Al Stotler

[Philip Bender]

Aloha All,
I got word yesterday of the passing of the BIGGEST Jerry Byrd fan. Al Stotler of Cinncinati, OH left us on Friday 18 June. Al was`one of the warmest most friendly men I have ever met. We became friends in 1991 during the Winchester convention, and I spent some great hours
at his home learning about the personal life of JB.
Al said that the first time he visited Jerry, he had to go around the block several times to get up the guts to stop and go to the door.
As I left his home on our last visit, he handed me a small package, and said not to open it till I got home. To my surprise, there was a bullet nose bar with a note telling me that it was one of the bars Jerry experimented with several years ago.
Needless to say that bar is in a safe place, and is used very little.
Thanks for everything Al, what a guy.
Phil

[Wally Pfeifer]

You said it all, Phil. Al was one of the good guys and a life-long best friend of JBs. No one ever wanted to say anything against JB when Al was around.
I am happy to say that Al was my friend, also.
I have a lot of JB music tapes given to me by Al.
Al never gave me a bar but I do have a bar that Jerry used,- given to me by Jerry's widow, Kaleo, after
his death. It is also one of my treasures.
RIP,--Al.
Wally Pfeifer

[Wally Pfeifer]

Phil
I take it that no one knows Al or don't give a damn. 70+ views but no sympathy. Too sad! Still,--I'm happy that I got to know him and became friends. Besides sharing our JB music, we always shared our military experiences. His being the Army,mine being the Marine Corps.
RIP,--my friend.
Wally

[George Keoki Lake]

(See Below)

[George Keoki Lake]

I am greatly saddened to learn of the passing of AL STOTLER. I first met Al somewhere around 1979. He and I corresponded for many years however, as things go in life, our letters and e-mails became less frequent as we entered our senior years...to my chagrin. I have always respected Al...There were times he and I disagreed on various topics but we both agreed when the topic of JB arose. Al was often mistaken as a brother to Jerry...similar in appearance. The strangest part of our friendship was the fact I never heard him play the steel guitar, ever. I wonder how many did hear him play ? He collected quite a few steel guitars. Jerry gave him a few of his early models, yet I never heard Al perform. I have a hunch he had a gentle JB touch in his playing as Jerry often stayed at Al's home when he was on the mainland. All due respects to Ray "Skip" Montee and his wonderful JB enthusiasm, however I do feel Al was a very close friend to JB and knew more about JB than anyone. He always addressed me as "Chief", a term which I'm sure all his close friends probably received. Our last encounter was on April 11, 2005 when he and Scotty were at the Halekulani ... it was a sad encounter as it was the day we lost Jerry. I'll miss Al.

[George Keoki Lake]

WALLY...Guess you were right...no one seems to care.
Sad...he was a good guy.

[Brad Bechtel]

First time seeing this myself. Sorry to hear of his passing; my sympathy to his family.

[Mike Neer]

RIP, Al. Every time a true steel guitar lover passes, it'a loss to all of us. To those of you who called Al a friend, my condolences. I can only wish he would have shared his passion with us here.

[bruce fischer]

RIP Al. condolences to the family. bruce & lynn

[Ray Montee (RIP)]

I just learned of Al's passing this morning. Such sad news to start off a new day.

Some years back, Al started up correspondence with me about JERRY BYRD........and we exchanged emails for an all too short period of time. He shared a few tapes with me and a story or two.

THEN, is STOPPED! The exchanges ended as rapidly as they had started. I never knew why........and likely never will.

I'd always heard that Al and Jerry had been school mates so the story above I find most interesting.
Al has been the beneficiary of many of Jerrys' wonderful instruments. For this, I always envied him.

I've always boasted how I felt I was Jerry's #1 fan and I realize that this unintenionally irked a lot of folks. I now realize that I wasn't even on Jerry's top 40 list.

While some rec'd g'tars and other cherrished momentos, I never rec'd so much as a worn out, broken guitar pick. But, I did receive countless examples of Jerry's fabulous musical skills on the many records I've managed to accumulate over these past decades. For this I'll be eternally grateful.

Fortuneately Al had the lifetime relationship with Jerry that many of us wish we might have had. I know he valued it highly. I'm very sad to learn that we've lost still another loyal steel guitar fan.

My heart goes out to Al's family and friends. I know it's sunshining where Al is this date, as it's shining beautifully on my doorstep.

[George Keoki Lake]

Y'know SKIP...Al and I corresponded for many, many years after I first met him at a Winchester Convention.
He sent me a lot of tapes of Jerry in the early years of his career. I figured we had a great friendship going when suddenly, as with you, he suddenly stopped ! No explanation, nothing. I really liked the guy. There certainly was no doubt where he stood as far as Jerry was concerned...they were like brothers. Well, sadly both are gone now. Al never did inform me as to the reason why he stopped corresponding. My sympathy joins with yours towards his family.

[George Keoki Lake]

DUPLICATED....sorry 'bout that.

[Harley Morris]

Although I never met him personally, we were friends. I met him trough a mutual friend up in Montana (Jack Jones) and we did alot of e-mailing back & forth. I did talk to him on the phone a few times as well. I felt I knew him pretty well. I remember him telling me that Jerry Byrd was failing in his health, and I tried to get a friend of mine (Dave Knight) to send Jerry a book to autograph for him becase Dave has always been a LARGE Jerry Byrd fan. Some reading this may very well know Dave Knight. He is a super fine steel player, and if you do know him, you know exactly what I'm talking about. Well, Dave never got around to sending it over, and then Jerry passed on. Dave felt bad about that, and I'm sure that he still does. I still communicate with Al's daughter Kathleen via e-mail these days. Like Al, I've never met her but she is a really great gal. I enjoy the stories she sends my way.

[Jack D. Jones]

I must comment on the loss of a close friend and a friend who Jerry Byrd had the greatest respect for and as a long-time friendship through 'thick and then'.Al Stotler was a special individual and it was my privilege to know him for so many years. Al was an honest,sincere individual and a person who would call a spade a spade no beating around the bush with Al but JB was the same way right? My association with Al was a memorable part of my life and how he knew Jerry Byrd. Like many of us we know that JB had some of the same attributes. Al was always the first to be there in JB's defense.Trips with Al was the highlight of my life and we visited Nashville a few times and of course to view JB's famous steel guitar and the Volu-Tone Amp Al donated to the Hall of Fame. Al was concerned about reports of Jerry's steel guitar being removed and played on but we were hopeful it wasn't true as Al said "Jerry should be the last person to play on that guitar". We enjoyed our visits with kayton Roberts and Iva Lee in Nashville and all JB stories.Kayton was and is a big, big JB fan as you know.
Yes, Al told me about his first meeting with JB on Aster Drive as well. He was invited in and they struck it off right away. Al was writing for Steel Guitar Echos(JB fan club) about the same time. Al left many good friends and many on the Forum I am sure. He always spoke of his family and my heart goes out to them all. Al served this country proudly in Korea and was wounded there and has always been a patriot that loves our country. His love for the steel guitar,Hawaiian music and the masters that played the instrument is cherished with all the tapes he sent me.I am so glad I had the privilege of knowing Al Stotler and his qualities are something many of us should follow. We miss you Al but you are not forgotten. Thank you Forum for allowing me to express my views as this is the first post but I must express my thoughts about Al Stotler.. Jack