Steel Guitars of Canada

Canada’s Ambassador of the Steel Guitar

Born & raised on the family ‘APPLEDALE’ farm in the community of NORTHCOTE, near RENFREW, ONTARIO, CANADA, where early musical influences included the school & church. Five years of piano music lessons plus learning some chords on the acoustic guitar lead to playing bass at the age of 16 with country bands.

One of these bands named The Countrymen were desirous for a steel guitar, & since there wasn’t a pedal steel within many miles, Al proceeded to build his first one, from a picture on a Pete Drake LP. After many tuning frustrations, Al purchased his first factory-built pedal steel, a Fender 400, finished high school & went on the road making music his career. In 1966 he took delivery of his first Sho-Bud D-10 Finger Tip pedal steel.

His influences over the years include Ralph Mooney, Tom Brumley, Buddy Emmons, Buddy Charleton & Lloyd Green. Since there were no cassette tapes in those days, he practiced with a LP turntable which would play a half speed, putting coins on the tone arm to slow it down to pitch. (really great for the record grooves!)

Al started doing recording sessions in the late 1960’s, & in 1970 he put the hit sound on the song “COUNTRYFIED” by Dick Damron. Over the years, he has been active doing session work with such names as: George Hamilton IV, “Bustin’ Out” w/Pure Prairie League, Ian & Sylvia Tyson, Gordie Tapp, Gary Buck, Tommy Hunter, & Johnny Burke, to name a few.

Throughout the years, Al has been in demand, playing with such artists as Grant Carson, Sons Of The Saddle, Honey West, Gary Buck, & then in 1972 he was called by Ronnie Hawkins, taking the position as band leader. During his 4 years with “The Hawks” playing mostly Rock ‘n Roll, gave Al the experience of using a ‘Leslie’ organ-type speaker and a fuzz tone, taking the steel guitar into a new dimension. During this tenure he got to back up many notables, such as Frank Zappa, The Band, Kris Kristofferson, Beverly D’Angelo, & many others.

In 1976 Al joined Johnny Burke & Eastwind, one of Canada’s top country groups, & in 1977 assisted in making “Wild Honey”, a #1 record. Eastwind were in demand, having won RPM Magazine’s Big Country Award for Canada’s top country group. Consequently, Eastwind were often the first choice for back-up musicians for live gigs, as well as CTV’s Funny Farm, & CFGM’s Opry North syndicated radio show. During these years, Al also assisted Eddy Fulawka in building pedal steel guitars.

In 1979, after being inspired by attending the International Steel Guitar Convention in St. Louis, MO, Al (with fellow steeler Al Gain), started the Steel Guitar Club Of Canada, (S.G.C.C.), now named “Steel Guitars of Canada” (SGC).

Al quit the road in 1981 & started working at Cosmo Music in Richmond Hill, Ont., where he worked for nine years, maintaining The Steel Guitar Club Of Canada, as well as playing misc. engagements. He left Cosmo in 1991, continuing to operate the S.G.C.C. from his residence in Mississauga, Ontario, & eventually moved to his current location in 2000 on 4 acres in the country near Colborne, Ontario where he built his current Steel Guitars of Canada store in 2002.

Al has been playing at various steel guitar conventions & events, doing seminars, etc. throughout North America & Europe, including the Pedal Steel Guitar Association’s Celebration in Connecticut, USA; the Texas Steel Guitar Jamboree in Dallas, TX; Steel Days 2000 in Holland, the Irish Steel Guitar Festival, Bettysville, Ireland; the first ever Finland Steel Guitar Convention, as well as playing Scotty’s International Steel Guitar Convention in St. Louis, MO, regularly since 1982.

Other highlights of Al’s career include the October of 1994 induction into The Ottawa Valley Country Music Hall of Fame & the subsequent release of his first solo album, “PICKIN’ UP THE DUST”, containing 10 pedal steel guitar instrumentals, available on CD, which has received fantastic reviews!

On November 28, 2004 Al was honoured with the ‘2004 Career Musician’ award at the O.C.P.F.A. (Ontario Country Performer & Fan Association) awards show & banquet.

In 2005 Al was invited to become committee member of ‘The Steel Guitar Hall of Fame’.

Al released his second solo CD “Pickin’ Your Picks” in 2007 which is a variety of 14 tunes (2 original combined with 12 popular favourites).

Over the years Al has published a variety of instructional material for the pedal steel guitar. In order of their release they include: “Pedal Steeling” Tab Book w/CD, “Pickin’ Up The Dust” Tab Book w/CD, “The Bakersfield Sound, Ralph Mooney Style” DVD w/Tab, “Care & Feeding of Your Pedal Steel” DVD, & “Appledale Ride” DVD, “Tuning Your Pedal Steel” & “The Volume Pedal Tutorial”.

As well as operating Steel Guitars of Canada & promoting his music, Al keeps active playing with Carroll Baker & Baker Street, Freddy Vette & His Rhinestone Plowboys, plus other miscellaneous gigs, steel guitar concerts & seminars. In addition to assisting his wife Betty in maintaining their property, Al is a member of the Masonic Lodge, & is very active with The Rotary Club of Colborne assuming the position of President for 2011/2012.

In the spring of 2019, Al along with Nathan Gray launched their new Entry-Level S-10, 3&4, All-Pull pedal steel named the BRISCO ‘Bud’. Check it our at www.briscosteelguitars.com

“KEEP STEELIN”

…But Don’t Get Caught!

Al has a music degree from Queen’s and a PhD from Carleton University. He presently spends much of his time researching and writing about Canadian music history. Al played pedal-steel in several country music groups in the 70s and 80s. In the early 90s, he turned to playing five-string banjo with a number of popular bluegrass bands. In 2012, he returned to the pedal-steel guitar; playing weekly in a wide variety of folk, rock, blues, and jazz ensembles. Al is now involved in several recording projects as he explores a new direction; the playing of jazz and blues utilizing the E9th tuning.

Bob Blair divides his time between Lethbridge and Edmonton, Alberta and Gabriola Island, British Columbia. A multi-instrumentalist and singer, Bob regularly performs on guitar, pedal steel guitar, dobro and weissenborn. As a pedal steel guitarist Bob gained his early experience playing steadily on the Eastern Ontario and Toronto club circuit. In addition to live performances with Andrea House and numerous other artists and solo appearances across Canada Bob has been a session player on a number of cd’s and jingles. He has been a performer at the Canadian Steel Guitar Show, the Texas Steel Guitar Association Annual Jamboree in Dallas and the Southwestern Steel Guitar Association Steel Guitar Show in Phoenix.

Worked with the local groups “The Melody Ramblers” for 15 years (1980-1995) at fairs, festivals, weddings and bars (one of Michelle Wright’s first bands, where I was a bass player 1979-1980) and opened up for her in 1991 at Chatham’s Jaycee Fair.

Worked with the “B.J. Preston Band” occasionally at clubs, fairs, and festivals. Had to opportunity to open up for such acts as Suzanne Gitzi – 1996, Duane Steel – 1996, Jason McCoy – 1996, Blue Rodeo – 1995.

Worked with recording artist “Terry Hill & Highwater”.

Recorded with the group “Rebecca & Kickin’ Horse” on the song “Changes In You”.

Worked occasionally on the road in such fine clubs as Golden Nugget – Thunder Bay, Golden Nugget – Winnipeg, Golden Nugget – Kingston, Silver Saddle Saloon – Thunder Bay, Maple Leaf – Timmins, Jesses’ – Wallaceburg.

In July of 1997, I helped create the band “Southward”, backing up impersonators on a Las Vegas style show known as the “HITS TRIBUTE TOUR”. This show is basically a country oriented show with tributes to Garth, Shania, Alan Jackson, George Strait, Tim McGraw & Faith Hill. In this show, I get to play Dobro, Slide & mainly Steel Guitar. I was asked to become the band leader in 1998, which has allowed me to expand my knowledge of organization, preparation & human relations within the show. I enjoy it greatly & it has assisted in bringing me to a higher level of showmanship, a better quality of work, with higher pay, without having to go out on the road & leave my family & day job. These shows are one-nighters & usually only a few hours from home. It’s a real thrill to watch people’s reaction to these impersonators too! All the hours of homework & preparation really pay off in this show. …very rewarding! It’s the year 2000 & the future looks bright playing the instrument I love…the Steel Guitar!

As well as the steel guitar, dobro, and slide guitar I have enjoyed meeting and playing with all the fine musicians along the way. I also enjoy acoustic guitar playing, singing harmony and lead vocals. Playing good music has always been my top priority and would like to pursue this as a full time career. I am currently a factory worker and I am filling up my spare time with practicing and part-time fill in playing gigs. I am willing to travel for part time and/or full time work.

HISTORY:

1976 – 1981 – Bass Guitar
1981 – 1995 – Steel Guitar
1995 – 1997 – Dobro, Slide Guitar
1970 – 1997 – Some Acoustic Guitar
1976 – 1997 – Harmony & Lead Vocals

UPDATE ON HISTORY:

1997 – JOINED THE “HITS TRIBUTE TOUR” OUT OF WOODSTOCK,ONT., BACKING UP SUCH IMPERSONATORS AS GARTH, SHANIA, ALAN JACKSON, GEORGE STRAIT, TIM MCGRAW , FAITH HILL, REBA, LEANN RIMES & ROY ORBISON.

1998 -BECAME BAND LEADER FOR THE “HITS” ALLOWING ME TO FOCUS ON THE WHOLE SHOW STRUCTURE & IT’S MEMBERS.

2000 – HIRED BY “LEGENDS ALIVE” OUT OF T.O. TO DO A WESTERN TOUR, PLAYING SLIDE & STEEL FOR SUCH IMPERSONATORS AS GARTH, SHANIA, CHER, BUDDY HOLLY, JERRY LEE LEWIS, BARRY MANILOW, Z.Z. TOP, & THE BLUES BROS.

2001 – JOINED THE ULTIMATE TRIBUTE SHOW “SHANIA LIVE” OUT OF WINDSOR. IT’S CALLED ULTIMATE BECAUSE THEY USE NO TRACKS..THIS 7 PC. BAND HAS ALL THE INSTRUMENTATION & BACKGROUD VOCALS TOO. ANNETTE LAFOND,, A WINNER ON THE “YOUR BIG BREAK” SHOW IS A GREAT SINGER & DOES AN EXCELLENT JOB IMPERSONATING SHANIA TWAIN.

MY EQUIPMENT NOW CONSISTS OF: FRANKLIN STEEL, MELOBAR SLIDE GUITAR, PEAVEY VEGAS AMP, PROFEX EFFECTS, WIRELESS MIKE & GUITAR

Rene… opening up for “The Roadhammers” at “Twister” with “The Demelo Brothers Band”

RENE BROSSEAU
519 352 4392
CHATHAM ON.
e-mail: rainman(at)teksavvy.com
Web Site: http://clients.teksavvy.com/~rainman

Gene Brown started playing music professionally at the age of 14 on bass guitar.

He played nightclubs and social events for many years and eventually made music a full time career. He started playing pedal steel guitar at the age of 17 and that became his principle musical instrument. Gene did not start writing songs and singing professionally until around the age of 20 and moved on to Portland, Oregon to be closer to the music scene.

There he met a man by the name of Gene Breeden who owned a recording studio called Ripcord Records and was hired on as a full time studio musician. While working there he met many well-known recording artists and began showing his material he had written to as many artists as he could. Gene has had several of his songs published and recorded over the years with two of them making it to a major label, Capitol Records in Los Angeles, California. “If The World Ran Out Of Diesel” was soon to be recorded by Red Simpson of Capitol Records and was performed live on the Dean Martin Television Show in 1973. In addition, Jerry Naylor from Capitol Tower Records recorded a Gene Brown song called “High on Happiness” and released it in 1967. Gene’s pen name is Hobert E. Brown and all of his songs have been published under this name for professional reasons.

During his Career, Gene has performed lead vocals and backup pedal steel guitar, also bass guitar with quite a number of Grand Ole Opry stars. The first Grand Ole Opry star he became fortunate enough to work with was Bobby Bare (“Detroit City” and “500 Miles Away From Home”). Gene has also worked with many other Opry stars such as Dave Dudley (“Six Days On The Road”), Red Sovine (“Teddy bear”), Sheb Wooley (“That’s My Pa”), The Family Brown in Canada, Dallas Harms (a great Canadian writer), Johnny Russell and many more too numerous to mention here. Gene traveled on the road with Dave Dudley doing auditorium shows and played for two of the biggest rodeos in the world, The Pendleton Roundup and the Cheyenne Frontier Days in Cheyenne, Wyoming. He also worked as a staff musician on a weekly television show in Portland, Oregon for two years with Susan Raye (from the “Buck Owens Show” and “Hee Haw”).

Gene moved to Whitehorse, Yukon in 1975 as a landed immigrant and has lived there ever since. Gene has a wife named Carol who immigrated from New Zealand and they have a daughter named Krissy. Gene also has a daughter named Shelly and a son named Tom. Gene has seven grandchildren. Shelly’s five sons are Tyrone, Andrew, Nicholas, Joseph and Michael. Tom has a daughter Augist and a son Thomas.

Gene Brown has had a wonderful career performing with other artists over the years and would now like to present to all country music lovers around Canada and the world, his first country music CD featuring 10 songs he has written and recorded. This CD was a labour of love for Gene and he recorded these songs from the heart. He feels deeply about his lyrics knowing that each song will touch someone’s heart somewhere.

COMMONLY KNOWN AS JC

I began taking steel guitar lessons at age 12, at the Ontario Conservatory of Music. This is where I met Buddy Cage. Him and I were being taught by Ken Near. Buddy and I went to the same high school. We were considered freaks because when all the other kids were going to rock concerts Buddy and I were going to Ernest Tubb, Ray Price, and Faron Young concerts. We learned how to tune our steels to E9th by getting back stage at an Earnest Tubb show and meeting Buddy Charleton. He was kind enough to write out the tuning for us when we asked how to tune to that Nashville tuning, as we had been taught mostly Hawaiian music in different tunings. By the way we used to get back stage at these concerts with the help of Ollie Strong who played in some of the Canadian warm up bands.

I began playing professionally in the 70’s. In 1978 I was nominated male vocalist of the year by the BCCMA.

Played in a band called Super Country, which was led by a well respected wonderful singer and radio disc jockey, Elmer Tippe. He had several recordings that got a lot of air play across Canada.

Did many live one hour radio shows from the JR Country club which was a night club owned by the main FM country station in Vancouver, CJJR FM. This was with a band I really enjoyed working with called The Honkin’ Pontiacs.

Played steel on several BCCMA awards shows, giving me the opportunity to back acts such as Dick Damron, The Rhythm Pals, who I played with on other occasions, Gary Fjellgaard, and many other well known entertainers.

Played with Bob Regan and Lucille Starr, Bobby G. Rice ( You Lay So Easy On My Mind ), Ferlin Husky.

Played on a CCMA tv show out here in Vancouver.

Played the Merritt Mountain Music Fest several times.

Still doing session work, and playing live shows.

My equipment: Sho-Bud, Emmons Legrande (short keyhead) which I love. Peavey Session 500, and a Nashville 112.

My interest in steel guitar started in my teens and my inspiration came from Buddy Emmons and Tom Brumley who played with Buck Owens at the time.

My first steel was a lap top Gibson and we built a table for it to play it sitting down. My second steel was a home made steel designed like the national with the pedals on the side, and I converted it to the pedals being on the front. The cables were made out of guitar strings. I couldn’t press too hard or I would break a string. I played with Jim Seymore in Collingwood and Jim Best who still performs throughout the southern states.

My next steel was an original Sho-Bud steel built for Bob Lucier by Shot Jackson and Buddy Emmons. In these years I played with a group called the country showmen which included Bill Johnson, Bunt Lewis, Earl Tryon and me.

In 1968 I recorded my first steel guitar instrumental album titled “Big Steel Guitar” on the Paragon label, owned by Jack Boswell & engineered by Bill Bessey.

I also hosted a country jamboree with Bob Hathaway in Uxbridge, Ont. in the early 70’s with our guest being Diana Leigh from the Carl Smith TV Show (which was taped in Canada in the 60’s), as well as Con Archer, and Carroll Baker.

I started playing club gigs & dances full time with Con Archer in 1972 for about 4 years, after which I came off the road and played with a gospel group called Damascus Road.

In 1977 I started my own recording studio & record label Ambassador Records, Oshawa, Ont., and continue to record & produce.

Editor’s Note: Check with Paul for a good deal on recording, tape duplicating, etc., remembering that he has a vast background in Country, Gospel, & Steel Guitar Music.

In the works is another Steel album, but this time it will be gospel.

Mail Paul at ambassdr(at)netrover.com

I’ve played steel since I was 21 (took out a loan and just bought a new MSA D10 steel and amp so I knew I’d better learn at least a few licks) Influences: Buddy Cage, Buddy Emmons, Paul Franklin, Pete Drake

I was into the country/rock stuff in the seventies (before it was cool) Played with many local bands…Moonshine Molly, Red Hot Burritos, Milo Ford & The Barnburners, and Eddie Lester & The Lonesome, Handsome Devils.

Played on the Red Hot Burrito’s single “Feelin’ Like a Fool” ……..and on a bunch of other stuff you’ll never hear!

I now play a Sho-bud S-10 3+2 (the Double neck was way too heavy and had way too many strings and pedals and stuff that I didn’t know how to use anyway) I still use an old Session 400 amp with a JBL 15″ speaker.

Born in ’69, Ken was the son of Oakville Piano technician, John E. Lillico- learned some cello, and classical as a boy, before being bitten by the ‘country bug’ in the early ’80’s Ken has had some degree of success in building his own guitars, “LILLICOsteel” & has assembled and busked with the following:

1995: B-5 A lap-steel accoustic Banjo
1996: “Blues-Uke” a 4-string ’64 Gretsch Ukelale w/ Grovers
1997: D-4 Combining the Uke with a 13.5 in.banjo, doubleneck ” : S-5, & ES-5 both were once 6-string accoustics, The latter having 2 pickups, 3 pos. V&T pot controls.
mid1997: Pawned a ’93 Telecaster for the remains of a 10 string SHO-BUD, with one pathetic knee lever, on 2nd or 3rd .

Ken started making a name for himself with the D-4 Uke-Jo, Busking, & Jamming with Slim Gaynor, Jerome Godboo, Brian Cober, “The Gingko Girls”, and mind-blowing sessions with “The Aliens”

Influences include : JERRY GARCIA, JUNIOR BROWN, GREG LEISZ, JAMES MARSHALL HENDRIX, and JIMMY ROGERS.

Recent Shows : Gladstone Hotel & Spadina subway with Petunia, CAFE KARA mon/tues/saturday matinees with DANTE^ & ALIENS ensemble in Kensingtonmarket in Nov/Dec. 98. NEW YEARS EVE broadcast from Quinns Tavern, Killaloe, on CHCR l02.9 FM community radio, W/The Stoppa Lake Melodeers. 1999 Jan l party @ HAGGARTY HOUSE recording, W/ BARNEY McCAFFERY in Downtown Killaloe.

Upcoming : RECORDING IN SPRING 1999 with CRISTINA MASOTTI “Gingko’s” Fiddler extrordnaire !

Ken J.Lillico appreciates the support of friends, fans, & fellow Steel Guitar players ! Like AL BRISCO ! (You’re THE MAN!) Donations of used equipment gratefully accepted through Mr.Brisco. (Uhh, like a BJS tone bar, G.F.I. S-l0, a new pick, etc.

THANKS TO Y’ALL !
keep on steelin’ !

KEN J.LILLICO

Andy is originally from Trenton and now resides in Kingston, Ontario.

Andy started playing Steel Guitar at the age of 15 and took lessons from local musician Phil Forsythe. In 1994 Andy was offered an audition with Universal recording artist Jason McCoy. He was then offered the privilege to be Jason’s Pedal Steel Guitar Player.

During the following seven years and many tours across Canada Andy was nominated by the Canadian Country Music Association; 5 times CCMA Pedal Steel Player of the Year and 3 times CCMA Back Up Band of the Year.

Andy was presented with a Gold Album from Jason McCoy and Universal Records in 2000.

In 2001 Andy was voted and awarded Back Up Band of the Year for his 3rd nomination.

In 2002 and 2004 Andy was awarded Pedal Steel Guitar Player of the Year by the CCMA.

Andy Schick
e-mail: aschick(at)cogeco.ca

Started playing in Germany at the age of 15 in my Dad’s band, playing American & Canadian Forces Bases during the four years we were living over there.

Came back to Canada in 1963 & played locally around Ontario, then moved to Florida and did another tour of Europe with “The Calhoun Twins”. Played the Grand Ole Opry in 1967, & did recording sessions with this group in Nashville, on Pete Drake’s ‘STOP RECORDS’ label.

Returned to Canada in 1972 and toured with Honey West & Wayne Rostad.

Played the Ronnie Prophet Show on CTV for 6 years; the Tim Daniels Show & The Ray Griff Show, both on the Global TV network. did a multitude of recording sessions for Marathon Music. Started playing & recording with Mike Francis, who was producing such Canadian artists as Anita Perras, Joan Kennedy, & many others.

Also recorded with Kasandra Vassack, Don Neilson, Ron Hines, Rick Emmett from Triumph, Carleton Showband, Carroll Baker, Tommy Hunter, to name a few.

Worked 8 years with Carroll Baker, which I truly enjoyed….now presently doing TV and Radio commercials and recording sessions, as well as working with Tommy Hunter, for the past ten years.

For equipment, I am currently playing a Carter D-10. Steve Smith Picture & Testimonial*

I also own a Sho-Bud Super Pro & a Fulawka D-10. Amps include 2 Peavey Nashville 400’s & an Evans Fet 500.

Favourite players include Buddy Emmons, Tommy White, Paul Franklin & John Hughey.

Started playing in 1956 as a bass player around the Eastern Townships (Frelighsburg, P.Q.) for a year until I saw a player named George Essery from Montreal who had a home made pedal steel and was playing with Tommy Hunter at the Brome Fairgrounds. I had heard a pedal steel on the “Dusty Owens” show on WWVA but had no idea how they worked. I was hooked. George made me a little “tee” with two set-screws that went down between the first two strings of a six string steel and hooked a chain around my foot. After sticking three wobbly legs in holes there was my first pedal guitar. I used this little “string stretcher” on various regulat steels for a few years until I bought a Fender “400” the later on graduated to Sho-Bud.

In 1957 I started playing with a Valleyfield-Cornwall, ON band called “Smiling Jack and the Sons of The Plains”. We had a weekly radio show on CKSF Cornwall. I then left the band and went to play at CJON-TV St.Johns, Nfld. for a year, then came back to Cornwall when Channel 8 went on the air. Played there for two years and covered Eastern Ontario,Western Quebec and Northern New York state. Then when the CTV network took over the Cornwall station I went back to Newfoundand for a couple years. The last two years of my career in Canada was in the Montreal scene with Dougie Trineer, Wayne King, and various other artists.

In 1965 I moved to the U.S.A. and the rest is history, having lived most of my dreams that I had as a young musician. My career in the U.S.A. has been very rewarding after playing with various artists from Crystal Gayle to Charlie Daniels to the Wilburn Brothers etc.etc. and also had the chance to play in Holland,Ireland,and the U.K. Now I just play around New York, Boston and other New England areas with a wonderful four piece modern country band and having a great time.

Email Terry: Shobud1(at)aol.com

I was born on September 2nd, 1940 in Sydney Mines, Nova Scotia. After seeing a few western movies I became a fan of the guitar right away and dreamed of playing one before I was 10 years old.

Around 1952 my parents let me sign up for guitar lessons and I along with about 150 other kids arrived at a large hall after school one day and they started passing around Stella Guitars to everyone. However when my turn came they passed me a flat metal bar along with the guitar. That’s not what I had in mind at all. I wanted to play with the fingers like I saw in the movies. Being too shy to express my true desire I decided to go with the steel bar for a few weeks and see what happened. I still have that flat steel bar.

In December of 1953 my parents got me an electric lap steel and small amp from Sears catalogue and that along with a lap Richenbacker which I got at a second hand shop a few years later comprised my equipment list until 1960. I played in school, at parties, on the radio and could play with any local country band I wanted to because of the unique sound the guitar offered.

Having joined the Bank after graduating from high school I was transferred to Antigonish, N.S. and very soon after bought a Fender 400–. My introduction to pedals. I married soon after and then transferred to Hamilton, Ont. I remember meeting people like Ollie Strong, Al Gain and a few others who were using Sho-Buds at that time.

At this point I made a decision to leave the Bank, move back to Nova Scotia and raise our family there. I started a new career in municipal administration and continued to play the local scene with a number of bands. I got a Sho-Bud in 1969 and two years later recorded a number of LP’s with the Fogarty’s in 1972. On one album I played an instrumental R.T. Fever, an original which brought me about $1,000 in royalty payments .The reports that accompanied the payments indicated that a radio station in England used my instrumental for theme music on a country music program.

Sometime later I appeared on” Countrytime” with a group called “Big Buffalo”. This program was a CBC production and aired quite a few years. Len MacDonald was the regular steelman for the show.

Raising a family and working as Town Administrator in Wolfville since 1971 required a great deal of my time but I played steel with local groups throughout the years almost every weekend. I visited Nashville twice and met Lloyd Green and Curly Chaulker back in the 70’s. Also Shot Jackson who inspired me to start playing the dobro when I first heard him with Johnny and Jack back in the 50’s. The highlight however was jamming with Mr. Emmons at Cosmo Music in 1985. As well as steel, I also play dobro and some classical guitar. For six years along with everything else in the 1970’s. Early 1980’s I played bagpipes but that is history.

Today I am retired and a director with the Atlantic Steel Guitar Club. I play a Carter D10 and keep my sound very simple and as pure as possible . I have been using a Nashville 400 amp since 1985. Along with trying to keep up with “to-day’s” country sounds I like to experiment with fingerstyle music and some classical. I am presently testing some changes on an” E” diatonic tuning and use an acoustic steel that I built for this purpose.

Besides being a Director of the ASGC I have a little business called Roy’s Steel Guitar Centre and specialize in personalized instruction.

Email Roy: roy.thomson(at)ns.sympatico.ca