If you’re a fan of Jimmy Buffett, chances are you know the name Doyle Grisham. The Pedal Steel player has been appearing on Jimmy’s albums for twenty years, touring with him as a member of the Coral Reefer Band for more than half that time. But Doyle’s story – and his impressive resume – goes back much further than that.
Growing up in Troy, Texas in the early 1950’s, Doyle Grisham listened to a lot of country music; Jim Reeves, George Jones, Ray Price – artists he heard on the radio, from famous places like the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville. At age 9, Doyle told his parents he didn't want to just hear it - he wanted to play it, and persisted until they agreed to get him a guitar and lessons. He learned quickly, started playing at church and social events and, before long, was being asked by local bands to sit in with them. By the age of 15, Doyle was making a living playing guitar five to six nights a week in the local dance halls and beer joints frequented by soldiers from nearby Ft. Hood, while still going to school and keeping up good grades. “I had to keep up my grades or my parents wouldn't have let me play,” says Doyle, “They would have pulled me out of there quick! Plus, it wasn’t like today. Most places in that area didn’t stay open that late. I could go out and play a gig with a band and be back home around midnight.”
By the early 1960’s, Grisham was 21, living in Dallas and playing music full time, including the “Big D Jamboree”, the local version of the Opry and Louisiana Hayride, and travelling to gigs as far away as Wyoming. He says he learned about life on the road, and a lot about life. “I was the youngest guy in the band – which is funny because now, with Jimmy, I’m the oldest! The older guys in the group constantly picked on me – especially if there was a pretty girl around. We had a good time.” But, it wasn’t all fun and games. He also says life on the road could be tough. “Sometimes we would play a show, and then have to drive 400-500 miles to the next town, 5-6 guys packed into one car, pulling a trailer with our gear. You could see people would get into things like pills, just to keep you awake while you drove. Thankfully, I never fell into it, but I understood why they did it.”
Playing country music, along with Polkas and local favorites like the Mexican Hat Dance, was how he cut his teeth, but soon the bands Doyle was playing with were also getting requests for more rock and roll – Elvis and Chuck Berry. “I started seeing more and more guys playing guitar,” explains Grisham. “I was good, but I could see I was just going to be one of many if I stayed with the guitar. I had already been playing steel guitar licks on my electric, and I liked the sound. So, I went out and got myself a pedal steel, started practicing whenever I could. I decided that’s the direction I wanted to go. It was partly out of necessity – I knew I’d get more work.”
Something else was taking place in the early 60’s, the Vietnam War - and The Draft. Like most men his age, Doyle was called to serve. “I joined the Naval Reserves in 1964 and was told I’d have a year to train and drill before being sent on Active Duty. Before that happened, I was offered the chance to attend 'Code' school. I figured that would guarantee me shore duty, so I took it. I was sent out to California and they started teaching me to send and receive secret messages. Next thing I know, I’m being yanked out of the class. Turns out the Navy hadn’t completed all of my background checks and I didn’t have the proper clearance to be there! They kept me there for a couple weeks doing odd jobs then sent me back to my Reserve unit in Dallas.”
He was home, but given that his expected assignment with the Naval Reserves was just around the corner, Doyle found that no one would hire him full time for their band. That is, until he got a call from veteran West Texas guitarist Billy Thompson, asking if he would come up to Kansas to play with their band. Doyle jumped at the chance and was glad he did. Doyle explains: “I was happy to have a gig. But, even more than just the paycheck, I got to meet Roy Drusky, who was on the same bill. Roy was a well-known Grand Ole Opry artist who had some big hits at the time and, as it turned out, his pedal steel player was quitting. He offered me the job and the next night I was in Houston playing in front of 20,000 people!” Grisham continued playing with Drusky for the next year, following him to Nashville in 1966 to play at the Grand Ole Opry. “I moved to Nashville really without asking anyone if I could. I just told the people at my Reserve Unit in Dallas to forward my paperwork and went!” It was almost a year before that paperwork caught up with the pedal steel player in Music City. “I think I kind of got lost in the shuffle,” Grisham laughs. He shipped out to Maine in 1967 and it was there that he first met the woman he would eventually marry, then 13 year old Debbie. “She was the niece of a friend. We used to go to their house on Saturday nights to eat dinner and play music. She was just a kid, so I didn’t pay much attention to her. It wasn’t until she came to Nashville years later to record that we got together.” (For the full story, see my interview with Deb Grisham elsewhere on Beaches, Bands & Bars).
He remained in Maine for about a year and a half, before getting an early release due to the de-escalation of the war and moving back to Nashville. Though he was pretty well known when he left for New England, Doyle found he had to re-establish himself when he got back to Music City. He joined a band - touring and doing studio work - before getting hired by Grand Ole Opry long-timers Tompall and the Glaser Brothers around 1971. One day, Grisham and the Glaser Brothers were in the studio recording a new tune, written by a young Nashville songwriter he had never heard of. “He came by the recording session and we started talking. He told me he was getting ready to sign a recording contract with ABC Dunhill Records and said he wanted me to play on his next record.” The song the Glaser Brothers recorded that day was called ‘Tin Cup Chalice’ and the young Nashville songwriter inviting Doyle to his future recording session was..... Jimmy Buffett. A few months later, Buffett was back in the Glaser’s studio to record “A White Sport Coat and a Pink Crustacean” and Doyle - along with Fingers Taylor and Michael Utley - was there with him as part of the newly dubbed "Coral Reefer Band".
And the rest, as they say, is history?
“Yeah, I guess so! I played on that album, as well as the next ones produced by Don Gant – ‘Living and Dying in ¾ Time’, ‘A1A’, and ‘Havana Daydreaming’. By the Margaritaville album (‘Changes in Latitudes, Changes In Attitudes’) Jimmy switched to a different producer, who brought in his own guys. After that, other than occasional parts on certain songs, I didn’t do much more recording with Jimmy until “Beach House’ in 1999. That’s when he also offered me the chance to go on tour, and I’ve been out with him ever since.”
What is a typical day on a Buffett tour?
“On show days, we have a pretty set routine. If I’m in town the night before, I like to get out and have breakfast, maybe go to a mall, see some of the town. The band all gets back together at the hotel and we’ll leave for the venue about 2:30, get there around 3 or 3:30. We’ll have a little time in the dressing rooms, then Jimmy always likes to sound check at 4.
Do you always play the same things at sound check?
“Not always. We usually do the opening song because it will feature everyone in the band and it gives the sound people out front a chance to set all the microphones. From there, it just depends on what Jimmy thinks we need to go over, just in case there is a particular song he wants to do that we haven't played in a while."
How long does that last?
“About an hour. Then, it’s time for our meet and greets. At around 5:00, we’ll go out to the Margaritaville ‘Shrimp Bus’ and sign autographs…We’ll do that for about a half hour, then go to wherever the local Parrot Head Club is set up and sign some more.”
The Whole Coral Reefer Band?
“Usually, it’s Nadirah, Jim and Peter (Mayer), Mike Utley and me”.
After that?
“The next couple hours we’re on our own pretty much. Usually, we go back to the dressing rooms, have some dinner, relax before the show. If we have friends in town, we’ll meet up with them. We do the show and, when it’s over, we’ll either go back to the hotel or, sometimes, to the airport to fly out for the next date. Jimmy also likes to use a hub when we can.”
A “hub”?
“Sometimes, if we’re going to be out on tour for several weeks, we’ll get a hotel in one city in the area, like Chicago. We’ll go back to that same hotel after each show."
What is it like touring with Jimmy?
“I like everything about working with Jimmy – the music, the schedule. He is one of the most intuitive and thorough artists I’ve ever worked with. People don’t realize how much work he puts into each tour, starting with rehearsals in April. He starts with a theme, puts together a set list with extra songs that he might want to do for certain shows. Then, as the tour goes on, he is constantly updating shows, going over set lists, taking out songs he doesn’t feel are going over well, adding things. Even on days off we’ll get set lists and emails. I have never seen anyone else like him."
In addition to Jimmy and some of the others I’ve already mentioned, you have also recorded with artists from Kenny Rogers to Dr. Hook. Who are some of your favorites?
“ I got to meet a lot of people that I idolized when we were doing the Randy Travis 'Heroes and Friends' recording sessions. Randy was doing duets with people like George Jones, Chet Atkins & Dolly Parton, Vern Gosdin, and a lot of artists that I have admired over the years. Also, I toured off and on for over 20 years, even when I was doing studio work, with Lynn Anderson. I got to play some of the big casinos in Vegas, Reno and Lake Tahoe with her."
You have been in Nashville now for over 40 years. I bet you have seen a lot of changes.
“Well, the city has certainly grown – from a small little town to over a million people. And the downtown area went through a period in the 70’s where it went to heck. Then there was an urban renewal in the 80’s, cleaned up quite a bit. But, the biggest change has been musically. It went from traditional country to what you hear on the radio now.”
Do you like the music being recorded in Nashville now?
“Personally, I prefer traditional country. Like, if Debbie and I are driving somewhere, we’ll have old country in the cd player. But I also stay up on new stuff. When you’re a musician and listen to a song, you look at it from a different perspective. If you’re playing on a song, even if you don’t like it, you still mold yourself in to it. And if I’m recording someone in the studio, I would produce it the way it needs to sound NOW, not the way I would like it myself. So, whether I'm playing on or producing a song, I always try to give my best. It doesn’t matter whether I like it or not.”
Speaking of new stuff, you have to be one of the most sought after “guests” on Trop Rock records. How do you work that into your busy schedule?
“Sometimes the artist will come to Nashville, other times I will go to where ever they are recording. It depends on their budget. With technology these days, they can also send me a track. I’ll lay down my part and send it back. The only difference is that, when it’s on someone else’s bill, like they have a studio booked, I’ll work as quickly as I can. When they send me the track, I have more time to work on it, can take my time, but then they can’t ‘produce’ it. They have to trust my experience.”
How do you pick what records to play on?
I don’t turn down anything. I’m a studio musician, it’s my job. Plus, being too picky limits your creativity, I think. If people want to hire me, I’ll play on their record.”
Do you still play out in Nashville?
“I do. When I’m home, I’ll play weekend things. I don’t even care how it pays. As long as I like what I’m playing.”
Any new recordings?
Where do you see Jimmy – where do you see yourself – in five to ten years?
“Jimmy hasn’t given any indication of slowing down. I can see him playing another ten years – but it could only be three or four. It’s up to him. I’m sure he’ll let us know! As for me, as long as I’m physically able, I’m healthy, I’ll be playing. And as long as Jimmy wants to go, I’ll be there.”
http://doylegrisham.com/
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