Roy Wiggins

Edit links
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Roy Wiggins
Background information
Birth nameIvan Leroy Wiggins
BornJune 27, 1926
Nashville, Tennessee
DiedAugust 3, 1999(1999-08-03) (aged 73)
Sevierville, Tennessee[1]
Genrescountry
Occupation(s)steel guitarist
Years active1943–1970s
Labels
  • Diplomat
  • Dot
  • Starday
  • Stoneway

Roy Wiggins (June 27, 1926 – August 3, 1999), known professionally as Little Roy Wiggins, was an American steel guitarist who is best known for his work with Eddy Arnold. Wiggins began playing professionally at a young age. As Eddy Arnold's first hire, he developed a signature "ting-a-ling" sound that helped make Arnold the most popular country entertainer for a period. As Arnold moved towards pop music, Wiggins' instrumental work was faded to the background, and then dropped entirely. Wiggins then made several solo instrumental recordings, and toured with other country musicians. Late in life he played for tourists in Tennessee.

Biography

Early life and career

Wiggins was born Ivan Leroy Wiggins on June 27, 1926, in

Hawaiian guitars he heard on Grand Ole Opry broadcasts, and particularly the playing of Burt Hutcherson, who was also a family friend.[2][3][4] Soon afterwards his mother purchased a guitar for him from a traveling salesman, and he began taking lessons from Robert E. Martin.[3][5] He developed his skills quickly enough that by age fifteen he was playing professionally for Paul Howard and his Arkansas Cotton Pickers.[2] Here Wiggins earned the moniker "Little" for both his youth and his small stature.[2] In 1943 he joined Pee Wee King's band the Golden West Cowboys, an outfit which included Eddy Arnold.[6][5] When King's regular guitarist, Clell Summey, returned from participation in World War II, Wiggins was out of a job.[5]

With Eddy Arnold

Soon after, still in 1943, Arnold left the Golden West Cowboys to pursue a solo career, and on the advice of King he hired Wiggins as the first musician in his new backing band.

Steve Sholes would often mute Wiggins' guitar, which led to resentment on Wiggins' part.[10]

I have a very distinctive honor. I ruined 80 million Eddy Arnold records.

— Roy Wiggins[10]

His last recording with Arnold took place in 1961, but Wiggins continued to tour with Arnold, was given a piece of Arnold's publishing company, and remained employed by him until 1968.[2][3][10] Arnold would have kept Wiggins on his payroll, honoring the lifetime contract, but Wiggins desired a more active role in the music world.[4] Wiggins took it personally that he was no longer needed by Arnold, and for years had dreams that Arnold would give him a call for another session or tour.[4]

Later career and life

Wiggins owned and operated a music store close to the Grand Old Opry's Ryman Auditorium in downtown Nashville beginning in 1968, after leaving Arnold.[3][6] He continued to work with the Opry, backing Ernest Ashworth, The Willis Brothers, and most significantly George Morgan, with whom he recorded and toured until Morgan's death.[3][6][11] In 1972, Wiggins began hosting a radio show for WTMS in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. The show, entitled Little Roy Wiggins Music City Show, originated from his music shop in Nashville.[12]

In 1973 Morgan recorded a tribute to Wiggins, "Mr. Ting-a-Ling (Steel Guitar Man)"[11] which featured Wiggins' playing.

Wiggins shut down his music store in 1974 when the Opry moved out of Ryman.[3] In the 1980s he moved to Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, where he used to earn money by playing for tourists.[3][6] He was included in the Steel Guitar Hall of Fame in 1985.[6] Later in life he suffered from severe diabetes, complications from which caused his death on August 3, 1999.[3][4]

Style

Wiggins' playing was highly influenced by the Hawaiian guitar, emphasizing sweetness in tone.[11] His "ting-a-ling" sound, a "high-pitched, vibrating effect", was developed from listening to acoustic dobro players, particularly Brother Oswald, but the technique had not been used on the electric steel guitar until Wiggins adapted it at an octave higher for the style with which he was associated for his entire career.[2][4] Wiggins' effect was accomplished by using the index finger and thumb to create a fast tremolo on adjacent strings, while simultaneously vibrating the steel bar to add additional vibrato.[13] Wiggins continued to use the non-pedal steel long after the pedal steel guitar became the norm.[2] Along with Jerry Byrd, Wiggins is considered the most influential of the early steel guitar players.[2] He was a significant influence on Lloyd Green.[4]

Solo discography

Albums

  • "Little Roy Wiggins Salutes Eddy Arnold" (Starday, 1962)[2]
  • "Songs I Played for Eddy Arnold" (Diplomat, 1963)
  • "The Fabulous Steel Guitar of Little Roy Wiggins" (Starday, 1964)[2]
  • "18 All Time Hits" (Starday, 1966)[2]

Singles

References

  1. ^ Orr, Jay (August 4, 1999). "Steel Guitar Legend Ivan "Little Roy" Wiggins Dies". The Tennessean. Nashville, TN. p. 17.
  2. ^
    ISBN 9781423457022
    .
  3. ^
    ISBN 9780199920839
    .
  4. ^
    ISSN 0092-0517
    .
  5. ^
    ISBN 9781604733426
    .
  6. ^
    ISBN 9780252096723
    .
  7. ISBN 9781604733426
    .
  8. ^
    ISBN 9780820326221
    .
  9. ISBN 9781439136959
    .
  10. ^
    ISBN 9781604733426
    .
  11. ^
    ISBN 9781858285344
    .
  12. ^ "Nashville Music Scene". Billboard. June 24, 1972. p. 43.
  13. ISBN 1-57424-021-8
    .
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Roy_Wiggins&oldid=1207731551"