Steel Guitars by the Dozen: A Cultish Concert Pays Tribute to the Most Country Instrument of All

Sho-Bud Showcase Live brought thousands of pedal steel enthusiasts to Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium for a four-hour celebration of the instrument and the brand’s revival. The event highlighted how the pedal steel can cross musical styles, while giving an instrument often overshadowed by electric guitar the spotlight.

Sho-Bud was founded by Shot Jackson and Buddy Emmons and became a leading brand in the 1960s and Seventies; Shot Jackson’s grandchildren reacquired it in 2024 and restarted production. Performers included 89-year-old steel legend Lloyd Green, Slash, Don Felder, Marcus King, Junior Brown and Robert Randolph. The benefit supported causes including the Peter Frampton Myositis Foundation and the Cerebral Palsy Foundation.