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.
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.”
Nikkie Lane’s ‘Send The Sun’ Video Influenced by Pete Drake’s ‘Forever’
September 14, 2017 by
In this article from Entertainment Weekly, Nikki Lane cites Pete Drake’s ‘Forever’ as influencing the direction they took on her newest music video for ‘Send The Sun’.
