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Author Topic:  The top three pedal steel players of all time.
Cody Stewart

 

From:
Traverse City Michigan, USA
Post  Posted 19 Jul 2019 8:53 am    
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I'm interested in everyone's opinion on who they believe the three most revolutionary pedal steel players of all time are? The Criteria is Innovation, Taste, Touch, Tone ect... We all know the impact Buddy Emmons has had on the world of pedal steel. His contribution probably cannot be matched.

With all of that, here are my "picks" and they are order particular.

1. Jimmy Day
2. Lloyd Green
3. John Hughey

Tell me yours and why...

Regards,
Cody Stewart
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Justin Emmert

 

From:
Greensboro, NC
Post  Posted 19 Jul 2019 9:33 am    
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1. Buddy Emmons- father of modern steel guitar changes, co-designer of Emmons and Sho-Bud Guitars

2. Lloyd Green- his innovative playing

3. Paul Franklin- his touring and recording history, bringing steel playing up to modern style, the PFG method being the most modern and innovative teaching platform.

4. Cowboy Eddie Long- He's probably the #1 player I idolize. Love his music and style of playing.


Basically, in my thinking, Buddy and Lloyd took the addition of pedals to steel guitar to give us the copedent we all consider the standard. They also used those changes to give us the standard for country music playing. Franklin took what they figured out furthered it into today's music with playing that is more relevant to todays artists and expanding steel to other styles of music other than country.


Last edited by Justin Emmert on 19 Jul 2019 9:38 am; edited 1 time in total
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Richard Sinkler


From:
aka: Rusty Strings -- Missoula, Montana
Post  Posted 19 Jul 2019 9:34 am    
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Mine, in order:
1. John Hughey
2. Buddy Emmons
3. Sonny Garrish
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Thiel Hatt

 

From:
Utah, USA
Post  Posted 19 Jul 2019 9:43 am    
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I would put them into catagories:
1.Steel guitar (without pedals = Jerry Byrd
2. Western Swing..Maurice Anderson . . Herb Remington
3. Thumb pickers... Bobby Garrett
4. West coast style...Ralph Mooney
5. Current pickers = Paul Franklin...Tommy White...Lloyd Green
6. Instructors = Jeff Newman
7. innovator = BUDDY EMMONS
8. Style and soul = Jimmy Day....John Hughey..Lloyd Green
9. Less known Hidden talent...Audie Shields
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Brett Lanier

 

From:
Madison, TN
Post  Posted 19 Jul 2019 9:44 am    
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1. Buddy Emmons

2. Lloyd Green

3. Can't choose a third! It's a tie between Buddy Charleton, Hal Rugg, Paul Franklin, Terry Crisp, Curly Chalker, Weldon Myrick, Jim Loessberg, Pete Drake, and probably a few others.

If we were including non-pedal steel, Joaquin Murphey and Jerry Byrd would be right up there at the top too.
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Stu Schulman


From:
Ulster Park New Yawk (deceased)
Post  Posted 19 Jul 2019 10:05 am    
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Sneaky Pete,Tom Brumley,Al Perkins.
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W. C. Edgar


From:
Iowa City Iowa, Madison CT, Nashville, Austin, Phoenix, L or R Coast Soon!
Post  Posted 19 Jul 2019 11:12 am    
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This is a no brainer
You must remember that when Emmons and Day got the first Sho-Bud guitars they went from 8 string to 10 string and that the chromatic strings were on the bottom until they (Emmons and Day) moved them to the top.
That's inovation
There was no instructional material in those days like now
Without a doubt my choices are
1.Buddy Emmons the greatest steel guitarist to ever walk the earth
2.Jimmy Day (the master of touch and tone)
Thats it
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scott murray


From:
Asheville, NC
Post  Posted 19 Jul 2019 11:28 am    
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narrowing it down to 3 is near impossible, but so is 10 or 20 in my opinion. so I will cheat like others have

if we concede that Buddy Emmons is the greatest of all-time in a league of his own, then we can go from there. I would also put Curly Chalker in a league of his own.

the most influential, revolutionary, and therefore greatest pedal players would have to include

Jimmy Day
Ralph Mooney
Lloyd Green


my list of personal favorites is much longer, and I'm grateful I don't have to choose one over another.
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James Mayer


From:
back in Portland Oregon, USA (via Arkansas and London, UK)
Post  Posted 19 Jul 2019 12:05 pm    
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1) Johnny Farina
2) Ron Wood (Rolling Stones)
3) Jerry Garcia
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Barry Coker


From:
Bagley Alabama, USA
Post  Posted 19 Jul 2019 1:21 pm    
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#1 Buddy Emmons



#2 John Hughey
#3 Tommy White
Confused Confused Confused Confused
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Dana Blodgett

 

From:
California, USA
Post  Posted 19 Jul 2019 1:43 pm    
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1.-Lloyd Green

2.-Jay Dee Maness

3.-Buddy Cage
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Dana Blodgett
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Ian Rae


From:
Redditch, England
Post  Posted 19 Jul 2019 2:01 pm    
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Cody asks for the three most revolutionary.

Bud Isaacs, Speedy West and Ralph Mooney then.

Long live the revolution!
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Steven Paris

 

From:
Los Angeles
Post  Posted 19 Jul 2019 2:02 pm    
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JD Maness
Mike Johnson
Paul Franklin
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Larry Ball


From:
Airdrie, Alberta, Canada
Post  Posted 19 Jul 2019 2:21 pm    
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The Great Players have been mentioned numerous times, so I will express my view on the following,

Lloyd Green (Studio performances and innovations)

Paul Franklin (Pick Blocking Technique, bringing the PSG into modern music, Eg: Dire Straits Tour, his teaching practices and recording performances.)

Sarah Jory - for showing us a modern PGA (Eg: her Abby Melody) and other song selections.

My two cents....
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GaryL

 

From:
Medina, OH USA
Post  Posted 19 Jul 2019 5:19 pm     Top three steel players?
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There ain't no such thing!
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Jerry Horch


From:
Alva, Florida, USA
Post  Posted 20 Jul 2019 10:20 am     4 pick
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Franklin
Chalker
Hughey
Emmons
Innovation and style...
Thats tuff...all mentioned on other posts are masters..
3 most beautiful women ever is easier..
Raquel
Raquel
Raquel
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Jack Hanson


From:
San Luis Valley, USA
Post  Posted 20 Jul 2019 12:06 pm     Re: The top three pedal steel players of all time.
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Cody Stewart wrote:
We all know the impact Buddy Emmons has had on the world of pedal steel. His contribution probably cannot be matched.

Agreed. The old Playboy polls for party schools exempted UW Madison from their rankings, fully realizing the race was for number two. Same deal with Buddy Emmons.

Bud Isaacs was nothing if not revolutionary. He delivered the pedal steel guitar stylings of Alvino Rey, Speedy West, Marion Hall, et al into the modern era with one very, very influential recording. He set the table for guys like Emmons and Jimmy Day, who were pushing each other with new tunings, adding strings, creating pedal changes, etc. Operating independently a half-continent away, Ralph Mooney was doing likewise.

Since this discussion disqualifies non-pedal players, and exempting Emmons into class unto himself, my top three "revolutionary"...pedal steelers in terms of "Innovation, Taste, Touch, Tone" would be:

1) Bud Isaacs
2) Jimmy Day
3) Ralph Mooney

Honorable Mention: Robert Randolph
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Paul Pearson

 

From:
Alabama, USA
Post  Posted 20 Jul 2019 3:10 pm     Top steel player
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Let us not to forget junior knight and Randy Beavers
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Dan Kelly


From:
Boston, MA
Post  Posted 20 Jul 2019 4:02 pm    
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Buddy Emmons
Buck Reid
Doug Jernigan

Best PSG players / performers
Joe Wright
Sara Jory
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Jon Voth

 

From:
Virginia, USA
Post  Posted 20 Jul 2019 5:48 pm    
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Love this post because I don't know enough but get to be directed on who to check out.

A bit surprised Emmons not mentioned more, and Jernigen only once.
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Andy Volk


From:
Boston, MA
Post  Posted 20 Jul 2019 6:14 pm    
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Time machine ... correcting my dumb post via deletion.
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Last edited by Andy Volk on 21 Jul 2019 6:54 am; edited 1 time in total
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Blake Hawkins


From:
Florida
Post  Posted 20 Jul 2019 6:22 pm    
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Duplicate post

Last edited by Blake Hawkins on 20 Jul 2019 6:46 pm; edited 1 time in total
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Kevin Fix

 

From:
Michigan, USA
Post  Posted 20 Jul 2019 6:24 pm    
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Buddy Emmons
Lloyd Green
Hal Rugg
John Hughey
Maurice Anderson
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Blake Hawkins


From:
Florida
Post  Posted 20 Jul 2019 6:26 pm    
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My picks: Slim Idaho
Speedy West
Jerry Byrd
I guess I'm a bit older than many of you.
Probably Buddy Emmons and Herb Remington plus
Joaquin Murphy and Leon McAuliffe should be on there too.

OOPS, I missed that it is for Pedal Steel Players.
Revised list: Emmons, Charlton, Chalker


Last edited by Blake Hawkins on 25 Jul 2019 9:58 pm; edited 1 time in total
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Blake Hawkins


From:
Florida
Post  Posted 20 Jul 2019 6:45 pm    
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Duplicate post.
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