A Dedication

[David Biagini]

The first steel guitar player I ever knew personally was a man named Don "Windy" Howe. Don sold music gear out of his basement when I was in high school and college. It may have been a basement but it was a great store. One day I met the bass player from the Everly Brothers there. But I digress.

Don was a great pedal steel player and he always tried to get me interested in the steel guitar. But I wanted to be a rock star so I stuck with my Les Pauls. Still, I was fascinated by the instrument and when the Byrds released "Sweetheart of the Rodeo" I stared to get hooked on the sound and when Poco appeared on the scene I really flipped. But I never took the plunge. The expense of a pedal steel was probably one reason.

I continued to pursue six string guitar and became an accomplished blues and flamenco guitar player. Then about six years ago I again got interested in the pedal steel and came VERY close to buying one. But I still couldn't convince myself to do it.

Three years ago I finally took the plunge and bought an old Sho Bud Professional. That lasted a little over a year. I just didn't have the time nor a teacher. But once the steel guitar gets in your blood...

Last July I came back into the fold. It's been a rocky road and I still don't have enough time, I still don't have a teacher, I still don't have a band to play or jam with and even if I did I probably couldn't play a single note in tune. But I've got my CD player and my tape deck and I'm sticking with it. And every time I sit down in front of my pedal steel I think of old "Windy". He's still my inspiration. I doubt that he's online and I don't even know if he's still alive but I think he would be happy to know that he finally got through to me. Don, this Bud's for you.<FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by David Biagini on 24 February 2003 at 07:47 PM.]</p></FONT>

[George Rozak]

I've been in that basement David. 'Course I never played for the Everly Brothers

I was there once in 1970 & he had a brand spanking new Sho-Bud Professional set up down there that had just come in. He let me sit down there and play it for several hours. You can guess the rest. I still own it. Traded him my Fender 400 & a we bit of cash for it. As a matter of fact, I just last year sent it down to Bobbe to add a couple of extra knee levers to it.

Last I heard he was still living in Streater but had closed up the basement store. I don't know if he still gets out to play anymore. I haven't seen him in ages.

George






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Sho-Bud: Professional & Fingertip

[David Biagini]

Wow, someone else who's been to Don's. I saw him about five years ago. He still had his store but it was in a regular building. I don't think he was doing much business. He told me that there wasn't any live music in the area anymore and all of the bands folded. So there went his business. He was trying to sell the building the last time I saw him.