The Steel Guitar Forum

I was cruising the radio dial on Sunday while on the road and caught about 3 minutes of broadcast from a "Nashville Pop Music station", I didn't get to hear which one it was, anyway, their "music reporter" was talking about a concert she had been to and said(paraphrased)"then they brought out this instrument, a steel pedal someting or another, and it had a really different sound, it was nice" A music reporter in Nashville who doesn't even KNOW WHAT A PEDAL STEEL GUITAR IS? You gotta be kidding me! What is this world coming to? Do they let anybody do music reporting these days? Makes me even more convinced that we need to have a big educational push for steel guitar,and soon!

Dave Ziegler

Thats when you need turn on to 700 wlw and listen to Billy Cuningham! The voice of the common man! It is a great day in Ohio today David!

Not only did this lady not know what a steel was,Bet she does not have a clue what a real country singer is,also bet you she has never heard the greatest country singer we have today,Dale Watson.But I'm sure she KNOWS that Chesney,Big and Rich,or Cowboy Troy are the real thing.PITIFUL!!!!!

Maybe this should have been posted in the humor section,No maybe not,nothing funny about it.Maybe we need a music obituary site,for good music in all venues is on it's death bed.

I can't remember who it was but, one night I'm watching the Opry, the band goes into Ring of Fire and the bass player's reading it off a music stand. Come on...

My wife & I went to Nashville in 1985. I was surprised at that time that one of the travel guides listed 13 radio stations ... only 5 were listed as "country"

I predict this new steel-pedal thingie will never last.
After all, how are you supposed to dance while playing one of those contraptions ?
-John

Radio stations hire people from all over the country. It's like musical chairs. Stations in the South especially like to hire midwesterners and others "without an accent." Pop and Hip-Hop people in Nashville or any other southern city might not know anything at all about country music. In fact, much of the whole city of Nashville is completely oblivious to country music. It is a big insurance, banking and business center, the capital city of Tennessee, and has several educational institutions, etc. The Opry is mostly a tourist attraction, and there are a handfull of country music and bluegrass clubs, also mainly for tourists. The big country acts mostly perform on the road. You see more of them in Detroit or Chicago than in Nashville. It is very easy to live in Nashville and be clueless about country music.

Ok...

the band goes into Ring of Fire and the bass player's reading it off a music stand. Come on...

Now, remember, guys. We were all young once, and didn't know any songs. Remember when you were amazed at the older guys you would meet who played because they knew so many songs and you wondered how they could do that? I remember that. They all laughed at me and called me a whippersnapper, and said just wait, you'll see. Now, here I am 30+ years later... and the kids are amazed at how much I know, how can I possibly do all that and remember it... I tell them to just wait.

Oh, and the guys that called me a whippersnapper? Now they accept me as one of them... and it's an honor, I'll tell you.

Michael Douchette wrote:Ok...

the band goes into Ring of Fire and the bass player's reading it off a music stand. Come on...

Now, remember, guys. We were all young once, and didn't know any songs. Remember when you were amazed at the older guys you would meet who played because they knew so many songs and you wondered how they could do that? I remember that. They all laughed at me and called me a whippersnapper, and said just wait, you'll see. Now, here I am 30+ years later... and the kids are amazed at how much I know, how can I possibly do all that and remember it... I tell them to just wait.

Oh, and the guys that called me a whippersnapper? Now they accept me as one of them... and it's an honor, I'll tell you.

All true, but you would think that if you were going to play the GOO you would know every song in your set.

Not if the player is a sub... I wouldn't expect a sub to know ANYthing... but I would expect him to be able to read charts...

I'm sorry, guys, and I know it's off the subject, but I've got to say to Mike, speaking of "whippersnappers" and coming into "maturity" that it does my heart so much good to look at his posted picture and see his Dad in those eyes and that smile!
When I was one of the "whippersnappers" in town, Mike's Dad, Tex Davis, became very dear to me. I never met anyone here anymore upbeat and positive and absolutely dedicated to the fine art of promoting new releases and new artists. And, he genuinely cared about the people he worked with. I was lucky to have spent time with him and your lovely Mom, Betty.

Those were the days when Country Music was alive in Nashville and spread out in many places all over town....including the radio. I miss the era very much. I don't expect all the world to know and love it; but it would be nice if our "category" hadn't become so intermixed with other styles that it's hardly recognizable anymore. Thank Goodness for some of the Steel Shows.....

Laney

Last week I was watching the local news before going to work. They were talking about Barbara Mandrell and what instrument she played. They did not know what it was called and the weatherman called it a slide guitar. It is amazing the amount of people who do not know what a pedal steel guitar is, let alone how one is played.

Isn't using the words "Nashville" and "ignorant" or "clueless" in the same sentence simply redundant?

-eric

Laney, sweetheart... I'm going to print that up to take to Mom and Dad in the morning.

Thank you, love...

Personally, i like the fact that the steel is a relatively unknown, misunderstood, maybe even mysterious instrument. If it was as well known and popular as guitar, i don't think i'd be that interested in it as i am. Actually , i'd like to see it go in the direction of being even more obscure, don't take that wrong please.

Hey Mikey, cleaning it up huh.I remember about your delima... C.C I'm with you and do understand. Two main reasons I'm going to the Steel. My fingers are getting stiff from where I cut them and lead guitar players are everywhere.There are only three Pedal Steel players here locally.And of course the fact I think thier a awesome insturment.

Uh, Bill...? What are you saying, exactly?

Hey Mikey, cleaning it up huh.I remember about your delima...

I'd like to know what that means, please... pm if you need to...

Laney Hicks- "Right On", Sweetheart! Say "Hey" to that old man of yours, for me, and I'll see you in Dallas! Eve says "Hi", and sends her love. Love you guys,

Eric Jaeger wrote:Isn't using the words "Nashville" and "ignorant" or "clueless" in the same sentence simply redundant?

-eric

Unh..Eric, I see you live in Oakland, CA. You might want to know about a famous Will Rogers quote, "When the Okies left Oklahoma and moved to California, it raised the average I.Q. level in both states."

I lived on the West Coast for 5 years, and certainly never noticed any shortage of ignorance there.

Hey David, I resemble that!!

It seems that 'weatherman' and 'pedal steel' in the same sentence says something about the quality of music reporting.
No wonder no one knows about pedal steel or the weather.

I spend four months in the McAllen Texas area during the winter. I usually play in the back-up bands in two jam sessions each week plus do a show and dance with the band I work with. I said that to say this, I seldom set my steel up that someone doesn't ask "What is that Thing" or "I love the sound but never seen one up close".
I love explaining the "Thing" to them, makes another friend for the steel guitar world.

John Steele wrote:I predict this new steel-pedal thingie will never last.
After all, how are you supposed to dance while playing one of those contraptions ?
-John

Obviously you have never seen a Robert Randolph video!!!

Dennis

If the pedal steel was used for Rock, Blues,Jaz,and not in Country music then would it be better known? A lot of people don't care for country music so they would not know the steel guitar. About the radio, there is more country music being played on Jamestown NY. radio, than back in the 50's and 60's. The local stations would play one hour of country music a day,now we have 24 hour country stations. Buffalo NY. radio didn't play country, today it plays country new and some old. 24/7.One of the big thing is Country music moved up North Joe
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