Attn: all Minnesota Steel Players

Dennis Atkins · Post by **Dennis Atkins** » 5 Nov 2014 9:53 am

This is an attempt to gain information on whether we should restart the Minnesota Steel Guitar Association. Any and all Minnesota players are invited to submit suggestions on this topic. Nothing is off the table, and we will hold a organizing meeting in January.

I know that all of you who might be interested, and may not be able to attend, we still want your input as to how this organization should be run and we encourage you to help us determine the outcome of this attempt.

Please contact me at pedalman@msn.com with your suggestions, and questions. I would ask that you not reply on the Forum until we get a consensus of opinions, and we can then make an announcement on the outcome.

Thank you in advance for your interest, and we are looking forward to your comments and suggestions.

Dennis Atkins and Albert Svenddal

Dennis Atkins · Post by **Dennis Atkins** » 6 Nov 2014 7:22 am

Still haven't heard from anyone. Hope you are interested in this proposal. Would like to get some input from you players.

Thanks, Dennis

George McLellan · Post by **George McLellan** » 6 Nov 2014 8:18 am

Dennis, I can't make your e-mail address you have posted work for me. I'll try using my e-mail.

Geo

Jerry Fessenden · Post by **Jerry Fessenden** » 6 Nov 2014 8:20 am

Hey Dennis , don't get impatient, We have the same thing here in Indy and also in Vt . When I came through Indy 36-38 yrs ago, there were several places that had music with steel ...Now , it is hard to find anyone playing in a club , especially with a steel in the band.
I think there are several players still out there , but, now everyone has something going on that limits the meetings .... The Indy club still has several loyal members , but it is tough.

Erv Niehaus · Post by **Erv Niehaus** » 6 Nov 2014 8:24 am

Dennis,
You might have better luck starting a Sons Of Norway chapter!

Jerry Knapper · Post by **Jerry Knapper** » 6 Nov 2014 9:25 pm

Dennis, I have started 3 steel clubs in Oklahoma. Every area started with people telling me there were no steel players or there was no interest. When Doyle and I proceeded to form the Oklahoma Steel Guitar Association in the early 1990's, we were told that the previous club had failed and we would have a hard time starting a new club. With Scotty's help, we not only held an opening kick-off show, but had between 200-300 people that showed up and lots of players. When I moved to Tahlequah, Ok, they told me there was only three steel players in the area and one was me. I put posters up and our first meeting brought in 20 steel players. Not all played, but they came out to see what we were doing.
When I moved to Roland, OK, I was told that the Ft. Smith, AR area, which is just three miles from Roland, OK, had tried a club and it didn't get any response. We started in a barbershop with 6 players and the club has grown ever since. The players are there. Just offer them a place to play with a decent backup band and welcome all steel style players. It should work up there in my home state also.

Dennis Atkins · Post by **Dennis Atkins** » 7 Nov 2014 9:45 am

Hi Jerry, thanks for the input. We had a club here in Minnesota from the middle 90's until I left for Colorado in 2002. It kind of fell apart, and this is an effort to see if we have any interest in getting together for jams, or any type of organization. So far I only have one response from a known steel player, and I am waiting for more to respond. We have many players in the area, but still waiting to hear from them. Three of our local players have been or or playing for nationally known bands, such as Chad Udeen (son of Al Udeen) plays for Gary Allen, Wayne Dahl played for Martina McBride, and Eddie Lange played for Bill Anderson. Mike Cass was a player at one time in Minnesota, Terry Bethel who plays with Mel Tillis spent a lot of time at the old Flame Cafe in Minneapolis, and Hal Rugg spent some time in the area as well. We have a lot of history of steel players in the area, we just hope that we can get them together from time to time. Also, Bill Rudolph, who manufactures the Williams Steel Guitar lives in Oak Grove, Mn.

Jerry Knapper · Post by **Jerry Knapper** » 7 Nov 2014 10:33 am

I never met Chad, but Al used to sell me steels when I had my store in Montevideo in the 1970. With all those guys and good supporters like Erv N. and Joe S. it should come together just fine. Best wishes.

Dennis Atkins · Post by **Dennis Atkins** » 12 Nov 2014 3:10 pm

I know that there is a lot of players here in Minnesota, so let me hear from you about your interest in getting together for chat or jams, or whatever you might like to see in an organization. Meeting to be held on January 24th, in Anoka, MN.

Let me know if you are interested.

Thanks, Dennis

Chad Jones · Post by **Chad Jones** » 15 Nov 2014 8:31 am

Man that sounds like fun Dennis! Hope it all comes together for you! Im gonna be coming home for Christmas but will only be in Anoka for a few days. This will be a fast trip. Planning on coming up again this summer for a bit longer..

Dennis Atkins · Post by **Dennis Atkins** » 16 Nov 2014 5:27 pm

Hi Chad, thanks for the good wishes. Hope it develops as well. If you get a chance, give me a call when you are in town. Maybe we can get a cup of coffee.

I was down in Ft. Smith, AR over the weekend to see my new Great Granddaughter. Thought of you as we passed by the Joplin area. Wish I had more time, we might have been able to stop and chat. Maybe see you around Christmas time.

Dennis

Dennis Atkins · Post by **Dennis Atkins** » 30 Nov 2014 3:50 pm

Just a bump up, to keep the interest going. Please respond if you have any interest. If you know some steel players who might be interested, pass the word along.

Thanks for your help.

Dennis

Dennis Atkins · Post by **Dennis Atkins** » 7 Dec 2014 3:29 pm

Still looking for more people to respond to the posting. I know that you guys and gals are out there, hope to hear from you. We would like to see a good representation of players or interested people to discuss the possibility of getting a group together for fellowship, story sharing, picking and grinning.

Hope to hear from you.

Dennis

Dick Hitchcock · Post by **Dick Hitchcock** » 8 Dec 2014 5:12 am

Dennis....I'm not from Minnesota, but next door (kind of)..I'm about 300 miles from the cities in NE Nebraska, but I wouldn't mind driving up (weather permitting)...I'm not the greatest steel player, but I can play....and I love it!!

Steve Schmidt · Post by **Steve Schmidt** » 8 Dec 2014 12:36 pm

Hi Dennis
If you haven't received any reply emails on this topic, you may want to check your email. I sent you an email via the email address you have listed right after you made this initial announcement. I haven't heard from you at all so I can assume that you either didn't get it or for some reason not getting back with me. I also sent Albert a txt message but haven't heard back from him either. What's the details of the Anoka meeting in January?

steve

Jack Hanson · Post by **Jack Hanson** » 9 Dec 2014 12:30 am

Steve Schmidt wrote:I sent you an email via the email address you have listed right after you made this initial announcement. I haven't heard from you at all so I can assume that you either didn't get it or for some reason not getting back with me.

Same here; make that two of us.

Dennis Atkins · Post by **Dennis Atkins** » 9 Dec 2014 9:37 am

Hi Steve and Jack, I did receive an email from you Steve, and I put your name on the list of people to contact when the final date of the meeting, and the directions to Albert's place was knowen. Jack, I never got an email from you. I don't erase any emails, unless I now longer need them. Sorry for the error, but send me another email at pedalman@msn.com, and I will put your name on the list of people to contact in January. Include your address and phone number, so I can call you if necessary.

Thanks, Dennis

Larry Bales · Post by **Larry Bales** » 12 Dec 2014 12:47 pm

I wonder how many would attend a Steel guitar, Hawaiian guitar, Lead guitar, Bass guitar get together, happening, convention or what ever you want to call it, here in Las Vegas, Nv. once a year. Let me know.

Mark Fowler · Post by **Mark Fowler** » 13 Dec 2014 10:36 am

Dennis,

I just sent you an email, hopefully I will be able to attend if you don't mind.

Mark

Albert Svenddal · Post by **Albert Svenddal** » 29 Dec 2014 6:26 am

Thanks everybody for your interest and posts.

On Saturday, January 24, at 10:00 AM, Dennis Atkins and I (Albert Svenddal) are hosting a Steel Guitar "get together" for all steel players and enthusiasts at my party room in Anoka, MN. It will not be a Jam but rather a "Round Table" type of discussion to see about the formation of a Steel Guitar Club for the Midwest area. We will provide coffee and donuts for all who attend.

Contact Dennis or myself for any more info, and directions to my place in Anoka ( North suburb of Minneapolis).

Thanks,

Albert Svenddal
gospelsteeler@aol.com
Cell: 651-634-0502

Sam White · Post by **Sam White** » 1 Jan 2015 6:26 am

HI Albert I have been reading the post you and your friend have on the Forum.You know ME I'm Sam White that started the Greenville Tennessee Steel Guitar Show back about 6 or 7 years ago and Mike Archer and Tony Dingus have been doing a great Job of keeping it going.I since Stared the Clayton N.C. Steel guitar Jams and no one took it over. I will be moving back to North Carolina in the same area and I will get it going again as they are waiting for me to move back.I think what you should do is to have four or five of the Steel players bring their Steel Guitars and play and they will get the feeling of being comfortable playing together and that may help.I'm back here in Rhode Island and both The RISGA and the NESGA are still going strong. I go and play with the NESGA every month and every other month we play twice a month.There is always a crowd of people of 70 or more and the crowd all get up and dance for the four(4) hours that we are there. We play at the American Legion post 15 in R.I..The steel players are out there you just have to give them time to make their move.When they see all the ones that are there and having fun they will come out of the wood work. With us at the New England Steel Guitar Association dues are $7.00 a year and all the different bands that play for us have to be members also or we do not hire them. WE now have over 70 members including the Bands.People that come to hear the music pay $7.00 at the door and they can dance their legs of and i'm one to dance a lot with my wife when i'm not playing. One steel Player plays a 1/2 set and that way we get all the steel players to play. Some times we double up and two steel players play together. We have a great time and a great Organizatiom.
Sam White

Dennis Atkins · Post by **Dennis Atkins** » 5 Jan 2015 1:41 pm

Hi Samuel, thanks for your post. This is a meeting to see what people want in a steel guitar organization. Albert and I and a couple of other men started this back in 1996, but it got dropped after I moved to Colorado. Albert has wanted to get this going again, so we are just trying at this point to see who is interested. A steel jam is our goal, but location and time is always a chore to put it together. From the responses that I have had, we have players from all over who are interested, and some that I know have not responded to our posting.

We are hoping that we get some solid interest after our meeting and some good ideas on how to put a jam together on a regular basis. We have a lot of great players here in Minnesota, and we hope to get a real good turnout, and participation. We will keep everyone posted on the results of our meeting.

Thanks for your input.

Dennis

Jack Hanson · Post by **Jack Hanson** » 11 Jan 2015 9:06 am

Dennis Atkins wrote:We had a club here in Minnesota from the middle 90's...

I seem to recall the "Minnesota Steel Bar Association" or something with a similar moniker back in the late 70s or early 80s. I joined up, received a newsletter or two, and shortly thereafter it seemingly disappeared.

Seems to me it was located somewhere in rural Anoka County (but that was a long time ago).

Dennis Atkins · Post by **Dennis Atkins** » 12 Jan 2015 6:55 am

For all of you steel players interested in attending a information meeting on January 24th, the address of the meeting is 2901 Cutters Grove Ave, Anoka, MN. You can use mapquest or google maps to determine your route from your home to this location. The meeting will begin at 10:00, and last about 2 hours. Please pass along this address to any players you know that might be interested in attending this meeting. It is open to all players, whether beginning players or seasoned players.

Hope to see you all there.

Thanks Dennis and Albert

Roger Shackelton · Post by **Roger Shackelton** » 13 Jan 2015 5:41 am

Hi Jack,

I was was member of that club in the 1970s. I believe it was started by Al Udeen at the home of Jan Onash. Her music store was called NASHWOOD MUSIC. Other members were Dave Knight, Bill Rudolph?, Scoggy & Steve Schmidt.

I know there were more members, but it was close to 50 years ago.

Roger

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