Lloyd Green

Lloyd Green (born October 4, 1937 in Leaf, Mississippi)^[1] is an American steel guitarist. Green is most notable for his session work, having played on records with artists such as Johnny Cash, Alan Jackson, Paul McCartney, and many others.^[2]

Early life

Lloyd Green was born on October 4 1937 in Leaf, Mississippi. He moved with his family to Mobile, Alabama at the age of four, where he began to take music lessons.^[3]

At the age of seven he learned to play a Hawaiian string guitar and eventually learned how to play the steel guitar. By the time he was ten, he was playing professionally in clubs a couple of nights a week with a rhythm guitarist.^[3]

Green was graduated from high school in 1955,^[1] and went on to study psychology at the University of Southern Mississippi. He left college at the age of nineteen and went to Nashville, Tennessee to seek fame as a steel guitarist.^[3]

Session work

Green's joined Faron Young's road band in December 1956 and stayed for 18 months.^[3] He soon played steel guitar on his first session, George Jones' "Too Much Water Runs Under The Bridge".

After he could not afford to renew his union card, he moved back to Mobile, but eventually moved back to Nashville and became a shoe salesman. He told his story to one of his customers, widow of publisher Fred Rose, and she renewed it for him.^[3]

The first successful session he played on was Warner Mack's "The Bridge Washed Out" in 1965. For the next 15 years, Green averaged 400 sessions a year. The artists whose recordings he played on included Faron Young, Freddie Hart, the Byrds', and Paul McCartney. He turned down a U.S. tour with McCartney due to the fact that he didn't want to lose work in Nashville.^[3]

In the 1980s an ear infection forced Green to stop working, but he eventually returned to session work. He also plays live on occasion.

Lloyd Green was inducted into the Steel Guitar Hall of Fame in 1988.

He has performed with over 500 artists, has played on 115 number one hits, and over 100 top ten hits.

Instruments

Sho-Bud LDG Model

Lloyd Green designed the Sho-Bud LDG steel guitar. His first was delivered on May 9, 1973 at his home by David Jackson and Duane Marrs of Sho-Bud. It was the fourth and last Sho-Bud guitar that Lloyd played on sessions.

His LDG was used on between 5000 and 6000 sessions between 1973 and 1988. One notable song recorded with this steel was "Farewell Party" by Gene Watson.^[4]

Sho-Bud Fingertip Double 10

Green played a Sho-Bud Fingertip Double 10 on many gold and platinum records for hundreds of major artists such as Ann Margaret, Frank Sinatra, Lynn Anderson, George Jones, Ferlin Husky, Freddie Hart, Jimmy Dean, Dolly Parton, Faron Young, Johnny Paycheck, Roy Acuff, Bobby Bare, Loretta Lynn, Tammy Wynette, Brenda Lee, Jerry Reed, Jerry Lee Lewis, Statler Brothers, Jimmy Buffett, Peter Paul and Mary, Marty Robbins and Hank Williams, Jr..^[4]

Discography

Albums

Singles

References