Steel Guitarist Ben Keith Passes
Steel guitar great Ben Keith has died in Northern California at age 73. He reportedly suffered a heart attack. Born Bennett Keith Schaeufele, he grew up in Bowling Green, KY. He joined the Nashville Musicians Union at age 19 in 1956. A year later, he joined Faron Young’s band The Country Deputies. He rose to prominence as a Music Row session musician in the 1960s, notably playing the distinctive steel guitar lines in Patsy Cline’s “I Fall to Pieces.”
When Neil Young arrived in Nashville to be on Johnny Cash’s TV show in 1971, he lingered in the city to record his classic LP Harvest and its top-selling single “Heart of Gold.” Ben Keith played on both and was subsequently recruited to become a member of Young’s band. Ben Keith performed on such subsequent Young discs as Time Fades Away (1973), On the Beach (1974) and Tonight’s the Night (1975). He became Young’s co-producer on Comes a Time (1978) and Old Ways (1985). Keith’s steel guitar also backed such notables as Emmylou Harris, Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, Bob Dylan, Todd Rundgren, Ringo Starr, Linda Ronstadt and Crosby, Stills & Nash, among others. He produced Jewel’s million-selling breakthrough album Pieces of You in 1995.
Other Young albums on which Keith appeared include Harvest Moon, Greendale, Chrome Dreams II and Prairie Wind. He also worked on the solo CDs of the star’s singing wife, Pegi Young. At the time of his death on Monday, July 26, he and the Youngs
were still making music together.
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Just playing the steel guitar on Patsy Clines “I Fall To Pieces” cemented Ben Keith’s place in Country Music history.
One of the best recorded country songs
of all time.
What a career !!
My thoughts are with his family.
Going out with his boots on………..cannot ask for more!
Great steel guitar player. Really helped shape Neil Young’s sound after CSNY. He will be missed…
I worked with Ben in Tompall Glaser’s Outlaw band with Mel Brown my first major tour in 1976. Ben kept everything musical and interesting. Many thoughts, many stories. Indeed he was a legend… and will be missed…
Ben’s work with Neil will be missed greatly. Ben gave me a great appreciation for the Pedal Steel Guitar. I recently formed a Neil Young Tribute band in Philly, and incorporated Pedal Steel since i loved the sound of Ben’s playing on the PSG with Neil’s songs. Our Pedal Steel Guitarist emulates Ben’s work on about 20 of Neil Songs. Thank you Ben…i get chills when i hear the PSG part when we play Neil’s song Albuquerque…We will miss your work!!!!!!