Pedal Steel in Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge

[Reggie Duncan]

Planning on taking a few days off and going to the Gatlinburg area. Who is playing and when???? Thanks

[Brett Day]

Well, if you're goin' to Dollywood, Stoney Stonecipher plays there and Larry Stewart plays steel at the Country Tonite Theater.

Brett

[Reggie Duncan]

Thanks Brett! Good choices.....any more??

[Peer Desmense]

Are you sure you want to go to that area? I was there 2 weeks ago because my wife and I took a vacation trip through the alleghenies, we took the beaitiful skyline drive, went through the blue ridge and the great smokies and had a hotel in Gatlinburg. Just passing through!
Gatlinburg is crowded, noisy, full of hotels, motels, restaurants, amusement halls, souvenir shops, tourist attractions and no greater contrast with the surrounding nature thinkable...
On our way further we passed Pigeon Forge: Take Gatlinburg and multiply it by 10!!!
We were uphauled: How can anybody in his right mind enjoy this is beyond me, really.
Perhaps we (Dutchies)differ too much from the american style (everything in the u.s. is bigger: much bigger amounts of coffee, soft drinks, food, traffic, roads, etc.) and we just aren't used to this, but we had seen so many other beautiful things that nature has in stall there, that it just didn't make any sense at all.
Don't get me wrong, everybody his thing, but I hope you realise what you can expect down there.

Peer

[Herby Wallace]

Reggie,

I have lived in this area for 21 years and I do like it as a place to live, but the music scene is not what it used to be. I haven't worked a regular show in 8 years and I used to play 6 and 7 days a week all the time. Most of the theaters that are still here won't use steel at all and the ones that do won't hire anybody as they say that just plays steel. My friend, Junior Mercer, who is a great steel player just started a new show but he tells me they only let him play steel on about half of the songs and he says most of the show is the newer country, if you know what I mean. My friend, Larry Stewart, is also in a situation where he has to play other instruments too. I played Dollywood for 7 years back in the nineties and there were 3 steel players in different shows, now only Stoney and none of the other shows at Dollywood will use steel anymore. To be honest, I wouldn't waste my money at any of the shows if you want to hear steel as you won't get to hear very much. This is just my opinion, but it is really bad to see what has happened to so called country music in this area.

Herby Wallace

P.S. It's still a nice area to visit but forget the music.

[Rick Campbell]

Reggie,

I have lived in this area for 21 years and I do like it as a place to live, but the music scene is not what it used to be. I haven't worked a regular show in 8 years and I used to play 6 and 7 days a week all the time. Most of the theaters that are still here won't use steel at all and the ones that do won't hire anybody as they say that just plays steel. My friend, Junior Mercer, who is a great steel player just started a new show but he tells me they only let him play steel on about half of the songs and he says most of the show is the newer country, if you know what I mean. My friend, Larry Stewart, is also in a situation where he has to play other instruments too. I played Dollywood for 7 years back in the nineties and there were 3 steel players in different shows, now only Stoney and none of the other shows at Dollywood will use steel anymore. To be honest, I wouldn't waste my money at any of the shows if you want to hear steel as you won't get to hear very much. This is just my opinion, but it is really bad to see what has happened to so called country music in this area.

Herby Wallace

P.S. It's still a nice area to visit but forget the music.

Herby,

You forgot about the leaf lookers that come in the Fall. As you know, I play multi instruments. Back in the 70's when it was Silver Dollar City, they offered me a job playing fiddle, guitar, and banjo. Three shows per day, and in between shows, I'd have to sweep and pick up trash. I said no thanks. Playing banjo three times per day was a little too much for me.

[Ken Byng]

Are you sure you want to go to that area? I was there 2 weeks ago because my wife and I took a vacation trip through the alleghenies, we took the beaitiful skyline drive, went through the blue ridge and the great smokies and had a hotel in Gatlinburg. Just passing through!
Gatlinburg is crowded, noisy, full of hotels, motels, restaurants, amusement halls, souvenir shops, tourist attractions and no greater contrast with the surrounding nature thinkable...
On our way further we passed Pigeon Forge: Take Gatlinburg and multiply it by 10!!!
We were uphauled: How can anybody in his right mind enjoy this is beyond me, really.
Perhaps we (Dutchies)differ too much from the american style (everything in the u.s. is bigger: much bigger amounts of coffee, soft drinks, food, traffic, roads, etc.) and we just aren't used to this, but we had seen so many other beautiful things that nature has in stall there, that it just didn't make any sense at all.
Don't get me wrong, everybody his thing, but I hope you realise what you can expect down there.

Peer

Peer - to the contrary. My wife and I love Gatlinburg. The whole atmosphere and feel of the place, along with the picturesque scenery. I don't recognise it at all from your description. I usually spend my birthdays there and on or around the 21st April each year the town shuts down the main street and put on a wings and ribs fest with all different types of live music going on. We will be there as usual next April as part of our annual 3 week holiday around Texas, Arkansas, Tennessee, and Alabama.

This year we will spend a couple of days in Chattanooga, where we haven't been before. For those who have never been to Pigeon Forge or Gatlinburg. Give it a try - you won't be dissappointed!

[Tommy Shown]

Herby, it's a down right shame. That's the problem here in Louisiana too. If you don't play Jazz, Blues, Swamp Pop, which to me is remake of the old Doo Wop songs from the 1950's with horns in the mix,there ain't much a steel man can do. I pick up session here and there. But it AIN'T STEADY!
Don't get me wrong, I love doing session work, better than the club scene. I don't have to deal with drunks and people fighting or pulling out a weapon like a knife or a GUN!!! I go in and the guy will play a cut of the song for me and tells me to use my immagination. And I get paid fpr it too.
Hope you are doing well,
Tommy Shown
SMFTBL

[Jeff Campbell]

The music in Branson is no better. I went there a few month's ago and out of all the shows I seen (1) steel and he played maybe....5 minutes out of the entire show.