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Topic: Article on Dewitt 'Scotty' Scott "Steeling For A Livin |
Debbie Johnley Glaub
From:
St. Louis Missouri, USA
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Posted 1 Oct 2008 7:10 am |
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Topic: Article written on Scotty "Steeling for a Living"
Debbie Johnley Glaub
From:
St. Louis Missouri, USA Posted 30 Sep 2008 8:36 am
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Just wanted share this with all of you to brag on "Scotty", there was an article written on him, Mary and their family in our local paper Sept 24, 08, called "Steeling For A Living", it's great!
Got to love the whole Scott Family for making the International Steel Guitar Hall of Fame what it is today!
Debbie
'Steeling' for a living: Overland resident puts pedal to the metal in country music
David Kennedy photo - DeWitt "Scotty" Scott plays a tune on a steel guitar. He has played the instrument for almost 60 years. Below is the hyperlink with pictures!
http://suburbanjournals.stltoday.com/articles/2008/09/29/news/sj2tn20080923-0924ssj-steel0.ii1.txt
By Scott Bandle
Tuesday, September 23, 2008 3:02 PM CDT
DeWitt "Scotty" Scott was working in his store one day years ago when the door opened and several hippie-types entered. One man had long hair, a full beard and glasses.
Scott had no clue who these people were, but they knew him. The visitors were Jerry Garcia and members of the Grateful Dead. They had come to his business, Scotty's Music in Overland, to talk to him about playing the steel guitar.
"To this day, I don't know how they heard about me," said Scott, 76. "This was in the early '70s. They invited me to the sound check for their concert, and I played the steel guitar for Garcia. I became friends with the Grateful Dead. They'd send me backstage passes to their concerts."Scott is recognized as one of the best steel guitar players in the music business. He may not be a household name to the general public, but he's well-known among musicians and has played in numerous bands behind some of the top artists in country music. At the 37th Scotty's International Steel Guitar Convention held recently at the Millennium Hotel, special guests included Dolly Parton and Barbara Mandrell.
"Our conventions have grown over the years," he said. "Our first convention in 1968 had about 75 people. This year, we had 4,000 people over four days."
The convention is a family affair. He and his wife Mary and their six children organize and host the annual event.
For Scott, the steel guitar was love at first listen. It was 1948 and he was 16 years old, living in Yukon, Okla. He played the trombone in the high school band. One day, he heard "Drowsy Water" on the radio, with the steel guitar played by Jerry Byrd.
"That did it," Scott said. "I loved the way it sounded. I went and got my first steel guitar out of the Montgomery Ward catalog."
He still played the trombone, and he did it well enough to earn a music scholarship to Oklahoma City University. In his spare time, Scott played the steel guitar with a variety of bands.
Scott's music professor heard about his extracurricular activities and called him into the office, telling him he had to choose between the trombone or his "hillbilly" music. Scott refused to give up the steel guitar, and the university took away his scholarship.
While playing on the local scene in Oklahoma, he also worked in a gas station. His life took a turn when he met Richard Sparks, a long-haul trucker based in St. Louis.
"(Richard) said he heard I was looking for a job," Scott said. "I closed down the gas station right there and left with him."
Scott met and married Richard's sister Mary. Besides six grown children, the Scotts have 10 grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
"I knew he played steel guitar, but I didn't know how deeply into it he was," Mary Scott said. "He played a lot in St. Louis. We'd say he played eight days a week. On Saturday, he'd finish in St. Louis, then go over to East St. Louis."
He continued to work as a trucker while playing and teaching the steel guitar, Spanish guitar and trombone. In 1963, he started Scotty's Music, working out of the basement of his home in the 9500 block of Midland Boulevard. He stopped long-haul trucking in 1966.
His reputation and the store's client list grew, covering all of the United States and 45 countries. In 1992, he was inducted into the Steel Guitar Hall of Fame for his achievements as a musician and a promoter for the musical instrument. He has traveled around the world as an advocate for the steel guitar, collecting more than 74 awards for his work.
Scott also has written 42 instruction manuals. He started Mid-Land Records in 1973, a label featuring steel guitarists. Scott also stays busy with the Overland Business Association and Overland-Occidental Lodge 623.
He continues to perform. Scott is scheduled to play at 1 p.m. Saturday at Autumn in the Park at Norman Myers Park.
Mary is his biggest fan.
"I honestly believe that if it wasn't for Scotty, the steel guitar would not have the popularity that it does right now," she said.
Steel guitar facts
- The steel guitar was invented in Hawaii in the late 1800s.
- Steel guitars began being used in country music after World War I.
- The steel guitar is mostly used in country music and Hawaiian music.
- Steel guitars are related to six-string Spanish guitars.
- A steel guitar is played with a steel bar pressed by hand on the strings.
- Pedals were added to steel guitars in the early 1950s.
- A steel guitar that's played on a musician's lap is nicknamed a "frying pan."
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Debbie Johnley Glaub
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Debbie Johnley Glaub |
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Jeff Bradshaw
From:
Leslieville, Alberta - Canada
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Posted 1 Oct 2008 9:14 am
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| Cool!! |
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Curt Shoemaker
From:
Ionia, Kansas, USA
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Posted 1 Oct 2008 10:38 am
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I'm glad to see Scotty is getting the recognition he truly deserves. I've said for years he has been the world-wide Ambassador for the steel guitar, and the players, along with being a great player himself.
Congratulations Scotty!! |
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Ray Montee
From:
Portland, Oregon (deceased)
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Posted 1 Oct 2008 3:56 pm Well now, how 'bout that!
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I knew there was something about Scotty that I liked, but had no idea he is a former BIG TRUCKER!
Right on, Scotty! |
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Jody Sanders
From:
Magnolia,Texas, R.I.P.
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Posted 1 Oct 2008 6:00 pm
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| Way to go Scotty and Mary. Great article. Jody. |
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Bill Myrick
From:
Pea Ridge, Ar. (deceased)
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Posted 2 Oct 2008 2:09 am
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My wife and I had the pleasure of first meeting Scotty in the fall of "69" in his basement music store when I purchased my first pedal steel, an 8 string single neck Fender tuned to D 9th chromatic.
After hours Scotty set there with a double ten steel and had my wife singing every Lorreta Lynn and Connie Smith song she knew. Great times and memories-  |
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Donny Hinson
From:
Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.
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Posted 2 Oct 2008 2:58 am
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| Quote: |
| - Pedals were added to steel guitars in the early 1950s. |
No - they were actually added in the '30s. 
(Not being "picky", but I feel it's important that errors like that be corrected every time they appear.) |
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Ben Lawson
From:
Brooksville Florida
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Posted 2 Oct 2008 8:57 am
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See Scotty I told you if you ate your veggies you'd turn out OK. Very nice article and I'm even more proud to call you my friend & travellin' buddy.
Ben |
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Leroy Riggs
From:
Looney Tunes, R.I.P.
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Posted 2 Oct 2008 9:06 am
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| Quote: |
| No - they were actually added in the '30s. |
Donny, I for one did not know that. Would you expand on the statement a little -- who added the pedals, etc.
That's interesting. |
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Mike Perlowin
From:
Los Angeles CA
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