Can you remember the first professional pedal steel player y

Bob Blair · Post by **Bob Blair** » 16 Dec 2001 8:58 pm

Pretty sure the first live steel I ever saw was at Festival Express in Calgary in 1970. Jerry Garcia with NRPS, Buddy Cage with Ian and Sylvia and the GSB, and Sneeky Pete with the Burritos. Memories of that weekend are pretty hazy, but the sound stuch with me and I was hooked.

Les Green · Post by **Les Green** » 16 Dec 2001 9:12 pm

Leon McAuliff, St. James, Missouri, early 50's. Band dressed in blue suits, Leon in red, doing the MC work and playing a three neck Stringmaster. Sure was impressed! Don't remember much else.....

Sunny Callen · Post by **Sunny Callen** » 16 Dec 2001 10:30 pm

Mid 50's or so - Waikiki Bar, Santa Catalina Island. CA - The late Eddie Bush, on hiatus from Harry Owens & the Royal Hawaiians one summer - I was 14 years old or so - Used to sneak into the bar from the joint-use restroom hallway to the restaurant next door (which my folks ran) - Eddie had a trio from the RH's & a dancer (Lei Aloha Petit)and played a Fender T-8 Stringmaster - been in love with & obsessed by steel since then.

Also, while in the service, got to see Tom Brumley with Buck Owens at the Dream Bowl in Vallejo, CA - 1st time I saw pro pedal steel live. . .

Rick Ulrich · Post by **Rick Ulrich** » 17 Dec 2001 12:56 am

First steel guitar live was Noel Boggs at my elementary school in Lynwood, CA around 1949 or 1950. He focused on big band tunes like Tenderly and Perdido. First live pedal steel was Speedy West playing a Fender at the old KXLA radio studio in Pasadena, Ca. on Cliffie Stone's noontime radio show. It didn't cost anything to get in, plus the room you sat in with those guys was about as big as a family room in a modern home, so it was really up close.

Dave Van Allen · Post by **Dave Van Allen** » 17 Dec 2001 7:19 am

yes I can remember vividly the event, but the when is a little hazy

rusty young POCO 1969-70 American University Amphitheatre Washinton DC

Jim C- I can't do that chair thing either

Ray Jenkins · Post by **Ray Jenkins** » 17 Dec 2001 7:42 am

QUOTE]Jimmy Day with Ray Price, El Paso texas at the Coliseum, 1959. Song 24th Hour. Been a steel addict since that time.[/QUOTE]
Jim Bob I was ther too,Jimmy Day was also my first.I was stationed at Biggs Airplane Patch.How come you didn't say hey.

Ray

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Steeling is still legal in Arizona

Mark Tomeo · Post by **Mark Tomeo** » 17 Dec 2001 7:46 am

Rusty Young, Poco, 1969, The Boston Tea Party, Boston, MA., age 17.
My friends and I had been wearing out copies of "Pickin' Up the Pieces" and "Suite Steel" as we had already burned through Buffalo Springfield's "Last Time Around" and The Byrds "Sweetheart of the Rodeo" so the steel sound was stuck in my head. But I'd never seen anyone play one 'til that night.
Watching Rusty sit behind a double-neck ZB with a Dobro on his lap switching back and forth on "Grand Junction" was the most influential moment of my life and colored everything that's happened since.
Jim C./DVA - I never attempted to do that chair thing and I think I'm relieved that pack seats were invented.

Jeff A. Smith · Post by **Jeff A. Smith** » 17 Dec 2001 2:55 pm

Whoever was playing with Buck Owens when he played here at Buck Lake Ranch, maybe in the late 60's or very early 70's. I was able to walk right to the stage and stand in front of the steel player. It wasn't Tom Brumley. This guy had blonde hair, probably an average build, and was a little tough looking. He didn't smile. I remember that his face was pitted from what must have been a serious case of acne when he was younger. I'd really be curious to know who this guy was. It's still a pretty vivid memory.

Donny Hinson · Post by **Donny Hinson** » 17 Dec 2001 3:16 pm

Alvino Rey was probably the first one I saw. The first famous player I got a chance to talk with was Stu Basore, when he first started with Kitty Wells. The first good "locals" I saw were guys like Don West, Ray Scearce, Rudy Gabriletto, and Lin Strauf.

B Bailey Brown · Post by **B Bailey Brown** » 17 Dec 2001 3:24 pm

Gee, good question! I think for me it was Jerry Blanton in about 1962 at Floors Store in Helotes Texas. I was just a kid in high school and my best friend was David Zetner who had just gotten a gig playing Bass for George Chambers and the Country Gentlemen (They were one of the top local country bands back then). So David invites me out to this gig one night to see him play. I was impressed, but within 5 minutes I was standing on Blanton’s side of the stage watching him play this “thing” that I had never seen before! I was totally BLOWN away! I never heard anything like that before, and I was completely fascinated by the instrument. At that time I was a “fledgling” guitar player…hey, I knew “Johnny B Good” and “Honky Tonk”, so I was a musician….yea right!!

Being the kind person he is, David forgave me for ignoring him that night. Within a few months we would go up to Shady Acres in New Braunfelds and watch Ray Price, Willie Nelson or who ever came through our part of the country.

I guess the first big name player I ever saw was Jimmy Day, or maybe Buddy Emmons. I forget. Either way, I never passed up an opportunity to see either one of them! Life was GOOD in those days!!

B. Bailey Brown

John Gretzinger · Post by **John Gretzinger** » 17 Dec 2001 3:52 pm

On TV it was either Speedy West or Red Rhodes on Cal's Corral. The first one I saw in person was my first instructor, Ernie Ball.

jdg

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MSA D-10 w/Nashville 400
'63 Gibson Hummingbird
16/15c Hammered Dulcimer

Jack Turlington · Post by **Jack Turlington** » 17 Dec 2001 5:54 pm

Lloyd Green performed "I Can See Clearly Now" when I went to see Charlie McCoy in Atlanta in the early '70s. That's when Lloyd had that song on Country stations-at least around Atlanta. I went to see Charlie McCoy! I was playing harmonica then, but took note of that steel player because I had heard my brother's "Suite Steel" album about 1,000,000 times.

Sunny Callen · Post by **Sunny Callen** » 17 Dec 2001 6:03 pm

Jeff - That description REALLY sounds like Jay MacDonald. . .

MARK GILES · Post by **MARK GILES** » 17 Dec 2001 7:23 pm

First one live that I remember was Tommy Morrell. I think he was live. It was hard to tell in those days. But when he played, he set the steel on fire, and me too. Had to have one after that.

Rick Jackson · Post by **Rick Jackson** » 17 Dec 2001 8:16 pm

Great thread.... For me it was Red Rhodes with Michael Nesmith at Disneyland 1969 or 1970. As Nes introduced Red he said he played the"electric hawaiian guitar" and that Red was"the electric hawaiian". Hearing Red play lit a fire under me to get my first steel guitar.....

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If I could only play like Ralph Mooney and sing like Justin Trevino....

Gregg Galbraith · Post by **Gregg Galbraith** » 17 Dec 2001 8:51 pm

Jay McDonald, with Buck Owens at Mockingbird Hill Park----Anderson,Indiana.circa 1962.

B. Greg Jones · Post by **B. Greg Jones** » 17 Dec 2001 8:55 pm

Wow, what a great thread!!! My first experience was in 1970. I was 5 yrs. old and was at a Dottie West show at the middle school gym in Athens, Ohio. Paul Franklin I think on steel athough I didn't know what it was. As far as T.V. goes, Tom Brumley on the Buck Owens Ranch Show. My Dad was a faithful watcher every week.

Greg

Al Udeen · Post by **Al Udeen** » 17 Dec 2001 11:28 pm

Jeff! Without a doubt, that was J.D. Maness

Steven Knapper · Post by **Steven Knapper** » 18 Dec 2001 12:11 am

Red Rhodes with the First National Band at Disneyland on New Years Eve '72 or 73. Got to talk to him for the first time shortly after that when he was playing for Doug Kershaw at the Carnation Pavilion (Disneyland), ground level, no stage. The next one was Blackie Talyor. Red invited me to his shop, I went and kept stopping by when I was in the area til around '87. Blackie still hasn't gotten rid of me.

Bobby Boggs · Post by **Bobby Boggs** » 18 Dec 2001 12:31 am

For me it was Buddy Charleton.This was around 65 or 66.I was only about 8 but was learning to play.I was already into Emmons and Charleton big time.Dad got us back stage after the show.And I remember Buddy playing several tunes for us.But the one that's still burned in my brain is Almost To Tulsa.

Ah the good ole days.The players got to break out and play.And when the show was over, it was no big deal to get back stage and talk,and maybe bum a few licks.Oh no

I'm starting to sound like some of you old guys.

I hope Seymour don't see this post.Could spoil my image.He thinks I'm in my 20's and only dig 4th pedal licks.

---bb[This message was edited by Bobby Boggs on 18 December 2001 at 12:47 AM.]

scott c anderson · Post by **scott c anderson** » 18 Dec 2001 3:40 pm

This would be in August of 75, Hag and the Strangers were appearing at Pine Knob, just North of Detroit....What i also remember was that Jimmy Hoffa had disappeared from the Restaurant right down the road from Pine Knob just days before, and we drove right past it on the way to see Hag. I was 14 yrs old, and remember distinctly watching Norm Hamlet in action, along with Roy Nichols....wow, what an experience. I have been a member of the Forum for almost a year now, but I never seem to hear much about Norm Hamlet of Sonny Garrish, two of my favorites, second only to BE and Lloyd. Also, I was a fan of a very successful local guy here in Detroit back in early 80s...Larry Lee Adkins and The Hanging Tree, and he had a steeler named Bob Robinson who claimed to have worked for the Possum and Johnny Paycheck in their earlier days. Man, could this guy play. Anyone ever heard of him?? thanks, Scott

Doug Earnest · Post by **Doug Earnest** » 18 Dec 2001 6:46 pm

Deon Tyson - a short man with white hair, a big grin, and proud of his Cherokee heritage. This was in 1979 in west central MO. Deon had previously worked with the drummer I was working with, and since I was just starting to play in a band (bass) he came to a rehearsal one evening to give us kids some pointers. I was ruined from then on.

I never got to know too much about him but he was a wonderful steel player and a real nice man. He passed away about 1986 before I could start playing steel. If anyone was acquainted with Deon I would like to hear some stories, I think he was well known in certain circles.

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Doug Earnest
Zum2000U12,Sierra12,Sho-Bud ProII D10 PV DPC 750 ProFex 112E, Fender Cyber Twin

Michael Johnstone · Post by **Michael Johnstone** » 18 Dec 2001 7:35 pm

The first guy I ever saw not only had no pedals but he had no left hand.It was the late great Billy Hew Len.I was just a little kid walking down the beach w/my dad and I came across him performing in a trio on the boardwalk at Ino Shima near Yokahama in 1954.Since I was a rock guitar player thru the 60s,I didn't pay much attention to steel till around 69-70 at which time I was living in Norfolk,Va and saw a guy named Al Lewis pick a D-10 ZB pedal guitar with Carolina Charlie.Al in turn,recomended I check out a guy named Kenny Dail.Soon after that,I got my first steel-a Fender 400.It was only then I heard Black,Perkins,Cage,Kleinow,Young,Emmons and the Suite Steel LP,etc,etc.Next step was Chaulker,Jernigan records and so on... -MJ-

Reggie Duncan · Post by **Reggie Duncan** » 18 Dec 2001 8:08 pm

I saw many steel players on TV as a teenager in the early 70's. Hal Rugg and Curley Chalker with the Wilburn Bros., Don Warden with Porter Waggoner, Walter Haynes and Stu Basore on the Opry TV show with Jerry Byrd on rhythm guitar. By far the most influential was Jack Smith on the Gospel Singing Jubilee with the Happy Goodman Family!

The first "live" professional steel players I saw were Ronnie Moore with the legendary Hinsons and Dale Jones with the Inspirations Quartet. That was around 1975. I was already playing steel with a gospel group at the time. Then a couple of years later, I saw everybody in St.Louis! God Bless Scotty!

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[This message was edited by Reggie Duncan on 18 December 2001 at 09:01 PM.][This message was edited by Reggie Duncan on 18 December 2001 at 09:03 PM.]

Bill Myrick · Post by **Bill Myrick** » 18 Dec 2001 9:03 pm

wow !! If this was all condensed into a book it'd be a best seller in the steel world !! Great and interesting posts guys !!
Very interesting reading from several time sets !! Has no one mentioned Bud Isaacs as one of their early influences or did I miss it ?