Is there any concern about 'our' future?

Ray Montee (RIP) · Post by **Ray Montee (RIP)** » 18 Sep 2008 7:55 am

At the rate our top billing type steel guitarist friends have been passing........is there any concern about 'our' future?

I'm speaking specifically about the current crew of
'working professionals'.......and......recording steel players.

How old for example is David Hartly? Lloyd Green?
Buddy Emmons? And that slowly declining army of super pickers, many of whom I've never even heard play. What's the prognosis?

Stuart Legg · Post by **Stuart Legg** » 18 Sep 2008 8:47 am

Ray, I hate to sound like I'm picking on you, but there are so many great young PSG players out there and lot of them are in the class of the all time greats and most of them are more knowledgeable and some are better than the best.

Ray Montee (RIP) · Post by **Ray Montee (RIP)** » 18 Sep 2008 9:04 am

"So MANY"..........

Good guess.......HOW MANY?

WHAT AGE GROUPS?

Name the first 25 that come to mind.......

plez.

Bob Hickish · Post by **Bob Hickish** » 18 Sep 2008 9:35 am

A couple come to mind , and I'm sure their are more.

Austin Stewart -- I think that's how its spelled
Randy Beaver
Tommy White don't look to be an old cogger

Stuart Legg · Post by **Stuart Legg** » 18 Sep 2008 11:03 am

Ray Montee wrote...

At the rate our top billing type steel guitarist friends have been passing........is there any concern about 'our' future?
I'm speaking specifically about the current crew of
'working professionals'.......and......recording steel players.

I'm sure my list of 25 would not meet your criteria since you've already eliminated the current crew of working professionals and recording Steel players.

Ben Jones · Post by **Ben Jones** » 18 Sep 2008 11:58 am

There will be great players in the future.
There will never be another Emmons or Green.
Times change. Society changes. Music changes. The instrument changes. Everything changes. You cannot replicate the conditions that those players considerable virtuosity was borne out of.

just this fools opinion.

Donny Hinson · Post by **Donny Hinson** » 18 Sep 2008 6:19 pm

Ray Montee wrote:"So MANY"..........
Good guess.......HOW MANY?
WHAT AGE GROUPS?
Name the first 25 that come to mind.......
plez.

25? We can probably do better than that!

I don't know exact ages, but I think all of these players are under 35, most of them well under.

Austin Stewart
Daniel Davis
Michael Garnette
Matt Brydges
Robert Randolph
Jason Stillwell
Jesse Harris
Steve Leal
Steve Broatch
Solomon Hofer
Joe Kaufman
Joe Alterio
Tyler Crow
Justin Burdette
Ben Goddard
Joel Meredith
Pat Irvin
Brian Wetzstein
D.J. Sillito
Tony LaCroix
Jeremy Moyers
Brandon Ordoyne
Jonathan Candler
Tony Chavez
Chris Heinrich
Stella Mask
David Spires
Matt Hutchinson
Chris Scrugs
Nathan Delacretaz
Jake Palmatier

Geoffrey Dyer · Post by **Geoffrey Dyer** » 18 Sep 2008 10:02 pm

The sound of the instrument is too beautiful too fade. To my ears, the sound of the steel is celestial harps stretched out across heaven. The key thing for young players like me is to learn as much as we can before the experts take their harps back to heaven!

Terry Wood · Post by **Terry Wood** » 19 Sep 2008 5:00 am

Well, I have heard three young players the last 2-3 years that really impressed me. These guys are all between ages 15 and 22 years old and turning heads already.

1) Tyler Hall - Montavello, Alabama, now resides at Branson, Missouri.

2) Austin Stewart - Kansas

3) Eddie Dunlop - Paducah, KY now in Nashville.

They all seem to be really nice young men too.

Terry Wood

HowardR · Post by **HowardR** » 19 Sep 2008 5:17 am

Robert Randolph........like him or not......he's the most well known by the general YOUNG public.......

Bill Simmons · Post by **Bill Simmons** » 19 Sep 2008 7:04 am

Here are just a couple super players that I believe have many great years ahead of them...

Wayne Dahl (Martina McBride)
Randle Currie (Brad Paisley)
Chad Udeen
Mike Johnson
Mike Smith
Steve Palousek
Rusty Danmeyer (spelling?)

It is sad to see some of my steel guitar hero's who created such distinctive styles moving on...but there are soooooo many incredible younger players who many of us are not familiar with because they are working the road such as Wayne D...Randle C....Chad U etc.

There are also many young steel players who play very well who work a regular job and pick on the weekends...again, an intersting question Ray. Bill

Brett Crisp · Post by **Brett Crisp** » 19 Sep 2008 1:04 pm

There are some good young steel players out there for sure. I just hope it holds out for us. Im not even sure which way to turn myself now. Im only 20 years old and just got fired from Trent Tomlinson's band. Country just aint country anymore. If everything went back to swing and stuff like that, we ALL would have something to do all the time. It's hard to find a good country group anymore. I hope to be back out on the road at the first of the year, hopefully sooner, but you never know in Nashville.... All these acts nowdays want someone who will get up there and act like monkeys onstage carrying our lapsteels around like that. Dont get me wrong, i like my lapsteel, but im more comfortable and a little better on pedal steel.... oh well, just my 2 cents worth....WHy dont we all just move out to Branson and shut nashville down?? lol

Theresa Galbraith · Post by **Theresa Galbraith** » 19 Sep 2008 1:25 pm

Brett I heard you play at the Wheel.

Don't get discouraged, keep the faith and I don't think you would like living in Branson.

Brian Dickson is young, working the road with Jake Owen.
Eddy Dunlap is playing great too! Alot of young players like mentioned are going to carry on.

We just need to hear more of these guys at the Steel Conventions.

Brett Day · Post by **Brett Day** » 19 Sep 2008 1:47 pm

I'm twenty-six, almost twenty-seven and I'm still goin' strong. I play steel conventions and shows. I started when I was eighteen, so I'm one of the guys who is not quittin' on steel, even with cerebral palsy. I'm almost to my ninth year on steel. Brett C., have you heard a song called "San Antonio Rose"? I'll be playin' it in Atlanta at the next Georgia show.

Brett D.

Brett Day · Post by **Brett Day** » 19 Sep 2008 1:51 pm

Bill Simmons wrote:Here are just a couple super players that I believe have many great years ahead of them...

Wayne Dahl (Martina McBride)
Randle Currie (Brad Paisley)
Chad Udeen
Mike Johnson
Mike Smith
Steve Palousek
Rusty Danmeyer (spelling?)

It is sad to see some of my steel guitar hero's who created such distinctive styles moving on...but there are soooooo many incredible younger players who many of us are not familiar with because they are working the road such as Wayne D...Randle C....Chad U etc.

There are also many young steel players who play very well who work a regular job and pick on the weekends...again, an intersting question Ray. Bill

Chad Udeen is on steel for Gary Allan, and Rusty Danmyer is on steel for LeAnn Rimes.

Brett

Brett Crisp · Post by **Brett Crisp** » 19 Sep 2008 2:09 pm

Brett Day, I sure do know SanAntonio Rose. Never liked playin it on E-9th. I have to do it on C-6th, but regardless, its one of my faves!!

Theresa, thanks for your compliment. I enjoyed hanging with you, and Gregg. One day ill make it over to the Station Inn and hear your brother play!

Rick Campbell · Post by **Rick Campbell** » 19 Sep 2008 2:37 pm

Ok, go ahead and flame me. I think there's plenty of steel players, but there's not enough country music left to go around. Fiddle same way. I know there's exceptions, but overall it holds true. When the Nashville bands are hot, they've got fiddle and steel, and when they start to cool off, these are usually the first things to go. Why do you think Tommy and Hoot play with so many acts on the Opry? It's not that they don't like fiddle and steel, they just don't like it enough to pay for it.

My opinion.

Steve Broatch · Post by **Steve Broatch** » 20 Sep 2008 4:37 am

Nathan Fleming of Jesse Dayton's band and The Texas Sapphires. Don't know how old he is exactly but I'd say in his thirties. Awesome younger player who has a classic country style. He says he's influenced by Mooney, Emmons, Green etc and it shows.

Theresa Galbraith · Post by **Theresa Galbraith** » 22 Sep 2008 5:06 am

Many of the older artists didn't use fiddle and steel on the road.
It's why the GOO has a staff band to back these artist.

Lewis John Foote · Post by **Lewis John Foote** » 22 Sep 2008 7:11 am

howdy, there must be as many older folks takin up pedal steel, as there are younger folks, i started playin steel at sixty four, been playin now two and a half years, and go out with small time band, nothin like it for boostin your ego and enthusiasm, mind you a pro player could tell i was novice player, but im gettin my kick, lew.

Rick Campbell · Post by **Rick Campbell** » 22 Sep 2008 7:17 am

What Theresa said. A lot of artist, old and new, think fiddles and steel are nice to have, but not nice enough to pay for them. This has taken a reversal it seems. I saw Faron Young on a few TV clips and he would bring his own fiddles and steel and use the house band for the rest.

Times change. I've got to accept that...hard as it may seem.

Drew Howard · Post by **Drew Howard** » 22 Sep 2008 7:33 am

Theresa Galbraith · Post by **Theresa Galbraith** » 22 Sep 2008 7:48 am

I saw Alan Jackson on the GOO with fiddle and steel too!

Drew I agree with YOU!

Steve Norman · Post by **Steve Norman** » 22 Sep 2008 8:12 am

On the other hand tho,, a lot of non-country bands are adding steel. Since country has merged with adult contemporary and soft rock,,steel wouldnt sound good anyways. There are other styles that welcome a classic country reference, and one thing I see here in Seattle is that there is a HUGE demand for steel with the singer-songwriter crowd and the indy-rock/emo thing. Dobro as well. So there will be demand for steel,,just not in its traditional role. You could argue,,that steel now has a larger audience than it ever did since it is branching out into so many styles.

Also relevant to the question is can you make a living doing it. Im not,,but others seem to be. I find it hard to make money at it in an environment of self release and indy lables that simply do distribution for you while leaving you with touring costs and studio fees. I get paid to do small shows and go on tours with people,,but it is not near enough to pay rent et all. But I do get the opportunity to do what I love.

A couple of "young" bands making it with steel.

Bonny Prince Billy (Will Oldham)
M Ward and Zoe Deschanel(she and Him)
Bright Eyes
Okkervill River
Sarah Cahoon

Plus the whole re-invent yourself "country" trend ala kid-rock, Jewell and Bon Jovi.

Steel is doing well, but due to the difficult learning curve and the unwillingness of some steelers to bend to trends, it will always be more rare than the nord on stage.

I wonder if the whole carter starter thing wouldve happened if there was not a demand from the general music populous for steel. If your having trouble finding gigs, go find a band with to much black hair die and shinny crap in their face, whining about not being understood,they love steel guitar.

As far as country goes,,its more than the steel guitar in trouble there.

Ron ! · Post by **Ron !** » 22 Sep 2008 8:35 am

Stuart is right......there are many many many young fine pickers out there.Most of them we have not even heard of.
Lot's of these pickers reside outside the US.
On this forum we have 7700+ members...but I believe that that is not even the tip of the iceberg.Our little planet contains over 5.500.000.000 people.

Charles Tilley does a great job with his web site and put a lot of steelers on the map....however we have to try and get more people into this forum and have them heard.

Ray.....I don't think that this is something we should be worrying about.These fine young pickers will still be playing even after you and I are long gone.

Ron

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Is there any concern about 'our' future?

Is there any concern about 'our' future?

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Interesting Question Ray

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