European Steel Guitar Hall of Fame - Laureates 2010

[Digby Hardy]

The names of the Laureates of 2010 admitted into the European Steel Guitar Hall of Fame are now published on the ESGHoF web site.

The award ceremony will take place on 18 September at the Chanos International Steel Guitar Festival, Chanos Curson, France

If you want to make a nomination for ESGHoF 2011 all you have to do is become a member.

[Basil Henriques]

A direct link to the Laureates page is HERE

[Basil Henriques]

http://wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/we ... h=110000#c

[Basil Henriques]

see:- viewtopic.php?f=4&t=42

From Bobby Lee AKA b0b

To The European Steel Guitar Hall of Fame committee and members

I am not a world traveller. In fact, I have never physically crossed any national border. Nevertheless, I feel that I know many of you through the power of technology, and I feel a friendship based on our common interest: the steel guitar.

Do you believe in destiny? I don't understand the powerful force that brought me to the steel guitar in the early 1970's. I also don't understand the powerful force that drew me to electronic bulletin boards in the 1980's, or my early fascination with computer programming. I found myself designing and writing code for message boards, learning how to run them and, more importantly, learning how to deal with people in this strange flat-screen world.

Destiny. By the 1990's, my pedal steel came out of the closet only once a week, for a Friday night bar gig that was more an excuse to party than any serious attempt at music. Then in 1995 Tom Bradshaw, hosted a small steel convention near my home in California. I went to that show and met Herb Remington, Jimmy Day and Bobby Black, and I was inspired once more!

Around same time, the World Wide Web was beginning to reach critical mass. Bulletin board operators like myself were looking to the Web as a way to expand their membership. This is what I mean by destiny. I had this renewed steel guitar inspiration and over a decade of recent message board experience. The cards were dealt from a “stacked deck”. Thus, in 1997 The Steel Guitar Forum was born. The internet's floodgates were opened and you all stepped into my living room to talk about steel.

I neither planned for nor expected the worldwide response. To my delight, I found myself befriending great players like Basil Henriques and Lionel Wendling. The snowball effect was amazing. The inspiration was contagious.

Now I find myself in the odd position of receiving an award from the other side of the world, for being at the center of a chain of events that I still don't fully understand. I am grateful of course, but more than anything I want you all to understand that this award is a celebration of community. I am the face of the Steel Guitar Forum, but you are the body of members who made the web site a success. You are the community that continues to inspire steel guitar players and “wannabees”.

I humbly accept this award as an appreciation of service to the European Steel Guitar community. The recognition means a lot to me. Thank you very much.

So, it's no less than what he deserves, where WOULD we all be if it wasn't for the contacts and information imparted by the

Basil Henriques (Secretary ESGHoF)

[Ken Byng]

Hear hear Basil.

[Basil Henriques]

As an addendum to this post, a reminder to those who aren't familiar with the criteria employed, or haven't full digested what has been said by us in the past,

The European Steel Guitar Hall of Fame has been inaugurated to honour players and others who have contributed to the development of the steel guitar in Europe.

There is a change to the original committee structure,
We're honoured to welcome as a member of the selection committee Maurice "Reece" Anderson.

World renowned master musician, innovator, performer and teacher. Member of the USA Steel Guitar Hall of Fame (Inducted: 2006) Pioneered Jazz on the steel guitar and made the seminal and benchmark recordings. Pedal Steel Guitar Texas Swing Legend, and president of MSA Steel Guitar Company. Reece started taking lessons at age thirteen, and within months he was teaching other students. At age seventeen he started playing professionally at the Silver Spur in Dallas owned by Jack Ruby, (the Lee Harvey Oswald assassin.) During his career, Reece has played for Bob Wills, Tex Ritter, Johnny Gimble, Boxcar Willie, Ray Price, and many other artists. A highly sought after studio player, he currently records, teaches, and plays with the Johnnie High Country Music Revue on TV.

John Marsden has passed on the reins of Chairman of the selection Committee to myself, and Digby Hardy is the Chaiman of the Executive committee.

After serving as Chairman of the Selection Committee John Marsden has decided to take a more leisurely role and stepped down from the position. He still remains an active member of the Selection Committee. Thank you very much John, for helping us launch ESGHoF.

Basil Henriques takes over from John as Chairman of the Selection Committee.
Digby Hardy, Chairman ESGHoF Executive Committee

The information that was in my article in Aloha Dream June 2009, is now quite out of date, BUT I thought I'd post it in it's entirety just to highlight that the selection process criteria had ALWAYS included the phrase "and others etc"


Basil.