Who inspired you to play music?

Frank Parish · From: Nashville,Tn. USA

After hearing today that George Harrison passed away I realized that half of the band that inspired me to play music was now gone. That one group was enough to get me hanging out with a friend in a band and wanting to do this the rest of my life. Steel guitar came a lot later for me but I was inspired all over like before to play something new. Who was it for you? A friend, a group, maybe one special person that made you think you wanted to play. Would you do it again?

Joerg Hennig · From: Bavaria, Germany

For me, it was mostly the rock groups I used to listen to as a kid in the ´70s. I adored the guitar players and wanted to be like them. I remember when I was 13 or so I wanted to be like Francis Rossi of Status Quo. When I actually started playing guitar, about a year later, I wanted to be like Jimmy Page. At 16 I wanted to be Keith Richards. A little later it would be John Cipollina. Those guys were just so cool, you know, and I was just a kid considered kinda strange by the others. Like you, Frank, I discovered steel only many years later when I had grown out of that sort of stuff (or at least I hope so

)And yes, of course I would do it again, but I´d do some things differently, mainly waste less time and start on steel a lot earlier...!
Regards, Joe H.

ROBERT MYERS · From: HEDGESVILLE, W.VA. USA

I was 12. I had a dozen Ernest Tubb records, one Rickey Nelson and two Elvis. For Xmas, I got a new Silvertone electric and amp. and a ticket to go see E.T. My dad drove me to the show and dropped me off and I went in and set down , front row center. After the show, I talked to Ernest, Cal Smith, and Jack Green. I'll never forget what Ernest told me. "Son, If you are gonna play music, don't copy any one else. Get your own style and play it like you feel it. Been hooked ever since.

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Bob Myers Derby S10 3&4

Jerry Hayes · From: Virginia Beach, Va.

I'd say it was a school friend named Darrel Burke. I was living in the Imperial Valley area of Southern California at the time. My friend's father owned a service station and had a bluegrass band on the side. They used to rehearse in the service bay every Sunday afternoon. I'd go down and see them as often as I could. One day my friend handed me a mandolin and showed me the open G, C, & D chords and I practiced a little bit and actually caught on to them pretty quick. I remember they didn't have an extra guitar pick so he gave me a match stick which I tried strumming with. I sat in the corner and tried to play along with them. I didn't do to well but I remember I loved it and started getting a little better as time went by. By the time I got out of highschool I picked a pretty fair mandolin and thought that Bill Monroe was a god. While the other kids were buying Elvis, Bill Haley, Jerry Lee Lewis, records and such I was into Monroe, the Stanley Bros, Reno & Smiley, Ira & Charley Louvin, and all that good stuff. I still love bluegrass to this day and when playing pedal steel always try to get in a hoedown if possible. I ain't very good at 'em but I give it my best shot.

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Have a good 'un! JH U-12

David Mullis · From: Rock Hill, SC

Since I started out playing drums, most of my influences were heavy metal/hard rock groups ie Iron Maiden (killer twin leads by two lead guitarists who were definitely classically influenced), AC/DC Def Lepard, KISS, Sweaty Teddy Nugent, Black Sabbath, Rush and Led Zeppelin. Speaking of Led Zeppelin, Jimmy Pages playing on Led Zep III was partially responsible for getting me interested in steel (although Lloyd Green caught my ear first though). I still listen to Metal and Rock, as well as Ray Price, Johnny Bush, George Jones, Hag, etc etc etc (you know the good stuff!) Weird huh? I've got a few Beatles CD's lying around too. I'll have to put some of them on later in rememberance of Mr. Harrison.

Tony Prior · From: Charlotte NC

Well here goes, being 53 I go back a few years. I would say my very first influence was Barry Tashian. Who's he you say, well, I was about 10 or so and I went to my sisters Jr high something or other and there he was, this 13 or 14 year old kid grooving out singing Bo Diddly tunes and Rock around the Clock type stuff right there in front of my eyes. Electric guitar with an amp and there was even a guy playing drums ! So you ask again, who is Barry Tashian ? Thru the years as we all grew up in Westport Ct. Barry had the premier rock bands, then from there he formed the 'Remains", cut several records , toured with the Beatles on the second US tour( opened for them at Shea Stadium) then just before he hooked up with Emmylou Harris as her Duet partner for several years, I had a chance to play Steel with Barry and his wife's band for a few months. I guess seeing Barry groove out when I was 10 had a pretty dramtic impact ! There were obviously others along the way, the Ventures, James Burton with Ricky Nelson......

Oh yeh, I had a chance to see Barry play at Giant's stadium in NJ at this huge Country Music concert, he was playing with Emmylou but he walked out on stage with Merle Haggard ! I'm certain he recognized me as he looked out at the 70 or 80 thousand folks there that day...ya think ?

TP

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

MIKE AULDRIDGE.... the moment the needle set down on "Blues and Bluegrass", the slide on my finger became a bar, my Dobro went from it's side to flat on my lap, and a nut piece raised the strings. I actually sent my Dobro back to OMI and had them remove the round neck and replace it with a square neck.

Steven Knapper · From: Temecula Ca USA

The Beatles when I was 14 in 64 when then hit big here. BUT----- I was playing around with an acoustic 6 string at the time.
But again, it was most likely my Uncles Gospel Quartet plus the Ol Blackwood Brothers and Statesmen Quartetes --- the shows they had at the Long Beach Municipal Auditorium in Long Beach, CA every Sept and Jan for years.

Leigh Howell · From: Edinburgh, Scotland * R.I.P.

I remember hearing Roy Acuff singing "The Great Speckled Bird"Hank Williams "Wedding Bells" ET singing "I'll step aside" and on, and on.Of course hearing those singers made me dream about being a singer on the opry etc. But more than anything I was influenced by the sound of the music behind them.Billy Byrd, Leon Rhodes, Roy Wiggins. But then you could tell who the players were by the kickoff to the song. Thats not true today IMO. With a few exceptions of course. Leigh

Roger Edgington · From: San Antonio, Texas USA

I'm a second generation steel guitarist. My mom taught steel in the 40s. My dad played rather good nonpedal on a Fender double neck 6 string.So at age 10 I started out on a square necked box giutar with lesson material my mom had from the 40s.I never got very good and soon picked up bass and was playing jobs at age 12.When the Beatles came in I was 16 and into rock but still messing with steel.I finally got enough money togther to buy a nice used Fender 400 6 pedal steel.Got hooked on early pedal steel and had to have it. So, I've been pretty much a weekend steel picker since 65.I've been with a western swing/country band for the last 6 years.

slick · From: Calhoun Georgia

My dear Dad who is now with Jesus.

Wayne

Alan Michael · From: Winston-Salem North Carolina U.S.A.

Anyone who plays their instrument well and with passion is an inspiration to me. Especially if it's live and it doesn't have to be a particular style of music. Most recently it was Forum member John Knight who lives here in my hometown.

Gary Lee Gimble · From: Fredericksburg, VA.

The Crocodile Man sung by Jerry Lewis (comedian), a tune called Davie Crocket, the Nut Cracker Ballet and a huge inventory of big band tunes recorded on 78s.

Gary Lee

Bobby Lee · From: Cloverdale, California, USA

The Beatles got me started. The first songs I learned on guitar were Beatles songs.

Jerry Garcia inspired me to switch to steel.

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Bobby Lee - email: quasar@b0b.com - gigs - CDs
Sierra Session 12 (E9), Williams 400X (E7, D6), Sierra Olympic 12 (F Diatonic)
Sierra Laptop 8 (D13), Fender Stringmaster (E13, A6)

Bob Hoffnar · From: Austin, Tx

Billy Mummy singing "Hey Mr. Spaceman"
on the Merv Griffin show.

CrowBear Schmitt · From: Ariege, - PairO'knees, - France

Beatles,Stones,Chuck Berry,Jerry Lee Lewis, Little Richard,Booker T +the MGs,
Aretha Franklin,Jeff Beck, Jimi Hendrix,
James Taylor,Jimmy Smith, + Buddy Emmons.
and then, Steely Dan, Little Feat, Ry Cooder,Doobie Bros, Bonnie Raitt, George Benson + Toquinho
Steel a lot of inspiration...

Johan Jansen · From: Europe

to play steel: a lot!
to play music: a few

JJ

Jody Carver · From: KNIGHT OF FENDER TWEED

Bobbe Seymour & Smiley Roberts.

I first heard them when I was about 6 years old. They were already pro's back then. My mother bought me their records.

SPADE COOLEY too

Frank Parish · From: Nashville,Tn. USA

Jody,
These guys will never be as old as they look but don't they play good?

JB Arnold · From: Longmont,Co,USA (deceased)

Ditto from b0b. The Beatles changed my whole world, as did Dylan. Garcia and Cage got me hooked on steel.

John

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Fulawka D-10 9&5
"All in all, looking back, I'd have to say the best advice anyone ever gave me was 'Hands Up, Don't Move!"
www.johnbarnold.com/pedalsteel

Earnest Bovine · From: Los Angeles CA USA

Intrigued by Bob Hoffnar's post, and having never heard of Billy Mummy, I searched and found these http://www.dragoncon.org/people/mumyb.html http://www.splendidezine.com/reviews/dec-16-96/jenerators.html
etc
etc
where I learned that that this is a former child actor whose name is also spelled Mumy. Since many former child actors are not psychotic fans of gladiator movies, maybe the kid did a great job on the Griffin show and maybe there's a video clip somewhere on the world wide web but I can't find it yet.

Gene Jones · From: Oklahoma City, OK USA, (deceased)

I appreciate much of the Beatles music, but unfortunately the thing I remember most vividly is that when they came on the scene in the 50s that was when the steel guitar disappeared from the music scene and I played bass in a pop group to survive. I liked most of Elvis's music too, but he also contributed to the decline of the steel guitar......mixed emotions!!! www.genejones.com

Bill C. Buntin · Posted 1 Dec 2001 5:44 pm

Music in general, the late W.J. Buchanan who was a clarinet virtuoso and taught me music in Jr. High and High School.

Pedal Steel was first, Cecil Johnson, who played for LJ Dickens, Wynette and others in the 60's and 70's. Cecil and Dennis Hromek (Bass guitarist with Haggard) had a cover band here in Ft. Worth in the 70's called the "Country Express". Cecil was just AWESOME. Many was the Fri. and Sat. night this country boy was right up there front row listening to Cecil and Hromek.

Later, Reece Anderson and Gary Carpenter, need I say more!

DaveCarr · From: Leeds U.K.

As an 8 or 9-year old, went to see the Beatles play in a cinema in Sheffield (UK) with my big brother ('62? They were top of the bill of a package tour of Liverpool bands (just before they really made it massive)).
The girls' screaming was deafening.

Blackmailed my Dad to buy me a guitar after that...
8^)
Dave

Tim Rowley · From: Pinconning, MI, USA

I guess I always knew that I wanted to play music, ever since I heard my first guitar on the radio back in the 1950's. My dad and mother could both play piano a little and dad had an old cheap arch-top guitar. My parents started me out with piano lessons when I was in second grade but piano ain't my bag. Then I started on trombone in 5th grade, picked up the ukelele the same year, got my first old standard box guitar at age 13 (it cost me $13 mail-order), bought my first electric guitar when I was 17 and it just came natural to me. By the time I was 18 I was honky-tonkin' steady. Now I play steel, dobro, and Telecaster.

I was fortunate enough to grow up in that little pocket of backwoods north of Gladwin, MI where there were a number of home-grown musicians during the 1950's, 60's, and early 70's and so somewhat naturally I became one too. A lot less strenuous work than loading hay and cleaning barn I suppose, although I did plenty of that too. I own a little farm now, but music's been a whole lot better to me than farming ever was.

Tim R.

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