23 Facts About Roy Wiggins

Roy Wiggins, known professionally as Little Roy Wiggins, was an American steel guitarist who is best known for his work with Eddy Arnold.

Roy Wiggins then made several solo instrumental recordings, and toured with other country musicians.

At the age of six, Roy Wiggins became fascinated with the Hawaiian guitars he heard on Grand Ole Opry broadcasts, and particularly the playing of Burt Hutcherson, who was a family friend.

Roy Wiggins developed his skills quickly enough that by age fifteen he was playing professionally for Paul Howard and his Arkansas Cotton Pickers.

When King's regular guitarist, Clell Summey, returned from participation in World War II, Roy Wiggins was out of a job.

At the beginning of his time with Arnold, Roy Wiggins played a Gibson EH-125, but he soon upgraded to the Gibson Console Grande model.

Roy Wiggins therefore felt ostracized by the other musicians, and he believed it adversely affected him psychologically.

Roy Wiggins had been receiving $100 a week in sales commissions, but Parker began to claim all music and record sales commissions for himself.

Roy 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 Roy Wiggins was utilized less and less as the 1950s progressed.

Roy Wiggins joined Arnold's accountant, Charles Mosley, in an insurance and real estate establishment in Brentwood, Tennessee.

Roy Wiggins became employed by Vox Instruments not only as a spokesperson, but as an agent to acquire the endorsements of other country-music instrumentalists.

Roy Wiggins's last recording with Arnold took place in 1961, but Wiggins continued to tour with Arnold, was given a piece of Arnold's publishing company, and remained employed by him until 1968.

Roy Wiggins took it personally that he was no longer needed by Arnold, and for years had dreams that Arnold would give him a call for another session or tour.

Roy Wiggins owned and operated a music store close to the Grand Old Opry's Ryman Auditorium in downtown Nashville beginning in 1968, after leaving Arnold.

Roy Wiggins continued to work with the Opry, backing Ernest Ashworth, The Willis Brothers, and most significantly George Morgan, with whom he recorded and toured until Morgan's death.

In 1972, Roy Wiggins began hosting a radio show for WTMS in Murfreesboro, Tennessee.

In 1973 Morgan recorded a tribute to Roy Wiggins, "Mr Ting-a-Ling " which featured Roy Wiggins' playing.

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

Roy Wiggins was included in the Steel Guitar Hall of Fame in 1985.

Roy Wiggins' playing was highly influenced by the Hawaiian guitar, emphasizing sweetness in tone.

Roy Wiggins's "ting-a-ling" sound, a "high-pitched, vibrating effect", was developed from listening to acoustic dobro players, particularly Brother Oswald, but the technique had not been used on the electric steel guitar until Wiggins adapted it at an octave higher for the style with which he was associated for his entire career.

Roy Wiggins' effect was accomplished by using the index finger and thumb to create a fast tremolo on adjacent strings, while simultaneously vibrating the steel bar to add additional vibrato.

Roy Wiggins continued to use the non-pedal steel long after the pedal steel guitar became the norm.