rockinrob Posted July 27, 2010 Share Posted July 27, 2010 just came up on thrasherswheat.org that Ben Keith passed away. If you don't know who he is, he was a masterful steel guitar player that played with a ton of people but is most famous for playing with Neil Young from Harvest up until Neil's last tour. He was one of the most melodically gifted players of any instrument imo. He always played the right note at the right time. RIP Ben Quote Link to post Share on other sites
TCP Posted July 27, 2010 Share Posted July 27, 2010 Ugh this is terrible. Ben Keith is my all time most favorite steal guitar players. I'm going to go play my lap steel in honour. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Dreamin' Posted July 27, 2010 Share Posted July 27, 2010 Very sad news. Was fortunate to see him play with Neil a couple years ago. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
roadhse ma Posted July 27, 2010 Share Posted July 27, 2010 Wow Really great Live got to see him w/ Neil 3 x in last 10 yrs was always Great In fact I think he was on the stage w/ Neil when Wilco opened for Neil in Worcester MA RIP Thanks for posting Quote Link to post Share on other sites
solace Posted July 27, 2010 Share Posted July 27, 2010 wow... that's too bad i actually have tickets to Neil here in MPLS on Thur Quote Link to post Share on other sites
LouieB Posted July 27, 2010 Share Posted July 27, 2010 Really sad... LouieB Quote Link to post Share on other sites
cryptique Posted July 27, 2010 Share Posted July 27, 2010 His playing was the first pedal steel I ever heard (on Harvest, around the time that album came out). I've been a fan since before I was even old enough to know what a pedal steel was. RIP. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
uncool2pillow Posted July 27, 2010 Share Posted July 27, 2010 I suppose about 1/2 the pedal steel I've heard in my life was played by him. More like 90% before until I was about 25. RIP. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
tinnitus photography Posted July 27, 2010 Share Posted July 27, 2010 Wow Really great Live got to see him w/ Neil 3 x in last 10 yrs was always Great In fact I think he was on the stage w/ Neil when Wilco opened for Neil in Worcester MA RIP Thanks for posting yep, he was there: on the previous tour, as well: Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Vacant Horizon Posted July 27, 2010 Share Posted July 27, 2010 very very sad about this. neil is probably my top favorite artist so i love ben keith. love him. he made the neil young sound on everything he played on. he was also a great rhythm guitar player as shown in the picture above. just so textural on the chrome dreams II tour. god i love'd him. my wife and i saw CSNY in atlanta in 06 during the living with war tour. from a distance my wife and i saw ben just walk into the crowd and chat with some friends of his. very very cool. again so sad, especially for neil as la johnson died recently and his guitar tech seems to be out of commission. RIP my brother. you brought me and lots of folks much pleasure and validation. and god bless you for being able to be one of the few folks who could work with neil:) Quote Link to post Share on other sites
suites Posted July 27, 2010 Share Posted July 27, 2010 very very sad about this. neil is probably my top favorite artist so i love ben keith. love him. he made the neil young sound on everything he played on. he was also a great rhythm guitar player as shown in the picture above. just so textural on the chrome dreams II tour. god i love'd him. my wife and i saw CSNY in atlanta in 06 during the living with war tour. from a distance my wife and i saw ben just walk into the crowd and chat with some friends of his. very very cool. again so sad, especially for neil as la johnson died recently and his guitar tech seems to be out of commission. RIP my brother. you brought me and lots of folks much pleasure and validation. and god bless you for being able to be one of the few folks who could work with neil:) Are you saying Larry Cragg is not working the guitars right now? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
thejokeexplained Posted July 27, 2010 Share Posted July 27, 2010 Are you saying Larry Cragg is not working the guitars right now? he wasn't working the Dallas gig a few weeks ago. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
SeattleC Posted July 27, 2010 Share Posted July 27, 2010 This is sad, unexpected news. I just saw him play only a few weeks ago with Pegi Young, and he was looking happy. That steel guitar was sounding really good in the tiny venue. RIP Ben. I've attached a photo of Ben playing in Seattle with Pegi Young on June 13, 2010 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
CortezTheKiller Posted July 28, 2010 Share Posted July 28, 2010 This is very upsetting. What a class act. Hell of a player. Was Neil's secret weapon. Introduced me to the power of the steel guitar. Also played steel on Patsy Cline's "I Fall to Pieces." Quote Link to post Share on other sites
The Inside of Outside Posted July 28, 2010 Share Posted July 28, 2010 Also played steel on Patsy Cline's "I Fall to Pieces."Great picture. Did not know about "I Fall to Pieces." A great player. Very sad. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Vacant Horizon Posted July 28, 2010 Share Posted July 28, 2010 Are you saying Larry Cragg is not working the guitars right now? yes, he's not around. i read neil using some folks hooked up with daniel lanois. that may be b/c neil wanted that swampy sound on this tour, but it really is not like him to not have larry around. btw, there were some sound problems on the first leg. so, who knows. anyone find out cause of death for ben? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
suites Posted July 28, 2010 Share Posted July 28, 2010 So Larry was on the 1st leg but not on the 2nd leg? I agree with you in that I do not think that he would "get rid" of Larry unless Larry had some issues (heath or otherwise). Quote Link to post Share on other sites
CortezTheKiller Posted July 28, 2010 Share Posted July 28, 2010 According to Jonathan Demme, Ben died from a heart attack. More here. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
bumpyjonas Posted July 28, 2010 Share Posted July 28, 2010 So Larry was on the 1st leg but not on the 2nd leg? I agree with you in that I do not think that he would "get rid" of Larry unless Larry had some issues (heath or otherwise). Larry was not on the first leg. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Vacant Horizon Posted July 28, 2010 Share Posted July 28, 2010 Larry was not on the first leg.With the realities of life catching up i bet we'll see crazy horse soon. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
suites Posted July 28, 2010 Share Posted July 28, 2010 With the realities of life catching up i bet we'll see crazy horse soon. That would be nice....lets hope. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Fritz Posted July 31, 2010 Share Posted July 31, 2010 Keith met Young in 1971 in Nashville, where the rocker was working on what would become his commercial breakthrough album, "Harvest." Keith came to the recording studio at the invitation of drummer Tim Drummond, whom Young had asked to find a steel player for the sessions. When Keith arrived, "I didn't know who anyone was, so I asked, 'Who's that guy over there?' and was told, 'That's Neil Young.'" "I came in and quietly set up my guitar — they had already started playing — and started playing," Keith recalled in a 2006 interview. "We did five songs that were on the 'Harvest' record, just one right after the other, before I even said hello to him." http://www.latimes.com/news/obituaries/la-me-ben-keith-20100728,0,355287.story That is such a beautiful story. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
calvino Posted July 31, 2010 Share Posted July 31, 2010 Tonight in South Bend, Yo La Tengo played a great version of For the Turnstiles and mentioned the passing of Keith. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
SeattleC Posted August 1, 2010 Share Posted August 1, 2010 From Neil Young's website: lower photo - L.A. Johnson BEN KEITHOn the full moon, the Thunder moon, the world lost one of the greatest musicians of all time. Ben was 73 years old the night he died on Broken Arrow Ranch in California, his happy home for the last years of his life. Ben played with Patsy Cline, Faron Young, Hawkshaw Hawkins, Ian Tyson and many other music greats. A great American, the quiet giant, he moved gently through the world, with kindness and grace. My wife Pegi was lucky to share his last performance a few weeks back in San Francisco, where Ben was playing in her band, supporting her and lending his spirit to her every word as she sang her songs for us. Of course, in Nashville Ben Keith is legendary, one of the last of the original country greats, the man behind the song. No one will ever fill his shoes. He has countless friends and admirers. They all miss him as much as I do. I will miss him every time I look to my side, remembering him, my brother and fellow traveler. Thankfully, Ben's masterful playing can be seen and heard in two Johnathon Demme pictures: "Heart of Gold" and "Trunk Show," as well as countless great recordings over the last 50 years. We are so fortunate to have these as memories and lasting documents of his greatness and grace. He started out on a homemade steel guitar he fashioned himself from a piece of wood and left over parts. He loved his music and his life and cherished his many friends and soul mates. He leaves behind his wonderful daughter Heidi, and his grandchildren who he loved so much, DJ, Rachel, James, Meredith, Aubrey, Fletcher and Caroline. May he rest in Peace. Neil Young Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.