Dave Robbins obituary

Katherine Osborne · Post by **Katherine Osborne** » 19 Aug 2022 8:55 am

Dave Robbins, who played with Jean Shepard and Dottie West, and had a steel guitar repair shop in the Nashville area, passed April 23, 2022 after a long battle with ALS. I didn't see a post about it, so my apologies if I missed it. I'm currently writing his obituary for the Nashville Musicians Association (AFM Local 257). I hope links are acceptable. Here is the online info I located. https://everloved.com/life-of/david-robbins/obituary/

Jim Fogle · Post by **Jim Fogle** » 19 Aug 2022 10:23 am

Ms. Osborne, Thank you for sharing this sad news with the forum.

Bob Watson · Post by **Bob Watson** » 19 Aug 2022 3:25 pm

Dave was a world class pedal steel guitar player and also a great guy. Hearing him play was always inspirational and he was always very encouraging and willing to share his knowledge with other pedal steel players. I got to sit down with him once for an hour or so and everything I learned from him that day I still use every time I play pedal steel. My condolences go out to all of his family and friends.

Richard Sinkler · Post by **Richard Sinkler** » 19 Aug 2022 9:48 pm

This really saddens me. I knew him when he was in California in the early 80's. My thoughts go out to his family and friends. RIP Dave.

Roger Rettig · Post by **Roger Rettig** » 20 Aug 2022 8:45 am

How very sad. Dave's house just north of Nashville was a regular stop for several years for me. I'd drop off my guitar and he'd do routine maintenance along with any changes I wanted to make.

It was always interesting spending time chatting as he worked on my steel. I didn't hear him play until some time after I'd met him. I'd happened to find the Opry on a TV channel and there was Dave, playing with Jean. And his playing knocked me out - a really classy player!

Rest in peace, Dave, and thank you for all you did for me over the years.

My sympathies go to his family and friends.

Duane Becker · Post by **Duane Becker** » 20 Aug 2022 9:23 am

Very sorry to hear this, I've followed Dave since he was with the Hemphills, finally got to meet him and listen to him play at the Opry in 1997, great guy, very approachable and great player. I will miss him!

Joe Rogers · Post by **Joe Rogers** » 21 Aug 2022 2:50 am

Really hurts my heart to read this. I agree with Bob that Dave was a world class player and great guy. My condolences to his family.

Joe Rogers

W. C. Edgar · Post by **W. C. Edgar** » 21 Aug 2022 6:14 pm

Sorry to hear
Even when he was playing the Broken Spoke Dave always came and hung out with us at Gabe's in Nashville which included myself, Jay Andrews, Bob Watson, Cal Sharp, and whoever was playing in the house band
Always a great player and sure knew how to tune those push pulls
WC Edgar

Nick Reed · Post by **Nick Reed** » 21 Aug 2022 7:11 pm

so sorry to hear this sad news . . . . . Dave worked on my Emmons guitars for about 5 or 6 years before moving back to California. I tried several times to contact him after he moved away from Cottontown, but never was successful reaching him. He was a master tech when it came to working on Emmons steel guitars, and he had serviced all of mine at one time or another. He was also a good christian man and a good counselor/adviser if you had problems and needed someone to talk to. R.I.P. Dave Robbins and thank you for the friendship we had over the years. I'll never forget you my friend.

Tony Prior · Post by **Tony Prior** » 22 Aug 2022 5:02 am

WOW--very saddened to learn of Daves passing. . I didn't know Dave personally but we spoke a few times over the years.

Peace and prayers to Daves family

David Wright · Post by **David Wright** » 23 Aug 2022 1:42 am

Very sad news, Knew Dave back in our Ca days, Great guy,and player..R.I.P...Friend...

Bruce Bouton · Post by **Bruce Bouton** » 25 Aug 2022 4:07 pm

sad to hear.RIP Dave!

Eddie Harper · Post by **Eddie Harper** » 26 Aug 2022 8:39 pm

So Sorry to hear of Dave's Passing. He was the the one that got me Started On this Steel Guitar Journey. I met him at a Concert with the Hemphills at our Church and decided then that was what I wanted to Play and have stuck with it all these Years. Thanks Dave
Rest In Peace Brother.

Willis Vanderberg · Post by **Willis Vanderberg** » 28 Aug 2022 4:54 am

Sad to hear this.
I have known Dave for many years.
Always ready with an answer to my question and so helpful with his knowledge and advice.
One of the few people who I remember never saying a bad word about anyone.
Rest high on that mountain and thank you for the memories.
Old Bud….

Rick Schmidt · Post by **Rick Schmidt** » 1 Sep 2022 9:27 am

so sad to hear this

Doug Jones · Post by **Doug Jones** » 2 Sep 2022 7:43 am

I was Just wondering about Dave the other day. So sorry to hear of his passing. He was very nice to me when I was living in Nashville back in 1999. At that time you could find him at the broken spoke every week. Great player, great guy.

Brett Day · Post by **Brett Day** » 9 Sep 2022 1:01 pm

In 2002, when I went to see and hear Buddy Emmons playing steel with Johnny Bush, Dave Robbins was the man who called me to sit with all the other steel guitarists in the room. I actually have two memories of Dave that come to my mind-the first one is, one Saturday night, around the time Chet Atkins died, I was watching the Opry on the TNN network, and Jean Sheppard was hosting the show and opened the show with the Lefty Frizzell song, "Gone, Gone, Gone", and Dave was playing a beautiful black Emmons guitar that looked and sounded awesome, and the other memory is, in 2002, I was in Nashville to visit my twin brother, who was a student at Middle Tennessee State University at the time, and I'd read where Buddy Emmons was playing at the Midnite Jamboree with Johnny Bush, and my mom, dad, and I went to the show. We walked to the front of the stage where I could see Buddy's "Black Bart" Emmons guitar, and were headed to the back of the theater to get seats, when all of a sudden, I hear, "Hey Brett, come sit with us!" Turns out, it was Dave, calling me to sit with the other steel guitarists in the room! After the meeting with Buddy, Dave and I stayed in touch and talked about Emmons guitars. He was an inspiration to me and other steel players

robert kramer · Post by **robert kramer** » 12 Sep 2022 9:04 am

Very sad news about Dave's passing. I can still hear the quite substantial tone of his 65' Emmons when he was working a sit-down gig at Gabe's. Here's Dave on the Opry with the LG III (also great sounding horns). I used to hang out a lot w/ Dave, Shep, Benny, and Second Fiddles in dressing room #11, talking Emmons and the Emmons's guitars. Dave was a storehouse of Emmons technical and historical info. When Moon & Wynn were reinventing country music in the 60s, Miss Jean was right there with them in LA and she remembered it all.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AutfSRKYcgI

Jennifer Mask · Post by **Jennifer Mask** » 9 Oct 2022 9:03 am

Thank you for all the kind words, emails and such. Dave was my father and both of us ended up in California the last year of his life. He didn’t have the disease long and we’re doing what we can to raise awareness. His entire shop, equipment, etc is with me in Northern CA. We are selling most of his stuff as no need for it now. His ShoBud and Emmons is not for sale though. He has other steels, amps, every part you can imagine for maintaining and setting up a steel. One of his wishes was to ensure his stuff goes to steel players instead of trash, even though he never thought he had made it to the top.

. If anyone is in need of a steel, bodies, parts, etc please reach out. So many people I have heard him refer to over the course of his career or met when I was younger, it amazes me how many people’s lives he touched through music or spiritual advice.

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Dave Robbins obituary

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