Pete Drake in the CMHOF

[Craig A Davidson]

Pete is one of the new members of the Country Music Hall of Fame!

[Joe Hensley]

Well deserved.

[scott murray]

seems overdue but are there any other steel players in the Hall? I hope they do The Big E next.

[Colin Swinney]

Barbara Mandrell is in the Hall, but obviously not exclusively for her steel guitar chops.

[Joe Krumel]

Well deserved Mr. Pete Drake.

[Gary Hoetker]

So well deserved. For my money, he was the most versatile steel artist , unequaled in feel and improvising. When you get a chance listen to Roy Drusky’s Pick Of The Week.
Pete’s playing to the lyrics is subtle yet powerful.

[Craig Stock]

https://www.savingcountrymusic.com/1st- ... l-of-fame/

[Donny Hinson]

About 54 years too late. (He really should have been inducted in 1967.) I can still remember what a thrill it was for me to see his old "Pete Drake" Sho~Bud at the "Studio-simulation" in the original C.M.H.O.F., when it first opened back in 1967.

Being old has it's advantages.

[Joe Alterio]

Great to see his legacy immortalized and will look forward to seeing his plaque in "the circle" at the HOF! I have to imagine Lloyd will be there, too - hopefully sooner vs. later.

[Chris Templeton]

Jerry Byrd?

[Roy Thomson]

Pete is most deserving.
It's not how fast you play, it's what you play and HOW!

[David Mitchell]

Pete was an innovator with a pedal steel in country music but his contributions were so much more than just playing a steel guitar. As a record producer he was responsible for the success of so many celebrated musical artist as well as a cornerstone in the development of the Nashville sound. A great steel player he was but I believe there was many other reasons he was inducted besides playing steel. His Pete's Place recording studio was a one stop success place for many new artist and the revival of artist whose success had grown cold.

[Terry Wood]

I am glad to hear that this happened! Well deserved honor!

[Larry Dering]

No doubt that Pete's contributions help model and sell country music. Well deserved honor.

[J D Sauser]

Jerry Byrd?

I believe JB was one of if not the THE one first inducted.

... J-D.

[scott murray]

Jerry's not in there. Pete was the first steel guitarist to be inducted, unbelievably.

here's a list of all the members: https://countrymusichalloffame.org/hall ... e/members/

[J D Sauser]

Jerry's not in there. Pete was the first steel guitarist to be inducted, unbelievably.

here's a list of all the members: https://countrymusichalloffame.org/hall ... e/members/

Im sorry, I confused SGHOT with CMHOF. (duh factor 10E)

Pete Drake, more than being a steel guitar player, was Record PRODUCER.
Yes, he laid down some hit steel guitar intros and solos, but wasn't highly regarded as a steel player and also was known to have had some steel guitar "Maestros" come in and show him some riffs he later used and got credited for. I BELIEVE Pete Drake isn't even in the SGHOF?
I would imagine the reasoning behind his induction into the CM-Hof isn't so much about his contributions as a steel guitarist but as a record producer, just like Eddie Bayers who is being inducted along side him and real stars like this year''s The Judds and Ray Charles.

I believe even Jerry Lee Lewis has NOT been inducted yet, which is a travesty and seeing Ray Charles only inducted now so late also raises eyebrows.
So, I do not expect any instrumentalist only, like Buddy Emmons (who would evidently top the list as a Famous country music steel guitarist) to be inducted... EVER.

... J-D.

[scott murray]

Pete was inducted into the SGHOF in 1987.

I realize opinions vary on Pete's skill level, but he was (and continues to be) an incredibly influential steel guitarist and one of the most-recorded and in-demand players of all time. there are countless examples of Pete's excellent playing on record, but I say look no further than his steel on Tammy Wynette's version of Apartment #9... it doesn't get much better than that.

Pete is being inducted as a "Recording and/or Touring Musician" so regardless of his work as a producer, it's his steel playing first and foremost that got him in. apparently 2021 is the first time they've inducted studio musicians, so hopefully Buddy and others won't be too far behind.

[Pete Finney]

They started inducting studio musicians a while back, but Pete is the first studio steel guitarist; I'd bet it was more for his playing than for his other (substantial) contributions.

2008: Charlie McCoy
2012: Hargus "Pig" Robbins
2015 Grady Martin
2018 Johnny Gimble


There are other members like Ray Stevens and Jerry Reed who had great studio careers, but are probably in more as singers and performers.

[Ricky Davis]

This very helpful knowledge just in from Lloyd Green:

{Apologies to my friend Pete Finney who has already provided some of this info}
Pete Drake is the 6th musician inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame with the 2021 class, not the first (Floyd Cramer and Chet Atkins were inducted much earlier, but as artists, not musicians, per se). But Pete is the very first steel player inducted so the glass ceiling has now been broken and almost certainly there will be others down the line.
The first 5 musicians inducted, in this order, were: Harold Bradley,2006…Charlie McCoy,2009…Hargus “Pig” Robbins,2012…Grady Martin,2015…Johnny Gimble, 2018.
A musician is inducted only once every third year.
Incidentally, the Hall of Fame members aren’t selected by the Hall of Fame but by the Country Music Association’s voting members and includes a complicated set of rules. The Medallion, or induction ceremony and dinner is held each year (excluding last years Covid one) at the Country Music Hall of Fame and it is also the repository for the plaques on the wall in the rotunda. But they have nothing to do with the voting, so if there are any stones of disagreement they rightfully should be cast at the Country Music Association.
Ironically, being the first Nashville Cats honoree in February, 2006 at the H. of F. and having helped design the format used today with their interviews, I was asked by the Hall of Fame committee who else would be good recipients who could speak articulately and with an accurate memory.
The 3 names I provided, and whose recall and resumes were at least equal to mine, were the next Nashville Cats honored and became…….the first 3 musician members of the Country Music Hall of Fame; H. Bradley, C. McCoy, and “Pig” Robbins!


Lloyd Green

[scott murray]

thanks for correcting me Pete (and Lloyd). I should've known better having been to the museum on more than one occasion, but I had just recently read in an article announcing Pete and Eddie's induction that they were the first.