The Steel Guitar Forum

Buddy Pennington from Bluefield, WV.

Dennis Meadows...highly talented musician and congenial gentleman...and he has that tone in his hands that I have looked for all my life. I knew what I wanted the first time I listen to him on an old non pedal steel in my early teens. He always took the time and patience with me in my early pedal steel and dobro struggling to learn to play days whenever I dropped by his home. Thank you very much..Dennis Meadows.

There were no local steel players that I was aware of in my early teens. I could not wait for Saturday afternoon to roll around and watch the Cowboy Weaver Show. There was a group on the show that featured Dewey Groom and his Longhorn Band. The steel player was Jr. Knight and I never heard a word of singing. I believe the late Gary Hogue was also on the show as well. Those guys would send chills up and down my spine just listening to them play.

Roger Blythe, Jerry Fox and Bill Greene.

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GFI S-12 extended E9

John Cox gave me some very good advise and pointers when I was just starting out playing in College Station, TX. I can also remember listening to Cole Harrison play quite a bit back then, all the while being amazed that he could play that well with all those missing strings!

There were several here in the middle georgia area, but to name a few, Woody Woodell, Ira Harrel, Peewee Clark (now in Australia) Jack Conyer. Back in the 60's these guys played as well as anyone. They sure were big influences on me.

Chuck Edwards (Albany, OR), Danny Shields, Bill Cooper (Coop), Dick Meis, Chuck Lettes, Big Jim Baron

Jack Sullivan. As a boy of seventeen, I was amazed at what he played on pedal steel. Even after all these years, I will have a moment occassionaly when I play something and I grin because it reminds of something I heard Jack play years ago. Strange thing about his and my relationship: when I finaly bought my 1st steel, a Maverick, and called him to help me tune it and give me some basics, he told me, I can't---your competition now. A few years later when we working the same clubs with different bands, word got back to me that he was telling people he taught me to play. I always smiled and told them:"He did, but in a strange way".

Tommy Minniear
P.S. Henry Ade was also big influence also!

I was greatly inspired by a guy named Charley McVay Jr. He played at the Kish Hotel in Stoneboro,Pa when I was just starting and was so fast I couldn't believe it. I also was amazed and inspired by a 14 year old named Lance Schnur from Butler,Pa. At 17 I was impressionable and they sure made an impression. I think Charley played for some time as the house band for WWVA Jamboree Sat. nights. Wonder what he's doing now? Memories...pressed between the pages of my mind....Oh sorry - I digressed.

Last summer, 400 Block in Wausau Wisconsin. The band was the Starlight Drifters. The guitar player: Chris Casello

Played a B-bender Tele, and had a T8 National onstage, running through a VERY old premier tube amp.

He was like mixing Speedy West, Albert Lee, and Merle Travis together.
Awesome player!
I built my Steel-o-caster not long afterward.
-andy-

Sonny Miller from St. Paul. He was and is my mentor, and he was for many others. I was never close to a steel until '78, when he sat in with our band and my mouth was hanging open for the whole night. Great guitar and steel player, worked with Dave Dudley, now one of the best harmonica players in the area. Hey Sonny, if you see this, thanks again!!!

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Marrs D-10, Webb 6-14E

Don Pawlack...
Great steeler up here in the Pacific Northwest, great chops and eclectic style...
He just moved to Austin this year and has already landed the gig with Dale Watson and his lonestars.
Seattle's loss is Austin's gain!


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www.bigsmokey.com

Charlie McVay Jr. is still in the house band for the WV opry thing last I heard. His Dad is no slouch either on the steel. Never played one of his dad's steels( charlie sr. builds his own), but man the TONE they have!!
Charlie Sr. is a very knowledgable man, and very helpful. I bought my first steel through him, and the info he gave me before leaving that evening (was there a good 2 hours BSing with him etc) was priceless.
One of these days when the $$ agrees, I hope to pick up one of his steels, just to have one. Not sure if they are all pull or push pull, I do know he machines all the parts himself, and his prices are reasonable (last i heard an SD10 runs well under $2000 new-- more in the $1500 range)

Charlie Jr. is one of the unsung heroes when it comes to his playing AND his work on emmons push pulls. His setups and restorations are up there with the best of them.

Another great steeler and resource in the western PA area is Chuck Rhoades. Chuck has since retired from running his shop, but I spent a good long time on the phone wiht him a while back, even inretirement, he gave me a lot of good advice and encouragement. Just about everyone I have known personally who played the instrument sang the praises of Chuck.

Paul Carie from Vincennes, Indiana and Bud Hall from here in Evansville.
Both are great steel players, and both are in local bands that I get to hear now and then when I'm not playing.

Thanks to both of them for teaching me everything I know about Steel Guitar.

Tony
Steel Rockin' in Indiana

Bill Stafford

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John

Wade Medlock and Bill Ferguson.

Thanks for the inspiration.

There were three for me. The first was my mom's ex-husband Buddy Gibson who I'm no relation to as I came along long after they split. He played on the first two records my mom cut in a garage converted to a studio up in Greenville Mi. in the early sixties before she cut records in Nashville on Topic Records with none other than Lloyd Green backing her on steel with what I believe could have been the same finger-tip Sho~Bud that he used on Charlie Pride's "Panther Hall" recording, at least from what I can see from the picture that she has in her scrapbook. Pictures of my mom, Patty Gibson will hopefully be on a website soon, along with MP3's of her recordings. Buddy was the one that got this obsession started.

The second was a man named Dave Shepard from here in Grand Rapids who passed away at the same time I first started playing gigs in a VFW hall. I'll always regret that he never got to see me play in person, but I know he's seen everything I've done since. I miss you buddy.

The third was Denny Brown from Greenville. He gave me enough in three lessons to get me going using pedals up, pedals down and the E-F and E to D# knee levers to the point that that was all it took to start me down the road I've been on for the last ten years. Denny, if you happen to see this, get ahold of me. I still feel bad about what happened a few years ago.

And fellow Forumite Duane Noom was the first one I ever saw in a live setting. Duane, remember me bugging you guys silly at that club up on 14 mile rd. to play "Don't Rock the Jukebox"?? You guys played it even though you didn't want to! Thanks.

And Frank Rodgers, Al Marcus, Danny Hullihen and Pete Domier, Gene Calkins, and Jerry Hendrix.

Until I really sat down and thought about it, I didn't know we had so many great steel players in Michigan! Thanks for all your help over the years to all.

Cool topic!

Skeeter Klott
fklott@mor-Value.com

Gene Simmons from Dierks, Arkansas. I met Gene in college. He had his Emmons set up in his dorm room just down the hall from me. I was in awe of his playing plus he gave me the chance to try out the steel to see if I thought I might be able to play it.
I bought my first used guitar from John Brunner. When I listened to him do some of those fast single note licks, I knew I had to have it. It was a "Hughey" guitar. The only one I've ever seen.

Ken
http://home.ipa.net/~kenwill
<FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Ken Williams on 15 July 2003 at 05:05 PM.]</p></FONT>

My first non-famous influence on steel guitar (non-pedal) was my uncle, Walter "Bud" Phelps, from Milwaukee, Oregon. After him, the first pedal steeler I ever heard live was Steve Chet in Portland, Oregon. He played mostly an A6 tuning on an old Fender 1000, what a great sound he had. I moved to Lincoln City, Oregon and heard Richard Edge playing his old fingertip Sho-Bud through his Standel amp, in a local bar with an accordionist (that's right!) and that was the first time I heard E9th, a Sho-Bud and a Standel. Wow! Anyone know whatever happened to Richard?

Richard Edge, the last time I heard is playing Gospel in a band called A Little Piece of Heaven, somwhere around Salem.

In 83-5 he was playing in a band here locally called Amarillo, played at Jubitz opposite a couple bands that I was in, and played a couple Wrangler play offs with our band and Craig Hutchins band, Buckboard. Played BEAUTIFULLY through a strong fender twin. A fiddling guitar player kid named Dana and a vocalist named Geri Blaine and Connie Mack on bass. Back then we were both working 7 nites a week usually so I didn't see him much. The band also did a long stint at the Dory in Pacific city from 84-5 too. They did a lot of live radio feeds for the station in Tillamook. The Dory finally went broke, and that was pretty much that.

In 85 or 86 his wife was driving him home from the Fireside lounge in Portland, and there was a real bad wreck, and she was killed. Real ugly.

Richard recovered, and with the Lord's help, went totally into his service, playing music and living a dedicated life.

I don't know how to contact him, but possibly Neil Rodgerson, another friend of mine that shares Richards devotion might know of his wherebouts.

Also Steve Chet.

I didn't know him personally, but in 81 I got a call to audition for the Starr Family in Lebanon OR and found out it was because he had passed away from cancer. I understand he was a very strong player, and I of course, didn't "get" the gig. I don't think the Starr Family played together after that, but Ronnie Starr ( Hugely) had been playing here lately in Portland with the Lonesome Road Band.

Now you know as much as I know..

Probably more.

EJL

I have to go back aways to my original inspirations to play steel and slide ; 1967 back in the Boston area it was Tommy Cass, and on Dobro Dusty Burnell.

And Mac MacKee from the Boston area in the 80's.

There is only one steeler near me in Nimes France who is "hot", Stephane Bizet, he is the "local" inspiration,
but not so much as others on the forum like Jeff Lampert, Jim Cohen, Murph, Doug Jernigan, Big E of course, JayDee Mannes, Dave Ristrim.

I have to put in Crowbear, not technically near me (4-5 hours drive), but he is instrumental in keeping intetrest and the flow of knowlege going, and pointing me to my steel.

I actually was not thinking of a specific player at all when I got my Sho-Bud, I just had heard the sound in my head too long to ignore and took the plunge for more than 6 strings and pedals.

Dave Zeiglar, who used to tour with Rusty Draper. I saw Dave playing an S-12 with 8 pedals in a club and walked up to him on a break and asked if he was playing a universal tuning, and that was all it took for him to "adopt" me.

I went to his house one day for what was supposed to be a 2 hour lesson, that lasted for almost 8 hours, and the only reason we stopped weas that I felt I couldn't absorb any more information. Dave wanted to keep going, and insisted that I come back for another marathon session in a few weeks.

Dave is both a great player, and a great teacher. And I now own the guitar he used when he played on his road gig.

Several years ago I got to see and hear Jerry Roller (Van Buren, AR) play the turnaround to "Another Bridge To Burn". He played it like Buddy Charleton did on the Texas Troubadour album, only thing Jerry didn't use a knee lever to drop the lower E -he tuned it down to Eb. He took the time to actually talk to me, show me how he done it, and from that day forward not only did he inspire me to try to play, but became one of my hero's in the steel guitar world.
John Buffington, VP OSGA
Mullen Guitars, Webb Amps

In truth, I have to admit being influenced by every player I came across one way or another, but for encouragement and time when I was first starting out, huge thanks are due to Tom Stolaski, Larry Bell, Dean Dailey, Clifford Kirk, Rick Steinke and all the other west Michigan steelers of the late 70's. Looking back over these posts it's easy to see how much difference just a few hours of time can make to someone's musical education, enthusiasim and future. Something to keep in mind the next time somebody comes up and asks "what does that thing there do?"... Pass it on!

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C'mon by and visit!- www.markvanallen.com
My Bands: Sugarland Kate and the Retreads Kecia Garland Band Shane Bridges Band Dell Conner Blues Band

I was influenced by all the steel players in Columbus, Oh in the late fifties when I was a kid. I was tryiing to learn non-pedal steel. These players would include my Mom and Dad who both played steel, Marvin Mann who owned a Gibson Pedal Steel and was the first PSG I got to try, Sonny Curtis (Fender 1000), Deacon Morris, Tom Kiley (taught me to play pedals) and Jimmy Crawford and others.
I really had 1st class local players to learn from.