I'd like to thank all the members of this forum for sharing their knowledge, good humor and a wealth of information that was key in my decision to buy a pedal steel guitar. Now the next step is learning to play it...
I recently traveled to Texas for the first time for the sole purpose of hearing real country music. I stayed three weeks and it was the best trip I've ever made. Everyone in Texas plays guitar, fiddle, pedal steel or sings - and they all dance. While there I was thrilled to be able to meet some of my heroes. These guys are not only exceptional musicians but just exceptional people. They made me feel good about them, about myself, and about Texas. I list them in the order I met them:
Herb Steiner
I have all Herb's steel CDs and he's one of my heroes. The night I saw him at The Saxon Club in Austin he was sort of filling in with the band, so he didn't really get an opportunity to cut loose - but there was tremendous soul emanating from that black Emmons D-10. He talked to me for a long time after the show, answering all my questions. He's a friendly, down to earth guy with a great sense of humor, has great stories, and of course blew me away on the C6th. I missed the chance to see him play swing at the Broken Spoke because I was in Fort Worth.
Ricky Davis
Ricky is a class act. I had emailed Ricky asking where he and Miss Leslie were playing and he invited me to a private party in Austin where I was able to hear them backing a phenomenal lineup of other headliners. When I arrived Ricky was waiting outside to get me in! The show was just tremendous and I got to talk to him on his breaks and after the show. I also got to meet and talk to Miss Leslie Sloan who brought everyone to tears with her vocals and is a fascinating person to talk to. I got to meet Amber Digby and Randy Lindley as well. But Ricky stole the show as far as I was concerned. He loves playing the steel - smiling and winking at the audience - not with any ego, but with the sheer joy of playing the instrument. He's a tremendous player and showman and I was absolutely thrilled. I met so many other great people that night and got my first real taste of Texas hospitality on a grand scale. Thanks Ricky.
Ron Stafford
From Austin I traveled to Pearl's Dance Hall in Fort Worth to catch Tommy Hooker - who wasn't playing that night after all. That worked out great for me as I got to meet Ron Stafford and made a friend for life. Ron is your basic Texas gentleman. He essentially took me under his wing for the next two weeks giving me a steel lesson, introducing me to all the local musicians, taking me to a recording session he did for Jamie Richards, and over to the Rains Steel Guitar shop where I met Gary Carpenter. I got an insiders look at Fort Worth country music - all because of Ron. He is not only one of the finest steel players in Texas but also a record producer having just finished records for Jerry Webb and Blaine Gray and one soon to be released by Kristi Kalyn. He is the musical director for a new country music TV pilot and also in demand as a guitar player and singer with gigs in Fort Worth and throughout Texas. Above and beyond his exceptional musical talent though, Ron is truly one of the best people I have ever met.
Gary Carpenter
I was aware of who Gary was before coming to Texas but was thrilled to be able to meet him at the Rains factory. Gary was really busy but was one of the nicest guys you could ever meet, taking time out to show me the various guitar parts and explaining the process to me. Something I found fascinating was his demonstration of the harmonics of the different parts. First he took an aluminum guitar neck off the wall and pinged it with his finger. It rang like a bell for a full minute. Next he showed me how the heads are all milled out of a single piece of aluminum, for the same reason - acoustic/harmonic resonance(?). The head rang like the neck. Next, he took a tuning fork to the leg of an SD-10 plugged into an amp that he was doing the final adjustments on. You could hear the tuning fork ring through the amp. I got to hear Gary play with Tommy Hooker the next week at Pearl's too. He's even more impressive to watch than he is on record - and one heckova nice guy.
Rick Price
Rick plays for Jake Hooker, traveling extensively to packed houses all over Texas. The club owners love them because they pack the house everywhere they they go. I saw them twice - with a $15 and $20 cover there was standing room only each time. I got to meet and talk to Rick after his show with Jake at Pearl's in Fort Worth. Besides playing some of the most soulful C6th around, he's a great guy and fun to talk to. A few of us talked for about half an hour and Rick told some great stories. He has an encyclopedic knowledge of music, and has played for many of the greats. It was an honor to meet Rick and a thrill to hear him play.
Dicky Overbey
Wow. What a legend Dicky is. I got to meet him briefly after Amber Digby opened for Asleep At The Wheel in Cypress, Tx. He was very friendly and seemed eager to talk but was busy packing up his gear because of the act change. I was just thrilled get an opportunity to hear and meet him. (Unfortunately the sound was poor and I could barely hear Dicky. Maybe the sound man thought Dicky was playing the smaller piano...).
Eddie Rivers
Eddie plays non-pedal steel for Asleep At The Wheel. I was just another guy that came up to him after the show and thanked him, but he was really friendly and appreciative. He plays a 4 neck Fender that he just wails on. I couldn't see his bar but he must use a heckova lot of slants. He's a rockin' sax player too.
Randy Reinhart
I saw Randy play twice with Bobby Flores but didn't actually get a chance to meet him. He always had too many young chicks surrounding him during the breaks - but I was thrilled to get to hear and watch him play. I got to stand about ten feet to the side of and behind him at The Broken Spoke. Lemme tell you, that was the best spot in the house. Like Jake, Bobby packs houses with a cover charge wherever he goes. He puts on an incredible show with FOUR fiddles. There is no end to Bobby's talent as a singer, fiddle, guitar, and steel player. Bobby likes what he does and it shows.
I love Texas. Thanks guys.
Texas Steel Players
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