Review

Steve Fishell, Author

Review: Buddy Emmons: Steel Guitar Icon

University of Illinois Press

This book is a fascinating portrait of the life and work of steel guitarist Buddy Emmons, a creative genius and complex personality whose impact on the world of music is immeasurable. Emmons’ musical and technical contributions to the evolution of the pedal steel guitar were game changers of the highest order, and his immense discography runs from Little Jimmy Dickens to Ray Charles, Judy Collins, Gary Burton, and Gram Parsons, with a slew of very influential solo albums as well.

Combining first-person excerpts from Emmons’ journals, augmented with finely detailed commentary and stories from fellow musicians, friends and much more, this excellent biography, written by longtime AFM 257 member, steel guitarist Steve Fishell, honors the life and music of this amazing innovator. Fishell began working on the book in collaboration with Emmons for several years before his passing in 2015. The long-anticipated end result is a fascinating and compelling story that will appeal to any music lover, not just fans of the steel guitar.

Buddy Emmons and Steve Fishel

Photo: Donn Jones, courtesy of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum

Emmons’ journey began in rural Indiana. His dad, Don, was a country music fan and a machinist who worked for the Bendix company. Emmons began taking violin lessons at 10 years old. After listening to Don Helms’ steel guitar while playing with Hank Williams Sr. on the Grand Ole Opry, before long he was learning to play the mail order Hawaiian steel guitar that his dad convinced him to try. Maybe the lack of frets was less daunting because of his previous violin lessons, but either way, Emmons was destined to change his chosen instrument in more ways than anyone could imagine.

Arriving in Nashville at the age of 18, he joined Local 257 in 1955, and immediately dove into the burgeoning Music City scene. He had many musical adventures on the road and in the

studio with the likes of Dickens, Ernest Tubb, and Ray Price, was constantly experimenting with different tunings and mechanical adjustments to his instruments, all of which led to his rise as an acclaimed studio musician and artist in his own right. The evolution of his various tunings is meticulously documented in the book’s appendix.

Emmons was a unique character in many ways, and his tumultuous personal life, including a variety of excesses, impulsive migrations from Nashville to Los Angeles and back, giving up the steel for the bass guitar at various times, and the unexpected passing of his wife Peggy, are told in an honest but nonjudgmental way. Emmons’ interactions with Jimmy Day, Willie Nelson, Grady Martin, and John Hartford, illuminate his personality and passion for the things he loved.

The focus of the book is unfailingly positive, and reveals the deep respect Fishell has for Emmons. The book includes insightful quotes and perspectives from many AFM 257 members, including Paul Franklin, Buddy Spicher, Tommy White, David Smith, Gregg Galbreath, Buddy Cannon, Paul Hollowell, and more. This is a great read, and sheds light on one of Music City’s most intriguing and influential players.

— By Roy Montana