The first steel guitar player I ever knew personally was a man named Don "Windy" Howe. Don sold music gear out of his basement when I was in high school and college. It may have been a basement but it was a great store. One day I met the bass player from the Everly Brothers there. But I digress.
Don was a great pedal steel player and he always tried to get me interested in the steel guitar. But I wanted to be a rock star so I stuck with my Les Pauls. Still, I was fascinated by the instrument and when the Byrds released "Sweetheart of the Rodeo" I stared to get hooked on the sound and when Poco appeared on the scene I really flipped. But I never took the plunge. The expense of a pedal steel was probably one reason.
I continued to pursue six string guitar and became an accomplished blues and flamenco guitar player. Then about six years ago I again got interested in the pedal steel and came VERY close to buying one. But I still couldn't convince myself to do it.
Three years ago I finally took the plunge and bought an old Sho Bud Professional. That lasted a little over a year. I just didn't have the time nor a teacher. But once the steel guitar gets in your blood...
Last July I came back into the fold. It's been a rocky road and I still don't have enough time, I still don't have a teacher, I still don't have a band to play or jam with and even if I did I probably couldn't play a single note in tune. But I've got my CD player and my tape deck and I'm sticking with it. And every time I sit down in front of my pedal steel I think of old "Windy". He's still my inspiration. I doubt that he's online and I don't even know if he's still alive but I think he would be happy to know that he finally got through to me. Don, this Bud's for you.[This message was edited by David Biagini on 24 February 2003 at 07:47 PM.]
