Steel Guitar Article in OXFORD AMERICAN magazine

[William Connerley]

"Spinning Steel Into Gold" by Ginger Dellenbaugh

There is an interesting article in the latest OXFORD AMERICAN magazine about the steel guitar and steel guitar players. I don't agree with some of the things that are in the article and a lot of the development of the pedal steel is lacking along with just glossing over, or never mentioning, some of the important developers and players. However it is a good piece on the steel guitar. I enjoyed reading it.

[Barry Blackwood]

There is a nice feature article, titled 'Spinning Steel Into Gold' and written by Ginger Dellenbaugh, that is about the steel guitar. The article starts in Los Angeles, briefly mentioning Trader Vics, Tonga Hut, and Tiki Ti, in the context of Hawaiian music. The 1915 Panama-Pacific International exhibition in San Francisco is mentioned, as the event that started the Hawaiian music craze in the U.S, eventually leading to door-to-door salesmen selling steel guitar courses.

The article then migrates to Nashville and the country scene, and how there are less and less younger musicians taking up the instrument and serving as studio musicans.

Unfortunately, the article is not on-line - but those who wish can purchase digital editions, or subscribe to the print edition, at the magazine website
http://www.oxfordamerican.org/articles/ ... est_issue/