Why did you want to play pedal steel guitar?

[Dana Blodgett]

The usual sort of reasons for me after hearing "Sweetheart of the Rodeo" with Jay Dee and Lloyd, Jerry and especially Buddy Cage of NRPS,I loved the Burritos with their many different steelers, Sneaky Pete, Al Perkins, Loved Gram Parsons with Neil Flanz & The Fallen Angels Band, Rust Young of Poco and even before that the Buffalo Springfield "Kind Woman", was also into Mason Proffit!
I loved Jimmy Day, I liked Buck Owens with Tom Brumley and Jay Dee Maness, and also the Big "E" on "Someday Soon" by Judy Collins.
Basically loved the sound of the E9 tuning and after playing 6 string for about 14 or 15 yrs. I was ready for a challenge.I started with a Sho-Bud Maverick, played for about 15 yrs.I did quit for about 20yrs. but now have a better guitar ('73 Sho-Bud 6140) and been at it for a couple of years now.
I also LOVE the non- pedal Hawaiian stuff, but thats another story another time!

[Allan Jirik]

I discovered Hank Williams in 1968 and took off from there, attending all the package country music shows that came through Detroit. I loved the sound of the steel. I bought a Fender Dual Six (no pedals) in 1969 then finally a new Sho Bud Professional in 1971.
<----- That one.

[Ron Whitfield]

Like many, Bobby Black was the culprit, and then I moved to Hawaii and discovered real steel guitar.
I'd have never gotten started with a truck like the pedal steel.

[Steve Hotra]

Late 60's early 70's I was all in on the Country Rock thing, Byrds, Poco, Pure Prairie League, New Riders etc... which started with Buffalo Springfield for me. From that I backed up into traditional Country...

Evidently I'm still all in !

t

My story as well.

But I went to a Portland Oregon jam two years ago and heard something sonically that I wanted to be a part of.
Two years later I was able to play at my first jam here in Portland, Ore.
Did "ok" but I met some incredible players who welcomed me into the "brotherhood"
Playing with some of the best players in the area was a goal for me .. looking forward to the next jam!

[James Nottage]

For a few decades now I have earned my living as a museum curator. As founding chief curator at the Autry, it was my honor to be responsible for some great instruments and to work with or meet some of the musicians of old: Gene Autry, Carl Cotner, Hank Penny, Eddie Dean, Cliffie Stone, Johnny Bond, and many more. Chas Smith loaned Murph's D8 lap Bigsby for an exhibit and I was fascinated with the instruments that I slowly realized are an important part of the music I like: swing, jazz, Western, rock. I never before knew how versatile they are.

So I will primarily blame Chas Smith and about a hundred of you on this forum.

James Nottage

[Sonny Priddy]

When i Was Ten Years old A Little town Out From home Had A Place With A Juke Box It had The 78 rpm Records on It And Steel Guitar Rag Was On It And that Sound Stayed with Me From then On.That was 66 years Ago And It's still with Me. SONNY.

[Bernie Gonyea]

My very first influence in discovering a pedal guitar was Shot Jackson; I bought a non-pedal guitar from Carvin Co. of Cal.; a six string lap job; I went into the Navy in 52. Early 53, Saw a Harlin Bros. Guitar [ One of the first pedal steels ]Just had to have it, after seeing in a music store window. Took it on a Med. Cruise with our ship. A fellow seaman from Ill. taught me the basics of playing; he owned an 8 string doulble neck Gibson. [ Non Pedal ] Had a style similair to Johnny Siebert of Carl Smith fame. After several Guitars; fifty years later, here I am working my Sho-Bro Res. guitar [ Purchased from Shot ] doing some country Gospel on occasion.. Still lovin' good music of Steel Guitar Pickers..Bernie

[Ronnie Boettcher]

I was always interested in musical instruments. Started blowing my uncles trumpet when I was 4, and he was fighting in the army in WW2. Mother taught me to read music at 5. Joined the school band in the 2nd grade. There was a old guitar in a closet at my grandmas house, only had 4 strings on it. Tuned it to C-E-G-C. that started me at about 10 yrs old. Later after high school, I was playing shows in Cleveland, and Bill West was the house steel player. Loved the sound. The music store that I dealt with, took in a fender 400, on a trade. Joe asked me one day, how does this thing work. Took it home, and the rest was history. Very soon I learned that 4 pedals, and no knee levers, didn't cut it. Was in Nashville recording with the band leader, and Lloyd Green was on steel. He talked me into a LDG, and still play it. Up till then, all I played was rhythm guitar, and 5-string banjo, for bluegrass. Now the steel is played more than the rest.

[Jay Hudson]

When I was in high school in Austin in the early 70's I would go see a guy named Herb Steiner who played steel,seemed to have a lot of fun, and got all the chicks.
I was sold!

[Dave Grafe]

I would go see a guy named Herb Steiner who played steel,seemed to have a lot of fun, and got all the chicks.

..and there you have it!

[John LeMaster]

Three biggest influences on me wanting to learn psg:

-- Hearing Tom Brumley live with Buck Owens in 1968. Just hearing Tom play some moves while tuning up and getting ready prior to the show sent chills up my spine.

-- Hearing John Hughey live with Conway Twitty around 1969. They didn't have a lead guitar player - and with John, they didn't need a lead guitar player.

-- Hearing Buddy Charleton play the intro and turnaround on "Another Bridge to Burn" for Jack Greene. Leon Rhodes had been my music hero, but Buddy soon became my new music hero. Buddy amazed me with his creative and beautiful playing on E9th and his complicated, fast, scorched earth playing on C6.

John L.

[Andy Jones]

John L,my reasons are nearly identical to yours.Watching and listening to Ernest Tubb on the radio and TV,Buddy Charlton made the most wonderful music on the psg.Conway Twitty was my favorite artist and you know what John Hughey did for him.

I finally got to meet Mr.Hughey at a steel show in Magee,MS.He was my hero and I miss his music dearly.However,I have PLENTY on records,tape,and CD to hear him anytime I want!

Andy

[Richard Sinkler]

For the women, of course. Well that's what I was told. Yeah right!!

Jim Cohen said:

Kind Woman.

Hell, I would settle for any woman.

But seriously, the sound. John Hughey and then Jerry Garcia got me interested.

[Ned McIntosh]

Back in the 70s I became aware of Cal Hand playing Dobro and pedal-steel behind Leo Kottke. I didn't even know what a Dobro was (truly!!) and had only the vaguest idea of what a steel-guitar was, although I must have heard it a thousand times over the years. Cal Hand therefore takes the credit for getting me started.

Somehow I found Mike Auldridge's classic LP and ended up buying a Dobro Model 60D, started paying bluegrass Dobro and soon found myself playing with a band. Then I heard Lloyd Green backing Don Williams on both steel and Dobro. Of all the steel-players, he was the one who influenced me most heavily in those days, and I still love his fluidity, economy and exquisite phrasing (on both instruments). Mike makes a Dobro "crackle and twang" and Lloyd makes it flow like molasses. Two big influences.

I am ashamed to admit this, but I probably thought John Hughey's "crying-steel" behind Conway Twitty was a bit of a gimmick back in the 70s. I was too young to realise it was actually pure genius at work. I know it now, and I'd rank Papa John as my greatest influence today. In my view, he elevated the instrument to a new level of musicality; he brought out emotion none of us even suspected the instrument capable of expressing. He "set the bar very high" indeed, in every sense of the expression. Thus we have "Hugheyland". For me, John Hughey is one of the immortals of our instrument.

Not to be forgotten is the instrument itself, that bewitching, beguiling marriage of precision-engineering, cabinet-making and luthiery. Once she casts her spell, you are forever in her thrall. Are we not all hugely influenced by our own instruments?

"A cabinet full of mystery, emotion, sounds and challenges; beautiful yet intimidating, sonorous yet challenging, requiring the touch which only a human being can give to liberate the multitude of voices within."

[Roger Light]

When I Call Your Name. Mr. Hughey . I Still can't play, but sure enjoy trying!!

[Jody Sanders]

Little Roy Wiggins. Jody.

[Frank Montmarquet]

I just started 2 weeks ago. Before that played tenor sax for about 20 of the last 45 yrs. Decided to play pedal steel because they can really swing, and I have always liked the sound. Seems like good insturment to grow old with. Also need a chalange, same reason I stoped skiing and started snowboarding.

[Bill Dobkins]

I wanted to be a star.

[Dave Hopping]

I always thought steel sounded good,even in my "Otis Day and The Knights" days;when I started playing country,albeit on a Lester, I heard and got to play with a few of the local guys-including Ronnie Miller(although I'm certain he doesn't remember).I kept hearing all that marvelous tone and kept seeing how six-stringers were always looking for work while the steelers had no such difficulties,so I pulled the trigger on a Fender 3+1 and I was hooked,moving up to an MSA Classic D-10,a Super Pro,and a couple of Mullen.

Pretty sure I'm signed on for the duration.

[David Hartley]

I was listening to Country Music from a very young age, picking out melodies on the piano then at the age of 6, had piano lessons until I was about 12.

I was interested in the steel from about the age of 13 when I started playing bass guitar with my dads country band. I always stood behind the steel player, Kenny Pierce, and was fascinated with the sounds. Dad always bought the van home, and Kenny never minded me taking his steel out the van and setting it up to play around on. I remember it was an old black Fuzzy. It was tatty and even had a pair of mole grips as one of the knee levers.

I bought my first steel when I was 17. I had been playing bass for 4 years behind Kenny and eventually he left, and I jumped in on steel. We got another bass player, had a few practices, and I remember my first gig playing steel with them was at the Theatre Royal in Bury St. Edmunds. John Finlay took me to Maidstone to the Steel Mill and I bought a ZB student. I practiced all the while, I was fascinated with it. We used to play 2 or 3 times a week and after getting home from a gig, I used to set it up and play until I fell asleep on it. The next day, I would be up, practicing. I remember trying to work out Lloyd Green songs, and Tom Brumley too. It was all by ear in them days. Spinning a 12" LP around slowly on the turntable by hand to slow down the music and learn all the notes as best I could.

[John Ely]

Listening to Lowell George and to Pete Kleinow, then somehow (I really don't remember how, in those pre-internet days)finding Jeff Newman as a teaching resource, then listening to Lucky-O with Asleep at the Wheel, then Pete Grant on Hoyt Axton's "Snowblind Friend" album.

[Cartwright Thompson]

Speedy West

[Leslie Ehrlich]

Not country music. I heard PSG in other genres, and I got to like the sound. My knowledge of the fretboard is extremely limited, but when I'm recording sometimes I'll reach for the PSG to get sounds that are beyond what I can obtain from the conventional six string electric guitar. I consider it a valuable tool in my rock 'n' roll kit.

[Clinton Damron]

Waited until I was 38 (in June this year) to try to learn guitar. After 10 lessons I realized i hated it, but have always wanted to play psg. I grew up in the honky tonks watching a cousin play psg and I was in awe. That was when I was 14. I may have waited too long to start but at least it's a sit down hobby

[Alan Brookes]

I originally took up pedal steel because I wanted to add one to the recordings of my own songs. I'd been playing lap steel and Dobro for decades,