The Steel Guitar Forum

Guys like Emmons, Maness, Chalker, Franklin, Wallace, Sneaky Pete, Al Perkins and the other greats get me excited about about practicing.

Truth is, Homer Simpson is the guy I come closest to in terms of getting my butt in the seat to actually practice. Sad but true. stevet

Dicky Overbey, Mike Johnson, Steve Palousek.

Lloyd Green

Reece Anderson, Gary Hogue, Jr. Knight, Gary Carpenter, Buck Reid, Tom Morrell, Curly Chalker,

Mickey, you couldn't have been more right. Buck Reid's Work in Progress. I listen to it about as much as I listen to Tom Morrell "Time Warp Top Hands" recordings.

For awhile, Mr. Bill Ferguson had a series of videos up on youtube of Jr. Knight and Gary Hogue at Norris Music in Mesquite, TX. Those were a real inspiration.

If you search well, there are a few good ones with Gary Carpenter on youtube.

I would say, originally, Gary Carpenter and Reece Anderson equally inspired me at the beginning.

Lets not forget, 6 string giants inspire me too. Barney Kessel, Wes Montgomery, Herb Ellis

For me Brett Day gets my vote. I've been priveledge to hear him at the Georgia get togethers and he blows me away. Here we have a young man with his own limitationsn playing his heart out.

Whenever I get feeling down and feel like quiting, Brett comes to mind.

RC

Doug Jones and Larry Behm mostly...

Vance Terry, Denny Mathis, Al Vescovo, Herb Steiner, Pee Wee Whitewing, Bert Rivera, Jim Loessberg, Maurice Anderson...

Lloyd Green, Dickey Overbey, Paul Franklin, Mike Johnson, Buck Reid. Everyone of these guys have their own unique style. Their arrangement's and individual tone are what I watch and listen over and over. Like Dickey Overbeys intro into Amber Digbys after it breaks. It is a simple intro but the tone and arrangement's make it priceless. RIP Dickey!!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sXgHgm1Bnng

Lloyd Green!

I like to listen to David Hartley and John Huey.

Hey Mickey; Every time I hear Ralph Mooney or Jim Vest, I want to practice for a long while. They played the finest, most tasteful steel licks I ever heard. John

Jimmy Loessberg, Curly Chalker, and of course Dickey.

I'm glad you asked that question Mickey; I love listening to all the great ones you can name, but when I hear Jim Vest, or Ralph Mooney, That's when I want to sit down and practice, and practice, and practice! They're my steel heroes.

So time ago I read a thread by Mickey Adams asking the question "What Player Inspires you to practice" or something to that effect. I read most of the responses regarding names of the renown players that made Steelers practice. I do agree that listening to great players gets one fired up to play too that level.

However I have to say in my case it was the PSG itself that made me want to learn the instrument,
and to do research into all the aspect of it's nature. So Great Players just take this instrument to extreme levels of accomplishment by bringing out
it's wonders with their abilities.

When I first heard a steel guitar ( in the 50's) it was the instrument that got my attention by the sound
generated by a good player.

By the way "Mickey" I love your playing and instruction you make one think outside the box when phrasing.

Far and away, the answer is "me". I hear myself play, hang my head, and mutter "Damn, I need to practice more!"

For me, I would say it's the band I sit in with at our local watering hole: Every Tuesday we do a "civilized" gig from 6 till 9, filled with a wild eclectic Star Wars bar scene collection of locals: ranchers, granola crunchers, guides, miners, far-right, far-left, LGBT, haters, lovers,druggies, even mormons!
They all party, dance, and have fun together--no condescention--it's amazing really.
If I play decent, everybody tells me it was great, it makes me feel good, and I'm studying all week, feeling confident. If I choke (quite often), everybody tells me it was great, I go home, embarrassed, but thankful they don't know any better, and I practise, but much more humbled, and I work a little harder.
Thank god for small town bars that support live music and open-minded imbibing.😎

Pete Drake. Commonly known as the worst steel player in Nashville because he was so unlike Buddy Emmons and Lloyd Green. It's funny however his name appeared on my collection of 600 country albums more than any other steel player. Some play to make musicians happy and some play to make producers happy. I majored in producing with a minor in steel guitar hence my favorite.

Brooks Montgomery wrote: Thank god for small town bars that support live music and open-minded imbibing.😎

You must be on better terms with the Almighty than we are. Around here good live music is hard to come by.

Don R Brown wrote:

Brooks Montgomery wrote: Thank god for small town bars that support live music and open-minded imbibing.😎

You must be on better terms with the Almighty than we are. Around here good live music is hard to come by.

Divine intervention. And Salmon Idaho is the cultural hub of Lemhi County! 😂

I can identify with what Brooks says - I get compliments every Thursday night whether I've done any good or not. I think people are impressed if anything musical comes out of the contraption.

Who inspires me to practice? Emmons, because in his playing was incredible voicing, the ability to phrase the harmony on equal terms with the melody - something that pianists cultivate and to which I aspire.

Jay Dee.

Lloyd Green on E9th and The Big E on c6.

Brett Lanier wrote:Currently this. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HTqF_FUs ... ata_player

Thanks so much for posting this. The amount of beauty and restraint and discipline and listening and sheer musicianship that went into that performance are just... staggering.

Anything Buddy Charelton or John Hughey did, along with a good helping of Jimmy Day, Lloyd Green and Hal Rugg. And many more, but the Buddy and John continue to be most of my inspiration (and favorites).

Oh I forgot: Anything you can find to listen to of Big Jim Murphy.