Growing Up With the Greats!!!

Zane King · From: Nashville, TN

Tonight I ran across some old photos. Talk about memory lane. I suddenly realized that I literally grew up with the GREATS! I was influenced by the greatest steel guitar players of our time! Of any time! This is just a portion and I will post some more later on but I thought some of you might enjoy this. Some of you will remember these days because some of you were there.

Oh my goodness!!!! I could literally write a book and probably should about my time with the one and only Zane Beck. This man influenced me like no other. I totally believe I am who I am today because of something that he bestowed upon me. A passing of a torch if you will. Something. It's profound and hard to explain. Many a summer I would spend weeks at a time at his home in Little Rock. I would practice. I would eat. Then I would practice more. And ever hour or so he would sit down and teach me. This is a great picture when he came to my home in Bald Knob. Strawberry Capital of the World at the time.

Man, was a young here or what! I was about 9 maybe 10 in this photo with the great Buddy Emmons. At this point, I was just another snot nose kid getting a picture with the MAN!

I think my mother took this photograph! Still worth a bunch to me even though I'm just half in it. LOL. A many hour I spent learning the incomparable Hal Rugg! My best memory of Hal is him in Lexington, KY (steel show) watching Steve Palousek and I play a set together. I could visibly tell that Hal was engaged with what we were doing. That was a huge compliment to me just to have him listening along.

Are you kidding me? Getting my picture made with Tom Brumley! I can't begin to tell you how at such a young age being able being able to be amongst these greats influenced me. Speedy West, Lloyd Green, Jeff Newman, Julian Tharpe, Jimmy Day, John Hughey, Paul Franklin, Bobbe Seymour, Doug Jernigan, Herby Wallace, Scotty, Buddy Emmons, Maurice Anderson, on and on and on.....I'm glad I've got an edit button because I will definitely be back to add to this list. I shouldn't name names like this but I'm just reminded by the path I have taken. What unimaginable influence. What a gift.

I remember this show at Zane Beck's studio in Little Rock. I think by this point Buddy actually knew my name. Smile

)

DANGEROUS! Zane Beck actually let me sit down to Buddy's D10 Emmons. Of course, me being a 12 string Zane Beck protege I didn't stay there long.

Another quick story about myself and the Big E. Many years ago when I first moved to Nashville I went to work at Oak Valley Studios. I worked for a man by the name of Kevin McManus. Great guy and a wonderful influence in my life. Some of you will already recognize these names if you ever owned a Step One Records Buddy Emmons recording. I had only been working there for about month or so and Kevin mentioned to Buddy about a young guy that he had just hired. When he mentioned my name Buddy's comment was..."That guy is one hell of a steel guitar player". I'll never forget that because sometimes your peers won't let you know if they notice you or not. That was such validation for all those years of 8 and 10 hours of practice per day to have the Big E just acknowledge that I knew which side of the guitar to sit on.

I can't remember what year this was but I'm sure I was with Zane Beck on this set. Rick Campbell on guitar. Garland Harris (also a great steel player) on bass and Randy McDonald on drums. These guys were with Zane Beck this year.

I know this is not too long before Zane passed away. Man, I miss him. I think he would be proud of what I have accomplished in music and in life. His influence went far beyond the frets and strings.

Pictured here with Randy Beavers. We both were youngsters here!

Myself and Sarah Jory from England. Pictured at Scotty's Steel Guitar Convention in St. Louis. Likely around 1985.

With Herby Wallace and Ron Lashley.

This was my very first pedal steel guitar. Of course, it was a 12 string Zane Beck setup. I was picture here playing at my school. 9 years old.

I just think this is hilarious. I remember picking for hours in the BMI booth at the Scotty's. I would just pick without even being able to hear myself while folks would come up and listen on headphones.

Thanks for going down memory lane with me!!!

Stay tuned,

Zane
_________________
Zane King
Email: zaneking@me.com

Wally Taylor · From: Hardin, Kentucky, USA

Beautiful stroll down memory lane, Zane. Thanks for sharing. Very Happy

Sonny Jenkins · From: Texas Masonic Retirement Center,,,Arlington Tx

Hey Zane,,,I remember (some) of those days!!!! I think I first became aware of you at the 1st or 2nd Texas Jamborees,,,you and Steve Palousek and Blake (?) were all red hot and running around the hall like 3 excited teenagers on vacation,,,I don't really think you were aware of how talented you were! I do remember the "greats",,Emmons, Rugg, Myrick, Brumley etc taking serious notice of you.

I never met Zane Beck but from what I hear he must have been a very kind, generous, humble and spiritually oriented man. You probably know more of him than any other person,,,I wish you would help those of us who didn't know him to become acquainted with him,,,share some of what you know of him. I think a lot of people on the forum would like to know more about him and his contribution to steel guitar.

Thanks so much for sharing the pictures,,,and memories!!!!!

Frank Freniere · From: The First Coast

Thanks Zane: Priceless pieces of the past. Please post more pictures and stories.

Zane King · From: Nashville, TN

Updated with some more photos.

Sonny - I have another thread going called Zane Beck / Steel Guitar History. Check that out.

ZK
_________________
Zane King
Email: zaneking@me.com

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