Pedal Steel Guitarists
Jim Palenscar opened up his small shop, Steel Guitars of North County, in Oceanside, California back in 2000. While in college, Jim heard the steel guitar on Jackson Browne’s recording of “Redneck Friend” which soon led to a lifelong interest as a player and repairman of the instrument. When asthma...
Dave Pearlman grew up listening to his father play horn and his mother playing acoustic guitar. His father actually had a recording studio in Plainview, TX! Dave started his musical journey playing the violin, but switched to the guitar after hearing the Beatles on the Ed Sullivan Show in 1964. In...
Gene Haugh began his career as a factory worker for the Baldwin Piano Company in Arkansas making parts for the electric organ. Gene was hired by the DH Baldwin Company in 1966 and in just two years was promoted to the plant’s supervisor. He left Baldwin in 1981 and soon began building Sho-Bud pedal...
Paul Franklin asked his father to help modify his pedal steel guitar, as he had ideas to create sounds and chord changes that were not possible on the instrument at the time. His father, also Paul Franklin, created and patented the Pedabro, which his son, Paul, used on classic recordings, such as “...
Robert Riedel sat down for his NAMM Oral History interview in January 2018 and spoke in depth about the steel guitar. As a steel guitar musician, Robert was influenced by the giants of the instrument including Speedy West, Jody Carver, Alvino Rey, and Buddy Emmons. Throughout his interview, Robert...
Lowell Levinger, known as Banana, was a founding member of the Youngbloods back in the late 1960s. The band had a series of hit records including the 60s anthem “Get Together.” Banana played lead guitar, piano, finger cymbals, pedal steel guitar, and sang with the band from 1965 until 1972. He...
Newell Hardy had a life changing experience playing in the Youth Symphony on viola while in middle school. That opportunity lead to his love of guitar and later his passion for the pedal steel. Newell worked in music retail and worked his way up to store manager for Progressive Music in Utah. As a...
Gary Morse points out that playing a pedal steel guitar can be complicated. The pedal steel guitar has a series of levers and pulleys that when used often, such as in country music, require maintenance and tuning. Gary ought to know as he is one of the top studio musicians in Nashville, often...
Herb Remington was the steel guitarist for Bob Wills and the Texas Playboy who built his own line of guitars called Remington Steel. Among his fascinating history: being long time personal friends with Leo Fender. For a while, Fender made steel guitars and, in the beginning, Leo would often give...
Chuck Campbell revolutionized the "Sacred Steel" style of gospel music by adding electric guitar effect pedals to his amplified pedal steel guitar. Campbell—a member of the Keith Dominion of the House of God Church—was born in 1958 and learned from the founders of the movement, including Willie...