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The Bruce Bouton interview
Jan Visser interviewed the renown American steeler Bruce Bouton. Bruce toured with Ricky Skaggs and recently with Reba McIntire. Bruce also is very in demand as session musician.
Link in the right column.
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Pedal-Pro Universal is an internet project of freelance web designer Alexander Zaalberg, from Amsterdam, the Netherlands, Europe. In 2001 PPU started as a homepage to promote the Universal setup Pedal Steel Guitar, and throughout the years it has grown into a full size promotional website for steel guitar in general. To contact AZ click the "we invite your comments" line in the bottom table.
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Latest update: Saturday, January 8, 2011. 13.30h GMT.
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The Billy Hew Len story. Written by Jerry Byrd, and published by Lorene Ruymar in her book "The Hawaiian Steel Guitar and Its Great Hawaiian Musicians". Billy Hew Len, the amazing steel guitar player without left hand. Billy was of Hawaiian origin. The usual mix of Spanish Chinese Western etc. Played pedal and lap steel. backed up more Hawaiian artists than any other steel player did. His jazzy style of hawaiian was always exciting to listen to. His performance exciting to watch. Billy left us on November 23, 1987. We thought it was time to remember this great musician. But we could not find any info on the internet. Happely Lorene permitted us to publish Jerry´s words. With some nice photographs and video. when you haven´t read the story in Lorene´s book, Billy Hew Len remembered, in the PPU site.
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Tom Brumley, known by his amazing steel contributions to the Buck Owens´  recordings passed away on February 6th this year. Tom was a Buckaroos´ keymember during the ´60´s. In later years Tom owned a (pedal) steel guitar company and done recordings with many artists. A brief retrospection by Jan Visser and Henning Kock.
Sunday June 29, the Central Illinois Steel Guitar Association held it´s annual  meeting at the Best Western Ashland House Inn in Morton, Illinois. Among the fifteen players were well-known steelers as Don E. Curtis and Joe Wright. Board member Rich Mounce mailed us this review.
In his steel guitar music review column Dutch pedal steel player Hans Drissen reviewed the lastest Bill Stafford CD. Hans is a busy man, both musician and teacher at the elementary school, so it took some time to do this job for the PPU website. But here it is, Smooth Melodies reviewed.
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Among many players Jan Visser received an award at the Chanos  International Steel Guitar Festival in France for his never ending promotion activities for the steel guitar. Jan Visser and Digby Hardy wrote an extended article on this years edition. Read this nice review of the 3rd Chanos Festival, 2010.
Lorene Ruymar wrote us a review on Scotty´s convention 2009. Lorene was invited to receive the Jerry Byrd Lifetime Achievement Award from the hands of Scotty. Read Lorene´s words. With some nice pictures.
In 2003 Ken Simmons wrote us a large article about the Brisbane Steel Guitar  Club Annual Festival. It turned out to be a very large article with great pictures. We haven´t heard since from Down Under. Upon our request, Ruth Ardern, from The Brisbane Steel Guitar Club wrote us an update. From Australia, read Ruth words about the Brisbane Steel Guitar Club Annual Festival.
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FROM THE WEBMASTER: Two new items in this update. The Bruce Bouton interview and Jan Visser´s European Steel Guitar Hall of Fame Award.
Long time we wanted a Bruce Bouton interview in this website. Begin last year I asked Jan to organize one. Both Jan and Bruce liked the idea. Jan asked questions, Bruce gave answers.
Jan Visser received a special award of the Europeen Steel Guitar Hall of Fame, for his never ending promotion to the steel guitar. PPU publishes an review. Enjoy reading. AZ. January 2011.
Jan Visser interviews Bruce Bouton. Bruce Bouton  wellknown for his steel guitar contributions to Garth Brooks, Brooks and Dunn, Shania Twain to name a few. Wellknown for his Ricky Skaggs tourings. And most recent, his tourings with Reba McIntire. In Europe we know Bruce from steel guitar festivals and his homespun teaching video. A friendly person and a perfect steeler.
Japanese Hawaiian, non pedal, steel guitar player  "Lion Kiyoshi Kobayashi" demonstrated Excel´s latest invention. A single 10 string, eight lock lever, non pedal steel guitar. The eight locks give players the possibility to change fixed tunings "on the flow". This guitar is in its final test fase, therefore no price tag known. Read this small review.
We asked Jan Visser to organize an interview with an European steel player. Jan thought it would be a good  idea to interview Hennig Kock from Denmark. Henning and his wife Inger are good friends of Jan and Trudy. So there was a lot to talk over. Henning is retired teacher and musician who played on many Danish commercial recordings. He visited the U.S. many times and made a lot of friends overseas. To all our PPU readers, enjoy reading Henning´s words. With some nice photographs.
In 2002 Lorene Ruymar wrote a special about the history of the Hawaiian (lap) steel guitar. Lorene Ruymar is the author of the book "The Hawaiian Steel Guitar and Its Great Hawaiian Musicians". It means she is an autority on lap steel guitar history. Read her story.
2004 we asked Jan Visser to write a special about the history of the pedal steel. 2006 he done so. Jan wrote this XXX-large special about the history of the pedal steel Guitar. Where Lorene ended her story, Jan started. Lots of info and lots of pics.
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