JD Crowe and the New South Steeler

[Jerry Overstreet]

Tough one, but I bet someone here knows. I actually knew a few people that worked with JD's bands back in the days but I've lost touch with all of them.

At one point, a steel was a part of the band during the Gaudreau, Lawson, et al period. I don't know if that's who's on the recording or someone else.

I'd love to know who he/they are either way if anyone knows, particularly who is in the documentary.

They show a clip on the PBS documentary about JD and his New South musicians with the the guy playing a Sho-Bud D 10, but they identify everybody else in the group except the steel. Neither discogs nor allmusic list credits on this LP either 😠 If someone has the LP, maybe it's on the cover.

I'm trying to get contact info for Glenn Lawson who sung lead and played guitar during that period, but haven't so far.

It's no big deal, I'm just stymied and embarrassed that I should know this since JD's band lived and played right down the interstate around Lexington and Nicholasville back in the 70s, 80s, and I probably did know at one time.

Here's a cut with the steel: https://youtu.be/YFD2tDrWpR4

[Edit:]I did find some info that indicates Jernigan did some studio work with Crowe in the Whitley years, but I don't know if that's him in the video link I posted.

[Ken Pippus]

I must have listened to that classic album a hundred times and never noticed the steel pads until you posted. No steel credit on the album: Jerry Douglas is all over it on dobro, but that pad ain't no dobro.

Doug Jernigan gets the credit on the " My Home Ain't in the Hall of Fame" album. Suppose it might be him on this one too.

[Jerry Overstreet]

I dunno Ken, maybe. The other album is the Rounder 044 from 1975, I think, but it might be.

No steel credits for this one anywhere online that I can find.

[Kenny Davis]

I met JD at Byron Berline's festival in Guthrie Oklahoma a few years ago. I told him I was learning Dobro, but my main instrument was Pedal Steel. He perked up and said he loved Pedal Steel, and had a MSA single neck at one time. Then he said..."I tried learning it, but it was too damn hard..."

[Jerry Overstreet]

JD is a killer guitar player, I hear. I understand that he was open to many styles of music with the New South.

In the documentary I mentioned, it's Glenn Lawson singing My Window Faces the South with the pedal steel in the band there. I know Glenn liked western swing music so I'm guessing they probably did more of it than that.

This was after Tony Rice, Ricky Skaggs, Jerry Douglas had left the band.

[David Nugent]

Back in my Bluegrass banjo days, our group was fortunate to be playing at a festival that featured that particular version of the 'New South'. The group (1974/75) heard on the video link consisted of; Tony Rice, Ricky Skaggs, a young Jerry Douglas, JD, and Bobby Slone. The copy of the album that I have has a different cover photo and I do not recall any steel guitar on the original recording although have not listened to it in some time. Some of JD's earlier recordings as far back as the 'Kentucky Mountain Boys' were edited and re-released with steel guitar added, mostly with the steel replacing the mandolin solos.

[Doug Taylor]

Steve Bryant played bass with JD in the late 70s and was on the great “My Home Ain’t In The Hall Of Fame” album in 79 I think. His contact info is on his web site and he would know. He is a great guy.

https://www.stevebryantbassguitar.com/

[Fred Treece]

Maybe it was JD himself? It’s just some background pads, and he said he gave it a shot at playing. I can’t imagine Doug Jernigan not getting a lead on a tune like that, except that it wouldn’t have been in keeping with the rest of the album’s acoustic purity. Maybe he was just giving us a hint of what was to come, sneaking it in under the radar. I sure never noticed it back when I was listening to that album regularly.

[Jerry Overstreet]

Thanks Doug. I may do that. A few of you state you never heard or at least noticed steel on this LP. I never had the record....only heard parts of it on the radio. Never heard the tune I referenced at all until a musician friend asked me about it couple days ago.

I did find a photo of the rear jacket. It lists the players but no mention of any steel guitar, so I dunno.

I suppose it could have been added, but I just never heard of him doing that or heard of JD mentioning playing pedal steel at all except for the statement here.

I do know he had a steel in a touring band post Douglas, Rice and Skaggs as seen on the PBS special.

Still a mystery...but not the end of the world...

[Ken Pippus]

I believe Jerry Douglas said he horsed around with a pedal steel until he decided it was compromising his reso skills. Suppose it could even have been him.

[Steve Hinson]

I believe Jerry Douglas said he horsed around with a pedal steel until he decided it was compromising his reso skills. Suppose it could even have been him.

Jerry Douglas owned an LDG for years...as Ken said,he finally got tired of messing with it and got rid of it.

SH

[Mike Sweeney]

I saw a documentary about JD and there was some footage from one of their gigs and Big Jim Murphy was playing steel with them.
And yes, Doug did do a couple albums with them when Whitley was in the band.

[Jerry Overstreet]

That's the doc and the spot I'm asking about, so mystery solved thanks to Mike. It's just odd that they never even mentioned the steel. The jist of this clip was about how JD and New South was embracing progressive changes to the bluegrass sound, but didn't include steel guitar in the conversation.

OK., found the steel part clip. Starts about the 8 min. mark here.
https://youtu.be/L9KjDH9NQIM?t=476