The country music world has lost another legendary performer as steel guitar player Pete Finney has died.
The Country Music Hall of Fame announced Finney’s death on Facebook.
“Steel guitarist Pete Finney, who died Saturday at age seventy, was a widely admired Nashville musician,” the statement read. “He exemplified how top instrumentalist can adapt to a remarkable range of styles and settings, whether in a recording studio, a concert stage, or the corner of a small nightclub.
“On America’s biggest stages, Finney backed the Chicks, Vince Gill, the Judds, Reba McEntire, and Patty Loveless, among others,” the statement continued. “He toured with Loveless for more than twenty years. He was touring with McEntire when eight members of her band and two crew members lost their lives in a plane crash in 1991; Finney survived because he flew on a second plane, with another musician and crew members.”
While Finney was remembered for his brilliance in country music, the Hall of Fame noted that his talent was not limited to the genre.
Michael Nesmith, the late Monkees star, employed Finney’s talents when he embarked on what Parade Magazine called a “country-flavored solo project.” That led to Finney going along for the Monkees final tour in 2017.
He also team with the Monkees Micky Dolenz in 2021 on a tribute album to Nesmith titled “Dolenz Sings Nesmith.”
The Hall of Fame also noted that Finney worked with a diverse array of artists including Beck, Jon Byrd, Shemekia Copeland, Justin Townes Earle, Jon Langford, Jim Lauderdale, Allison Moorer, Ron Sexsmith and Candi Staton. Finney also frequently performed in pickup bands in Nashville clubs “where he might be seen with top-flight players such as Mac Gayden, Jen Gunderman, Jimmy Lester, Chirs Scruggs and Kenny Vaughan.”
“Finney also gained a reputation for his extensive knowledge of American music history, fueled by his own deep research,” the Hall of Fame’s statement added. “He co-curated the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum’s 2015-2018 exhibition ‘Dylan, Cash, and the Nashville Cats: A New Music City.’ The idea for the exhibit came from Finney’s research on the many non-country artists from North American and England who came to Nashville in the 1960s and 1970s to record with the city’s talented and fast-working studio musicians.”
Followers of the Hall of Fame were quick to share their appreciation for Finney.
“Ah man so sorry to hear this news,” James Intveld replied. “What a great person and incredible player. I feel lucky we got to play many gigs together over the years. RIP Pete. It was a pleasure making music with you.”
“He was one of a kind,” Dave Pomeroy replied. “Heaven is a cooler, smarter place today.”