Your Biggest Early Influence (redone)

Roger Rettig · Post by **Roger Rettig** » 3 Jul 2018 1:51 pm

Definitely Emmons, although Rusty Young and Jay Dee were on my horizon very early on.

Tracy Sheehan · Post by **Tracy Sheehan** » 3 Jul 2018 4:46 pm

I had played fiddle from a very young age when I discovered Curly Chalker. I have to admit it was a little rough starting at the top.

Jack Hanson · Post by **Jack Hanson** » 3 Jul 2018 5:30 pm

I guess it all depends on how you would define "famous steel player." I first started playing on a 10-string, 3x1 student model pedal steel. Nowadays most of my playing is on 6-string -- both acoustic and electric -- non-pedal instruments.

When I was first starting out, the players who had the most influence on me were the guys who taught me how to play -- Cal Hand, Russ Pahl, Mike Cass, and Dave Knight.

My earliest memories of steel guitar were from television -- people like Billy Mize, Marion Hall, and Buddy Merrill.

On the first poll, I picked Buddy Emmons. On the second poll, I picked Don Helms. But the guy who really caught my ear early on was John Sebastian on "Nashville Cats." Go figure...

Jerry Horch · Post by **Jerry Horch** » 4 Jul 2018 4:23 am

Joe Adams, Washington Courthouse,Ohio

Bill Ladd · Post by **Bill Ladd** » 4 Jul 2018 4:53 am

Lee Jeffries, who lead me to Speedy West.

b0b · Post by **b0b** » 4 Jul 2018 9:02 am

I did expect Scotty to get some votes.

Pat Chong · Post by **Pat Chong** » 5 Jul 2018 9:56 am

I liked what I heard, hearing pedal steel. I started watching David Hartly and Tony Browne on YouTube. I learned some licks from watching them and decided to try this instrument. Almost 5 years into this, and have not regretted it!

..................Pat

Len Ryder · Post by **Len Ryder** » 5 Jul 2018 10:38 am

It'd be interesting to do a survey for "Before Pedals".

Alan Murphy · Post by **Alan Murphy** » 5 Jul 2018 12:18 pm

Hi Bob,

I gave Scotty my vote, bought his Mel Bay books back in 1981 and had the extreme pleasure of him and Mary stay in our home for a week many years later. Up till then the Winnie Winston book was all I had and I got stuck on Red River Valley (The first tune) !

Ken Byng · Post by **Ken Byng** » 5 Jul 2018 12:25 pm

First steel guitar influence was Santo Farina in 1963.

Bob Tuttle · Post by **Bob Tuttle** » 5 Jul 2018 7:39 pm

Since I started playing in 1950, most of the names on the list weren't even heard of, much less famous. My biggest early influence was Jerry Byrd, followed closely by Don Helms and Little Roy Wiggins.

Ian Rae · Post by **Ian Rae** » 6 Jul 2018 3:01 am

b0b wrote:Jerry Garcia wasn't as good a player as the country music professionals, but he was influential in bringing the instrument into the mainstream.

Well said - not a career steel player but a good enough musician to get something creative out of it. Dead right for that band.

[With hindsight, pun intended]

Glenn Suchan · Post by **Glenn Suchan** » 6 Jul 2018 5:31 am

In the early 1970's I was deeply passioned by post-war, blues (ala) the Chicago artists. Then, one day, a good friend played for me "American Beauty" by the Grateful Dead and the New Riders of the Purple Sage's 1st album and I was intrigued by Garcia's steel guitar playing on "Candyman" and "Last Lonely Eagle". Shortly after that, the same friend played Poco's "Deliverin" live album and "Grand Junction" blew the doors wide open. A few weeks later I bought a used Gibson Electraharp.

However, my first true playing inspiration came almost a year later - from my teacher and Forum member, Paul Carestia. It's been many years since those first lessons, but I still remember Paul's careful instruction on left and right hand techniques and learning how the pedals affected the creation of music.

Paul, if you read this, what I've learned from you has brought great joy to me over the years. A BIG thanks for the time you spent teaching me and patience you'd shown in the process.

Keep on pickin'!
Glenn

Brooks Montgomery · Post by **Brooks Montgomery** » 6 Jul 2018 8:02 am

Ian Rae wrote:
b0b wrote:Jerry Garcia wasn't as good a player as the country music professionals, but he was influential in bringing the instrument into the mainstream.
Well said - not a career steel player but a good enough musician to get something creative out of it. Dead right for that band.

[With hindsight, pun intended]

Dead right. In 1971, at the Hollywood Bowl, I got to see Garcia play pedal steel with the New Riders, and then play a long Dead show. I think he played for something like six hours. One of my favorite shows ever.

Erv Niehaus · Post by **Erv Niehaus** » 7 Jul 2018 7:43 am

"Your biggest influence" all depends on how long in the tooth you are. When I started out there was NO pedal steel.
I started out on the "Hawaiian" guitar.
I bought the Jerry Byrd book and he had a big influence on me, especially when I got to the back of the book and discovered the C6th tuning, wow!
Erv

Larry Lenhart · Post by **Larry Lenhart** » 8 Jul 2018 6:35 pm

For me it was Jimmy Day...his recordings were the first steel records I bought along with Jerry Byrd...so Jerry Byrd on the steel, and Jimmy Day on the pedal steel were my first big influences...and the recording that Jeff Newman first came out with to me was heavily influences of Jimmy Day style. I got started in 1969.

Larry Lenhart · Post by **Larry Lenhart** » 8 Jul 2018 6:46 pm

duplicate..sorry

Dennis Montgomery · Post by **Dennis Montgomery** » 8 Jul 2018 8:13 pm

Jerry Garcia for me. All it took was hearing Dire Wolf and I knew I wanted to learn how to do that

Jerry Berger · Post by **Jerry Berger** » 9 Jul 2018 7:53 am

I started taking lap steel lessons in 1955. My mom wanted me to because she loved the radio program "Hawaii Calls." In 1959 when Santo & Johnny made the big hit Sleep Walk, Santo Ferina became a big influence to me.

Henry Brooks · Post by **Henry Brooks** » 9 Jul 2018 10:40 am

Curly Chalker was the first player I knew about. My 6 string guitar teacher was a Jazz melody chord style player who told me about Curly. But really, Jeff Newman was my main source for learning pedal steel guitar.
Henry

Brandon Schafer · Post by **Brandon Schafer** » 9 Jul 2018 5:07 pm

Hearing Speedy West blew my mind. I don't and won't ever sound like him, but he made me want to commit to playing the instrument.

Richard Alderson · Post by **Richard Alderson** » 9 Jul 2018 9:22 pm

Buddy Cage and that's all she wrote !

Cameron Fulp · Post by **Cameron Fulp** » 9 Jul 2018 9:54 pm

Man this is a hard one. My Grandaddy had me raised up on all the greats (Emmons, Chalker, Hughey etc) I definitely have a great respect for all those players, but in the early 2000‘s when I was just getting out of high school Jamey Johnson came out with that Lonesome song album, when I heard Cowboy Eddie Long is playing I knew I wanted to follow after my grandfather and be a steel player. I would have to say he is my biggest influence, but is so hard because I love players like Mike Johnson, Julian Tharpe, and Al petty.

Bobby Nelson · Post by **Bobby Nelson** » 10 Jul 2018 1:52 am

Definitely John Hughey for me.

Neil Degraw · Post by **Neil Degraw** » 10 Jul 2018 3:48 pm

My vote is Lloyd Green

The Steel Guitar Forum

Your Biggest Early Influence (redone)

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

Steel player that inspired me.