Well, another show in Pigeon Forge without-Please Close

Herby Wallace · From: Sevierville, TN, R.I.P.

I guess I have a bad attitude, but that's the way it is. I have lived in this area for 22 years and until 9 years ago, I played 6 or 7 nights a week all the time. Since then, it's maybe 3 or 4 times per year. So far this year I have played 2 spot jobs locally and that's it. When I played Dollywood back in the nineties, there were 3 steel players in the park doing different shows, now there is only one. There are only two other shows in Pigeon Forge that use steel and both of those players have to play several instruments. The main reason I am writing this post is that there is a new show that is opening called The Smoky Mtn. Opry and I was told that there was not a steel guitar in the show, so that is just par for the course, so if you are a steel player, this is another show that will not have steel guitar. I'll shut up now but things are getting worse and not better for steel at least in this area.

Herby Wallace

Ray Montee · From: Portland, Oregon (deceased)

What role, if any, do you suspicion that steel players themselves, contribute to this dilema?

Years ago, it used to be drunkeness, unreliability,
appearance, etc.

What are the main issues? Just Rock & Roll guys now in management positions, as I've heard?

Roger Shackelton · From: MINNESOTA (deceased)

Basically Steel Guitars & Fiddles Are "TOO COUNTRY" Oh Well

Steven Finley · From: California, USA

Herby,if there is no work for you, as great as you
are,then the rest of us must be doomed.
However,it is no better in southern california,
in the 80's and 90's I too worked 5 to 6 nights a
week,now if it was not for the fellow I work for
Tom Bovine,I would have no work,at least he keeps
me stocked with top ramon,God help us all.

Lonnie Portwood · From: Jacksonville, fl. USA

Herby, I share your frustration, and in fact on more than one occasion I have shed tears when watching a show from years ago, realising that there is no where left for us to play our music. It is not as if our music wasn't good, I believe our generation has produced some of the greatest music ever!!!

Myself and a few local friend/musicians have been discussing forming a corporation for the express purpose of raiseing funds to buy property and build a musichall. We hope to have workshops and seminars in order to teach younger performers and to preserve "traditional American music to include country/western, bluegrass, gospel, and maybe even "dixieland jass/ blues!

It may never happen but at least we're talking about it seriously, and we already have several thousand dollars pledged.

I hope we can convince enought poeple to get on board. If not, I suppose the "golden era" of Country music will fade into oblivion!!

I watched the CMA awards tonight and after 3/4ths of the show was over, I turned it off in disgust. Not one real country song did I hear!! The crap they did play, you couldn't understand the words, and the music was one loud roar of distorted Tele"s and Strats. (and I play a tele) God help us. Lonnie Portwood
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Music is probably the most "spiritual of mankinds emotions, and when practised with a pure heart, can lead one into the presence of God, who invented it. Lonnie Portwood

Steven Finley · From: California, USA

As far as the awards go,I had to shut it off in
discust the last two years,so this year I did not
turn it on,I figured why bother,this is the kind of
garbage that has ruined the popularity of steel
guitar.

Herby Wallace · From: Sevierville, TN, R.I.P.

Yes, I also quit watching the CMA years ago.

Ray, concerning your question, the problem I see around here anyway is the people doing the hiring as they do not understand or appreciate steel guitar at all. I have been told that steel guitar is old fashioned and something from the past. I have also been told that steel guitar is just a novelty instrument and is only used to play a slide or chime every now and then. I have several times called a producer of a new show coming in and told him I played steel guitar and his first comment was "What else do you play?" I have had experiences talking with some of these people doing the hiring and it was like talking to a tree
as they had no clue about steel guitar or country music, but they think they do. I will shut up again as I have to leave in the morning for the PSGA show in CT. Thank goodness for steel guitar shows like this that still keep our music alive and do appreciate what we do. I will say that the show in CT is one of the best going and the backup band is great too. I hope to see some of you there.

Herby Wallace

Ray Campbell · From: St. Robert, MO

I haven't watched a CMA show in probably 20 years and don't miss it one darn bit. The CMA's movement away from country music has meant that steel guitars and fiddles have been replaced by screeching guitar strings and loud drums, drowning out everything else. Yes, one still does see some fiddles, but those fiddle players all play with the same screechiness as the guitar player. To me, it isn't pretty music. When a guitar player uses feedback and calls it music, I'm gone.

Jim Thompson · From: Washington, Pa. USA

I'm so glad, and lucky, I guess,that the people that run the Wheeling Jamboree still feel that steel guitar is an important part of the shows. I have a steady gig there nearly every Saturday night. Plus shows every week during the summer at fairs and festivals all over PA. I'm blessed. There are others that aren't as lucky. It may be a regional thing. Who knows the real answer. Herby, you and I have talked about this many times, and the multi instrument issue comes up all the time. I doesn't seem fair but we must deal with it.If you watched the CMA awards last night you see one of the reasons we don't get as much work as we used to. the producers aren't producing the style of music that was so popular in the past. Ray, I think we're all with you about the screeching. My thing is, I can appreciate good music of any kind, but don't play rock and call it country. call it what it is. The younger people of today have such a distorted idea of what country music is that you could play them just about anything and call it country and they don't know the difference.
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John De Maille · From: On a Mountain in Upstate Halcottsville, N.Y.

I, too, am disgusted with the situation, as it affects most of us as steel players. Back in the late 70's through the 80's and part of the 90's, I played a steady 5 sometimes 6 gigs a week. It all started for me with the "Urban Cowboy" craze. There was money to be made from that. The spinoffs were pretty good too, like Garth Brooks, Brooks and Dunne and the semi outlaw guys like Travis Tritt and Marty Stuart and lest I forget Billy Rae Cyrus. But, unfortunately, the handwriting was on the wall. The line dancers moved in and really didn't need a live band. Then, as most crazes go, the music changed slowly at first, then started snowballing away from "our" traditional country. It's like anything else, really. Somebody, whomever they may be, starts a new trend and starts cramming it down the publics throat. If you want to be up on it, you change and buy the latest, greatest, new thing. In most cases, the new thing is not better than the old thing, but, it seems better because it's new, young and exciting.
Everybody's a victim of this craze! It's called marketing and good marketing will make some people very rich. Money (profit) is behind all these changes. I don't like a lot of the "new" things or changes. They don't always work well and usually cost too much. As to how this all relates to us as steel players, well, I guess you have to roll with the flow or get drowned trying to swim upstream. We just moved to our lovely house up on a mountain in the country. I have no idea what I'm going to do to keep up my steel chops. There are no places to play around here and I don't want to step on anyones toes in order to do so. I used to teach, a little, but, I don't see any prospects knocking on my door. I'm certainly NOT in Herby's league at all, but, the small steel shows I do play, have now become great comfort for me. Maybe someday, someone will re-discover the steel guitar and include it on their sessions. Who knows ? I'm hoping for the best!!!!!

David Thornhill · From: Tennessee, USA

Herby, some friends and I spent two monday night in a row at the Station Inn a few weeks ago. The first night Tommy White was on steel, the next monday night Paul Franklin was playing. The Steel,lead and Fiddles are alive and well there. When that place stops using the proper country Instruments, then you can say there is no hope for good country music. Dave Thornhill

Paul King · From: Gainesville, Texas, USA

Well it has to be a sin to take the steel guitars out of the shows. I too am fed up with the so called country music today. It stinks and most people tend to let the young people have what they want. Well, what about me and the others who like the real country? Do we not count anymore? The awards shows are a waste of time in my opinion. And yes, church music is off the wall today as well. I heard "The Old Rugged Cross" two weeks ago. The sad part is I had to go to a funeral to hear it. Country radio is a joke today as well. Thank God for Willies Place.

Steve Alcott · From: New York, New York, USA

David, unless I'm misinformed (and I hope I am) those bands you heard at the Station Inn are playing for the door or a percentage thereof. We all do that once in a while just to be able to really play, but door gigs don't pay the bills.

Mike Archer · From: church hill tn

Herby you and I go way back and I agree 100%
with what you are saying
I worked with TG sheppard in 1995 and 1996
and on the road for 3 years after that with him
and my job was steel/guitar/acoustic guitar
and I had to sing as well
while the guitar player just played guitar
that was at the theater in PIGEON forge and on the road as well I dont and have not seeked any jobs
in that area at all since then of course I am not able to anymore because of severe back and neck troubles amoungest other sickness
I dont see any changes coming either it looks to me like a steel player should be treated as good as any other player but NO WE ARE NOT
aound here there is little to no work at all
even if I were able to play out pro again
today in music is little more then 80s rock
with a country voice(mabe)or a 17 year old kid
as top dog? go figure that out
there is NO COUNTRY IN COUNTRY TODAY or steel
either for that matter IMHO

Mickey Adams · From: Bandera Texas

CMA= COUNTRY MY ASS~~
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David Thornhill · From: Tennessee, USA

Steve, I don't know if the band I went to hear plays for the door or not. The band was The Time Jumpers. If they did play for the door, the place was packed both nights. I made my living for almost 30 years playing the guitar, however I would play with a band like that for nothing just to get to play with that class of musicians and singers. Dave

Bobby Hearn · From: Henrietta, Tx

I have noticed that in the Texas Country market, a lot of steel is being played right now. I havent been a big fan of this genra because a lot of it is still bad rocknroll. But it seems like every time I tune in, I hear more and more steel. Other than that, Ide rather be at Pearls Dancehall in Fort Worth than any bar along Broadway. And you dont have to change bars to find a steel player.

Dick Wood · From: Springtown Texas, USA

I feel your pain Herby.

I have been having a hard time getting gigs lately and have very much considered picking up the bass guitar again as I have seen several local bands needing bass.

Times are tough for steel players.
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Cops aren't paid much so I steel at night.

Shorty Smith · From: Columbus, Georgia, USA

I agree with everyone on this subject, I use to play my steel 4 to 5 nights a week, now its only one night at the ELKS club. Today its the country rock and roll they call country music and to top it all, LOOK WHO WON THE ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR,what a disgrace to country music, just my opinion, Shorty

Steven Finley · From: California, USA

AMEN.

Ray Leroux · From: Vulcan Alberta CANADA/Thousand Palms CA.

The same has happened here on the Canadian west coast.I havent played in 4 years after a rich and productive 25 yrs on the steel. Hang on to your I.phone cause everything your going to need to know or hear or vote for will be comming to a g4 near you. Sadly we are only the players and not the coaches.

Wally Moyers · From: Lubbock, Texas

I played a church gig tonight with my brother in law, Kenny Maines. We played bluegrass, three piece with acoustic guitar, standup bass and I played Dobro. When we were tearing down an older man maybe 80 came up to me and said,

"I really enjoyed your steel playing, that is a steel? right? I really miss that sound. Then he said it seems like they turn it down too much in the new music these days"

I thought he said it pretty well...

Bill Ladd · From: Wilmington, NC, USA

I have the radio in my car tuned to two country stations and a local triple A format station.

No lie, one day I'd tuned in one of the country stations and listened for a while and heard no steel, switched over to the triple a station and heard pedal steel on three songs within fifteen minutes!

I've currently done some session work and have been playing locally and doing some limited touring with a band being touted as "Americana."

The leader of the band loves steel guitar and has me playing all over every song we do live. It's great for an egomaniac like me to hear "Can you play a lot more over that song?" or "Can you turn up some more?"!!

It's not straight country at all, although a lot of his tunes lend themselves well to our instrument. I'm finding it fun and challenging to come up with new licks that work outside of the straight country realm.

Herby, it'd be awesome to see you on stage with one of these hipster bands! Bet you'd look great in a pair of skinny jeans!

Bill Ladd · From: Wilmington, NC, USA

I think my point here is that today's country music isn't the country music we know (most of it sounds like warmed-over southern-rock from the seventies to me).

But this new Americana format which grew out of Alt. Country understands what an awesome instrument we play. Hopefully that'll be our Valhalla.

Who knows? All I know is I'm getting to play a lot!

Earnest Bovine · From: Los Angeles CA USA

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