THE DENVER STEEL GUITAR SHOW
This year’s Denver Steel Guitar Show is dedicated to the eminent Rusty Young. Rusty has inspired people all over the world with his music and steel guitar. In honor of Rusty we have created “The Rusty Young Inspiration Award”. This prestigious award will be presented to a well deserving Denver steel guitarist during the show.
Chris Rowland (The Real Deal) has been playing music since age 8. Growing up in a musical family, his father, uncles, and grandparents all played and sang. Chris is a traditional country player, however, can and often does, play many different genres. Chris enjoys the sideman roll and likes to make the whole group sound good.
Joey Rowland (The Real Deal) is the newest addition to Grand Junction's premier classic country band. A full-time student at Grand Junction High School, Joey is showing great promise as a guitar player and singer and is an avid student of the pedal steel guitar.
George Sypert became interested in the pedal steel guitar in 1953 with the release of Webb Pierce’s “Slowly” with Bud Isaacs on steel guitar. He had not paid much attention to steel guitar until then. The release of “Crazy Arms,” by Ray Price, in 1956, really got his attention. Then came Ralph Mooney, with Buck Owens, and all the west coast artists and he was hooked. A short time later he became aware of Jimmy Day and Buddy Emmons. George began playing pedal steel in 1964 because he saw that the size of bands was decreasing and as a pedal steel guitar player there would be more work available to him. He has fronted his own band since 1966 and has no plans to stop.
Glenn Taylor began playing pedal steel guitar in 1975 and has played various musical styles, including country. The bands he’s played in include The Railbenders, Slim Cessna's Auto Club, Monkey Siren, Matt Skellenger Band, Cowboy Dave Band, County Road X, and the Glenn Taylor Orchestra. He currently plays with Bonnie and the Clydes. He has built Moyo pedal steel guitars since 1991. He also builds and sells the very small Moyo volume pedals. He lives in Denver with his wife and two teenage daughters.
Ben Waligoske was born in Iowa and grew up in Brookings, SD. His love of music was based mostly on his parents’ record collection, which included lots of The Beatles and other classic rock, blues, classic country and honky-tonk records. Ben played trumpet and piano before picking up guitar around the age of 12 and getting into blues, jazz and other improvisational music during high school. In 2005 Ben moved to Boulder, CO to attend the University of Colorado where he earned a Bachelor’s degree focused in music and literature in 2009. He has been playing pedal steel since 2013 and now works full-time in Denver as a musician with several local and touring artists. He also maintains a studio space in North Denver working mainly with up-and-coming local acts. Ben plays both a hot-rodded 1978 Sho-Bud Super Pro and a ZumSteel Encore steel guitar, and prefers to use Sarno Music Solutions effects products, Steeler's Choice seats, as well as Fender, Peavey, and Henriksen amplifiers.