The idea of interviewing Curtis Burch seemed strange to me at first.  How could I sit and ask one of my dearest friends probing questions about his life?  Especially someone as humble as Curtis!  Well, what I thought would be uneasy turned out to be one of the most enjoyable and relaxing afternoons of my life. 

Curtis showed me around his beautiful house in the country, which has a stream running across his front yard, adorned with several waterfalls.  A place quite befitting for a man who is recognized all over the world, save Bowling Green, as one of the greatest dobro players of our time.

As soon as we got to talking I almost forgot all about the interview… Curtis has this big warm hearty smile and an excitement about life that is just spontaneous.  He showed me this 120 year old pine stump from his hometown of Brunswick, Georgia that he uses as kindling.  As he broke off a piece of the wood for me to smell the aroma, you could see the love in his eye for a piece of “back home”, and simpler days.  His whole countenance lit up, somewhat like a Beatle fan showing someone the first Beatle album they bought.

The same passion is displayed, yet in more reverential way when Curtis talks about the dobro. He speaks of it in such awe, (its history, other dobro players, when he first hear the instrument, etc.).  It is easy to see that he not only possesses the power to play the instrument, but the power of the instrument also possesses him.

Once one understands this, then it is easy to see how the dobro has opened doors for Curtis and providence has provided him with a list of accomplishments that is utterly amazing.  He has recorded on some 30 albums, tapes and CD’s, six of which were with New Grass Revival.  The latest (1994) being “The Great Dobro Sessions”, produced by Jerry Douglas and Tut Taylor on the Sugar Hill label.  That particular CD, on which Curtis was a featured artist, won a Grammy in 1995 for Best Bluegrass Album of the Year.  Later that year in September Curtis won two more awards at the International Bluegrass Awards.  One was for the “Instrumental Recording of the Year and the other was for the Recorded Event of the Year.

The route of Curtis’ life that lead up to these awards reads like a dream weaver’s tale.

He grew up playing music with his father and brother and was influenced by many styles of music.  Curtis stated, “I’ve always been interested in listening to other styles of music.  I’ve never been hung up on one thing.  Seems like so many people are.  To me, that’s like you know, what if everybody ate just one thing – grits or spinach or something? Variety is the spice of life, as the saying goes.”

Curtis may not be hung up on one style of music, but fortunately for us in 1956 he heard a dobro for the first time on the radio and definitely got hung up on its distinctive sound.  He fell in love with that sound, but did not know what instrument it was.  Soon Curtis learned what it was called, but could not find one.  After years of searching, Curtis discovered that the Dopyera Brothers were making dobros again in California.  His father bought him a dobro from the Dopyera Brothers in 1961.  It was through his correspondence with Ed Dopyera that Curtis was told about Robert “Tut” Taylor who played dobro and lived nearby in Midledgeville, Georgia.  From that time on Curtis and Tut became close friends and pickin’ pals.  He introduced Curtis to a lot of pickers in the Atlanta area and they still get together every year.

The dobro achieves the haunting lonesome sound because it was man’s first attempt to amplify the guitar by a built in mechanical speaker.

That haunting sound brought Curtis to Nashville in 1971 in search of a musical career.  He soon met up with Sam Bush and auditioned for the Bluegrass Alliance.  Needless to say, Curtis passed the audition.  Because of legal reasons the band had to change its name.  They were also going through personnel changes.  Soon the line up was Sam Bush, John Cowan, Courtney Johnson and Curtis Burch.  They were all into Creedence Clearwater Revival and the Alliance’s last album cover was a drawing of someone throwing  grass seeds on the ground with a sign saying “new grass”. Therefore they combined the two and became “New Grass Revival”.

The now legendary band had a rougher go of it than you might think.  The traditional bluegrass people like Bill Monroe, gave them a lot of static because of their long hair and the rock groove to some of their music.  To borrow a religious term, they were steppin’ on people’s toes.  To the rock world they were bluegrass.  To the bluegrass world they were rock, which literally put them between a rock and a hard place.  Record stores had a hard time categorizing them.  The band still had a following though, and tremendous respect among their peers.

Leon Russell was doing a country album in Nashville and decided he needed a bluegrass band to warm up for him on the tour to promote the L.P.  He mentioned this to Butch Robins, one of the session pickers and friend of Curtis and Sam’s.  “I’ve got the perfect band”, Butch replied, “and their playing the hell out of one of your tunes, “Prince of Peace”.

Curtis was at Sam’s house the night Leon called and asked if they would be interested.  “Hell yes” was the immediate reply.  This put New Grass on a whole different playing field and things really began to happen after this.  Leon was at the height of his career.  He had just finished the Mad Dogs and Englishmen tour and he currently had Carl Radle, (Derek & The Dominos’ bass player) with him.

One thing that is immediately noticeable when you meet Curtis is his gracious and down home attitude, thankful for all he has and not likely to forget a favor from a friend.  Since Butch got them the gig he was asked to go along on the tour.  This aspect of Curtis’ personality, at least in my book is as commendable as his musical ability and equally deserving of recognition.

In ’79, ’80 and ’81 Curtis toured as Leon Russell’s dobro player.  It was during this era Curtis played Willie Nelson’s Fourth of July Picnic.  He had to be flown in by helicopter over the crowd of 65,000. 

It was also during this time that they were doing a concert in San Diego and George Harrison (of the Beatles) came back stage to meet the band and invited them to attend a party with him on the “Queen Mary” after the show.  The rock group Heart was there along with Jose Feliciano, and countless others.  Curtis complimented Feliciano’s guitar playing.  Jose responded with a grin, “I sing too you know!”

Bowling Green has the honor of being the home of a man who has been around some of the most historical figures of our time.  In the movie “What’s Love Got to do With It?” the night Ike and Tina Turner play Memphis and come on stage all bandaged up after a big fight in their hotel room, Curtis played that show.  he has toured and recorded with the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Crystal Gayle, Doc Watson, John Hartford, Leon Redbone, John Starling with Lowell George and Bill Payne of Little Feat and many more.  Besides touring extensively with Leon Russell, he played on two of his albums and a video.  Curtis performed with Doc Watson and Jack Lawrence on Garrison Keiller’s “Prairie Home Companion” now on the Disney channel.  Curtis has performed at the famous Apollo Theater in New York, Dick Clark’s theater in Terrytown, New York and played the Telluride Festival in Colorado seven years in a row.  His travels include all of the United States, Japan, Australia, New Zealand and Canada.

Each year Curtis and Tut Taylor, who was one of the producers of “the Great Dobro Session,” are invited to Trnaxa Slovkia to attend the Great dobro Festival.

Curtis is currently helping to write a method book of “the Great Dobro Sessions”.  He is also contributing to a history and picturegraph book about the dobro from its beginning til present day.  This book will be a vintage collector’s guide, showing each brand of dobro and the people who built them.  Curtis’ wife, Ruth, also plays guitar and is a member of the Outskirts who have out a CD.

Currently, Curtis’ main gig is with the Michael Gough Blues Group.

I recently saw Oprah doing a series of interviews with Quincy Jones on VH1.  In a commercial plug for the show Oprah made the statement “If you ever hear somebody speaking bad about Quincy, you’d better run as fast as you can, cause something’s wrong with that person.  Quincy is one of the nicest, caring and loving person you’ll ever meet”

Let me tell you people, the same can be said for Curtis. If somebody starts speaking ill of Dr. Dobro you better shake that person a.s.a.p.

As I sat and listened to Curtis speak of his love for music and for the dobro, for a moment in time I was swept away, caught up in his passion for performing and awestruck by his dedication to his craft.  A quote from King Solomon came to mind, Proverb 22:29 – “See a man diligent in his business?  He shall stand before kings”.  The dictionary defines a king as one who is chief among competitors.  It suddenly occurred to me, it was no accident Curtis has stood before George Harrison, Willie Nelson, Emmylou Harris, and the list goes on and on.  It is simply the result of a man reaping the fruits of his labor. The only thing that puzzles me is what have I done to deserve the honor to stand before Curtis?

Originally published April 1994.

Mitchell Plumlee is a writer and musician. His blog can be found at www.blindbutnowisee.blogspot.com