Who will be the next Buddy Emmons

Ransom Beers · Post by **Ransom Beers** » 28 Dec 2011 1:53 am

I'm happy about the things I've done. Not always happy about the results, but happy about the decisions, because I made them myself. And I think that's an important way to go through life.

Johnny Cox · Post by **Johnny Cox** » 31 Dec 2011 8:09 am

There is not, nor will there ever be another Buddy Emmons.

Tony Glassman · Post by **Tony Glassman** » 31 Dec 2011 8:24 am

Buddy is like Mickey Mantle. Guys like that usually only come in groups of one.

Mark van Allen · Post by **Mark van Allen** » 31 Dec 2011 8:30 am

While I agree with you, Johnny, (there are literally thousands of great gypsy jazz guitarists, but there'll never be another Django!) I think I understand the question.
We just need to keep our ears open for the innovative and emotionally stunning players out there now, and to come. And those of us who can, need to support and nurture the "idea" of steel guitar. Who knows what amazements we're in for!

Ken Byng · Post by **Ken Byng** » 31 Dec 2011 8:31 am

Johnny Cox wrote:There is not, nor will there ever be another Buddy Emmons.

Well said. Buddy Emmons' contribution to steel guitar is way beyond comparison with anyone else. His playing has set a standard that others strive to achieve, and at best emulate. Throw in his guitar designs and development of pedal tunings/set ups and you come up with someone who is completely and utterly unique.

Ransom Beers · Post by **Ransom Beers** » 31 Dec 2011 8:39 am

I never said "Take the place of",what I mean is be as good as .

Al Miller · Post by **Al Miller** » 31 Dec 2011 8:41 am

I second johnny's statement with about 3trillion Quotation marks behind it !!!!!!!!!!!!. There will also never be another Hughey,Mooney,Day,Franklin,White, Johnson,Cox,Charleton,Knight,Green ,etc...etc... You get the picture . The likes of younger players coming up and surpassing names like the ones written above in my opinion will never happen . Why do I say this you ask ??.. Just go to a steel show and listen to what 99.999% of the younger guys are playing. Emmons licks , Day Licks , and in some cases entire arrangements." A way to survive" comes to mind and so on .. How could we as up and comers ever hope to surpass an alien mind such as Emmons if we continue to approach our instrument as he already has pioneered it? I for one hope to learn as many Emmons passages and secrets if you will as I can in my life as he and Charleton are my all time Heroes. But then again I'm not trying to surpass them just scotch a little of the surface they have Already walked on... You forget fellers that most of those steel instrumental recordings from the early days were performed Live With one take they are pieces of art to never ever be duplicated in some cases even by the artist themselves so Johnny cox your statement speaks volumes hoss .. Just my 2 cents I hope I didn't offend anyone..
Boo Miller

richard burton · Post by **richard burton** » 31 Dec 2011 9:21 am

We live in the computer age.

The pedal steel licks that we'll hear in the not-so-distant-future will be artificially generated, probably in a nano-second, by a silicon chip, and will be indistinguishable from the sounds produced by the great players of the past and present.

Ransom Beers · Post by **Ransom Beers** » 31 Dec 2011 9:24 am

Richard Sinkler · Post by **Richard Sinkler** » 31 Dec 2011 9:32 am

We live in the computer age.

The pedal steel licks that we'll hear in the not-so-distant-future will be artificially generated, probably in a nano-second, by a silicon chip, and will be indistinguishable from the sounds produced by the great players of the past and present.

I don't think so. While they may be able to duplicate the sounds and possibly licks, they won't be able to replicate the feel and emotion that a player injects into those licks. We already see this with other instruments they have duplicated like sax, violin, etc.

As far as the Buddy Emmons question, NO ONE can replace him, but many are as good, and many more will be. The topic of good is subjective. Many on here think Sneaky Pete is the be all to end all, I can barely listen to him.

Ransom Beers · Post by **Ransom Beers** » 31 Dec 2011 9:48 am

Jelle Biel · Post by **Jelle Biel** » 31 Dec 2011 9:58 am

Let's hear all the TOP-steelPlayers about Buddy
First :
Johnny Cox,(well said)
"There is not, nor will there ever be another Big E! "

LIoyd Green (copy of a magizine )

"He's not an ordinary guy," Lloyd Green says. "In my opinion Buddy Emmons is probably the most intelligent and talented musician who's ever played the instrument."
"He's like Picasso or Michelangelo. That might be laying it on a little thick, but he's just flawless in his playing. Nobody is the composite player he is."
"He was the first modern great steel player and nobody's surpassed him yet. Emmons just, by God, came along and sounded like a 1977 steel player when he came here in 1955."
,
,
,
,

By the Way We (in the North of the Netherlands) are total AGREE !

Jelle Biel

Fred Glave · Post by **Fred Glave** » 31 Dec 2011 10:03 am

The steel guitar doesn't seem to play the same role in music as it did in the past. When a new popular song is released nowadays and it has steel in it, it's in the background. Forget about hearing a signiture steel lick or phrasing that defines the song. This new style of music arrangement puts the steel player at a disadvantage for brainstorming new ideas. I think the last new song I heard where steel defined the song was "Your Man" by Josh Turner.

Kevin Hatton · Post by **Kevin Hatton** » 31 Dec 2011 10:05 am

There is NO "next" Buddy Emmons. He IS the father of the pedal steel guitar. An historic figure. There is only one. To suggest that Buddy Emmons will be forgotten is wrong. He is a part of music history. Was Mozart forgotten? I don't think you understand what he did or who he is. No one will ever equal Buddy Emmons.

Mickey Adams · Post by **Mickey Adams** » 31 Dec 2011 10:09 am

Emmy Buddons.....

Robert Brown · Post by **Robert Brown** » 31 Dec 2011 10:48 am

Mickey, You're too much.

I hear he plays an EMM-BUD, His own pull-pull design.

Bob

Sonny Priddy · Post by **Sonny Priddy** » 31 Dec 2011 10:56 am

I Would would say Tommy white is Next In Line. Tommy is A Great player. Sonny.

Brint Hannay · Post by **Brint Hannay** » 31 Dec 2011 11:19 am

Kevin Hatton wrote:There is NO "next" Buddy Emmons. He IS the father of the pedal steel guitar. An historic figure. There is only one. To suggest that Buddy Emmons will be forgotten is wrong. He is a part of music history. Was Mozart forgotten? I don't think you understand what he did or who he is. No one will ever equal Buddy Emmons.

Who suggested that Buddy Emmons will be forgotten??

Mozart was not forgotten. But there was Beethoven, and Schubert, and Brahms, and......

But there is still, and will always be, Mozart.

john buffington · Post by **john buffington** » 31 Dec 2011 11:58 am

God made only 1 Buddy Emmons - often imitated . . . . never duplicated!!!!
As Tom Brumley once said: :"don't try to sound like me, sound like yourself!"
JB

Paul King · Post by **Paul King** » 31 Dec 2011 12:18 pm

I have always thought some people were destined to be great. Buddy Emmons fulfilled the calling placed on his life. I agree there will never be another Buddy Emmons but someone will stand out among all of us. Buddy Emmons is what I considered to be the "Total Package" when it came to steel guitar. Like everyone else, the body ages and we just cannot do what we did in the past. His contributions will never be matched.

Scott Henderson · Post by **Scott Henderson** » 31 Dec 2011 12:30 pm

ok I know I'm going to rub some feathers here but what the heck...I agree with JC and would take it one step further...Why would we want another Buddy Emmons, or Paul, or John...I would wager they would all agree with Mr Brumley....Be yourself....With all due respect and I mean respect....I think we are overlooking a lot of players in the middle age bracket..... Again with all due respect Austin Stewart is some one I consider an awesome player and a dear friend....However do we rule out people just because they are not in mainstream recording, out on the road or don't show up at a lot of steel shows??? What about Buck Reid, MIlo Deering, Randal Currie, and many more..... I've heard some solo work from Tim Sargent that is knocked out...I love all their playing cause of their unique styles....Oh their are a ton of monstors out there we just don't here much from them .....Have you ever heard Jim Bob Garrett play orange blossom???Scarey.....They're out there...oh yes they're out there...

Kevin Hatton · Post by **Kevin Hatton** » 31 Dec 2011 12:43 pm

And Buddy Emmons laid the ground work for all of them.

Clyde Mattocks · Post by **Clyde Mattocks** » 31 Dec 2011 12:58 pm

There wil be players who are faster (already are), play more complex stuff, but Buddy set in motion standards that will be recognized far into the future. I like the Mozart analogy. Buddy's techniques will be utilized (even unknowingly)by future players. He set the bar high and the instrument is forever defined by his influence.

Chet Wilcox · Post by **Chet Wilcox** » 31 Dec 2011 1:04 pm

Buddy,is also in the encylopedia books.

Ransom Beers · Post by **Ransom Beers** » 31 Dec 2011 1:13 pm

The Steel Guitar Forum

Who will be the next Buddy Emmons

Who will be the next Buddy Emmons

Amen!!!

"He's not an ordinary guy," Lloyd Green

Emmons