On this day (November 18) in 2007, legendary pedal steel guitar player John Hughey died at the age of 73. His distinctive “crying steel” style appeared on the recordings of multiple A-list acts. He performed with the likes of Vince Gill, Loretta Lynn, and Willie Nelson.
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Hughey went to school with Conway Twitty, then known as Harold Jenkins, in Elaine, Arkansas. In high school, Twitty played on a local radio station with a group called the Arkansas Cotton Choppers. When he wasn’t performing with the band, he and Hughey had a rock and roll band. Then, Hughey heard Eddy Arnold performing on the radio with his steel guitarist, Little Roy Wiggins. Hughey instantly fell in love with the sound.
[RELATED: 3 of the Greatest Pedal Steel Guitar Solos in Country Music History]
Chasing Wiggins’ sound, he modified his guitar and used a glass doorknob as a slide. According to a biography, this lasted a little more than a year. Then, his father bought him a lap steel guitar and an amplifier. Soon, he was playing professionally, joining Slim Rhodes and the Mother’s Best Mountaineers.
John Hughey Steps into the Spotlight
In 1968, Conway Twitty called John Hughey and offered him a spot in his band. Initially, he asked his old pal if he’d like to sit in with the band for a weekend. That weekend turned into a partnership that lasted just over 20 years.
“It was monetary reasons,” Hughey said when asked why he left Twitty’s band after two decades. “We just hadn’t gotten a raise in a long and he said there wouldn’t be any more raises. I said, ‘Well, I really don’t have much incentive to stay.’”
Next, Hughey signed on with Twitty’s longtime duet partner, Loretta Lynn. He played in the Coal Miner’s Daughter’s band for a year before leaving and joining Vince Gill’s band.
At the time, Gill was just making a name for himself in country music and was putting a band together. A student of classic country, he knew Hughey was one of the best and was eager to add him to his roster. He stayed with Gill for 12 years. Initially, Hughey didn’t realize how important his stint with Gill would be for his career.
Gill put the spotlight on Hughey whenever he could, bringing him to the attention of fans and artists alike. As a result, Hughey began appearing at steel guitar conventions. Additionally, he was inducted into the Steel Guitar Hall of Fame in 1996.
Later, John Hughey joined The Time Jumpers, a Nashville-based Western Swing band. He would be with them until his death in 2007.
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