b. Augusta, Georgia, October 8, 1932; d. July 29, 1988
Nashville Cat
At age eighteen, Pete Drake heard steel guitarist Jerry Byrd on the Grand Ole Opry during a trip to Nashville. Duly inspired, Drake purchased a steel guitar in an Atlanta pawnshop. The decision not only changed his life, but impacted the sound of country and rock music.
In Atlanta, Drake formed a band that, at various times, included future country stars Jack Greene, Doug Kershaw, Roger Miller, Jerry Reed, and Joe South. After arriving in Nashville, in 1959, Drake contributed to Roy Drusky’s 1960 hit “Anymore” and quickly became one of Nashville’s most prominent steel guitarists, playing on countless country hits. The pedal steel he added to Bob Dylan’s 1967 album, John Wesley Harding, helped set the stage for country flavored rock albums. Drake went on to record with many Dylan contemporaries, including Joan Baez, Ian & Sylvia, Ramblin’ Jack Elliot, and George Harrison.
As a producer, Drake worked with rockers Tracy Nelson, Leon Russell, and Ringo Starr as well as on country albums by the Oak Ridge Boys, Ernest Tubb, and Slim Whitman. He also founded Stop Records, which released albums by Johnny Bush, the Jordanaires, and George Morgan. He brought the “talking” steel guitar, which amplified words through a tube running from his mouth to his instrument.
Ringo Starr, Beaucoups of Blues, 1970
Ringo Starr, Beaucoups of Blues, 1970
George Harrison, All Things Must Pass, 1970
Listen to Pete Drake
Selected Songs
George Harrison, “Behind That Locked Door” (George Harrison)
The musicians featured on this recording are Pete Drake, pedal steel guitar; George Harrison, acoustic guitar; Gary Wright, piano; Billy Preston, organ; Klaus Voormann, bass; Alan White, drums.
From the album All Things Must Pass, 1970. Produced by George Harrison and Phil Spector at Abbey Road Studios, London.
Bob Dylan, “I’ll Be Your Baby Tonight” (Bob Dylan)
The musicians featured on this recording are Pete Drake, pedal steel guitar; Bob Dylan, harmonica; Charlie McCoy, bass; Kenny Buttrey, drums.
From the album John Wesley Harding, 1967. Produced by Bob Johnston at Columbia Studios, Nashville.
Tracy Nelson, “Why, Why, Why” (Buck Owens, Dolly Parton)
Among the musicians featured on this recording are Pete Drake, pedal steel guitar; Johnny Gimble, fiddle; Shorty Lavender, fiddle; Jack Drake, bass; D.J. Fontana, drums.
From the album Mother Earth Presents Tracy Nelson Country, 1969. Produced by Pete Drake, Scotty Moore, and Travis Rivers at Music City Recorders, Nashville.
Ringo Starr, “Waiting” (Chuck Howard)
Among the musicians featured on this recording are Pete Drake, pedal steel guitar; Jim Buchanan, fiddle; Shorty Lavender, fiddle; Junior Huskey, bass; the Jordanaires, backing vocals.
From the album Beaucoups of Blues, 1970. Produced by Pete Drake at Music City Recorders, Nashville.
Leon Russell, “Wild Horses” (Mick Jagger, Keith Richards)
Among the musicians featured on this recording are Pete Drake, pedal steel guitar; Leon Russell, piano.
Single, 1974. Produced by Leon Russell at Pete’s Place, Nashville.
Tammy Wynette, “Apartment #9” (Bobby Austin, Johnny Paycheck)
Among the musicians featured on this recording are Pete Drake, pedal steel guitar; Jerry Kennedy, guitar; Pig Robbins, piano.
From the album Your Good Girl’s Gonna Go Bad, 1967. Produced by Billy Sherrill at Columbia Studios, Nashville.
Meet the Cats
Best known for his harmonica technique—distinguished by speed, clarity, and exceptional phrasing, Charlie McCoy is a multi-instrumentalist who has been recorded on bass, guitar, keyboards, percussion, saxophone, trumpet, and tuba.
Charlie Daniels proved pivotal to many of the Nashville recording sessions of Leonard Cohen and Bob Dylan. Because Daniels had a strong blues influence, Johnston felt he would fit with the adventurous singer-songwriters.
Ben Keith was a prominent Nashville pedal steel guitarist and dobro specialist before becoming a producer and instrumentalist for Neil Young.
One of country music’s most admired and influential steel guitarists, Weldon Myrick taught himself to play lap steel and, at age thirteen, landed a job on a radio station near his hometown of Jayton, Texas.
Mac Gayden grew up fascinated by the R&B acts he heard in his hometown of Nashville. That interest helped him develop a style as a guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter distinctly different from other Nashville studio pros.
Lloyd Green developed an emotional, resonant style of pedal steel guitar playing that gave him a distinct sound apart from other top steel specialists.
At age eighteen, Pete Drake heard steel guitarist Jerry Byrd on the Grand Ole Opry during a trip to Nashville. Duly inspired, Drake purchased a steel guitar in an Atlanta pawnshop. The decision not only changed his life, but impacted the sound of country and rock music.
Pig Robbins earned his stripes by creating the rocking piano on George Jones’s “White Lightnin’.” Over the ensuing decades, his integral role on Music Row recording sessions earned him membership in the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2012.
In his distinctive fiddle style, Buddy Spicher combined a rich tonal quality with bluegrass precision and an adventurous sense of swing. After arriving in Nashville, he quickly gained attention as a dazzling instrumentalist capable of handling country, jazz, pop, and rock.
Inspired by Country Music Hall of Fame members Chet Atkins and Earl Scruggs, Wayne Moss’s iconic guitar riffs helped forge the identifiable sounds of country and rock hits.
Norbert Putnam is a widely admired bassist, record producer, and studio owner. He started his career in his teens recording with soul singer Arthur Alexander at FAME Studios in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, as part of a renowned rhythm section that included keyboardist David Briggs and drummer Jerry Carrigan.
Grady Martin was a member of a loose collection of legendary studio musicians known as the Nashville A-team. His versatility and creativity as a guitarist also appealed to younger rockers and singer-songwriters who came to Nashville.
David Briggs began playing piano on R&B, pop, and country hits in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, in his teens. After a brief stint as a pop singer, Briggs moved to Nashville in 1964 to focus on a career as a studio musician.
Three-time Grammy winner Jerry Reed is most famous for his colorful, catchy story songs steeped in Southern attitude and lore. He was recognized as a groundbreaking guitarist with a guitar technique that gave an extra layer of funky, back-country grease.
The preferred drummer for artists across America—he built a lasting legacy with his work in R&B and rock.
Fred Carter Jr. began his career in northeastern Louisiana playing rock & roll. He backed Dale Hawkins, known for his rock hit “Susie-Q,” and later played with Ronnie Hawkins, Dale’s cousin, in his backing group, the Hawks. Carter left and was replaced by Robbie Robertson before the group evolved into the Band.