When I heard him play, just sitting on the floor, I recognized a good song, Raphael said. Instagram About Music Tour Photos Videos Stories Links Contact About Music Tour Photos Videos Stories Links Contact He is 86 years old. I also have harmonicas that are set up for different sounds, like having two reeds tuned in octaves to give it an effect like an accordion or concertina. Having quickly noticed Nelsons uniqueness, Raphael also took note of the fervor demonstrated by the singer-songwriters fans in Texas. A harmonica, a voice and a bagpipe play the emotion provoking "Silent Night". The story runs that, after Raphael had been sitting in with the band for a few weeks and at a number of gigs, Willie asked his road manager/drummer, Paul English, how much they were paying the young harp player to be told they werent paying him anything, hed just been turning up and playing. However, leaving out No Other Love is a pretty blaring omission. They all had made enough records to not have to worry or tell them what to play. Exploring the 3 Types of Harmonica - A Beginner's Guide Tourism Visakhapatnam Uncategorized what kind of harmonica does mickey raphael play. what kind of harmonica does mickey raphael play Toots first introduced his great style in 1961 when he released Bluesette, which became an international hit and his signature. Audio Production, Compilation Producer, Harmonica, Producer. Youll never get the four guys to agree to this. what kind of harmonica does mickey raphael play Welcome! This is a beautiful example of Raphaels less is more philosophy. Legendary Willie Nelson harmonica player Mickey Raphael has seen many Nelson was so impressed he invited the young Mickey Raphael to come along to one of his gigs and sit in with the band sometime. Mickey Raphael Wiki: Salary, Married, Wedding, Spouse, Family Michael Siegfried "Mickey" Raphael (born November 7, 1951) is a professional harmonica player, best known for his work with Willie Nelson. They had their egos, sure, but they were all fans of each others and that was apparent, he says. This new song is taken from her album Kassi Valazza Knows Nothing and it something more than country. Jason Ricci is one of the best and most imitated blues harmonica players of the 21st century. The next opportunity to join Nelson and his band came when the group played a benefit concert for a volunteer fire department in a high school gym just outside of Dallas. Later, we were sitting there talking and he said, Why dont you come to New York with me in a couple of months were going to play Maxs Kansas City. So I went up there and played with Willie. Raphael onstage with longtime collaborator Willie Nelson in Austin, December 2017, (Image credit: Rick Kern/WireImage/Getty). A Hohner endorsee and a master of the Hohner Echo Harp, which gives so many Willie Nelson tunes their signature sound, Raphael also owns harmonicas made or customized by Filisko and Power. Legendary Willie Nelson harmonica player Mickey Raphael has seen many There would be plenty who disagree but this is a man who seems very comfortable in his own skin. If you want to place blame for that trend, youll have to put it on T. Rex, David Bowie and Freddie Mercury, and no critic will ever blame David Bowie or Freddie Mercury for anything. Kristofferson still performs on occasion, and Nelson will play 85 dates this year. Mickey Raphael, Soundtrack: 1918. He remembers a lot of laughter in the studio with Nelson, Jennings, Kristofferson, and Cash. Your email address will not be published. Here, he judges his contribution perfectly, coming in right at the end of the song but putting a real stamp on it, emphasising the pathos in the song and driving home the underlying sense of loneliness, despite the positivity of the lyric. His first two singles, Touch Me and Willingly (a duet with Shirley Collie), both reached the country Top Ten. Clint Black, a country singer-songwriter, is also a harmonica player who performs live and in the studio. A formal invitation to join the Nelson band never actually came. His marriage record includes four previous marriages as well as seven children. Mickey Raphael has performed on the harmonica for all of the major players in the business for 45 years. Kevin Smith But to be able play melody on it is a whole different skill set." At only 44 years old, he is one of the few famous harmonica players still in the scene that are helping to advance the growth and progression of the instrument. Mickey Raphael | Saving Country Music "Yeah, that was me on 'Smokin' in The Boys Room,'" Willie Nelson's harmonica player Mickey Raphael confirms. #2. Thats where Mickey comes in. We were just playing weekends.. But we didnt tune anything. A while later he played a firemans benefit in a high school gym somewhere outside of Dallas and I showed up there and played a little. He does not consider it as if it is a necessary task. The lowly harmonica is a popular instrument in roots music. That debut album, titled Highwayman after the lead track, features primarily cover songs. Harmonica player Mickey Raphael, who has played with the country superstar for more than 40 years and will be in Santa Rosa for tonight's show, opens up about tour life. what kind of harmonica does mickey raphael play what kind of harmonica does mickey raphael play Posted at 09:02h in california demographics by age and race by He wrote many of the tracks on Angel Flying Too Close to the Ground, Night Life, Me and Paul, and Blue Eyes Crying In The Rain. A number of other artists have worked with him, including Dolly Parton, Shirley Collie, George Jones, Ray Price, Julio Iglesias, Hank Williams Jr., Reba McEntire, Merle Haggard, Tom Petty, Ike, Bob Dylan, Loretta Lynn, Toby Keith, Lee Ann Womack The IRS seized Willie Nelsons assets in 1990, claiming he owed $32 million. Mickey Raphael interview - Buzzsprout Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Garrett Roe [], AUKs Clint West sees Jason Isbell complete a journey from small venue troubadour to the first modern americana superstar. We went all over the world, and man, that was fun. March 27, 2017 @ what kind of harmonica does mickey raphael play. This entry was posted on Wednesday, August 23rd, 2017 at 9:00 pm and is filed under Uncategorized. A good Southern rock record, but not distinctive enough to push it up above the attention parapet. When I joined Willies band, I really didnt know anything about country music. Willie Nelson's harmonica player for the last 37 years,Mickey Raphael endorses his BlowsMeAway wood harmonica mic for his blues work on stage with Willie. Dylan is widely recognized for playing guitar with a harmonica hanging from a holder near his lips. Mickey Raphael | Discography | Discogs Our Unsung Heroes of Americana series is all about championing the people, places and things that help to bring this great music to the listening public without ever really coming into the spotlight themselves. what kind of harmonica does mickey raphael play Posted by June 8, 2022 golden retriever age progression pictures on what kind of harmonica does mickey raphael play what kind of harmonica does mickey raphael play The Fort Worth native began sitting in with Nelson in 1973 and stuck around until it became a . For the Good Times: A Tribute to Ray Price. Legendary Willie Nelson harmonica player Mickey Raphael has seen many high times in his music career By Brian Daffron Willie Nelson & Family 9 p.m. Friday Global Event Center WinStar World. Mickey Raphael - IMDb Christian H Hes like Dylan. We do some jazz standards that we play in soundcheck that I still struggle with or have to have written out in front of me like All the Things You Are. [ Maxs note -It has several key changes in it and would need two, three or more harps to get through]. James Cotton James Cotton laid the foundation for many harmonica players from the 1950s up until now. Michael Siegfried Raphael, known to one and all as "Mickey", was born in Dallas Texas in November 1951. The harmonica is one of the most underrated instruments in music. Ive added the additional info. I was driving Chips and Willies manager, Mark Rothbaum, around L.A. in my Acura Legend. what kind of harmonica does mickey raphael play A prolific professional harmonica player is someone who has mastered the art of playing the harmonica and can play it proficiently in a variety of styles. Although he passed away at a tender age (37 years old), his memory lives on forever and so does his music. He is one of the most popular harmonicists in France and Europe. There are twelve basic keys in music, and the harmonica I play is tuned to one key, says Raphael. And he was a great guitar player. Learn how your comment data is processed. Kris was kind of a revolutionary troublemaker. . Joining the club will give you access to FREE Videos and Blogs. Im sure he felt lucky just to have a record deal. Good deal ! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rx7UbJpCA_Y, Willie Potter Willies look and demeanor are the same as what I saw at the party, according to Raphael. Advertisement What type of harmonica does Bob Dylan use? PLUS, news about new publications. "If you have a harmonica in the right key for a song, you can play any note and it'll sound good. (470) 822-8824. Either way, now Mickey Raphael is as seminal to Willie Nelson's sound as anything, and was an important part to so many of those massive Willie hits from the 70's and 80's. But something a lot of folks don't know is that he played on another massive hit that is about as far flung from Willie Nelson and country as you can get. Chips didnt have to tell the band what to do. In terms of playability and adaptability, not many instruments as quite as diverse as the harmonica. Raphael produced another of Nelsons 2009 releases, Naked Willie. We were packed into this two-door car, going to dinner, and they were talking about the four guys making this record. Stevensons band. His intelligent playing style has become a hallmark of Nelson's crossover sound, earning him a large audience worldwide. If anyone had fixes, wed do it right there on the spot, and I tried not to be the one who had stuff to redo., For his harmonica parts, Raphael set up in his favourite place. Most interesting. Beginning in August 2014, the [], Youll recall that we raved about Kassi Valazza recently and god damn it here we go again. Waylon was like a rock star to me. And if Willie were to record those tunes next week, this is what they would sound like, because hes all about less is more, keeping things simple., http://www.2theadvocate.com/entertainment/music/80941992.html?showAll=y&c=y. Ace harmonica player Michael Siegfried "Mickey" Raphael was born and raised in Dallas, Texas. He also produced a literal whos who of music history, including Neil Diamond, Dusty Springfield, and Elvis Presley, whose four-years-dormant music career he kick-started in 1969, resulting in a string of hits including Suspicious Minds, Kentucky Rain, and In The Ghetto. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site. From 1952 to 1962, he was married to Martha Matthews. They were supportive of each other. Heidi joined Greater Media, Inc. in 2005 as director of corporate communication, and in 2008 she was promoted to vice president. Donnie Brooks inspired Mickey to play. We were working, but it was so easy, the songs were so good, and it was a pleasure to do it. 2 album, and with the title track from Never Could Toe The Mark. Instead of playing weekends wed go out for a week or two. The harmonica book written by Glover was one of the most important sources for Raphael. Vince Neal played one lousy note on the song, and he walked away with all the credit. I just wanted to play in a country band and ride around in a bus., Raphael credits blues great Paul Butterfield and rhythm and blues saxophone genius King Curtis as two of his biggest influences. . Linda McCartney and Paul McCartney have five children together since May 1960. SPAH - Society for the Preservation and Advancement of the Harmonica However, given that they are both highly respected and talented country music artists, it is likely that they have at least jammed together at some point. A member of Swedish Royal Academy if Music. Think Ill rearrange this tune for a band with a horn section. Harmonicas have often been used to signify a train but its usually in the hissing of steam and the trains horn being sounded. How long has Mickey Raphael been with Willie Nelson? His journey started in earnest when he watched and later was mentored by legendary harmonica player Pat Ramsey in Memphis. The RCA and Liberty records hed made in the 1960s raised his profile but as the decade turned he still was little more than a cult figure. Frequently asked questions (FAQ's) for blues harmonica He is not only one of the most successful songwriters of all time, having written nearly every Beatles hit, as well as solo hits such as Let It Be and Hey Jude. So I said, This guy must really have something. It didnt take long to figure it out for myself and, having not been a fan of country music before, I fast became one.. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); www.stillisstillmoving.com is proudly powered by WordPress Entries (RSS) and Comments (RSS). what kind of harmonica does mickey raphael play This entry was posted on Friday, January 8th, 2010 at 8:52 am and is filed under Mickey Raphael. Contact us using the form at the base of this page, or for a specific writer email us at this format: firstname.surname@americana-uk.com (not all staff writers have AUK emails set up so if it bounces, Americana UK is basically a non-commercial site, save for the odd audience-tailored americana ad, which relies on all the writers including myself doing what we do in our spare time. what kind of harmonica does mickey raphael play. Willie Nelson despite having written such classics as Patsy Clines Crazy, Ray Prices Night Life, Rob Orbisons Pretty Paper and Faron Youngs Hello Walls was but a regionally popular singer-songwriter playing Texas clubs in 1973. Sites: mickeyraphael.com, nodepression.com Aliases: Mickey Raipheld Members: Spur Of The Moment Singers In Groups: Willie Nelson & Family Variations: Viewing All | Mickey Raphael His first tour stop was the legendary Maxs Kansas City club in New York City in 1973. Sure, it's Willie Nelson's band, but still, Mickey's been playing "Crazy" since Mariah Carey was two, and the war in Vietnam plagued us!" . 1 on the country music charts and led to two more albums: Highwaymen II in 1990, also produced by Moman, and 1995s The Road Goes On Forever, produced by Don Was. Despite his love of life on the road, Mickey Raphael is no stranger to the studio. I am inspired by the wonderful Willie Nelson, Willie Nelson and the Louisiana Hayride Story . What may look like simply pick up and play is, in fact, a matter of tunings and multiple instruments. 6:08 pm. 2016. At the Farm Aid concert, Heidi Raphael and Mickey Raphael fell in love. Mickey's talent has crossed genres and he has played with a variety of artists like Elton John , U2 , Motley Crue , Vince Gill , Emmy Lou Harris , Neil Young , Tom Morello , Paul Simon , Zac Brown Band , Leon Bridges , Merle Haggard , Kris . Chinese Granite; Imported Granite; Chinese Marble; Imported Marble; China Slate & Sandstone; Quartz stone Interview by Scott Preston Photo by Frank Stewart Born and raised in the Lone Star State of Dallas Texas, Mickey Raphael's career as Willie Nelson's Harmonica player has spanned almost three decades. March 27, 2017 @ blue demon They are all icons, he says of Nelson, Kristofferson, Jennings, and Cash. He really impressed me. Also, I think that is Bon Jovi on acoustic lmfao. His most popular hits include Sugar Mama Blues, Keep it to Yourself and Bring it on Home.