Your Biggest Early Influence (redone)

b0b · Post by **b0b** » 2 Jul 2018 8:35 am

My first poll on this subject had serious omissions

, so I've redone it. Please vote again.

Fred Justice · Post by **Fred Justice** » 2 Jul 2018 8:49 am

I have to say that Lloyd Green was a huge reason plus Weldon Myrick, and that gave me the fever.

BTW, where is Weldon on the list??? as popular as he was, and still is.

Fred Treece · Post by **Fred Treece** » 2 Jul 2018 9:39 am

Rusty Young was there first for me. Also, playing in bands alongside a few great players with names just about everyone here would recognize didn’t hurt.

That is a very good list, which I can appreciate now that I know more about the history of all those amazing players on it. Paul Franklin is at the top of that one.

b0b · Post by **b0b** » 2 Jul 2018 9:42 am

I ran out of space. I deleted the ones that had no votes in the first poll, and added Mooney, Pete Drake, Don Helms and a few others. Weldon Myrick and Rusty Young would have been next but the software doesn't allow any more entries.

Fish · Post by **Fish** » 2 Jul 2018 10:27 am

Early influences: Rusty Young, closely followed by Pete Kleinow.
Later influences: Buddy Emmons, followed by Lloyd Green, JayDee Maness, Tom Brumley, Bobby Black, Paul Franklin & many more.

"Bad Weather" Poco 1971:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=soWQ6hu ... iPWKJWBIdc

John De Maille · Post by **John De Maille** » 2 Jul 2018 10:48 am

I voted for Lloyd Green, but, he and JD Maness were both responsible for my quest to learn the PSG. If it hadn't been for that Byrds album and those two playing, I'd probably never gotten interested so early and copy that sound.
And, of course, later on being exposed to so many other masters, each one influenced my playing immensely. I certainly don't play like any of them, but, it's all their fault for planting the seeds of desire.

Steve Cattermole · Post by **Steve Cattermole** » 2 Jul 2018 10:58 am

For me it was JD MANESS,Lloyd Green, Bobby Black,and Sneaky Pete.Emmons came later,but in a big way

Jerry Overstreet · Post by **Jerry Overstreet** » 2 Jul 2018 11:03 am

I had to vote Sneaky Pete. Although I play nothing like him, he's the first one I think of when this issue is raised. I guess we all have many heroes, but there must be one early influence, for whatever reason, that first comes to mind.

Mike Neer · Post by **Mike Neer** » 2 Jul 2018 11:05 am

None of my top players are listed, so here they are:
Sol Hoopii
Speedy West
Joaquin Murphey
David Lindley

Doug Beaumier · Post by **Doug Beaumier** » 2 Jul 2018 11:32 am

Lloyd Green was my biggest influence back in the 70s when I was learning. I think he was the most recorded steel guitarist of that era, playing on thousands of sessions. Anyone who was learning pedal steel back then heard lots of Lloyd on the radio!
Other influences were the Big E and Jerry Byrd.

Garry Vanderlinde · Post by **Garry Vanderlinde** » 2 Jul 2018 11:49 am

I don't know who to vote for.

Are you including Dobro players in this survey? I first heard steel via bluegrass and Josh Graves was the first one I heard and tried to copy.
Then it was Don Helms.
It was Buddy Emmons playing "Someday Soon" that first got me wanting to get a pedal steel, along with Jerry Garcia playing with CSN ".
Then Jerry Byrd, Jerry Byrd, Jerry Byrd, and all the great Hawaiian players, Andy Iona, Barney Isaacs, Alfred Apaka, Jules Ah See...

Dale Rottacker · Post by **Dale Rottacker** » 2 Jul 2018 12:04 pm

Well, I answered Buddy Emmon’s, but, there were a lot... and Buddy may not have been the right answer... I was really drawn to the Buck Owens stuff of the late 60’s early 70’s, with Tom Brumley and maybe even Jay McDonald on some of it, and I guess they were kinda influenced or at least needed to play the Ralph Mooney style on those records... I probably had more Lloyd Green records than anyone else, so Lloyd could’ve been the correct answer too... One answer may just be a little too narrow for me.

Dan Kelly · Post by **Dan Kelly** » 2 Jul 2018 12:07 pm

I saw David Hartley on YouTube about 6 years ago and wondered why I had wasted 30 years playing 6 strings. So, it was David Hartley, and then Buck Reid. Buck plays so far above my abilities, but his playing sets a standard of excellence that keeps motivating me, day after day.

Paul Stauskas · Post by **Paul Stauskas** » 2 Jul 2018 12:08 pm

Lloyd Maines, Bruce Kaphan, and Greg Leisz

b0b · Post by **b0b** » 2 Jul 2018 12:26 pm

Mike Neer wrote:None of my top players are listed, so here they are:
Sol Hoopii
Speedy West
Joaquin Murphey
David Lindley

But who was your BIGGEST influence when you STARTED playing steel?

I'm curious, Mike. Were you already aware of all four of those guys? What were your musical tastes before you took up the instrument?

b0b · Post by **b0b** » 2 Jul 2018 12:26 pm

Paul Stauskas wrote:Lloyd Maines, Bruce Kaphan, and Greg Leisz

Three great modern players!

At this point Lloyd, Buddy, Sneaky Pete and Buddy Cage are all outperforming "other", so I think it's a pretty good list.

Mike Neer · Post by **Mike Neer** » 2 Jul 2018 12:32 pm

b0b wrote:
Mike Neer wrote:None of my top players are listed, so here they are:
Sol Hoopii
Speedy West
Joaquin Murphey
David Lindley
But who was your BIGGEST influence when you STARTED playing steel?

I'm curious, Mike. Were you already aware of all four of those guys? What were your musical tastes before you took up the instrument?

Take out Joaquin and insert Gabby Pahinui and it was those four. I knew about pedal steel players and dug them,but I wasnâ€™t into country music.

My musical tastes were very far from steel guitar, but I was mystified by it and must have heard some possibilities for myself somehow. I was into jazz, funk, soul, r&b, fusion.

Blake Hawkins · Post by **Blake Hawkins** » 2 Jul 2018 12:39 pm

Jerry Byrd was the first. I still remember his "Steel Guitar Rag" recording being played on WWVA in Wheeling.
As I mostly grew up on the East Coast, it wasn't until later that I discovered Western Swing.
Then it was: Leon McAuliff, Speedy West, Herb Remington,
Bobby Koeffer, Joaquin Murphey, Bob White, and Pee Wee Whitewing.

Larry Jamieson · Post by **Larry Jamieson** » 2 Jul 2018 12:43 pm

Early on seems like the records I like were often cut by Pete Drake and Lloyd Green. I wanted to get started but could not afford my first pedal steel until about 1972.

scott murray · Post by **scott murray** » 2 Jul 2018 12:44 pm

Garcia then Drake were my initial main influences. and Buddy Cage.
I quickly latched on to Mooney and Lloyd, and definitely HAL RUGG. many more followed including Brumley, Maness, Jernigan, Bobby Black, Al Perkins, Crawford & Hicks, and of course Emmons and Charleton. as I've gotten more into jazz, those last two guys have been my biggies

Sam Marshall · Post by **Sam Marshall** » 2 Jul 2018 12:47 pm

Definitely Buddy Emmons.

A vinyl record purchase in the mid-1980's of "Buddy Emmons Sings Bob Wills" from ZIA Records in Tempe, AZ inspired me to take up the pedal steel.

Sam in AZ

Fred Treece · Post by **Fred Treece** » 2 Jul 2018 1:13 pm

Fish wrote:"Bad Weather" Poco 1971:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=soWQ6hu ... iPWKJWBIdc

Bingo. That was Point A for me.

Rich Upright · Post by **Rich Upright** » 2 Jul 2018 1:44 pm

First time I saw the New Riders I was floored. Buddy Cage was DA MAN!

Rick Schmidt · Post by **Rick Schmidt** » 2 Jul 2018 2:07 pm

Buddy Charleton was the first to really turn me on, but of course now there's too many to mention!

Garry Vanderlinde · Post by **Garry Vanderlinde** » 2 Jul 2018 2:08 pm

Big "E"
I had never heard anything like this before:

The Steel Guitar Forum

Your Biggest Early Influence (redone)

What famous steel player was your biggest influence when you started playing steel?

Your Biggest Early Influence (redone)

Dobro?

Emmons