On this day, January 27, 1937, Buddy Emmons was born.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

Buddy Emmons



Born: January 27, 1937; Mishawaka, Indiana, U.S.
Died: July 21, 2015 (aged 78); Nashville, Tennessee

Associated acts: Little Jimmy Dickens, Ray Price, Ernest Tubb, John Hartford, The Everly Brothers

Buddy Gene Emmons (January 27, 1937 – July 21, 2015) was an American musician who is widely regarded as the world's foremost pedal steel guitarist of his day. He was inducted into the Steel Guitar Hall of Fame in 1981. Affectionately known by the nickname "Big E", Emmons' primary genre was American country music, but he also performed jazz and Western swing. He recorded with Linda Ronstadt, Gram Parsons, The Everly Brothers, The Carpenters, Roger Miller, Ernest Tubb, John Hartford, Little Jimmy Dickens, Ray Price, Judy Collins, George Strait, John Sebastian, and Ray Charles and was a widely sought session musician in Nashville and Los Angeles.

Emmons made significant innovations to the steel guitar, adding two additional strings and an additional pedal, changes which have been adopted as standard in the modern-day instrument. His name is on a US patent for a mechanism to raise and lower the pitch of a string on a steel guitar and return to the original pitch without going out of tune. He won the Academy of Country Music's "Best Steel Guitarist" nine times, beginning in 1969.

In 2013, two years before his death, he was honored by the Country Music Hall of Fame in a tribute called "The Big E: Salute to Buddy Emmons" featuring testimonials and performances by eminent musicians and hall of fame members.

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Career

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In 1976, Emmons recorded a highly regarded tribute to the great Western Swing artist Bob Wills, on which he sang lead vocal and played steel guitar. He continued to do session work throughout the 1980s and 1990s with artists such as John Hartford, George Strait, Gene Watson and Ricky Skaggs.

In 1977, Emmons teamed with Danny Gatton for occasional gigs, and then in 1978 they toured as the band Redneck Jazz Explosion. On New Year's Eve 1978, they recorded the album Redneck Jazz live at The Cellar Door in Washington, D.C.

Everyone knows this tune. This take is a little too jazzy for me, but what do I know?

When The Cowboy Sings
Published on Jan 9, 2019

Buddy Emmons Steel Guitar Rag Live On Sing Country Festival 1981
When The Cowboy Sings website
http://whenthecowboysings.net/
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Here's another classic:

Buddy Emmons Raising the dickens 1988

steen0305
327 subscribers

111,071 views Feb 16, 2013
Buddy Emmons misses a few notes in the intro. Everything else he does is incredible.

British Steel Guitar Festival november 1988, Newbury Berkshire, England. I do not own the copyright to the music, but these videoclips are not available anywhere. They should be.

Performing with Danny Gatton:

Vafareunculo
Published on Nov 22, 2010

Rare video of the Dec 31, 1978 recording of Redneck Jazz Explosion at the Cellar Door in Washington, DC. Buddy Emmons on steel guitar. Gatton's interpretation of Rimsky-Korsakov's opera classic.

From Special Prosciuto:

Sat Apr 11, 2015: Someday Soon - Judy Collins, 1969

Written by Canadian Ian Tyson (Ian & Sylvia). Judy is backed by Buddy Emmons/pedal steel guitar; James Burton/electric guitar; Jim Gordon/Drums; Chris Ethridge/bass; Stephen Stills/guitar and Van Dyke Parks or one of two others on piano. (Credits at end of video)

Sat Jan 27, 2024: On this day, January 27, 1937, Buddy Emmons was born.

Fri Jan 27, 2023: On this day, January 27, 1937, Buddy Emmons was born.

Wed Jan 27, 2021: On this day, January 27, 1937, Buddy Emmons was born.

Hat tip, This Day in Rock, which is now defunct:

Sun Jul 21, 2019: Died, July 21, 2015: Buddy Emmons