Hey all!,
My name is Carlos and I live in Los Angeles. I recently began to play pedal steel a few months ago. I purchased an Old ZB Custom that belonged to a Mack Owens. I learned that he was the brother of Fuzzy Owen/Owens who was part of the Bakersfield sound. The guitar was in bad shape so I took it to Jim at Steel guitars of North County(who did a stellar job restoring it back to fully playability). I also have some pictures. I'm just wondering if anyone has ever heard of the guy or has
any info on his music, the ZB or memories they'd like to share. Thanks!
Thats Henry Sharpes Band that played at the Rodeway Inn in Bakersfield for years. I m sure I can see Henry, Gene Moles and Mack in the pictures. Don’t know who the others are.
Wow. Those photos are great! Did they come with the guitar? Henry Sharpe was my great-grandfather. He's on the far left side of the group picture, followed by Mel Lawrence, Mack Owens, and Gene Moles. The band was called Henry Sharpe and the Sharpshooters.
Here's your great grandfather on drums with Chuck Harding's band, early 1950s, when he operated as Henry Shropshire.
I did see your entry for him at Findagrave.com.
Pic possibly taken in Missouri.
Can you identify the steel player?
This photograph is out of Kennett, Missouri's KBOA radio station. Steve Mays has done a wonderful job preserving the history of that radio station on kboa830.com. Sadly, I don't know the names of most of these people, including the man on steel.
The people whose names I know in this photograph are (L to R) Adron P. Childress (Adron was Chuck Harding's brother-in-law) on accordion, Chuck Harding on the left guitar, and Henry Shropshire on drums. I don't know the other two men's names.
I bought this magazine from the fifties a few weeks ago in the hopes that I might learn more about this band's history. It includes a few more names, but I don't think they're the other people in the KBOA picture unfortunately.
Carlos Vargas wrote:Hey all!,
My name is Carlos...
Carlos, you might like to see this video. It's a tribute video that a local TV program did after my Grandpa Henry died. Mack Owens plays what looks like that very same steel guitar in parts. First place I see it pop up is at about 4:50.
Carlos Vargas wrote:Hey all!,
My name is Carlos...
Carlos, you might like to see this video. It's a tribute video that a local TV program did after my Grandpa Henry died. Mack Owens plays what looks like that very same steel guitar in parts. First place I see it pop up is at about 4:50.
Hey Brandon! Thanks for sharing so much about your grandfather and thank you also for sharing such a great video. Its not everyday you get to see the past life of your steel. I'm so grateful. I've made contact with Macks son and are working on hopefully getting this guitar back to he and his family. He also loved the video.
After several years of occasionally coming back to this question, I believe I have finally figured out the name of this steel guitar player!
Ancestry recently launched a new facial recognition feature, and it's amazing! According to Ancestry, the steel guitar player on the KBOA photo is.... Matty Roy McCoy! He was born in 1925 in Hayti Pemica, Missouri, and he died in 1993. Here's the picture of him from Ancestry that matched with this one. It's perfect. I couldn't ask for a better confirmation that I've finally found the right guy.
No relation that I know of (and I know quite a bit about the extended Shropshire family). Thank you for your nice comment, though!
Lee Rider wrote: 20 Jun 2025 7:12 pm
Wondering if Henry Shropshire is related to Dr. Elmo Shropshire, who wrote and performed "Santa Got Run Over By a Reindeer"?
Sure is nice to see the history of these folks. That is one thing I really enjoy about the forum; all of the old alliances and bands.
