On May 1, 2022, Pete Drake became the first pedal steel guitarist inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. The Georgia native deserves such a high honor, if only for his matchless session work on Tammy Wynette’s “Stand By Your Man,” Charlie Rich’s “Behind Closed Doors,” Lynn Anderson’s “Rose Garden” and other benchmarks in country music history.
On this day in 1970: George Harrison released All Things Must Pass
November 29, 2023 by
On November 27, 1970, George Harrison released his third studio album – and his first solo album since the break-up of The Beatles – All Things Must Pass. Produced with Phil Spector – and featuring contributions from the likes of Eric Clapton, Ringo Starr, Billy Preston, Gary Wright, Klaus Voormann, John Barham, Badfinger and Pete Drake – the classic album featured hits like ‘My Sweet Lord’, ‘What Is Life’, and ‘Isn’t It A Pity’. To mark the anniversary of All Things Must Pass, we’re revisiting Jackie Hayden’s tribute to George Harrison, originally published in Hot Press in 2001…
The Making of All Things Must Pass – George Harrison Archive
November 27, 2023 by
Peter Frampton Recalls How He Started Using the Talk Box, Explains Why He Prefers It Over Digital Alternatives
October 30, 2023 by
Peter Frampton recalled how he started using the famous “talk box” effect, noting that, unlike the ubiquitous autotune of today’s world, it was fully analog.
The effect that was made famous in the electric guitar world by the 73-year-old British player wasn’t his personal invention, as similar things existed before the release of Frampton’s “Do You Feel Like We Do” and “Show Me the Way.” In essence, it is a piece of equipment that combines speech with an electric instrument signal by using a plastic pipe that connects with the musician’s mouth. The musician is then able to articulate various sound effects by simply changing the shape of their mouth.
George Harrison Includes Bootleg on 30th Anniversary Reissue of ‘All Things Must Pass’ Because of Pete Drake
September 1, 2022 by
In 2001, George spoke with Billboard about the 30th-anniversary reissue of All Things Must Pass.
“You know, we talked about it ages ago, but it’s just really that you want to get the whole catalog of mine back out in the shops, because it hasn’t been there for a long time,” George said. “And it was just obvious to start with the first one, as the first one was probably my most prominent solo album, anyway.”
Further Reading: Because of Pete Drake, George Harrison included a previously unreleased bootleg on the 30th anniversary reissue of ‘All Things Must Pass.’
Linda Hargrove: A Free Spirit Whose Greatness Went Well Beyond ‘Tennessee Whiskey’
August 3, 2022 by
Despite being a before-her-time talent as a rock-reared and country-minded singer, songwriter, session guitarist, engineer and producer, Linda Hargove’s mostly mentioned, when she’s mentioned at all, as the answer to a trivia question: who co-wrote “Tennessee Whiskey” with Dean Dillon?
Though it’s certainly a positive that Hargrove’s way with words has been part of the “Tennessee Whiskey” discourse since Chris Stapleton immortalized the song in 2015, it’s a shame that she’s not known for her entire body of written and recorded work. Her 1970s back catalog as a solo artist alone warrants praise, though songs that barely made a dent in the charts then remain hidden away, unavailable on Spotify and untouched by reissue labels (though easy enough to find in a used vinyl bin near you).
What follows is a story that’s inspiring at times and tragic at others about a true songwriting genius and free spirit.
Read the full article on Wide Open Country.
Pete Drake Impacted Rock History, Helped Underdogs and Honored Ernest Tubb En Route to the Hall of Fame
June 14, 2022 by
On May 1, 2022, Pete Drake became the first pedal steel guitarist inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. The Georgia native deserves such a high honor, if only for his matchless session work on Tammy Wynette’s “Stand By Your Man,” Charlie Rich’s “Behind Closed Doors,” Lynn Anderson’s “Rose Garden” and other benchmarks in country music history.
In the bigger picture, Drake worked tirelessly as more than an elite session player, from his 1959 arrival in Nashville to his death in 1988 at the young age of 55.
“A part of the Hall of Fame induction was because Pete contributed so much to country music,” said his widow and longtime business partner, Rose Drake, to Wide Open Country. “Not just with his steel playing, but with songwriters and with artists as a producer. He had three different studios, and he contributed a lot to the music industry.”
Pete Drake In The News and Podcasts
June 1, 2022 by
Pete Drake has been receiving a lot of buzz in the media and on podcasts recently. See links below for more.
PODCASTS:
Deans of Nashville
Honoring Legendary Steel Player Pete Drake w/ His Wife Rose Drake (Peter Frampton, CMHOF) – YouTube
Honoring Legendary Steel Player Pete Drake w/ His Wife Rose Drake (Peter Frampton, CMHOF) – Spotify
Spilling The Tea
PRESS/ONLINE
Country Music People – 6-page feature (attached)
Daily Journal (5/21/22)
Associated Press ( Dylan best 25 albums)
Billboard Cty Update ran photo page on CMHF – page 9
https://s3.amazonaws.com/bulletins.billboard.com/country/country_update_2022_0509.pdf
Billboard Country Update (5/2)
https://s3.amazonaws.com/bulletins.billboard.com/country/country_update_2022_0502.pdf , pages 1-2
Country Aircheck (5/2)
http://countryaircheck.com/pdfs/current050222.pdf ; pages 1, 7 and 9
Forbes 5/2
Instagram: Wendy Moten’s post:
https://www.instagram.com/p/CdYo7WFgBwt/
CMHF Video released:
Some performance snippets and Charlie intro and you
part of your CMHF speech is at 4:19
Wheel Country ( Germany)
https://wheel-countrymail.de/kuenstler-musiker/ (at first is an article about Naomi Judd, than to It’s Miller Time)
Spectrum News
Jesse Rose
My Kind of Country (5/2 + 5/3)
https://flipboard.com/@forbes/business-f4b93odaz/-/a-9uWLgJA-TxOO6NSRkLoiOg%3Aa%3A3199486-%2F0
Update News
Prince Georges Suite (5/1)
Billboard
Black Promoters Collective
Nashville Music Guide
Far Out Magazine
https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/10-greatest-session-musicians-bob-dylan/
Outsider
Los Angeles Times
Kentucky Country Music
The Country Note
Music Matters Magazine
https://people.com/country/judds-reunite-cmt-awards-2022-performance-introduced-kacey-musgraves/
https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/the-judds-reuniting-cmt-awards.html/
Taste of Country
https://tasteofcountry.com/the-judds-reunion-2022-cmt-music-awards-performance/
Steel Guitarist Pete Drake Inducted Into Country Music Hall of Fame
May 4, 2022 by
Pete Drake was recently inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. Find links to news articles below.
- Steel Guitarist Pete Drake, Inducted Into The Country Music Hall Of Fame, Also Influenced Rock & Roll
- Bobby Karl Works The Room: Historic Moments Dot Country Hall Of Fame Inductions
- The Judds, Ray Charles join the Country Music Hall of Fame
- The Judds, Ray Charles Inducted Into Country Music Hall of Fame
- Naomi Judd Remembered at Emotional Country Music Hall of Fame Ceremony: ‘My Mama Loved You So Much’
- The Judds join Country Music Hall of Fame in ceremony filled with tears & laughter
- Ray Charles post-humously inducted into country music hall of fame
- 2022 Country Music Hall of Fame: Ray Charles, The Judds, more inducted; Naomi Judd mourned
- The Judds, Ray Charles join the Country Music Hall of Fame
Legendary Steel Player Pete Drake Keeps Making History
April 2, 2022 by
Drake Will Be First Steel Guitarist Inducted Into The Country Music Hall of Fame on May 1
He knew when to play, what to play and just as importantly … when not to play. He crossed most every genre of music – George Harrison to George Jones, Tammy Wynette to Bob Dylan.— Joe Chambers, Musicians Hall of Fame & Museum
PLEASANT VIEW, TENNESSEE, UNITED STATES, April 1, 2022 /EINPresswire.com/ — Pete Drake will make history as the first steel guitarist to be inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. Drake, who was once featured on 59 of the 75 songs on Billboard’s Top Country Hits chart, also enjoyed success as a producer, publisher, record label founder and recording artist. He will be inducted, in the Recording and/or Touring Musician category, alongside additional honorees Ray Charles, The Judds and Eddie Bayers on May 1. Drake is a member of the Atlanta Music Hall of Fame, Georgia Music Hall of Fame, Musicians Hall of Fame and Steel Guitar Hall of Fame.
