RIP Stacy Phillips

[Dave Bradford]

Stacy Phillips passed yesterday after suffering a massive heart attack on Sunday. He was the best dobro player I’ve ever heard, wrote several instructional books for dobro and fiddle, and even won a Grammy. There is a summary of his life, music and some of the mandolin players he played with over the years at here.

[RFMando]

Very sad news. An amazing talent and teacher and will be very missed! RF

[MikeEdgerton]

Sad indeed. RIP.

[CES]

So sorry to hear. His friends and family are in my prayers.

[MikeZito]

I never had the opportunity to meet Mr. Phillips, but I knew many people here in CT who knew and/or worked with him, and never heard a bad word about him.

Requiescat In Pace.

[grassrootphilosopher]

Ach...

RIP!

[Chuck Leyda]

Stacy Phillips passed yesterday after suffering a massive heart attack on Sunday. He was the best dobro player I’ve ever heard, wrote several instructional books for dobro and fiddle, and even won a Grammy. There is a summary of his life, music and some of the mandolin players he played with over the years at here.

The linked article is a wonderful tribute.

[oliverkollar]

Very sad. RIP.

[wellvis@well.com]

I wish I didn't have to thank you for posting this. Stacy was an amazing player, author of many instructional methods for dobro and fiddle, and master transcriber among his many talents.

[jesserules]

He got a lot of people started on dobro with The Dobro Book (1977), one of those iconic texts from Oak Publications.

But probably his greatest work is the two-volume Phillips Collection of American Fiddle Tunes, published by Mel Bay. Just a landmark work.

[JeffD]

But probably his greatest work is the two-volume Phillips Collection of American Fiddle Tunes, published by Mel Bay. Just a landmark work.

Those books are a central part of my tune book collection.

[Pete Martin]

wow, so saddened by this, Stacy was a good guy. He added a lot to American oldtime fiddling, which he really loved playing.

[Dave Reiner]

Stacy Phillips, fiddler and dobro player extraordinaire, was an inspiration and a charismatic musical friend to many. I'll miss his great music, his dry sense of humor, and his vast knowledge of traditional fiddling. I learned a lot - as did many fiddlers and mandolin players - from his wonderful fiddle books and recordings. Stacy would have been teaching at Fiddle Hell Massachusetts this year; sadly, we'll remember him there instead.

[journeybear]

Thanks for posting this Dave. It's been ten days or so, and I'm still reeling from the sad news. So much so, that I just now got the idea to post a notice. Grateful you were more timely with yours.

I believe I've mentioned before that I once had a band in New Haven called Tin Can Alley, active in the early '80s. Dave and I and Lou Florio on guitar were the founding and core members. After the band broke up, a couple of positive results evolved. A mutual friend began hosting monthly potluck/hootenannies, of which we were charter members. These were extraordinary events, held in a three-story Victorian house with many rooms, providing the means to have numerous jams in wide-ranging styles simultaneously. And Lou founded a duo with Stacy. He became a regular at the First Friday Hoots, which went on for over a decade. I got to know Stacy well through this, and we were friends for some twenty years until I left. I must have jammed with him hundreds of times, here and at another similar hootenanny at a place out in the woods.

It was an honor to play with someone so talented, and also so generous musically. He was kind to me in many ways, teaching and leading by example, nodding his approval whenever I played a good lead. I owe him a great deal for his having helped in my musical development, however unintentionally.

I will always remember him. Godspeed, Archduke

PS: I heard about his passing through an odd happenstance. I happened to see a post by Terre Roche on facebook. He had played on a couple of The Roches' songs, and they returned the favor by singing on a couple of songs on his albums. I'd quite forgotten about this, then instantly recalled the connection.

[journeybear]

Yesterday was the fifth anniversary of his passing. I miss Stacy so much. I'd always hoped he would be so kind as to play a bit on one of my recordings. Now I have the technology and some of the know-how, but not the unique talent he would have brought. RIP, my friend.