Roy Wiggins

Roy Wiggins (June 27, 1926 – August 3, 1999), known professionally as Little Roy Wiggins, was an American steel guitarist who is best known for his work with Eddy Arnold. Wiggins began playing professionally at a young age. As Eddy Arnold's first hire, he developed a signature "ting-a-ling" sound that helped make Arnold the most popular country entertainer for a period. As Arnold moved towards pop music, Wiggins' instrumental work was faded to the background, and then dropped entirely. Wiggins then made several solo instrumental recordings, and toured with other country musicians. Late in life he played for tourists in Tennessee.

Biography Early life and career Wiggins was born Ivan Leroy Wiggins on June 27, 1926, in Nashville, Tennessee. At the age of six, Wiggins became fascinated with the Hawaiian guitars he heard on Grand Ole Opry broadcasts, and particularly the playing of Burt Hutcherson, who was also a family friend. When King's regular guitarist, Clell Summey, returned from participation in World War II, Wiggins was out of a job. Arnold's sound, built around Wiggins' steel guitar playing, became enormously successful to the point that Arnold held the number-one position on Billboards country chart for forty weeks in 1948. As a result, Wiggins became one of the most-heard instrumentalists in country music, but he was considerably younger than most of his co-performers. Wiggins did not appear at all on 1954's "I Really Don't Want to Know", and by 1955 Arnold had determined that his future was directly tied to popular music; thus Wiggins was utilized less and less as the 1950s progressed. Arnold would have kept Wiggins on his payroll, honoring the lifetime contract, but Wiggins desired a more active role in the music world.

In 1973 Morgan recorded a tribute to Wiggins, "Mr. Ting-a-Ling (Steel Guitar Man)" which featured Wiggins' playing.

Wiggins shut down his music store in 1974 when the Opry moved out of Ryman.

Style Wiggins' playing was highly influenced by the Hawaiian guitar, emphasizing sweetness in tone. Wiggins continued to use the non-pedal steel long after the pedal steel guitar became the norm. Along with Jerry Byrd, Wiggins is considered the most influential of the early steel guitar players. He was a significant influence on Lloyd Green.

Solo discography Albums "Little Roy Wiggins Salutes Eddy Arnold" (Starday, 1962) "Songs I Played for Eddy Arnold" (Diplomat, 1963) "The Fabulous Steel Guitar of Little Roy Wiggins" (Starday, 1964) "18 All Time Hits" (Starday, 1966)

Singles "Bouquet of Roses" (Dot)