European Steel Guitar Hall of Fame
About Us
The institution of the European Steel Guitar Hall of Fame (ESGHoF) was announced on Sunday 1st March. 2009. The main purpose of ESGHoF is to publicly recognise those individuals who have. over the years. contributed to establishing and popularising the steel guitar in Europe. The award will be in the form of induction into ESGHoF. taking a lead from the American Steel Guitar Hall of Fame which has its roots in the early 1970’s and which has done so much to promote the steel guitar.
However ESGHoF will have a distinctly European style and feel to it simply because we have to meet the needs and requirements of steel players in Europe. Unlike the US with its prairie culture – one nation. language and currency from sea to shining sea. we have many nations. languages and cultures to contend with and an ancient history that tends to divide rather than unite. In fact the divisions are such that it would be true to generalise that most European steel players are more familiar with the US steel scene than with the steel scene in neighbouring countries. This makes sense because players and manufacturers in the US have made staggering contributions to the development of the steel guitar and quite rightly claim it as theirs.
Be that as it may. it has not been entirely to the benefit of the European steel guitar community. Europeans have looked to the US for a lead and inspiration but in doing so they have had to adopt a culture and style that is not really their own. Wearing a cowboy hat won’t make you a cowboy and flying the Stars and Stripes or the Southern Cross won’t turn you into a good ol’ boy. To be an accomplished player you also need to include European music in your repertoire. All western music. including that in the US and Hawaii. has its roots in Europe and so there is no reason why European styles and sounds cannot be developed. Yet despite the enormous wealth of talent that has graced the European steel guitar scene for almost a century. there has been little or no recognition of these abilities to date.
A key aim of ESGHoF is to give public recognition to the talents in Europe which will increase the self confidence and self esteem of European players and so accomplish two important objectives: firstly to enhance the popularity of the steel guitar in each European nation and secondly to encourage the development of distinctly European styles and sounds. This aim is not chauvinistic in any sense. it is important to embrace the styles and sounds from the US . the home of the steel guitar. but it is also important to produce music and song in the style and language of each nation. The more people listen to the music and buy the records the more popular will the steel guitar become.
Another major objective of ESGHoF is to honour the past greats who established the steel guitar in Europe. many of them forgotten alas or passed on to the great steel guitar hall in the sky. Recording their deeds will establish the history of the steel guitar in Europe and. as with all histories. knowledge of the past will guide the future. It is also mooted that. in time. ESGHoF may become the European repository of the collections and memorabilia now held privately.
With these laudable ideas in mind Basil Henriques and I launched ESGHoF on our own initiative. We have recruited a selection committee composed of some of the most knowledgeable individuals. What was surprising was that everyone of them was enthusiastic to support the project and so here we are. I’m sure there should be others on the selection committee but our priority was to get ESGHoF up and running with a manageable number of people and once established the committee members will decide how it should develop.
ESGHoF is structured around a Selection committee and an Executive committee. The function of the former is to confer together and select the candidates for induction and the latter’s job is to manage the whole organisation. plan events and obtain funding. Currently ESGHoF is supported by the Chanos International Steel Guitar Festival but we are searching for sponsors and donations to enable it to have an independent existence. So if any of you out there is feeling generous. get in touch. These are early days and we plan to have a list of candidates agreed by July. The internet has made it possible to hold committee meeting without anyone leaving home but the procedures and methodologies are still being worked out. It’s an exciting and interesting time.
The selection committee is composed as follows:
John Marsden (GB): Acting Chairman of the Selection Committee. Has the Jerry Byrd
Lifetime achievement award in the US Steel Guitar Hall of Fame. He is a recognised
chronologist and historian in all matters Hawaiian/Steel guitar
Ken Byng (GB): is
an established authority on the pedal steel guitarists in the UK (and elsewhere)
and was Sarah Jory’s tutor.
Kari Laine (FI): is an accomplished historian. musicologist
and expert on steel guitars and guitarists worldwide.
Walter Stettner (AT): with his
famous tribute site to Lloyd Green and also the “Who is on Record” articles chronicling
players contributions. An excellent steel guitarist himself and has an extensive
knowledge of pedal steel guitar recordings and players.
Gerrit Venema (NL): is undoubtedly
one of the world's top experts on Hawaiian music and its players. having one of the
largest record and publication collections in this genre.
Cyril LeFebvre (FR): is an extraordinary French slide guitarist and ukulele player.
a renowned expert on acoustic steel players and founder of the Uptown Hawaiians along
with Mike Cooper
Mike Cooper (IT): has great knowledge of all things Polynesian as
well as slide/steel guitar. Very knowledgeable about European players past and present.
Ken
Ufton (CA): now residing in Canada. was a leading player in the UK
before he emigrated.
his knowledge crosses the lap/pedal steel divide. He was one of the first pedal players
in the UK to build his own PSG in the late 50's. He has great knowledge of steel
guitar music and musicians in general.
James Schmitt (FR): Franco American has a deep knowledge of the contemporary steel guitar scene in France. He has run and administered the SteelGuitarFrance Forum since 2005. which has contributed to the current revival of the steel guitar in France.
Egil Skjelnes (NO): probably has one of the largest steel guitar record collections in the world. Egil worked together with Joe Goldmark putting together "The International Steel Guitar Discography".
Wolfgang Bednarz (DE): is probably the youngest steel guitar builder in the world. He has been building his highly rated steel guitars for the last eleven years and has personal acquaintance with many European professional and amateur players.
Les Cook (GB): founder of Grass Skirt Records and responsible for the resurrection of past masters’ recordings of classic acoustic performances. Along with other renowned experts continues the legacy of the acoustic steel guitar and its seminal players.
Rene Ranti (NL): along with his wife Nora. is the founder and driving force behind the Pacifica Touch Foundation which aims to promote Hawaiian and Polynesian music in The Netherlands and Europe by financially supporting Hawaiian players who want to visit and play here. Together they have also run the Lei Of Emeralds Hawaiian Shows 3 times already within 8 months and a Lei of Emeralds Luau party last June.
Digby Hardy (GB): Non voting member of the Selection Committee. Acting Chairman of Executive committee. Plays lap steel guitar. mainly Hawaiian. Organiser of the annual Chanos International Steel Guitar Festival in Chanos Curson. France. Together with Basil Henriques started the European Steel Guitar Forum in 2009.
Basil Henriques (GB): Non voting. Acting Secretary of the Selection Committee.
One of the very few Hawaiian Guitarists contracted to a Major record label with sales worldwide in excess of 3 million units. Responsible for promoting steel guitar within the showband industry in Ireland and establishing it as an integral part of the music scene.
Digby M Hardy