under construction - last
update 02-04 under construction - last
update 02-04 
Steel Guitar has long been considered "that country thing." Granted, it is a signature ingredient in Country music, but many players have tried to push the envelope: Buddy Emmons, Curley Chalker, Doug Jernigan and many others, are the equals or betters of many more reknowned Jazz instrumentalists, and the steel guitar has had a place in Rock and Roll since Bill Haley's Comets . This page is a gallery of Rock and Country Rock oriented steelers:
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Billy Williamson, steel guitarist with BIll Haley's Comets was on (argueably) the first Rock 'n' Roll recording ever, "the classic "Rock Around The Clock"; his section work with the saxophone, and his wild glissandi fit right into the "new" sound... |
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Rusty Young's showmanship in introducing the pedal steel to Rock audiences was fairly unique; he used effects (playing steel thru a Leslie rotating speaker cabinet for an "organ" tone), unusual instruments (the Melobar; Mosrite electric Dobro(R)), and exciting stage antics (playing his steel with a leg broken from his chair during a concert finale was one I personally witnessed). Came to prominence playing ZBCustom, later switched to Sho-Bud. Won Guitar Player Magazine's "Best Steel Player" on their yearly poll so many times they disqualified him; probably 'cause he was the only steel player many of the voters had ever heard of. Click here to see a gallery of other recent pix of Rusty playin' live! |
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Another unique player in the Southern California Country Rock era, "Sneaky Pete" was in demand as a session player with the likes of Frank Zappa, Joni Mitchell, Danny O'Keefe, as well as the primary lead instrumental voice of the Flying Burrito Brothers. Pete's use of fuzztone, reverb and multitracking to simulate string sections on O'Keefe's "Quits" is amazing. Trademark is a psychedically painted Fender 8 string pedal steel. A little known factoid - Peter Kleinow is one of the principal stop motion animators of the Gumby television show and Gumby movie, and has screen credits as an animator on the Star Wars trilogy as well as MANY other films and commercials...spiffy! |
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Eclectic Multi-instrumentalist best known for his lap steel work with Jackson Browne and his own band El-Rayo X. Wierd axe collector and player. A screaming tone, coupled with lyrical melodic playing is his trademark. Primary examples are "Redneck Friend" and the entire "Running on Empty" road album of J Browne. |
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Primarily a rock guitarist, Jeff "Skunk" Baxter played some truly distinctive steel guitar on Steely Dan's early records. From the countrified accompaniment on "Pearl of the Quarter" to the steel guitar replication of the original trombone solo of Duke Ellington's "East Saint Louis Toodle-oo" to the way cool steel solo on "Fire in the Hole" (which the liner notes describe as depicting "the cunning of the insane" ), "Skunk" played some really neat stuff! He later worked with the Doobie Brothers. `Nuff said. |
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An electronics whiz as well as a Steel picker, Orville J. "Red" Rhodes worked with Michael Nesmith's First NATIONAL Band, using effects in sometimes massive quantities to subtle purpose. A unique musical approach and electronics background made Red a treasure. |
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John B. Arnold is the web's Buddy Cage authority. Click here for his informative site about this UNIQUE pedal steel guitarist |
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Commander Cody & His Lost Planet Airmen, pre-emminent purveyours of hippie truck drivin' tunes, featured the talents of guitarist Bill Kirchen and steeler Bobby Black. Black is an amazingly quick and cogent picker. His later studio work with retro-rock-a-billy Robert Gordon on Bill Haley's tune" Crazy, Man, Crazy " is a tour-de-force; no rhythm or lead guitars, just pedal steel, doghouse base and minimalist drumkit behind the vocal, and boy it rocks!! (He profoundly influenced my C6th picking on Steel Guitar Dance Party) My thanks to Doug Garrick for unwittingly reminding me of the debt I owe by sending me the following e-mail: |
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Tom Thompson of Sherrard Il e-mailed me this info on a steeler I was unfamiliar with: |
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I recently met Bruce online through b0b Lee's Steel Guitar Forum in a discussion on MIDI steel using the IVL Steelrider. He has performed with a number of contemporary artists such as Chris Isaak, Jewel, American Music Club, Jellyfish, The Black Crowes and (Fall 97) on tour with David Byrne (ex-Talking Heads)! |
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Primarily a Nashville studio session player of prodigious technical facility (you hear him on country radio all the time, even if you don't know it's him), Paul was tapped to tour with Dire Straits whose Rock credentials are undeniable, and thereby showcase steel guitar to arena-rock audiences world wide. Paul has been, recently, sharing his knowledge and playing philosophy on-line! It is very cool to have a seasoned pro as an on line resource, and I hope he continues to participate in the Steel Guitar forum! |
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Jay Dee Manness followed Tom Brumley in Buck Owens' Buckaroos in the late 60's. He did session work on the Byrds' seminal country rock "Sweetheart of the Rodeo" album, and many years later joined Byrds alumn Chris Hillman in the Desert Rose Band . Acheived world wide airplay, if not name recognition, as the way-cool accompanist/co-lead picker on Eric Clapton's mega-hit "Tears in Heaven ", and has recently recorded with Beck Hanson ("Beck") |
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Although steel was a secondary instrument to Jerry, he had a distinct "voice" on the instrument. "Teach Your Children" by CSN&Y and "Sugar Magnolia" by the Dead are excellent examples of Jerry's playing. Another ZBCustom picker... |
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8th Annual "Steelin' for Hearts Jam" photo by Matt Allen |
A veteran of Charlie Pride's road band, Joe is one rocking dude! His appearances at the "Steelin' for Hearts" Jam are one of the highlites for me... his use of fuzz tone and his SpeedMetal phrasing of guitaristic riffs ROCK HARD!!! His tape "Powerslide" is one of the heaviest rock steel collections I know of... really"Balls to the Wall!" His comedy stints are also a well received feature of his Steel Jam appearances. He's one funny guy! And of course none of this is to say he can't play it straight & pretty or swing with the best either when the occaision calls for it! |
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Joe has released several albums of Rock steel guitar, the most recent of which is "All Over the Road" on which he covers material as diverse as Frank Zappa's 'Peaches En Regalia' , Jimi Hendrix' "Third Stone From The Sun" and Steely Dan's "The Fez". He is also the author of The International Steel Guitar & Dobro Discography , a major undertaking that "attempts to list every steel guitar and Dobro instrumental ever recorded". I was pleasantly surprised to find my own obscure Steel Guitar Danse Party release (see below) within its pages, so I can vouch that the research is thorough!! |
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Hailing from Nigeria, I believe, he played pedal steel guitar in a pop / tribal dance music genre known as Ju Ju, with African music legend King Sunny Ade. Plays barefoot, with no volume pedal. Country music from ANOTHER COUNTRY! |
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Don't know much about Freddy... From Chicago, one of the first African- American steel players I ever heard of. Any info you'd care to share, please e-mail me webmaster@davevanallen.net |
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Dan Tyack plays a remarkably authentic guitaristic blues style on pedal steel. His album "Blackened Toast" features Dan's band Toast and special guests such as steeler Paul Franklin and guitarist Bill Frisell in a rich "gumbo" of American Roots Music stylings. |
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A recently "discovered" lineage of Steel Guitar geneology is the Sacred Steel branch of the family, a rich tradition of using hawaiian and Pedal Guitars in African American Churches; This heavily blues inflected praise music is a fascinating development, and it's proponents are remarkable players, and definitely do not use your standard C&W approach to the instument. |
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And then there's li'l ole me...My Steel Guitar Dance Party! is just a taste of some of the unusual (for the steel guitar "world") things I've been into. I do truly feel that Steel Rocks, and strive to play accordingly when the situation demands it. The above listed players blazed the trail I follow, and I salute them... |
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(c)(p) David Van Allen 2004
