Gamble Rogers Memorial Foundation: Guestbook

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Gamble Rogers Festival

April 30 – May 2, 2010

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One of the funniest good ol boys I ever heard. Miss his performances.

Tuesday, July 13, 2010

Just finished converting my vinyl albums to CD to I-pod and enjoyed Doris and all the others on a recent flight to Barcelona!Remember many great shows at Peanut Gallery and Old Fashioned Eatin House in Lutz??Is that the name or was it a previous establishment?Long time gone.I have a signed copy of Gamble's first album if the foundation has a use for it-I will fly to FL and hand deliver.I so very much miss that man.

Saturday, January 30, 2010

You were the Man!

Cynthia Ansbacher

Thursday, January 21, 2010

Wish you were still here.

Thursday, January 21, 2010

I probably saw gamble play 50 or more times at The Flick in Miami and several more times at USF. He gave a group guitar lesson at USF, probably 1969 or 70. He taught me to play Freight Train in his style.

He was a wonderful performer and a fine human being.

Larry Bart

Tuesday, January 5, 2010

What a great tribute to a fine man, and a true folk artist!

I had the pleasure of meeting Gamble way back in the Fall of 1975.
He had come to the University of Scranton (PA) to give us a wonderful evening of song and stories.

I have never forgotten the man, nor his wit and unique ability to combine a good story with good music.

I was saddened to learn of his tragic death, and yet, even in dying he set an example for us to follow.
"Greater love has no man, than he lay down his life for a friend."

Thank you for working to keep his memory alive in our hearts and minds.

Fondly,
Bill G.

Friday, April 17, 2009

I met Gamble at the Brown Derby Restaurant during a performance back around 1978-79 and fell in love with his music. His death was pure trajedy but his music is timeless art. In these perilous times of trouble we are passing through right now, it is good to sit back and think of him and raise a glass to "Penrod and Alfreida". Merry Xmas to all!

Friday, December 5, 2008

I have a quotation from Gamble over my desk, and I try to live these words every day: "When your work speaks for itself, don't interrupt." I can put on one of his records anytime and immediately feel better. He could tell stories and pick guitar as well as any man alive, better than most.

Saturday, November 29, 2008

Sometime around 1970 I saw and met Gamble for the first time. He was playing a small club in Banner Elk, NC. We drove down from the Penland School Of Crafts. I was a young musician, and watching him inspired me to work toward being a singer/songwriter. He made it look so easy, which I learned it was not.
I was lucky to be with an old friend of his from Florida so we spent a lot of time talking with him. He showed us his Caddillac outside which had a large set of bull horns mounted on the hood. On a whim I thought I would see what was on the web, and I am happy to see so much interest. I live now in Raleigh, NC and saw him play a few times here in the late 80s. He made a comment to one of my friends once that from the way he watched him "like a hawk" Gamble knew he was a picker.

Wednesday, October 15, 2008

I heard Gamble in Black Mountain,NC in a small bar with his nephew, John. I'll always be indebted to the latter for the experience. At the time, I considered that night the best guitar picking that I had ever heard. Twenty years and countless comparisons haven't changed my opinion.
James Gilbert

Sunday, September 7, 2008

I hope this is not inappropriate, but I am the money courier assigned to the schools in St. Johns County, FL. As I walk through the entry hall of Gamble Rogers Middle School I look at the articles and pictures on the wall to my left,(as well as his tan jacket and guitar) and I can't help but hope someone someday will write a book or make a movie about Gamble, and I think Owen Wilson looks a lot like him. I encourage anyone and everyone to invest a little of their time and look back on this great man's life. I'm glad I did.

Saturday, August 30, 2008

I had dinner with Gamble Rogers years ago up in Chicago at the Earl of Oldtown. What a gift! My husband, at the time, and I had started the "Fox Valley Folklore Society, along with another gentleman, and Gamble's cousin, JOhn Rogers, showed up for one of the first meetings! He was a wonderful guy, just like Gamble. So was his wife, Beverly. Long story short, he went with us to the "Earl" and we got to meet him in person and even have dinner with him. He is truly an amazing man and such a talent!!!! I love his picking style but of course also his storytelling. I will never forget him or that meeting. Now, a question. Is there any chance we can get a video or DVD of Gamble's live performance? I loved watching him as much as listening. Are there only audios? If anyone knows this answer, please respond to my email. Gamble, you are so loved and revered!

Barb Carnright (Schmeisser)

Thursday, August 21, 2008

I remember Gamble Rogers. I met him at Kerrville back in the 80s. I saw him do something I have never seen before or since. We were having a conversation sitting by a campfire holding our guitars. While we were talking, Gamble started playing. He picked a whole song while we were talking and he never took his eyes off me. He never once even glanced down at his guitar. I don't remember what we were talking about and I don't remember the tune Gamble picked but I sure do remember him talking and picking. I go to a lot of festivals (55 nights of camping last year), and I have NEVER seen anything like that. God bless Gamble Rogers.

Dan the Tire Man
July 2008

Thursday, July 24, 2008

Of all people in this festival, that make music their livelyhood and do this on a full time basis, (all of them top of the line musicians and national re-known performers), it was a leap of faith that fiddle player Janine Newfield and myself, made the front page of the Sunday Newspaper, the St. Augustine Record. To you all musicians that performed at the festival, you should all have been on the front page.

I went to the Gamble Rogers Festival 2008 at the St. Johns Fairgrounds, so I could listen all the music I could hear, watch every performer that I could play their songs and instruments, and gather all the positive feelings and magic that the festival goers like myself crave so that we can muster until the next one comes along.

I do fine arts for a living, music is a beautiful part of it. So when a good Music festival comes long, I set up my face paint vendor's booth, so I can work a little and take time to go see as many talented musicians as possible. As a side, I bring along with me, my acoustic guitar and a micro pink Ukulele that I got last years from Grandpa's Music, which stopped Steve Coyle on his tracks when he was strolling by. He came by the booth and played us a tune with the small pink uke, as I was painting a pirate face on a small buccaneer. If you ever heard Steve performing with his acoustic guitar (and making you laugh at the same time) you would agree, this was quite appropriate.

I saw and heard Mary Flower masterly finger picking and Sam Pacetti playing like he has a couple of extra fingers on each hand (He said he is an alien from another plante and I believe him).

I danced many times when I went to enjoy the music performances. To me, The best complement you can give to any musician who is playing good music - besides listening - is to dance to their tune and move some dirt under your feet.

I never met Gamble Rogers. I made a point on taking a break from my face paint booth to go see the videos and find out who this man was. It was a small peak at this big hearted person with a sense of humor that matched his tremendous skill as a musician. I hope that, - wherever he is -, he is laughing out loud with me on this one after watching my expression while I was singing this traditional spanish song with Janine in the photo published on the cover page of the newsletter.

As for Janine, now, those who have heard her play the fiddle, know she can play it. She's a veteran festival performer and a beautiful and powerful violin virtuoso, both with classic and folk music. I could not let it pass when she wanted to play with me. It was just a leap of faith...

Marianne Lerbs

Monday, May 5, 2008

What a great website. This is a great thing. I have had tons of fun here.

Monday, April 28, 2008

I first met Gamble many years ago before he moved to St. Augustine. When he moved to St. Augustine, he left a lot of folk in Coral Gables, FL very unhappy to see him go. He was the main attraction at the Flick, a coffee house in Coral Gables that catered to the residents of Coconut Grove, Coral Gables, and the surrounding areas. Regardless of who else was going to be on stage, Gamble was the big draw. I had a major crush on him and went on to pick up the guitar, majored in music theory and composition and guitar, and to this day, owe a great deal to his influence on me. My son has followed in my footsteps, and has begun to play guitar, and quite well. I wish he could hear live the man who inspired me so many years ago. Keep up the memorial - he was an amazing sweet soul.

Monday, April 21, 2008

I had the pleasure of promoting Gamble in concert, not once, but twice. The first was as an "opening act" for a Mac McAnally concert my wife and I promoted at the Bob Carr Performing Arts Center in Orlando, in 1982 (if memory serves me correctly). Gamble was amazing, and of course got called back out for an encore. He was such a humble man, a true gentleman. And he told me how much it meant for him to play in that particular building, as he'd once been in the audience himself in that particular venue, for a young performer by the name of Elvis Presley.

It's been quite a while, but I still miss Gamble. He was quite the performer himself.

Monday, February 11, 2008

I saw Gamble perform at the National Storytelling Festival sometime in the 80's. At one of the sessions, he was performing with Pete Seeger, who forgot the words as he was singing. Gamble stepped in in the most polite and unobtrusive manner and helped Pete pick up the thread again. I was so sad to read a couple of years later of his death. Then, this year we moved to St. Augustine and I am reading the paper a couple of weeks ago. There is an announcement of the festival in May! I couldn't believe it- and won't miss it.

Friday, January 25, 2008

Loved watching Gamble when he'd come to Tampa (Peanut Gallery - mid-70's). His delightful approach to language inspired me to develop my own codrey of tales about my mis-spent youth and after 30+ years of practice - it's all good !!
I look forward to visiting the memorial on my next trip to Florida.

marc ofte
midlothian, va

Wednesday, December 26, 2007

We've been involved with Gamblefest (Ron:all of 'em & Mary Lea:since 2000)!! I saw Gamble on a # of occassions in Hogtown in the 70's & have fond memories of seeing him here in St Aug walking down St George St & sitting in ? (on the corner of St G & Treasury).Gamble will live forever !!!

Tuesday, December 4, 2007

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