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I was born in Shawnee, OK, but raised mostly in California. Coming of age in the 60’s, I was mesmerized by the amazing new music coming from AM radio. I was also influenced by my Dad’s taste in music (the Four Freshman; Swingle Singers), growing to love harmony and interesting chord progressions. No surprise then, that my favorite bands were the Beatles and Beach Boys.
Hooked on slide
Between high school and a tour in the Navy, I caught the slide guitar bug from George Harrison and Leo Kottke. A bandmate loaned me his Mom’s 6-string lap steel. That quickly led to acquiring a Fender T-8 non pedal steel (and no clue how to play it!), and finally to my first pedal steel, a red ZB student model. That rudimentary pedal steel held incredible music, magic and power, and that passionate feeling has not changed to this day.
Beginner’s blues and dues
In 1974, while my Navy ship was in Long Beach dry dock, and my own efforts to teach myself pedal steel were frustrating at best, I took a few months of lessons from legendary Los Angeles player and teacher Blackie Taylor. Blackie taught me many classic songs and key playing positions. Without Blackie’s early help, I probably would have given up.
I learned enough (just barely) to do sit-ins and even actual gigs with a couple of bands around LA. As I always advise my students,“You gotta start somewhere!”
My country-loving Navy buddies and I hung out at quite a few local Long Beach honky tonks, soaking up the playing of great players and idols like Bobby Boyd, Art Sanchez and Jay Dee Maness.
I’ve always had dual careers in music and graphic design. I served in the early 1980’s as Art & Advertising Director for Tom Bradshaw’s great publication, “Steel Guitarist Magazine.” Now, THAT was a dream job!
The call to teach
I consider myself a strong E9 player, with much to learn on C6. I began teaching E9 pedal steel in 1981. Teaching was never my goal, but so many beginning steelers were desperate for a nearby teacher, I decided to give it a try.
It quickly became apparent that off-the-cuff, improvised lessons were not very efficient, and didn’t sit well with my organized Virgo nature. So I began writing my own personalized curriculum, and have found teaching and writing to be a wonderfully rewarding use of my musical talents.
My curriculum trains students step-by-step as both steel players and well-rounded musicians with “big ears,” able to survive on the bandstand. It works amazingly well with virtually all my students, and I will publish the course as a book in the near future.
I’m extremely proud to have been a help to many who now play professionally. I feel teaching pedal steel is a true calling and mission for me. And I’d like to inspire and help new players, just the way Blackie Taylor and Jeff Newman helped me (and many others) early on.
Going full time in music
I retired from package design with Neutrogena in 2008, and now focus my energies on session work, live gigs, and, of course, lots of teaching.
I teach one-on-one private E9 lessons in my San Pedro home studio. I also conduct an annual 18-session “E9 101” course that quickly brings up to speed the lucky handful of students who gain admission.
I’ve just recently expanded into teaching live lessons using Skype videoconferencing technology and webcams. Anyone with high speed internet can now get my help, no matter where in the U.S. or world you live.
Sage advice!
I have one mantra for all my students, and anyone learning this challenging instrument whose sound we all love so much: “You need patience, practice, persistence, available time...and faith that you can do it...because you CAN do it!”
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