Who Inspired You To Play Steel?

Justin Griffith · Post by **Justin Griffith** » 30 Aug 2006 8:27 pm

Don Sowersby, Jody Cameron, and Bill Dearmore.

Billy Carr · Post by **Billy Carr** » 30 Aug 2006 8:54 pm

EVERYBODY! I've picked up things from so many different influences, I couldn't begin to name them. But what I do remember is my being influenced came in spells. Late 60's when I was a kid, Byrd, Wiggins and Helms when I was just starting on a lap steel. In the 70's when I started pedals, it was Hughey, Green, Emmons, Charleston. When the 80's came around I kinda started listening to Hughey, Franklin, Garrish, Emmons, Newman. Then the 90's came around and it was still Hughey, Emmons, Franklin, JD Maness,Mooney,Tharpe and Chalker. In the 2000's, it's pretty much everybody I draw from but I'm listening to a lot of the Texas players now. Everybody in Texas can pick!

Chuck McGill · Post by **Chuck McGill** » 31 Aug 2006 4:52 am

Sneaky Pete, John Call, Rusty Young,Al Perkins and Buddy Cage. Not in that order.

Wade Branch · Post by **Wade Branch** » 31 Aug 2006 5:09 am

Well,I can't honestly say,in the beginning,that when I was listening to those old songs ,that I knew who they were,I just liked the sound that the steel guitar made.As I got older and started getting into the steel, I started going and listening to bands play ,thats when I run across guys locally like:Gary Carpentar,Dick Woods,Buddie Hrable,Ted Solesky,Jim Smith,Ron Stafford,Jon Jaffe,Steve Lamb,Mark Metdker,I would say all of these guys inspired me in some way, to get after it .Of course I could'nt talk about great steel players and mentors with out mentioning the guy that rocks my world everytime I try to play one of his licks,Iam talking about the great "goose pimple maker" Dicky Overbey !!!!

David Wren · Post by **David Wren** » 31 Aug 2006 9:08 am

IN this (chronological) order:
Mom ('60 Sho~Bud D8);
Brumley;
Mooney;
Pete Drake;
Sneaky Pete;
Rusty Young;
Lloyd Green;
BE;
Bobby Black;
and Sacramento steel great, Jimmy Fox.

Now mostly Paul Franklin.

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Dave Wren
'96 Carter S12-E9/B6,7X7; NV 112; Fender Twin Custom 15 ('65 reissue); Session 500s; Hilton Pedal; Black Box www.ameechapman.com

<font size="1" color="#8e236b"><p align="center">[This message was edited by David Wren on 01 September 2006 at 12:50 PM.]</p></FONT>

Ernie Pollock · Post by **Ernie Pollock** » 31 Aug 2006 9:30 am

Actually, it was to Pa steel player, Don Martz from Johnstown Pa & Joey Black from Central City Pa were two of my main influences when I started, I wanted to play real s m o o t h like Don Martz. I must mention Mark Valentine here also of Friedens Pa, he influenced me a lot also, he was a very good E9th & C6th player, and when he played with me he was only about 14 years old, Don Martz of Johnstown Pa taught him. Of course, I like all the big players, but could not get them here to show me anything on steel!!

Ernie Pollock http://www.hereintown.net/~shobud75/stock.htm

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Rinus Koster · Post by **Rinus Koster** » 31 Aug 2006 9:42 am

In 2000 I saw on tv a newsitem on the steeldays in the Netherlands.
It was early in the morning and a had my first cup of coffee and cigarette....
I was again impressed by the beautiful warm sound of the steel and dicided that I would get me more information, so I did...
In 2002 was again a steelconvention overhere, I went there and saw Joe Wright, Sarah Jory and many others..
PSG became a very good friend for the rest of my life.....
Rinus

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John Cox · Post by **John Cox** » 31 Aug 2006 10:49 am

Brumley,Cage,Myrick,Garcia, and Rugg. J.C.

Terry VunCannon · Post by **Terry VunCannon** » 31 Aug 2006 11:07 am

David Lindley.

Joseph Carlson · Post by **Joseph Carlson** » 31 Aug 2006 12:20 pm

Initially it was Sneaky Pete with the Burrito Bros. That led to a failed try with an MSA Sidekick a few years back. This time out it is a CD called Breakin' Down by Gerald Collier that made me want to take another swing at it. I'm not even sure who the steeler is on the CD, but the playing is very tasteful. Anyone know who it is?
Regards,
Joe

Kenny Dail · Post by **Kenny Dail** » 31 Aug 2006 1:48 pm

Jerry Byrd

Earnest Bovine · Post by **Earnest Bovine** » 31 Aug 2006 2:14 pm

Don Bristow.

Sonny Priddy · Post by **Sonny Priddy** » 31 Aug 2006 3:07 pm

Jimmie Crawford. Jeff Newman. Hal Rugg. Lloyd Green.Buddy Emmons.They Are & Were Good Friends Of Mine. And Some Others.And Don't Want To Forget Bobbie Seymour. SONNY.

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Dr. Hugh Jeffreys · Post by **Dr. Hugh Jeffreys** » 31 Aug 2006 3:12 pm

Jim - I started playing Hawaiian Music about age 6 (?). I later got hooked on Western Swing (a type of less complex jazz); when I was about 14, I began to pick up on the "strange sounds" of the Kenton Orchestra, Herman, Stan Hasselgard and his Reap the Wild Winds. I later took up guitar and when I was about 17, was playing regular gigs with several big bands here around Memphis. I kept up my steel work, however, and thought it would be cool to play jazz on steel since I knew of no one who was doing so. Many bands in Memphis would hire me on steel instead of a piano man since my comping was much like a jazz piano. The bands that I played with in Galveston, Tx was also a great music lesson at my young age. On intermissions, we use to go out and sit on the boardwalk at the beach and listen to Kenton, or Boyd Raeburn---when Maynard Ferguson played with Boyd at the Pleasure Pier, we could hear him 100ft out on the beach---what a talent (he died a week ago.) Thanks for your inquiry---Hugh

Twayn Williams · Post by **Twayn Williams** » 31 Aug 2006 4:36 pm

I've always loved the sound of the steel guitar, but it was Sol Hoopii who inspired me to pick up the lap steel, and then later, for the pedal steel, it was Daniel Lanois.

Richard Sinkler · Post by **Richard Sinkler** » 31 Aug 2006 4:44 pm

Jerry Garcia and John Hughey

Leonard G. Robertson · Post by **Leonard G. Robertson** » 31 Aug 2006 7:04 pm

Doc Martin,Don Warden,Roy Wiggins,Johnny Seibert,Ralph Mooney, Tom Brumley.bbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbb

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LGR

Al Marcus · Post by **Al Marcus** » 31 Aug 2006 7:30 pm

Jim-I could agree a lot with Dr.Hugh's picks, but He knows he was impressed also by Alvino Rey on Steel , just as I was. Of course this was when most of the great players of today, were either not born yet or still just a few years old, and hadn't come on the scene yet. ...al

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My Website..... www.cmedic.net/~almarcus/

Rob van Duuren · Post by **Rob van Duuren** » 1 Sep 2006 1:32 am

Lloyd Maines/ Dixie Chicks, a song called "There's your trouble". Well, what's
in a title.......

Andy Volk · Post by **Andy Volk** » 1 Sep 2006 4:16 am

Believe it or not, it was Pete Wernick, banjo player for Hot Rize who doubled on steel as Waldo Otto, in their alter-ego band, Red Knuckles and the Trailblazers.

Bob Carlucci · Post by **Bob Carlucci** » 1 Sep 2006 4:45 am

Buddy Cage followed soon after by Rusty...

Robbie Daniels · Post by **Robbie Daniels** » 1 Sep 2006 6:49 am

Back in about 1945 as a teenager I was approached by the Honolulu Conservatory of Music in Oakland California and took lessons from them for about two years from Harold Probst. Harold shaped me for the future. I was listening to Little Roy Wiggins and Jerry Byrd and they were positive influences for me. Later I heard Danny Boyd playing a double neck Bigsby pedal steel. I took lessons from Danny in Richmond, California for about two years. Bought me a four neck Chuck Wright Custom Pedal Steel and never looked back. Past inspirations bring back great memories.

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Carter D12, MSA D12, MSA S12, 1956 Rickenbacker D8, Evans FET 500LV, Evans SE200

Josh Haislip · Post by **Josh Haislip** » 1 Sep 2006 7:00 am

Lloyd Maines.

Dr. Hugh Jeffreys · Post by **Dr. Hugh Jeffreys** » 1 Sep 2006 2:28 pm

Al and Jim - Sorry I forgot to mention Alvino; Since steel players were few and far between back then, I was impressed with the great guitar men--like Johnny Smith, Charlie Christian, Django, Chuck Wayne, Tal Farlow, Barney Kessel--and on and on. I also had some Charlie Parker (alto sax) solos on paper which became a regular part of my exercise routine. -----j------

George Rout · Post by **George Rout** » 1 Sep 2006 2:37 pm

Main mentor has always been Roy Wiggins from the very early Eddy Arnold days on songs like I'll Hold You In My Heart, followed by James Farmer on early Marty Robbins songs like "Love Me Or Leave Me Alone". Geo