Who First Uttered " Foremost Steel Player"?

[b0b]

Bill, Why do you use obsolete words such as "uttered" and "foremost? What you are trying to say is "Who is the best player" Remember the KISS principle, KEEP IT SIMPLE STUPID!!

I use both of those "obsolete" words frequently.

I believe (though I'm not certain) that the phrase "the world's foremost steel guitarist" was first used by Tom Bradshaw to describe Buddy Emmons. Thereafter, it was inscribed on his plaque in the Steel Guitar Hall of Fame plaque. It was often used to introduce Buddy on stage at steel guitar shows.

Foremost does not mean "best". Those who attempt to remove specific words from the language by substituting generalized synonyms are condemned to a lack of nuance in their own utterances. Why use the right word when a more common one would do? Because "best" does not convey the meaning of "foremost" and ideas are important. "KISS" does not stand for "Keep It Stupid Stupid".

[Bill Hankey]

b0b,

Thanks for the civility. Tom Bradshaw would no doubt have some interesting things to say about how that entitlement came about. It's quite amazing to become familiar with nicknames as well as stage names. Countless country music entertainers have taken full advantage of changing their names to more appealing and attractive sounding names to enhance sayable values in terms of euphoniousness. It's fascinating how movie stars quickly learned the benefits of name changes. Perhaps a measure of contemplation and/or research into such matters, would yield many interesting changes made. I believe that one of the earliest country music recordings, featuring name changes, are those produced by Vernon Dalhart. It has been written that to sell more recordings of the same song, he changed his name no less than 50 times.

[Brian Henry]

Hi Bill - Just to clarify here are some synonyms for "foremost." see dictionary.com


fore·most   
[fawr-mohst, -muhst, fohr-] Show IPA
–adjective, adverb
first in place, order, rank, etc.: the foremost surgeons.
Origin:
bef. 1000; fore1 + -most; r. ME, OE formest, equiv. to form ( a ) first, var. of fruma (cf. L prīmus ) + -est -est

—Synonyms
primary, prime, chief, principal, paramount, best.

[Eric West]

I think Buddy Emmons fills the bill.



EJL

[Bill Hankey]

Eric,

Have a great Thanksgiving Day! I miss your usual extended commentaries as seen a few years ago. Your exceptional interminglings of the conscious and subconscious imaginative creations have all but vacated the central walkways of controversy. Now, that's scary!

[Brian Henry]

Hi Bill,

Dost thou think that because thou art virtuous, that thou art permitted to engage in ceaseless uttering, to the uttermost, about who is the foremost in our midst?

[Dave Mudgett]

I agree with b0b. A slightly different take from the same dictionary.com web page:

World English Dictionary
foremost (ˈfɔːˌməʊst) [Click for IPA pronunciation guide]

— adj , — adv
first in time, place, rank, etc

Foremost implies first in "something". But the problem with rank-ordering like this is that this "something" is completely dependent on some type of metric or topology, which is quite arbitrary. If we're talking about something about which people decide, then it is also completely subjective, and even variable from audience to audience.

Even after explaining and agreeing with the above caveats, I agree with Eric that, when you shake it all out from any angle I can think of, Buddy Emmons does fit that title for steel guitar (or at least pedal steel guitar) very nicely, and I think that is unusual for any instrument. I can't remotely begin to think of a historical guitarist, pianist, violinist who has that level of fairly uniform agreement.

I believe in writing as simply as possible. I only wish that all ideas were simple. Occam's razor implies using the simplest explanation possible, but does NOT imply over-simplification simply to satisfy the populist desire for a simple sound bite, at the expense of accuracy.

[Bill Hankey]

tbhenry,

There was once a registered prized guernsey BULL owned by the widow of a medical doctor. It was kept to establish better milk production in the widow's herd of milking cows. That was the first time that I heard the word FOREMOST. The Bull's official title was registered as "FOREMOST STARSHOOT". I remember chatting with the bull's owner in 1959. Do the math! Buddy was 22 years of age at that time.

[Bill Hankey]

Dave M.,

I've always appreciated sharing in your educated responses. You are in my opinion one of the most qualified writers on the forum. I can't recall one statement made in your writings, that would be questionable. Thanks for the many boosts you've entered over the years.

[Barry Blackwood]

There was once a registered prized guernsey BULL owned by the widow of a medical doctor. It was kept to establish better milk production in the widow's herd of milking cows. That was the first time that I heard the word FOREMOST.

There's a dairy here in CA called Foremost, and that's no bull ….

:

[Joe Miraglia]

Does not "foremost" change with time and place? Some foremost steel player say two or fifty years ago may not be the foremost today. This could pertain to any person or category. Joe

[Billy Carr]

Simple. The Big E! What else is there to be said?

[b0b]

Dave M.,

I've always appreciated sharing in your educated responses. You are in my opinion one of the most qualified writers on the forum. I can't recall one statement made in your writings, that would be questionable. Thanks for the many boosts you've entered over the years.

One could say that Dave is arguably the Forum's foremost writer.

Does not "foremost" change with time and place? Some foremost steel player say two or fifty years ago may not be the foremost today. This could pertain to any person or category.

Correct, but Buddy Emmons is still foremost in the opinion of most steel guitarists.

[Tom Bradshaw]

My friend, Don McClellan, alerted me to this topic. It has been an interesting read, not just for the "foremost" reference, but for the ancillary subject matter supplied by the various posters.

My "foremost" reference was first used in 1975 when I re-issued Emmons’ “Steel Guitar Jazz” album. I started his musical bio on that album jacket with the question, “The foremost pedal steel guitarist in the world?” I suspect I asked that question because I believed that Buddy was truly “the foremost pedal steel guitarist in the world” at that time. I doubted that anyone would have argued with me then. Later on (1981) I used the phrase “The world’s foremost steel guitarist” when I put those words on his Hall of Fame plaque. [Producing the plaque was my job for the 27 I was a member of the Steel Guitar Convention Board.] I think I used the word, “foremost,” on several HOF plaques that I prepared during those years. As to who used the term first, I suspect a lot of people did when they referred to Buddy. But, Scotty surely used it the most, since I heard him introduce Buddy with that complement at every Convention, when Buddy performed. Scotty certainly imbedded that idea in a lot of our minds!

When I used the word, I was likely caught up in the moment. By “moment” I mean how the situation was at that very time. I think that Emmons was the foremost player of the instrument for a lot of years. At this “moment” I don’t think he is. Why? Because at many other “moments”, before and since, there have been other momentary “foremost” players, as well as being “foremost” in other genres of the instrument. There is no question that at one time Sol Hoopii was a foremost player (of some genre--Hawaiian steel? Bob Dunn was the first and “foremost” jazz steel player. When I used the word “foremost” on Speedy West’s HOF plaque, I qualified it by calling him "Steel's Foremost Showman". I could go on, but you get the point. It would probably have been a good idea to have qualified every use of “foremost” on every plaque I prepared, but I didn’t.

I think every person inducted into the SG HOF could be referred to as “foremost” in some aspect of his or her contribution to the instrument. Additionally, I feel that a lot of noted players not yet in the HOF and playing today could be referenced as “foremost” in some aspect of our instrument. I suspect that “foremost” will endure as giving some kind of preeminence to people, be they steel guitarists or other artisans. ...Tom

[Eric West]

Bill&.

Not to worry.

I've been really busy.

For one reason, I can say that my first 25 years of steady and solid bandstand playing left me with a lot of experiences unshared, and questions unanswered.

Then I found The Forum in about 2002.

The experiences,I have been able to share, the ones I can remember, good, bad, funny, sad, etc.

The questions that have accumulated over the years, I have always been able to have answered to my satisfaction, such as tuning, equipment etc., and I've appreciated the input from the players here, from the least advanced, to the most famous.

Curves of participation vary for the individual. I can remember my participation in the local "XLive" forums, and then after a few years, I had learned to type, and write, and I moved on. The forums as well had degenerated, as they sometimes do without the type of moderatin' that b0b has provided.

The Third I guess is my quantitative age. I had a difficult time with prostate removal a couple years ago, with an "incurable but manageable prognosis" and have had to point my daily activities toward excersize, day work praying,playing, and coping with testosterone blockades, which leave me needing more "real world" interaction. I suppose I have the same "lifespan" as before, but it requires more effort to stay "above worrying about it". I'm sure it's understood by those approaching the years where these things come to pass.

It's always a "daily read", and I enjoy still playing every weekend mostly. I have been posting as things strike me. Just that most of it's been said already.

I still think Buddy Emmons is The Foremost Pedal Steel Guitar Player.

I heard that uttered 40 years ago, but I forget who it was that said it. Maybe Buddy Charleton... I'e personally always thought that BC was, and is, but that's in my and a bunch of others' books. It doesn't mean it's that way worldwide like Buddy Emmons.

Off to the river with Augie. Then T-Day with the folks.



EJL

[Ben Jones]

"Those who attempt to remove specific words from the language by substituting generalized synonyms are condemned to a lack of nuance in their own utterances."

Well said . Words have meaning. Perhaps thats why three people, have posted the definition of "foremost" in this thread. Thats why I did at least. Good thing mr. Mudgett came along to post it again so Bill could hear it from someone he respects rather than from a smarta** like me.

For me, Buddy Emmons is still the foremost steel guitar player. Rank? Numero Uno. Preeminent? you bet. There has been no one who has surpassed his skill and accomplishments.
I do not believe in this day and age with the many distractions our children have at their disposal, with the absence of music education in our schools, with the disappearance of the music industry as it was...the 3 sets a night 5 nights a week with studio sessions all day long...that there will EVER be anyone who will be able to even comes close in the future. He's the best there is, the best there was and the best there ever will be.

[Brian Henry]

[b0b]

For a while, I thought that we might be able to stay on the topic of steel players.

[Bo Legg]

That was foremost in our minds b0b.
I always thought that foremost meant that you were as far up in front of the line as you could get.

[Eric West]

For me, Buddy Emmons is still the foremost steel guitar player.

Rank?

Numero Uno.

Preeminent? you bet.

There has been no one who has surpassed his skill and accomplishments.

I do not believe in this day and age with the many distractions our children have at their disposal, with the absence of music education in our schools, with the disappearance of the music industry as it was...the 3 sets a night 5 nights a week with studio sessions all day long...that there will EVER be anyone who will be able to even comes close in the future. He's the best there is, the best there was and the best there ever will be. -Ben Jones-

Thank you Ben.

If anyone ever reads this, and wonders who first 'uttered' it, you now have the prize.

I was the first one to Second it.



Happy T-Day.

EJL

[Don McClellan]

Hey Buddy! Are you following this? I would guess that you, of all people, should or at least might, recall when you first heard "Foremost" used in reference to yourself during an introduction.

If this thread isn't a testimony to how much Buddy Emmons means to us, I don't know what is.

BTW... is "aftmost" a word? I think I heard it during my introduction last night.
Don

[Tom Stolaski]

When someone comes along that is so great, that you you cannot come up with words to describe the person or his accomplishments, you have to pick one out sooner or later. Buddy Emmons is the greatest steel guitarist on earth. Even Rusty Rhodes would agree that Buddy Emmons is the Foremost Steel Guitarist.

[Ben Jones]

For me, Buddy Emmons is still the foremost steel guitar player.

Rank?

Numero Uno.

Preeminent? you bet.

There has been no one who has surpassed his skill and accomplishments.

I do not believe in this day and age with the many distractions our children have at their disposal, with the absence of music education in our schools, with the disappearance of the music industry as it was...the 3 sets a night 5 nights a week with studio sessions all day long...that there will EVER be anyone who will be able to even comes close in the future. He's the best there is, the best there was and the best there ever will be. -Ben Jones-

Thank you Ben.

If anyone ever reads this, and wonders who first 'uttered' it, you now have the prize.

I was the first one to Second it.



Happy T-Day.

EJL

Thanks Eric. Happy t-day to you to brother.

[Bill Hankey]

I'm still trying to find words that will not clutter a response presented by the gifted writer from the state of California. Of course, I'm making reference to the one and only TOM BRADSHAW. What an absolute treat to revisit his interesting thoughts that encompass the entire steel guitar music scenes. His contributions have been enormous. It's brings about a degree of disheartenment to read the word RETIRED in TOM'S forum profile. The entire world of steel guitar enthusiasts would benefit greatly if someone could fill his shoes. Key figures in this business of consultation, places TOM high on the list of rendering knowledgeable information. I enjoyed reading TOM'S sound judgment and concern for helping to try solving a steel guitar "riddle".

Happy Thanksgiving Wishes to all!

[Tom Bradshaw]

Hey Bill, thanks for the compliments. I've got to edit my profile and indicate that I only "retired" from my day job (18 years ago). I just can't seem to retire from this steel guitar stuff. I still have some projects that I feel compelled to finish before I pack it in. I'm thinking that it isn't going to ever happen. Also, topics keep popping up on the Forum that compel me to reply. I try not to be so opinionated as to alienate or offend anyone. Thus, many strong beliefs I have I squelch before revealing them and cause a flare-up of opposing opinions.

As for "foremost", that designation keeps changing, as it should. Right now there are several foremost people in the steel guitar community. Because someone is foremost now or was so in the past (Hoopii, Dunn, Byrd, West, et. al.), shouldn't mean that they are to maintain that designation forever. Everyone fades over time. If those stylists didn't, our instrument wouldn't cease its dynamic rise in popularity, cease to spawn greater accomplishments from its players and cease revealing its beauty by its contributions to all forms of music. It would be cursed if it remained static. If that were the case, we would never grow old...and I'm certainly making an accomlishment there, if "aging" is given some kind of "foremost" designation. ...Tom