friends, and Johnny asks the old man tomake one more, and it was for Jerry. Weput my guitar and Jerry’s guitar side by side and it was easy to see the highlevel of quality and workmanship, of these two great guitars. When my guitarwas finished I was in the Military and I let my friend Hank Garland take itwith him until I got home. I thought he was going to cry when he had to give itup. As soon as I got the Gower I started playing sessions again. I think thefirst session was at King Records in Cincinnati, Ohio for Sid Nathan. Iremember playing a lot of sessions for Noel Ball on 3rd Avenue No., the studio was at a radio station. There was a studio on Church Street; a lotof this was guys out of Memphis. Joe Taylor wasdoing a lot with this bunch. I remember a group out of Chicago recording a songmy brother Van Houston wrote. I played on sessions at the old Quonset hut for Columbia;I remember playing there with Tony Moon for my brother’s songs. The ReavisStudio owned and operated by Joe Reavis, Jr., was another on Third Avenue inNashville. I played a lot of sessions there with another great friend andpicker Hargus Melvin “Pig” Robbins, born in Spring City, TN... This guitar wasplayed on the second session at Studio B, there’s a photo at that session. Thissession was for my sister Harvie June Van on RCA. The photo shows Harvie JuneVan and her Producer Chet Atkins, Session players and backup singers, BobMoore, Doug Kirkum (Millie’s husband) my brother Van Houston (Columbia Records), Velma Smith, John D. Loudermilk and Fate Vanderpool. There is also aphoto of Harvie June Van/RCA Recording Artists and Sessions Player FateVanderpool playing this Gower Guitar getting ready to perform at the 2ndD.J. Convention downtown Nashville, TN... I think it was at the Andrew JacksonHotel and was held on the 1st and 2nd floor. The dress mysister was wearing was made by our Mother, Ina Copeland Vanderpool who was aProfessional Tailor. Everybody on the Grand Ole Opry had signed a small pieceof Japanese Silk and this was embroidered and sewn together to make thisdress. Harvie June sang at the D.J.Convention wearing this dress and she also wore it on the Opry. The last timethis guitar was used on a session was in 2004, a Trio from Michigan named J3 werecorded at Gene Golden’s Studio for Rosebud Records. Gene who ran Kenny RogersBand for over 20 years, Gene Golden played Keyboards, Johnny Bellar the greatDobro Master played Dobro and I played the Gower. The last song recorded that I played theGower was a great little upbeat song entitled “Good for Us.” Fate VanderpoolProducer/Rosebud Records/1996-2018
