Who Inspired You To Play Steel?

Jim Sliff · Post by **Jim Sliff** » 1 Sep 2006 2:39 pm

First I was stunned by Lloyd Green on "You Ain't Goin' Nowhere" by the Byrds, plus JD Maness on the "Sweethearts" album as well. Then the one who really hooked me was Sneaky Pete, followed by David Lindley, Chris Darrow, Al Perkins, Steve Howe (with Yes) and to a lesser extent Rusty Young and Garcia.

It just took me 37 years and hand problems to get really involved with it.[This message was edited by Jim Sliff on 01 September 2006 at 03:40 PM.]

Ad Kersten · Post by **Ad Kersten** » 2 Sep 2006 1:45 am

For me it started with Emmylou and the Hot Band. We tried to play these songs and initially I imitated steel guitar with my electric guitar. So, I guess for me it was Hank de Vito. Then I learned about all the others............and I got hooked for life

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Zumsteel S12U

Yo, Man! homepage

Charlie McDonald · Post by **Charlie McDonald** » 2 Sep 2006 2:02 am

Larry Bell.

Meine Bruinsma · Post by **Meine Bruinsma** » 2 Sep 2006 6:09 am

"Sneaky" Pete Kleinow and Pete Drake. (1972).
Pete Drake is still my hero!
www.meinebruinsma.nl

S.Seitu · Post by **S.Seitu** » 2 Sep 2006 7:10 am

Garland Nash

Gene Jones · Post by **Gene Jones** » 2 Sep 2006 7:37 am

Who Inspired You To Play Steel?

Answer: Whoever was playing steel on those Gene Autrey recordings in the 1940's!

I mastered that "slide" at the end of every verse in record time on my "Sears" six-string Hawaiian guitar and amp!

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www.genejones.com

Al Marcus · Post by **Al Marcus** » 2 Sep 2006 8:11 am

Dr.Hugh- I knew you forgot to mention Alvino Rey, who you knew well. You and I have the some of the same favorites I too was impressed by all the guitar players you mentioned and Charliey Parker and all those jazz musicians.
There was'nt many steel players to hear in those days. So I liked sax players like Paul Desmond, Charley Ventura, Ben Webster, and piano players like George Shearing with those locked hands chords, Buddy Cole with Alvino Rey's band.

When Buddy Emmons, Curly Chalker and Reece Anderson came on the scene much later, I ,of course was very impressed by their playing and musicianship. I must say if I had to pick one, it would be very hard to do.
But it would have to be Reece, who I first met and heard in 1968.

It was then that I bought my first D12 MSA with his Bb6maj7 tuning on the bottom neck, so I could learn to play the songs that he did on his first album, "Modern Steel Guitar". It was also when he got me to use 4 picks to get those chord grips that he used.
My musical life has been a great adventure, playing music I loved and the Guitar and Steel Guitar that were my favorites...al

(spelling)

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My Website..... www.cmedic.net/~almarcus/

[This message was edited by Al Marcus on 24 September 2006 at 08:11 PM.]

Robert Dominick · Post by **Robert Dominick** » 2 Sep 2006 5:28 pm

Jack Smith, Lloyd Green, Buddy Emmons, Jay Dee Mannes

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Carter S-10 3x5, Fender Steel king, Boss DD-3, Boss ME-50

Dr. Hugh Jeffreys · Post by **Dr. Hugh Jeffreys** » 2 Sep 2006 8:03 pm

Al --- Yes, I forgot Charlie Ventura (and his Bop for the People!). I also have some of his cuts with the Gene Krupa Jazz Trio. Teddy Wilson was on piano (his style is obsolete now), but later, a memphian whom I played with joined the Krupa Orchestra named Tony D'Amore; Tony was a very progrssive piano man. I realize that the 4um is MORE or less country oriented and at times I feel my injections are out-of-line, but??? ----j----

Rick McDuffie · Post by **Rick McDuffie** » 3 Sep 2006 3:54 pm

Dan Dugmore- Blue Bayou

Paul Redmond · Post by **Paul Redmond** » 4 Sep 2006 6:54 pm

Buddy Merrill on the Lawrence Welk Show when it first hit the TV airwaves in 1955 I think). My folks used to watch the show all the time and he played both 6-string electric and that "Hawaiian guitar". Couldn't get enough of his playing. The I heard Singing The Blues a couple years later by Guy Mitchell and later by Marty Robbins. There was some steel on one of them I believe. Crosby, Stills & Nash's Teach Your Children, and Sneeky's ride on Linda's I Fall To Pieces pushed me over the edge. Gallery had a song called It's So Nice To Be With You at the time with a huge steel break in the middle. That did it!! Had to learn this thing!!
PRR

Chip McConnell · Post by **Chip McConnell** » 5 Sep 2006 4:07 pm

I was going to say Garcia and Rusty Young. But now that I think about it, it was Mike Auldridge. I grew up listening to my Dad's Seldom Scene records- Act IV in particular. and as a youngster his dobro and steel on that record made a huge impression. What a player.

Pat Burns · Post by **Pat Burns** » 5 Sep 2006 4:43 pm

Al Perkins

Jerry Roller · Post by **Jerry Roller** » 5 Sep 2006 6:04 pm

My Uncle Bill, my Dad, LeeRoy Prine, Ben Jack, Bobby White, Speedy West, Jimmy Day, Buddy Emmons, Jack Rider, Zane Beck, Curly Chalker, Leon McAuliffe, Maurice Anderson, Jerry Byrd, Tom Morrell and others.
Jerry

Mike Pace · Post by **Mike Pace** » 5 Sep 2006 6:29 pm

Sneaky Pete

JD
Lloyd
Cage
Drake
Maines

(I think that was the order of appearance in my life w/ Ben Keith thrown in there somewhere)....

Jim Phelps · Post by **Jim Phelps** » 5 Sep 2006 8:36 pm

Chubby Howard:

I just found your post, hadn't read this thread in a while.

Wow, what a forum.... imagine seeing a guy playing steel on a local music TV show on an old fuzzy black & white TV and thinking, "I'm gonna learn to play that thing someday" and then running into the actual player some 40-odd years later!

Well it's a pleasure to finally "virtually meet" you.

Back then I had two main influences; Don Helms who I heard on our Hank Williams Greatest Hits album, and you on Channel 13.

One time I was up real close to the TV so I could see what you were doing, my Dad came in the room and asked me what I was doing. I said "watching him real close so I can learn to play". He thought that was funny. But I did learn to play.

I hate to sound like an old-timer (but I'm getting there anyway so why not), but I miss those old local TV music shows, they were great influences on us younger or wannabee musicians, besides being a gig for players...it's a shame they've disappeared.

I think that if a lot of us here would think back, there were a lot of guys we saw on some local TV show when we were kids or in a band playing at a fair or even a club or bar (if you weren't a kid or sneaked in...!) who were big influences on us, as much as the most famous guys. I hope they're remembered too.

Thanks, Chubby!

edited: Is this you?

Click here

[This message was edited by Jim Phelps on 05 September 2006 at 09:43 PM.]

John Maggard · Post by **John Maggard** » 5 Sep 2006 11:24 pm

John D Call, Sneaky Pete, Al Perkins and Rusty Young, B.E. & Pete Drake. Still finding out so many others I've heard over the years but never knew by name.

Chubby Howard · Post by **Chubby Howard** » 6 Sep 2006 7:09 pm

Yes Jim that's me on my radio show at www.myclassiccountry.com tune in on the weekend and listen to my show real pure country and lots of steel guitar instrumentals thanks again your pal,Chubby Howard

Ron Randall · Post by **Ron Randall** » 6 Sep 2006 7:34 pm

Don Helms.
I didn't know his name at the time. About 1960, listening to WSM clear channel in a '56 Chevy. Had to drive to a hill north of Dallas to get the station.(hills are rare)

Ken Williams · Post by **Ken Williams** » 6 Sep 2006 8:15 pm

I grew up watching the Wilburn Brothers show with Hal Rugg on steel. Didn't really understand exactly what a steel was or how it worked, but I know I liked that sound when Hal played. I couldn't help but tear up a while back when I learned of Hal's passing. He made quite an impression on me. I would have thought you were crazy if you would have told me when I was 10 years old that I would have the chance to sit down and talk to him.
In college, I met a fellow student named Gene Simmons from Dierk,AR. Gene was an inspiration to me. After fooling around with his Emmons, I thought that I might be able to play this thing.
A few months later while visiting my parents, I saw an ad in the paper for a steel for sell for $250 in Marion,AR. When I went to see it, I met a fellow by the name of John Brunner. John sat down and played some of that up tempo single string stuff. I was smiling for a week. I had to have it. John was a super nice guy and very helpful and supportive of my efforts. By the way, the steel was a D10 Hughey. Not sure where John Brunner is nowdays, but I would like to say thanks.

Ken [This message was edited by Ken Williams on 06 September 2006 at 09:17 PM.][This message was edited by Ken Williams on 06 September 2006 at 09:21 PM.]

Tom Quinn · Post by **Tom Quinn** » 6 Sep 2006 9:10 pm

My car payments...

Ron Sodos · Post by **Ron Sodos** » 8 Sep 2006 7:46 am

Buddy Emmons and the blue Judy Collins album. It was the first time I ever heard steel and didn't even know what it was. It just sounded so beautiful i never got over it. Now 30 years later it still knocks me out.

Dean Neeley · Post by **Dean Neeley** » 8 Sep 2006 8:18 am

There was this little guy from a small
East Texas city by the name Billy Bob Turner,
his playing would blow you away.He was my
HERO.This was back in 1947. I've been hooked ever since

Dean Neeley[This message was edited by Dean Neeley on 08 September 2006 at 09:23 AM.][This message was edited by Dean Neeley on 08 September 2006 at 09:28 AM.]

Michael Breid · Post by **Michael Breid** » 9 Sep 2006 1:40 pm

Back in the late 60's I started listening to Lloyd Green playing steel behind Don Williams, and then I worked some sessions with Jim Vest and Mike McGee back in the seventies, and that made me want to learn to play this thing. So, thirty years later I found the time and the $$$$ to get one, and have been trying to get a handle on it ever since. Green, McGee, Vest, Hughey, Hicks, and John Daugherty are my steel heroes. They constantly supply me with licks. Learning them is another story, but like Tom Dooley, I'm hangin' in there.

Jesse Vargas · Post by **Jesse Vargas** » 9 Sep 2006 2:20 pm

Vance Terry, Herb Remington, Jerry Byrd, Noel Boggs, Joaquin Murphy, Bob Dunn, Tom Brumley, Dave Berzansky[This message was edited by Jesse Vargas on 09 September 2006 at 03:25 PM.][This message was edited by Jesse Vargas on 09 September 2006 at 03:28 PM.]