West Virginia Creeper

Joe Goldmark · Post by **Joe Goldmark** » 18 May 2021 12:51 pm

Not sure if it's been mentioned that Dave Zirbel (above) has been Cody's steel man for the last ten(?) years and he's been killing it!

Dave Zirbel · Post by **Dave Zirbel** » 18 May 2021 1:27 pm

Not sure if it's been mentioned that Dave Zirbel (above) has been Cody's steel man for the last ten(?) years and he's been killing it!

Actually it ended a few years ago, but for about 4 years he would come to the west coast for a weekend, or sometimes twice in a year. I did manage to get to go to Hawaii with them only because Don Curtis and Tiny Olsen were not able to go..I was basically a sub for those two fine pickers and it was cheaper to pick up a local guy for California dates, possibly cheaper to fly to Hawaii from California as well. Also Bobby was still the main guy for any Lost Planet Airmen reunions......

As far as me killing it...way too kind Joe! I must admit I wasn't never quite sure I was the right choice, but still it was a good gig, and a learning experience.

Olaf van Roggen · Post by **Olaf van Roggen** » 18 May 2021 7:52 pm

Nice to hear the Commander is still making music.
As a teenager I wrote George Frayne (Commander Cody) a letter because of an old fanclub address I found. He answered and sent me a vintage button that I still have. He lived in Stinson beach CA back then, which I actually visited 2 years ago.

I wondered who the West Virginia Creeper was, when I bought" lost in the ozone "years ago as there weren't anymore recordings with him. Except for the double cd that was released a couple of years ago.
I saw he reacted on this topic too.

Ernie Hagar for example recorded with other artists and had 2 solo albums, just like Bobby Black.

Thanks for your reactions to the topic Dave.

J Fletcher · Post by **J Fletcher** » 20 May 2021 7:47 am

Here's something I came across yesterday .
Seeds and Stems by Commander Cody , video from 1971 . That's 50 years ago .

Olaf van Roggen · Post by **Olaf van Roggen** » 20 May 2021 8:04 am

J Fletcher wrote:Here's something I came across yesterday .
Seeds and Stems by Commander Cody , video from 1971 . That's 50 years ago .

The same i posted a couple of days ago?

J Fletcher · Post by **J Fletcher** » 20 May 2021 9:19 am

Oops . hadn't noticed you had already posted that . By the way , you can clearly see that single 8 Sho~Bud being played .

Jerry Overstreet · Post by **Jerry Overstreet** » 20 May 2021 10:24 am

An excerpt from a quote from an old post answering a question from Jim Cohen about how the Creeper name came about which is something I've always been curious about. I read this several times but I'm not sure I made the connection. Maybe I'm just slow.

Steve Davis wrote:...The West Virginia Creeper name came from the basement museum of the Charleston, WV state capitol where I took Billy C one time. There was a green motorcycle there that had belonged to a local guy who showed up and blew everybodies minds. C said - You are the new Creeper. I used to watch Lloyd Green and Curly Chalker and once asked Curly to play bossa nova - he did! I was blown away.
I racked up a lot of stories over the years with CCLPA - I was lucky I guess to be there during a stormy period.

Michael Johnstone · Post by **Michael Johnstone** » 30 May 2021 12:13 am

When I first moved to the Bay Area in 1973, the Creeper was the first steel player I met. He was playing a ZB down at Mandrakes with a hippie country band called Country Thunder. Nice guy and good picker.

Olaf van Roggen · Post by **Olaf van Roggen** » 27 Oct 2024 7:07 am

I came across more Commander Cody stuff with West Virginia Creeper, funny to see Billy C Farlow breaking his guitar in the song Rip it up. The other song "A long time to forget"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bejKFrLQNJo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MqH8EPzEb5g

Joe Bill Moad · Post by **Joe Bill Moad** » 27 Oct 2024 7:57 am

Great History entertained here on this post guys! I always liked Commander Cody and the Lost Planet Airmen. I know they went through some changes but have learned a lot here on this forum. I was in high school and didn’t exactly know about the steel guitar in a long haired band but it all makes sense now and I enjoy all Steel Guitar stories back in the early seventies. I always was a Bob Wills fan, my grandparents took me to a many Western swing dances in Western Oklahoma (Arnett Ok) to listen to The Frankie Mcwhorter band. Frankie was hired to play and go on the road with Bob Wills. Great music is what got me started back then. Life is Great!!

Respectfully

Joe Bill Moad
Oklahoma

Olaf van Roggen · Post by **Olaf van Roggen** » 27 Oct 2024 9:15 am

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5 ... Mu46Gt0cLg

Somehow I got into the algorithms of Commander Cody and the LPA as I just saw these recordings for the first time. On " what's the matter now" the West Virginia Creeper is announced as the steeler.

Dave Zirbel · Post by **Dave Zirbel** » 15 Nov 2024 8:45 pm

Stumbled on the video with a few glimpses of the Creeper playing the ZB Custom
https://youtu.be/VnkcCj0ZVhE?feature=shared