Pedal Steel In Southern Gospel Music

Bill Duncan · From: Lenoir, North Carolina, USA

In the 1970s when I took up the pedal steel until the early 1990s pedal steel was very prominent in Southern Gospel music. Now I never hear any Southern Gospel with pedal steel. I believe it is even worse than Country music in eliminating the pedal steel.

I used to play with some Gospel groups, but no longer. It seems pedal steel is a no-no.

Even in my church, the music has gone in a direction that makes me TIRED! I grew up and learned to play in a Pentecostal church and their music was outstanding. I attend a Baptist church now but the Pentecostal churches I have visited lately are much the same music-wise as the Baptists now.

I have to say, I miss the pedal steel guitar in real Southern Gospel music.

I don't know! Maybe it was the Gaither videos and his influence. The Gaither videos and the death of pedal steel and Southern Gospel seem to coincide.

Duane Becker · From: Elk,Wa 99009 USA

I feel the same way Bill. Southern Gospel with steel during the 1960's and 70's was some of my all time favorite. Especially when the groups recorded in Nashville using the then great A Team sidemen.
The Florida Boys, Happy Goodmans, Kingsmen, Hemphills, Dwayne Friend, and even for a time during the late 1970's Jimmy Swaggart had a few lps with Nashville steel.

Its all gone today, but I see some posts on YouTube from within the last 10 years by the Easters with steel that is pretty good still. Group called the Hinions, spelling may be wrong, are a recent post on YouTube that have live concert with steel, pretty nice.

And this stuff is great, just found it the other day: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yXGeivsNvTo

That line Fortune Walker Rogers...has other songs with steel too.

I have most of the lps of the Southern Gospel from those old days, play them alot.

Ken Mizell · From: Lakeland, Florida, 33809, USA

I have to agree with your opinion on this topic. Those things you mention, plus the advent of what I have come to call "Rock n Roll Church" has pretty much pushed the pedal steel out of existence in many churches. You may find some country churches, smaller community types, that may still tolerate a pedal steel guitar in the band. There is a very large church over in the St. Petersburg - Clearwater area of Florida - Indian Rocks Baptist Church - that has "Country Church" on Saturday nights. They have a rather good steel player in their group. I'll be watching tonight. What some refer to as the "Gateway-Hillsong" style of church has taken over Assemblies of God and Baptist Churches all over the country. Drums and rock n roll guitars, mixed up in your face. Very, very loud volume (in excess of being loud). The churches are doing this to bring in younger people they are trying to reach for the Lord, but sometimes I don't know if the younger people are there seeking the Lord, and paying attention to the words, or if they are there seeking rock n roll music.

By the way, strange, but true - There is a church out of N. California - Bethel Church, and they have out a really good song right now called "Goodness of God." There are two versions. The song features singer Jenn Johnson. One of the version certainly has pedal steel guitar in it, and not just a dude with a slide on a Telecaster. Us pedal steel fanatics can certainly hear it, but many probably don't. At our church, the Tele player does slide work on the song. I do listen to contemporary Christian music, and very rarely have I heard a steel guitar, maybe 2 songs on the play list, and it's very little in the background.

There IS a place for pedal steel in current day Christian music, but few bands take advantage of it. Crowder (David Crowder's group) and Zack Williams have pedal steel players in their bands, used for certain songs.
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Steeless.

Dale McPherson · From: Morristown, Tennessee, USA

My steel playing in the 70's and 80's was in southern gospel music. I quit for 30 years and started playing again 5 years ago. When I started again I thought that I could find a group to play for. Didn't happen. Everybody now uses tracks and no live band. Kinda cheating from my point of view. Pay for a track and you no longer have to pay or feed musicians. It left us out in the cold with no where to play except the clubs and old folks dance halls. A lot of the tracks in southern gospel do have a steel in the mix but not very dominate. As I get older, I find that everything changes and not always for the better.

Paul Pearson · From: Alabama, USA

I live in small town in south.west ,Alabama the small churches still have southern gospel music with live musicians and mostly Pentecostal churches but any large church it’s lyrics on the wall and loud keyboards drums and guitars no feelings at all and a few words from the pastor to tickle your ears and out by 12:00 pm ,in our church we are usely out by 1:00 or 1:30 I play steel a rhythm guitar drums and I’m teaching a young girl who has a beautiful voice to play bass guitar before COVID-19 took place a couple Saturday nights a month we were having singing it was really great but that has shut down now but soundtracks have taken over the contemporary music has swarmed in like bees to a bee hive a Most of the words can’t understand for the loud music it reminds me of a concert for teenagers instead of a church service the praises and worship is most of the time is a few words sung over and over now I will agree some of the praise and worship is pretty good I love to play the old Hinson Dottie Rambo happy Goodman and many others in southern gospel music I’m 65 and still hoping and praying that I can live to see it all come back like it use to be Gods willing until then guys happy picking

Bill Duncan · From: Lenoir, North Carolina, USA

[quote="Paul Pearson"]I live in small town in south.west ,Alabama the small churches still have southern gospel music with live musicians and mostly Pentecostal churches

It was a great time for pedal steel in Gospel music back then Paul. The church folks were always fascinated by the pedal steel.

I played with some very good local quartets and I always enjoyed playing in the smaller country churches most. They had singings on Saturday nights usually. I loved playing at the Homecomings too that were on Sunday afternoons usually in the fall. There would be a great meal outdoors first then the singing would start at 2:00 PM and go until 5:00 or so.

Erv Niehaus · From: Litchfield, MN, USA

Most churches have gone to 7/11 songs.
Seven lyrics repeated eleven times.
The old gospel songs were like 3 minute sermons.
Our little wooden church on the hill still does the old familiar gospel songs and I get to play my pedal steel up there whenever I choose.
The churches seem to be catering to the youth with little or no consideration to the ones paying the bills.
"Give praises to the Lord on an instrument of 10 strings." (Psalms 33:2) Very Happy

Erv

Ken Mizell · From: Lakeland, Florida, 33809, USA

“7/11 Songs” - Great description Bro. Erv. I love it. Our church is a big one, and we have what they call “Adults+ Senior Chapel” on Friday morning. This past Friday was our first week back since the Chinese Virus started. We had 10 of those great old hymns of the faith, followed by stories of their origins. I love it. Near the end of the program, I thought to myself, “I guess these beautiful old songs aren’t fit for Sunday services anymore.” Sometimes the pastor will even mention the old songs in a sermon, and he may sing a phrase or two, but the songs aren’t played or sang anymore. This topic reminds me of the old recitation by Porter Wagoner, “Trouble in The Amen Corner.” That is on YouTube.
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Steeless.

Greg Lambert · From: Illinois, USA

I played steel for a group every weekend for 5 years. We were booked every weekend from 1982 to 1986. the bus would leave our town on Saturday evening and return Sunday night late. We were exhausted come Monday morning. Then like a light switch it was all over. No more southern gospel anywhere.

Bill Ford · From: Graniteville SC Aiken

The biggest problem I encounter is...you play along with the singing, or sit out with minimal fills because there is no room musically for fills in most of today's gospel music. We do on occasion do an old song (Amazing Grace,etc) that I can take a good ride on, still enjoy what playing I get to do. My Son made a remark about my playing, he said...you are playing the words, not fills, made me realize that was true, he is a sound tech, sometime, you get cought up into just wanting to play.

Bill
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Steeling for Jesus now!!!

Bill Duncan · From: Lenoir, North Carolina, USA

There is still a tremendous amount of Southern Gospel music in my heart, and it is loaded with Pedal Steel Guitar!

Ken Mizell · From: Lakeland, Florida, 33809, USA

Paul Pearson · From: Alabama, USA

After going back and rereading the post and thinking about it the Bill Gather videos you really don’t see much steel guitar and when you do he is so far back in the mix you wouldn’t know he is their unless you saw him in distant of the videos so yes I would say Gather and the producers have had a big hand in the death of steel guitar.Sometmes Jason Crab will have a few songs to come out with the steel up front in the mix but it’s sad for shut beautiful instrument to be pushed aside and not be used

Bill Duncan · From: Lenoir, North Carolina, USA

I have read comments that Gaither does not like Pedsl Steel in Gospel music.

Dale Rottacker · From: Walla Walla Washington, USA

During the 70's we had a Country Gospel Group and performed in and around Washington and Oregon for a few years until we all started moving away. In the late 80's early 90's I started another Gospel Group and though the faces had changed, the music was similar to what we'd done in the 70's... We didn't really do Southern Gospel, but with a Piano, Pedal Steel, Bass, Rhythm Guitar and 3-4 part harmony, we did a lot of Rambo, Hemphils and Rex Nelon Singers and Gaither Stuff, and a lot of old Church Songs we'd grown up with in Church but with a Country Flavor to it... I dare say, we may have been the only Gospel Group using a Steel out here back then. Every place we went folks were always very receptive and genuinely intrigued by the Steel... Even yet today, the few times I play Steel in Church, I'm still well received and many people still unaware of what that contraption is.
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Bill Ford · From: Graniteville SC Aiken

Paul Pearson
Jason Crabb's Father, Gerald Crabb is a big fan of pedal steel, he comes to our Church every year. Almost all his songs have psg on them.
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Bill Ford S12 CLR, S12 Lamar keyless, Misc amps&toys Sharp Covers
Steeling for Jesus now!!!

Erv Niehaus · From: Litchfield, MN, USA

An old farmer went to the city one weekend and attended a big city church. He came home and his wife asked him how it was.
He said: "They sang praise choruses instead of hymns."
His wife asked him: "What are those?"
The farmer said, "Well, it's like this. If I were to say to you, Martha, the cows are in the corn, well that would be a hymn".
On the other hand , if I were to say to you, "Martha, Martha, Martha, Oh Martha, Martha, Martha, the cows, the big cows, the brown cows, the black cows, the white cows, the black and white cows, the cows, cows, cows, are in the corn, are in the corn, are in the corn, well, that would be a praise chorus"! Whoa!

Erv

Bill Duncan · From: Lenoir, North Carolina, USA

You nailed it Erv!

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