Jon Light Rememberence

Aaron Brownwood · From: San Diego, Ca

From a friend's relative about Jon Light.

Longtime member of the Steel Guitar Forum and prolific poster Jon Light died in late January after a brief illness. Jon was a musician with wide-ranging talent and musical interests. He was a professional musician since high school, playing piano, guitar, trumpet, sax, and electric bass. His early work included R&B and folk rock. His interest in country and roots music began after moving to Boston in the early 1970s. While living in Boston he began serious musical exploration of avant garde and free jazz, and played in a trio featuring jazz composer Walter Thompson and multi-reed player Anthony Braxton in the mid-1970s.

Jon's long time vocation was art silk screening, and he worked at this while living in New York City, until the entire industry disappeared during the early 2000s. He remained a musician, devoting more of his musical energy to the pedal steel guitar, an instrument he truly loved and cherished. He built several electric six string guitars, but his enduring lutherie passion was the repair and tuning of the pedal steel.

When he retired from silk screening he left NYC for Saugerties NY, in the Hudson valley. Here he was a well-known local local musician in high demand. His steel guitar repair and tuning work was also in high demand.

As a repair person he served the local area but his reputation was both national and international. He was driven by a strong desire to make every instrument he touched a better instrument. When it came to the pedal steel guitar he was a serial do-gooder. Always free with accurate information for his fellow players, he was also amazingly liberal with his repair time as well. His bill rarely reflected the amount of work he put into a job.

We were friends since high school. He was an amazing person throughout the time I knew him. Upon his death, his nephew remarked that "he was the coolest and smartest person I ever met." That makes two of us.

Formal obituary can be found here:

http://www.seamonwilseyfuneralhome.com/obituary/Jonathan-Light

Written by RM Mottola
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Mullen RP SD10 Pedal Steel (2008); Fender D8 Dual Professional Non Pedal (1951); Dobro Cyclops Model 27 Resonator (1933); Beard Vintage R Resonator (2014)

Mike Neer · From: NJ

Thanks for sharing this. Jon was not one to brag about his accomplishments, so he would only mention them to shed some “Light” on a situation. One thing I did learn about Jon was that he studied piano with the legendary jazz pedagogue Charlie Banacos. This was only learned during a thread about Charlie’s teaching concepts and practices. I was surprised by his experience, but at the same time not really.
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Links to streaming music, websites, YouTube: Links

Vincent Nugent · From: New York, USA

That is heartbreaking. I spoke with Jon earlier in the month. I called him the "pedal steel whisperer." After our mutual friend Stu Schulman passed away,
Jon offered to pick top where Stu had left off and continue mentoring me on pedal steel. Of course, he wouldn't take any payment for his time. I would go to his
house every few months and drop off my guitar; he would tune it up, maybe change strings, tweak it in his special way. Jon was always a little disoriented after working
on my left-handed Jackson Maverick HD. The next day I would return, and he would slowly illustrate everything his did to the guitar and explain in detail why he did it.
A visit to Jon was always an education for me. We would then hang out and play. He would show me what tunes he was working on, give me some cool pointers and riffs to practice.
What he charged for repair work was ridiculously cheap. He once got annoyed because I overpaid him by $10, but he did like the candy I brought him from my Sweetwater orders.
He was so proud of his new pedal steel guitar with the wood turtle inlay; invariably, in the nicer weather, we would go outside and check out possible wood turtle nests and activity.

Jon's musicianship and knowledge of music was second only to his kindness. I will miss him terribly.

HowardR · From: N.Y.C.-Fire Island-Asheville

I had become friends with Jon in the early days of the SGF....Jon lived in Brooklyn and I would go to some of his gigs as well as meet him at some of the PSGA shows in CT....

In the early 2000s, maybe around 2003-2006 I had a Sunday routine.....First, I would drive from NYC to Barbes (a hipster dive bar) in Park Slope, Brooklyn, to catch Stephane Wremble who is a wonderful Gypsy Jazz guitarist and had residence there early evening every Sunday.....after Stephane's set I would then drive to Flatbush, Brooklyn and go to Hank's Saloon for some raucous music.....Hanks was $h!t kickin' Brooklyn honkey tonk in a small building that was left behind by time....it was a Blue Velvet type of scenario because there were a variety of iffy, sketchy characters there from soup to nuts.....I can't remember the name of the band that played on Sundays but they played country, country rock, & bluegrass in a very raw & raunchy way....originally Bob Hoffnar was their pedal steel guitarist (Bob may remember the band's name) and after a while, Bob passed the torch onto Jon.....I would hang with Jon during the breaks, laugh about the band, the clientle, discuss the forum, and just talk & laugh about life in general...I once made a felt fedora hat for him because that was my business......he was a cool and very knowledgeable person with a wry sense of humor.....

One time, forumite Russ Weaver from St. Louis was coming into town and we agreed to meet at Hank's Saloon on a Sunday.....this was maybe 2004 give or take a year....so here's a photo of Russ & Jon sitting at Jon's steel.....I miss you my friend....

Joshua Kulick · From: Pennsylvania, USA

Seems like everyone has a similar experience with Jon as I did. I got his name from a friend a few years ago when my Markel pull release desperately needed work. He ended up doing all the work and refusing any money, just having people as excited about the steel guitar as him was payment enough. I would talk to him regularly after that about all manner of things, he was always more than willing to share what he knew and give you his time without thinking twice. He will sorely be missed.

Wayne Brown · From: Bassano, Alberta, Canada

Well crap. I just was talking with Jon a couple of weeks ago and sent him the springs he asked me to do. I really enjoyed our steel guitar conversations. He will be missed RIP
thanks
wayne
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Owner Out West Music,Parts and accessories.
Steel Guitar service and Restoration
www.outwestcountry.ca

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