Jimmy Day
Jimmy Day (born James Clayton Day; 1934–1999) was an American steel guitarist active in the 1950s and 1960s whose career in country music blossomed about the time the pedal steel guitar was invented after pedals were added to the lap steel guitar. He was a pioneer on pedal steel in the genres of Western swing and Honky tonk and his modifications of the instrument's design have become a standard on the modern pedal steel. Day's first job after high school was performing on the Louisiana Hayride as a sideman accompanying developing country artists including Hank Williams, Webb Pierce, Willie Nelson, Jim Reeves, Ray Price and Elvis Presley. He recorded and toured with all these artists and was featured on hit records by of many of them, including Ray Price's, "Crazy Arms" and "Heartaches by the Number". He was a member of Elvis Presley's band for about a year, but, along with fellow bandmate Floyd Cramer, resigned after Presley requested them to re-locate to Hollywood; instead, Day moved to Nashville to work as a session player and Grand Ole Opry musician. He was a member of the Western Swing Hall of Fame (1994) and the International Steel Guitar Hall of Fame (1999). Day died of cancer in 1999. |
Birth and Death Data: Born Tuscaloosa, Died January 22, 1999 (Austin)
Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1952 - 1960
Roles Represented in DAHR: electric steel guitar
= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.
Recordings
| Company | Matrix No. | Size | First Recording Date | Title | Primary Performer | Description | Role | Audio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Columbia | CO49077 | 10-in. | 3/8/1953 | Mexican Joe | Billy Walker | Male vocal solo, with string band | instrumentalist, electric steel guitar | |
| Columbia | CO49996 | 10-in. | 9/27/1953 | I got lost along the way | Billy Walker | Male vocal solo, with string band | instrumentalist, electric steel guitar | |
| Columbia | CO49997 | 10-in. | 9/27/1953 | I can't keep the girls away | Billy Walker | Male vocal solo, with string band | instrumentalist, electric steel guitar | |
| Columbia | CO52848 | 10-in. | 12/2/1954 | Let me hear from you | Billy Walker | Male vocal solo, with string band | instrumentalist, electric steel guitar | |
| Columbia | CO52849 | 10-in. | 12/2/1954 | Hey! | Billy Walker | Male vocal solo, with string band | instrumentalist, electric steel guitar | |
| Columbia | CO55807 | 10-in. | 3/1/1956 | Crazy arms | Ray Price | Male vocal solo, with string band | instrumentalist, electric steel guitar | |
| Columbia | CO55808 | 10-in. | 3/1/1956 | You done me wrong | Ray Price | Male vocal solo, with string band | instrumentalist, electric steel guitar | |
| Decca | NA 2656 | 2/29/1952 | That heart belongs to me | Webb Pierce | instrumentalist, steel guitar | |||
| Decca | NA 2657 | 2/29/1952 | I just can't be true | Webb Pierce | instrumentalist, steel guitar | |||
| Decca | NA 2658 | 2/29/1952 | So used to loving you | Webb Pierce | instrumentalist, steel guitar | |||
| Decca | NA 2659 | 2/29/1952 | I haven't got the heart | Webb Pierce | instrumentalist, steel guitar | |||
| Decca | NA 2702 | 4/21/1952 | Slowly | Webb Pierce | instrumentalist, steel guitar | |||
| Decca | NA 2703 | 4/21/1952 | The last waltz | Webb Pierce | instrumentalist, steel guitar | |||
| Decca | NA 2704 | 4/21/1952 | Bow Thy head | Webb Pierce | instrumentalist, steel guitar | |||
| Decca | NA 2705 | 4/21/1952 | Country church | Webb Pierce | instrumentalist, steel guitar | |||
| Decca | NA 2768 | 7/15/1952 | Just how long | Webb Pierce | instrumentalist, steel guitar | |||
| Decca | NA 2769 | 7/15/1952 | I haven't got the heart | Webb Pierce | instrumentalist, steel guitar | |||
| Decca | NA 2770 | 7/15/1952 | Slowly | Webb Pierce | instrumentalist, steel guitar | |||
| Decca | NA 2771 | 7/15/1952 | I'll always take care of you | Webb Pierce | instrumentalist, steel guitar | |||
| Decca | NA 10964 | 1/27/1960 | Lovesick blues | Patsy Cline | instrumentalist, steel guitar | |||
| Decca | NA 10965 | 1/27/1960 | How can I face tomorrow | Patsy Cline | instrumentalist, steel guitar | |||
| Decca | NA 10966 | 1/27/1960 | There he goes again | Patsy Cline | instrumentalist, steel guitar | |||
| Decca | NA 10967 | 1/27/1960 | Crazy dreams-1 | Patsy Cline | instrumentalist, steel guitar |
Citation
Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Day, Jimmy," accessed December 24, 2025, http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/311181.
Day, Jimmy. (2025). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved December 24, 2025, from http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/311181.
"Day, Jimmy." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2025. Web. 24 December 2025.
DAHR Persistent Identifier
Linked Open Data Sources
LCNAR: Day, Jimmy, 1934-1999 - http://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/no2009028433
Wikidata: Jimmy Day - http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q105763233
VIAF: http://viaf.org/viaf/78996605
MusicBrainz: Jimmy Day - https://musicbrainz.org/artist/ba75e10e-120e-4a65-a26e-e19a4ab98874
Wikipedia content provided under the terms of the Creative Commons BY-SA license
Feedback
Send the Editors a message about this record.
