Bud Isaacs | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Forrest Isaacs |
| Also known as | Bud Isaacs |
| Born | March 26, 1928 Bedford, Indiana, U.S. |
| Died | September 4, 2016 (aged 88) Yuma, Arizona |
| Genres | Country |
| Occupation(s) | Musician |
| Instrument(s) | Pedal Steel Guitar |
| Years active | 1942–2015 |
| Labels | RCA and others |
| Formerly of | Red Foley, Little Jimmy Dickens, Chet Atkins, Webb Pierce |
Forrest "Bud" Isaacs (1928–2016)[1] was an American steel guitarist who made country music history in 1954 as the first person to play pedal steel guitar on a hit record. He is known for his playing his innovative technique on Webb Pierce's 1954 recording of a song called "Slowly" which became a major hit for Pierce and was one of the most-played country songs of 1954. Isaacs was the first to push a pedal while the strings were still sounding to create a unique bending of notes from below up to join an existing note; this was not possible on older lap steel guitars.[a][3] The stunning effect he created was embraced by country music fans and many lap steel artists rushed to get pedals to imitate the unique bending chords that he played.[4] Music historians pinpoint the actual dawning of country music's modern era to Isaac's performance on this song.[3][5] He became a much-favored session player and performed on 11 top country records the year following the release of "Slowly". Even though pedal steel guitars had been available for over a decade before this recording, the instrument emerged as a crucial element in country music after the success of this song.[3]
Indiana-born Isaacs was trained on Hawaiian guitar as a youth and quit school early to perform professionally with numerous country artists including Red Foley, Little Jimmy Dickens and Chet Atkins on the road and in recording sessions.[6] He became a member of the house bands at the Grand Ole Opry and the Ozark Jubilee. As a solo performer, he recorded a number of seminal instrumentals for RCA records, including "Bud's Bounce" and "The Waltz You Saved for Me".[6] He was inducted into the Steel Guitar Hall of Fame in 1984.[5]
- ^ "Bud Isaacs/Biography & interview". countrymusichalloffame.org. Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. September 5, 1989. Retrieved December 3, 2020.
- ^ Miller, Tim Sterner (2017). The Oxford Handbook of Country Music. New York, NY: Oxford University Press. ISBN 9780190248178. Retrieved December 3, 2020.
- ^ a b c Duchossior, A.R. (2009). Gibson Electric Steel Guitars: 1935-1967. New York: Hal Leonard Books. p. 116. ISBN 9781423457022. Retrieved December 4, 2020.
- ^ Rauhouse, Jon (September 1, 2012). "Wire and Hinges: How Pedal Steel Guitar Legend Bud Isaacs Changed the Course of Country Music". fretboardjournal.com. The Fretboard Journal. Retrieved December 3, 2020.
- ^ a b Carlin, Richard (2013). Country music : a biographical dictionary (ebook ed.). New York: Routledge. ISBN 9780415938020. Retrieved December 4, 2020.
- ^ a b "Bud Isaacs/Artist Biography". allmusic.com. Retrieved December 2, 2020.
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