Buddy Cage has passed.

William Davis · Post by **William Davis** » 6 Feb 2020 6:39 am

I met him once in Greensboro, and he was kind enough to take the time and explain his rig â€“ with dual Twins. What a sound! He was such a huge influence and got so many us started. Iâ€™ve always loved Buddyâ€™s biting, gritty, retro, palm-blocked â€œbouncing, bubblyâ€ steel, as Winnie Winston called it. To this day whenever I need a pick me up, the NRPS Home on the Road album never fails to make me smile.
RIP, Buddy

Steven Cummings · Post by **Steven Cummings** » 6 Feb 2020 6:57 am

RIP. He was a big influence on me and countless others. Glad I got to see him.

Chris Walke · Post by **Chris Walke** » 6 Feb 2020 8:10 am

Man, I just recently got a live NRPS vinyl album (a NYE concert, 6 sides!). First time I intentionally bought an album because I saw "Buddy Cage, steel guitar." I'll be spinning that after work.

Any recommendations for "essential Buddy Cage"? I'd love to hear them.

Daniel Morris · Post by **Daniel Morris** » 6 Feb 2020 8:44 am

New Riders of the Purple Sage: PANAMA RED.
Killer steel throughout.

Bob Carlucci · Post by **Bob Carlucci** » 6 Feb 2020 9:53 am

Chris Walke wrote:Man, I just recently got a live NRPS vinyl album (a NYE concert, 6 sides!). First time I intentionally bought an album because I saw "Buddy Cage, steel guitar." I'll be spinning that after work.

Any recommendations for "essential Buddy Cage"? I'd love to hear them.

Home Home on the Road,, NRPS.. Live album, with Buddy at his very best..
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uZkQrf3-jt0

bob

Bob Carlucci · Post by **Bob Carlucci** » 6 Feb 2020 10:03 am

Guys.. please go here to this little song on YT, reflect a bit if any of Buddy's style rubbed off on you as it did me, - its a great listen to some of buddy's terrific tone and "happy"style, and lots of pics of him from the early days, into more recent times.. please enjoy. Not well known, but this band really let Buddy do his thing.. bob

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_u2H1oTU8OM

Daniel Morris · Post by **Daniel Morris** » 6 Feb 2020 12:01 pm

Second that on HOME, HOME ON THE ROAD.

JB Arnold · Post by **JB Arnold** » 7 Feb 2020 7:51 am

yeah, Home Home on the Road is the one. Buddy told me that the version of She's No Angel on that album is the best he ever played it. And that overall while they were recording it he just couldn't do anything wrong on a bunch of those nights.

Sandra Scott-Wall · Post by **Sandra Scott-Wall** » 7 Feb 2020 9:26 am

We first met Buddy Cage back in the early 70s when the Grateful Dead and the New Riders of the Purple Sage came to St. Louis and Jerry Garcia contacted Scotty about a steel guitar. They would pull up in front of the store in their tour bus and both bands would pile out and mingle around the store. Pretty soon word would get out and local musicians would show up. It was a magical time and we got to know all of them pretty good. After their show Scotty would go pick up anybody who wanted to come and bring them back to the store and we would party late into the night. We got to know Buddy pretty well during that time. When the NRPS were booked on the ISGC not everybody liked their music but they were so friendly that you couldn't help but like them personally. Especially Buddy.

RIP Buddy. I shall always remember the wild and zany times we had.

Al Brisco · Post by **Al Brisco** » 7 Feb 2020 9:27 am

Buddy & I go back to the mid 1960's, when we were budding pedal steelers in the Toronto area.

Buddy was a bit more worldly than me (with me being a country farm boy from The Ottawa Valley). i.e. When he was playing with Mickey McGivern & The Mustangs as the house band at The Edison Hotel in Toronto, he grew a 1/2" extension on the pinky finger of his left hand. I never did ask him about it, assuming that perhaps he used it as a 'special tool' to play harmonics, etc.?

Just one of my many Buddy Cage (Gary Saul) stories.
RIP Buddy
Al Brisco
Steel Guitars of Canada

Ray Rasmussen · Post by **Ray Rasmussen** » 7 Feb 2020 10:33 am

I haven't posted on this forum for years, but I feel compelled to do so because of Buddy's passing. I went to a lot of NRPS shows as a teen in the early '70s in San Francisco, and I have to point to Buddy Cage as probably the major influence for me to buy a pedal steel guitar and try to learn how to play it.

He may be gone, but for me, he will never be forgotten. Thanks for all the great music Buddy.

Pete Burak · Post by **Pete Burak** » 7 Feb 2020 10:40 am

Bob Carlucci wrote:Guys.. please go here to this little song on YT, reflect a bit if any of Buddy's style rubbed off on you as it did me, - its a great listen to some of buddy's terrific tone and "happy"style, and lots of pics of him from the early days, into more recent times.. please enjoy. Not well known, but this band really let Buddy do his thing.. bob

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_u2H1oTU8OM

Hey Bob that is some classic Buddy Cage pickin!
Ya think his style rubbed off on me?!...

Here is a take on "She's No Angel".
RIP Buddy C!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DkrRxv6 ... e=youtu.be

scott murray · Post by **scott murray** » 7 Feb 2020 1:49 pm

just saw this for the first time, Buddy playing Rose City Chimes with NRPS. I don't think I'd seen him play any C6 before this. the band seems a little lost but Buddy just plows on through... you can really hear the Charleton influence on this one

https://youtu.be/2N4TwmzwS-k

Glenn Suchan · Post by **Glenn Suchan** » 8 Feb 2020 6:05 pm

R.I.P. Buddy.

Buddy diggin' on Charleton on this cover of the Ernest Tubb tune, "Be Better to Your Baby", by Shorty Masters. A little note: Leon Rhodes' pickin' is covered by Mickey McGivern. Cage was a member of Mickey McGivern's band, The Mustangs out of Toronto. I'm guessing Buddy Cage was in his early 20's when this was recorded:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nJrhFdTZ0-s

Here's Tubb's original:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pLztDeRjL00

Keep on pickin'!
Glenn

Dave Zirbel · Post by **Dave Zirbel** » 9 Feb 2020 9:27 am

RIP Buddy. He certainly was played a lot on my turntable!

Buddy diggin' on Charleton on this cover of the Ernest Tubb tune, "Be Better to Your Baby", by Shorty Masters. A little note: Leon Rhodes' pickin' is covered by Mickey McGivern. Cage was a member of Mickey McGivern's band, The Mustangs out of Toronto. I'm guessing Buddy Cage was in his early 20's when this was recorded:

Can anyone point me to more info on the Shorty Masters album please? Thatâ€™s some amazing vintage Buddy Cage. Canâ€™t seem to find much info on it on the internet.

Thanks
Dz

Charlie Thompson · Post by **Charlie Thompson** » 9 Feb 2020 9:46 am

True Story 1973 Charleston, SC .. Buddy and band walked into the bar where I was playing my very 1st Gig. Of course I sucked..On break I went up to him and said something like I'm sorry. He was as kind as he could be and very encouraging. He has remained an idol and an inspiration.
RIP Buddy

Michael Johnstone · Post by **Michael Johnstone** » 9 Feb 2020 12:52 pm

I found these. For those who never met Buddy and who'd like to get a feel for Buddy's personality these are worth a look. It's later in life and you can see he's been ill but he's still sharp and totally together.

https://youtu.be/C0fPUBYLqmU

https://youtu.be/Um9FVFTmD_I

Jon Zimmerman · Post by **Jon Zimmerman** » 9 Feb 2020 2:23 pm

Hate to stop in at this place. Heartbreak most every time. Canâ€™t do more than repeat ..3 and 4 -pete all the accolades from those who adored the man. My faves are live album stuff.. like closing of the Filmore where Buddy â€œtakes offâ€ on Henry, and the â€˜Shoulda seen me Runninâ€™ version with backup girls singing â€œUh huh!..etc. Takes on a life all itâ€™s own with an audience used to the Preacher coaxing the Choir.
Take a rest Buddy. Your influence is everlasting. ðŸŽµðŸ˜•

Joe Alterio · Post by **Joe Alterio** » 9 Feb 2020 7:05 pm

Just a couple great pictures I thought I'd share.

Michael Johnstone · Post by **Michael Johnstone** » 10 Feb 2020 12:03 pm

I like this one

Michael Kessel · Post by **Michael Kessel** » 10 Feb 2020 2:44 pm

I had never seen this pic before. Festival Express 1970.

Bud Angelotti · Post by **Bud Angelotti** » 11 Feb 2020 8:59 pm

Jim Cohen · Post by **Jim Cohen** » 11 Feb 2020 9:21 pm

Sandra Scott-Wall wrote:We first met Buddy Cage back in the early 70s when the Grateful Dead and the New Riders of the Purple Sage came to St. Louis and Jerry Garcia contacted Scotty about a steel guitar. They would pull up in front of the store in their tour bus and both bands would pile out and mingle around the store. Pretty soon word would get out and local musicians would show up. It was a magical time and we got to know all of them pretty good. After their show Scotty would go pick up anybody who wanted to come and bring them back to the store and we would party late into the night. We got to know Buddy pretty well during that time. When the NRPS were booked on the ISGC not everybody liked their music but they were so friendly that you couldn't help but like them personally. Especially Buddy.

RIP Buddy. I shall always remember the wild and zany times we had.

Sandy,

I had the good fortune (really dumb luck) to be present on a few of those jams, packed in like sardines, shaking my head in amazement as I listened to Garcia, Cage and the others jam all afternoon in the store. One year, Buddy gave my friend and me two free tix and backstage passes to their concert downtown that night. Wow! Big fun for a couple of 18-year olds. RIP, Buddy.

Ronald Ballister · Post by **Ronald Ballister** » 12 Feb 2020 5:41 am

Just terrible news. I saw him play twice. the second time he wasn't quite himself, the playing didn't have its usually bubbly quality. I just can't get over this and a little scary for me. Buddy had Multiple Myeloma as I do and we both had stem cell transplants. I was hoping he would come around. He was one of my idols.

Bob Carlucci · Post by **Bob Carlucci** » 13 Feb 2020 5:52 am

Wikipedia has a nice article on Buddy...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddy_Cage

The Steel Guitar Forum

Buddy Cage has passed.

Buddy Cage

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