By: Robbie Bossert

If you are a subscriber to this magazine, chances are good that you have spent more than a few minutes on the Steel Guitar Forum. And, if that's the case, you are already familiar with the name Ricky Davis. He's always willing to help out the new steelers out there in any way he can. Whether it be his numerous contributions of licks and advice to the forum, or just his individual style of playing. Which is probably best described as uniquely and refreshingly country, he makes anyone who reads or listens to him aware that there IS more than one player or one approach available for study.

I had the pleasure of hearing and meeting Ricky at the Tin Angel in Philadelphia last year. Dale Watson And His Lonestars did not disappoint the 50 plus country music fans crammed into the club that night. The boys treated us to a real country music performance. Hard to come by in this day of "Give me a rocker in a hat" mentality. There was no smashing of guitars here. No one flew over us on a wire. No castrated Aerosmith songs were heard. Just pure, balls to the wall country! Johnny cash would have been proud!   When the Lonestars performed their dedication to the living legends, the crowed blew the roof off the place. Ricky proudly wear's his influences on his sleeve. I heard everyone represented in his playing! From Emmons to Day, to Brumley. However, when it was time to play their original material, that's just exactly what Ricky was. ORIGINAL!  

Be sure to check out Dale Watson's Website. There's a bio for each band member. If you want to hear Real Country Music, be sure to check out all of Dale's recordings. They're loaded with steel guitar and country licks a la' Roy Nichols, Luther Perkins, and all things smokin'! The page will lead you in the right direction. Enjoy the interview.   NOTE: Dale's first C.D. on Hightone Records features the late and great Jimmy Day on a few numbers.  

1. When did you first start playing steel and what was first guitar?

I took up the pedal steel guitar when I came back from College in 1981 to persue a Gymnastics Coaching career. My brother (Charlie) was playing regular guitar and was the only musician in the family. I've always loved the sound of the steel guitar and when I heard the song "Cryin' my heart out over you" by Ricky Skaggs with Bruce Bouton on the steel, I knew I wanted to play. I called Herb Remington in Houston and he sent me a single-10 Marlen with 3 pedals and 3 knee levers.

2. Who were your earliest influences?

I have to say Buddy Emmons and Jimmy Day were my first influences with their work on so many Ray Price albums, who was one of my all time favorite singers. John Hughey with Conway, Pete Drake with Gary Stewart, and Tom Brumely with Buck Owens is what I listened to most. Lloyd Green I would say is the biggest in- fluence on my playing pedal steel.

3. Did you come from a musical family?

There was always music playing around the house. My younger brother (Charlie) and myself are the only ones that play a musical instrument, but everyone in my family sings and loves music.

4. When and where was your first performance and how did it go?

Well, I practiced for a couple of years in the early 80's and got frustrated with learning and put it up for a couple of years. I pulled the steel out of the closet again in '85 and began practicing with my neighbor Tom Brumley. He got me jump-started again and I played my first gig with my brother in a little honky tonk band called "The Honky Tonk Cats". It went well cause my brother wouldn't let me mess up. He was always keeping me in check with what I am supposed to do and play with a band.

5. Do you have any formal training or are you self taught?

Herb Steiner turned me on to the Winnie Winston instructional book and I practiced learning pedal steel that way. When I met my neighbor Tom Brumely, he had me come over to his house and he worked with me on my technique with my hands. Tom mainly taught me the approach to playing the steel. He told me

"Ricky, the steel guitar is getting lost in country music, so for a young steel player like you, I want to say the best way for you to learn is to turn on your favorite music and hear what you want to play. Then when its time to play, PLAY THE HECK OUT OF IT; and when its not time to play, don't play. Make the steel guitar an outspoken instrument like it should be. Don't get caught up in only learning from tablature and copying other players. Be your own player, play what you feel and hear and by all means play it with all you got."

I will never forget what Tom Brumely gave to me and my steel playing as I was starting out. So with that said, I would say I learned mainly by myself.

6. When did you start playing professionally?

I knew it was time in 1988 that I wanted to pursue the steel guitar as my career and I joined a road band then and have been playing for my room and board every since.

7. Your gig with Dale Watson is a steel player's dream. How did you hook up with him?

Well, I heard Dale's name only and never heard his music. When the position came available and friend of mine told Dale about me and I had him send me some of his music. When I heard the first song sang by Dale, I called Mr. Watson immediately and told him you found your steel player. Dale's music is what I always wanted to play when I took up the steel guitar. It is the realest of real country music.

8. Have you ever recorded with any other Artist?

When I began to play professionally; I met up with and Texas singer/songwriter named Larry Joe Taylor. I played on a couple of his CD's. Larry Joe turned me onto Gary P. Nunn, who I played and recorded with for 6 years. I also have been on several other Texas singer/songwriters CD's through the years.

9. What song or solo best showcases your style of playing?

Well, I recorded with Dale on the CD called "The Truckin' Sessions" and most of that stuff I played is a good example of my approach and what I sound like.

10. Does your road equipment vary from your studio equipment?

No. I play a very simple set up. Just my guitar through Fender tube amps. That is the way I play live and record. I have played through every kinda amp and every kinda effect and this is what I come up with to display the true sound of the steel that I have searched for, like most players.

11. Do you prefer small venues or larger?

Well, I like something about all the venues we play. I do like it to be a little more real and personal that you can only get with a smaller venue; as opposed to a larger place. Besides Country music wasn't meant for an arena/stadium type place. Anyone playing in a place like that, I guarantee you that it's not Country music!!!

12. What was the Most embarrassing thing that ever happened to you on stage?

I would have to say when my chair broke and I went straight to the floor is pretty damn embarrassing

13. What was the most difficult thing for you to learn on steel?

Well, it can all be quite difficult at one time or another. My hardest thing to learn is how to play what I really wanted to play, after that section already went by.

14. Could you recommend any instructional courses?

I have not seen very many of them but what I have seen is any thing by Mel Bay/with DeWitt Scott instructing. And of course Buddy Emmons is a wonderful teacher and all his stuff looks great to me.

15. Do you pick or palm block?

I started out picking and muting with the side of my hand. Later in my progression I learned pick blocking. As a teacher now I teach all my students both techniques, as I think it is important to know both. There are limitations to just one technique and I believe that a player should never stop learning, so I am always working on not limiting myself in technique. Its quite a battle sometimes because I will get caught between the two, but I just chalk it up to a learning experience.

16. Tell us a little about Dale's new Record deal.

Well, Dale just signed with Sire/Warner Bros. and we couldn't be happier. The president of the record company is Seymour Stein and he is the only one that understands Dale and his music. Dale actually gets to record with his own band and of course that is particularly exciting to me. We will be recording a new CD late august in L.A. and now this is a chance for a lot more people to hear Dale Watson's music.

17. Will the record deal mean a lot more touring for you guys?

Well, nobody works as much as the Dale Watson Band. We play every night except for Sunday, when we are not on tour and we play every night when we are on tour. So for the new record, we will tour quite a bit more to promote the new CD, but it is not anymore than we already work so I won't notice that much difference.

18. Tell us about the Dale Watson official website.

The Dale Watson Website is at www.dalewatson.realcountry.net and has had quite a face lift recently. It is now being run by some very good people and is important to have continuing information. The is a page for each band member called "Lonestars" and Dale has taken the time to write a little something about each one of us. The tour dates are ever changing and I even have to visit the Website often to keep up. There are plenty of pictures and info about Dale to give anyone an insight to what we do.

19. Tell us about you video and when it will be available. What does it consist of?

Well, there is a Website called "The Steel Guitar Forum" and it is accessed by all the steel players of the world. There are several areas to the Forum to go to and talk about anything and learn about anything to do with the steel guitar. One area is called "Share a Lick/Turnaround" and is for posting tablature (steel guitar notation) and is a great way for all steel players to share what they have learned or what they want to learn. I have posted over 40 licks and solos and turnarounds over the last 3 or 4 months. So I shot a video of my playing all those things I posted for those who would like to see and hear them played. I am making it available on the Steel guitar forum and will be donating some of the proceeds back to the Forum. This Website for steel players is a great tool for learning and I only wish there was something like it when I was starting out. I love contributing back to the instrument that has treated me so well.

20. What is your opinion of the new players today? All speed and flash?

I think the steel guitar has progressed greatly in this last decade. There are a lot of new young steel players out and I do believe they are learning faster than ever before. With that kinda speed in learning you will bypass a lot of the roots and tradition in playing the steel. I only hope that the heart and soul does not get passed by, for the ongoing quest to pick as fast as you can. The best statement I ever hear was from the late and great Jimmy Day. He was watching a bunch of young pickers and his comment was: "I sure wish I could play that fast, and if I could, I wouldn't". To me that tells it all!!!

21. How do you feel about so called "new country"?

Well I don't want to say any cuss words in this format, but I will try and discuss what I think about the new country today. The only thing that bothers me is that they are calling it country music. Just because it has a steel guitar and fiddle in it, doesn't make it country music. Country music is not a billion dollar industry, never has been and never will be. Somehow Nashville executives and record companies, got it in their mind to make it that way. They made a lot of money and produced a lot of music to attract the mass public, but they attached the name "Country Music" to it. In my book that is some kind of "Blasphemy".

22. If you could work with any other artist past or present, Who would it be?

Ray Price, Johnny Paycheck, Johnny Bush, Mel Street, Bob Wills.

23. What are some of your all time favorite Steel recordings?

Anything by Buddy Emmons and Lloyd Green. My favorite steel ride is the intro John Hughey played on Conway Twitty's "I've Just Destroyed the World".

24. Do you prefer playing Pedal steel and/or Non-pedal?

Well, I started playing the pedal steel for the love of real country and honky tonk music. I've always loved Western Swing and Hawaiian Music, so I finally took up the Non-pedal steel about 3 years ago. If I could play all the Honky Tonk country on the Non-pedal, then that is the only instrument I would play. I love the true art of the hands playing the steel guitar. On the Pedal steel I can make 9 chords without even moving the bar with all the knee levers and pedals. To me, there is not a lot of hand work in that. Don't get me wrong, I love the pedal steel and the styles that go along with it, but I love the idea that one plays all the music with their hands, and that is what I love about the Non-pedal steel(Hawaiian Steel Guitar).

25. Do you have any advice for the new players out there that get them through the frustrating times ahead in learning the steel?

When I started to learn the steel, I did get to a point where I felt like I was not getting anywhere, and I did put it up for some time. I now know why that happened. I was very limited in the technique and knowledge of the steel and had no chance of progressing. I wish when I was learning that I had learned proper hand technique and more knowledge of basic music theory. If I could tell anyone starting out some advice about learning this thing, I would say the same thing I try and teach my students. "Let's get the hands in the right position and let's try and understand what the notes are on your guitar." I feel if one does not learn proper technique there will come a point that the hands will do no more. I experienced that myself, and until I made myself learn more than one way to play something, I had no chance to learn more. These days I feel real good about what my hands are doing and I can now look and listen to the steel and it is making some sense. If I hear something I need to work on or learn, I feel I have the tools to do it and it's not as frustrating as is certainly used to be.