Ralph Mooney
Ralph Mooney (September 16, 1928 – March 20, 2011) was an American steel guitar player and songwriter, he was inducted into the Steel Guitar Hall of Fame in 1983. He was the original steel guitarist in Merle Haggard's band, the Strangers and Waylon Jennings's band, the Waylors.
A native of Duncan, Oklahoma, Mooney became a key figure in the country music scene around Bakersfield, California. He played on many records associated with the Bakersfield sound, including Wynn Stewart's "Wishful Thinking", Buck Owens' "Under Your Spell Again" and Merle Haggard's "Swinging Doors". He and guitarist James Burton released an instrumental album called Corn Pickin' and Slick Slidin' in 1968.
Mooney played with many other country artists and was a member of Waylon Jennings' band for two decades. Jennings would often transition to Mooney's instrumentals with the lyrics, "Pick it, Moon".
Though best known for his instrumental work, Mooney co-wrote "Crazy Arms" with Chuck Seals; the song was Ray Price's first No. 1 country hit in 1956. Mooney said he wrote the song in 1949 while living in Las Vegas, getting the idea after his wife left him because of his drinking problem.
Tyler Mahan Coe dedicated a full episode of his podcast Cocaine & Rhinestones to Mooney.
Ry Cooder references Mooney in the title track of his 2018 album The Prodigal Son.
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