Sonny was born in Doddridge, Arkansas on January 3, 1932 and started playing the steel guitar around 1946, when he was 14 years old. He had some boyhood friends that had rhythm guitar and could sing. He listened to the Grand Ole Opry on Saturday night and radio recordings of Hank Williams with Jerry Byrd on steel guitar, Bob Wills music and records on the Jukebox. All of these spurned the desire to learn to play music and stirred the artist in Sonny to concentrate on the steel guitar.
A short 6 years later in 1954, he was hired to be a part of the "Louisiana Hayride Staff Band" and continued to play there until 1960. Some of the people Sonny toured with during this time was Webb Pierce, Faron Young, Jim Reeves, Johnny Horton, David Houston, George Jones, Slim Whitman, Billy Walker, The Browns, Paul Howard, Jimmy & Johnny, Jimmie Davis and Elvis Presley. In 1959, he was hired by Jimmie Davis and toured with him as he campaigned for Governor of Louisiana.
Sonny met the love of his life while playing with the Hayride. They were together for 67 years and married for 63 wonderful years full of memories. They had two sons, Chester and Tracy.
After Sonny retired from the Louisiana DOTD in 1997, he worked for the Peterbilt dealership from 1998 to 2004, and still worked part-time for the Mack Truck Dealership and The Tri-City Charter Bus Company.
Left to cherish his memory are his wife of 63 years, Evangeline Waxham Trammell; sons, Chester Trammell and wife, Shelia and Tracy Trammell; three grandchildren, Zach Trammell and wife, Morgan, Faith Donahue and Courtney Horine; four great grandchildren, Ava, Levi, Declan and Sawyer; along with numerous nieces, nephews, extend family members and countless friends.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Dorothy Lott Cauthorne and James W. Trammell and a sister, Hazel Field.
A visitation for Sonny will be held Saturday, June 22, 2024 from 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM at Centuries Memorial Funeral Home, 8801 Mansfield Road, Shreveport, Louisiana 71108, followed by a Celebration of Life at 11:00 AM. He will be laid to rest Centuries Memorial Park, 8801 Mansfield Rd, Shreveport, LA 71108. Pastor Jerry Steele of Pathway to the Cross Church in Greenwood, LA and Jay Knighton will be officiating the services.
The family would like to express their sincere gratitude to the staff at Willis Knighton South, RN Christina Derrick, the staff of Willis Knighton 2nd floor step down unit, St. Joseph Hospice Carpenter House and the Greenwood Police Department and Residents. The family would also like to thank Sonny's sister-in-law, Paula Waxham for all her assistance.
In lieu of flowers, contributions in Sonny's memory may be made to Pathway to the Cross Church, 8948 Greenwood Rd., Greenwood, Louisiana 71033 US.
