Pete Finney - Nashville Steeler

[Tim Harr]

Rest in peace Pete!

Pete Finney was a Nashville-based pedal steel player and multi-instrumentalist who has worked with a range of acclaimed artists, including Country Music Hall of Fame members Vince Gill, the Judds, and Reba McEntire, as well as the Chicks and the Monkees. Additionally, Finney toured and recorded extensively with Country Music Hall of Fame member Patty Loveless from the early ’90s into the 2000s. He was also a published music historian and co-curated the Museum’s 2015–2018 exhibition Dylan, Cash, and the Nashville Cats: A New Music City.

https://cmhof.imgix.net/wp-content/uplo ... =718&h=555

[Dave Mudgett]

I heard about this 20 minutes ago. I've been trying to confirm. There are several facebook posts that seem to confirm this - e.g., https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/petefinney

This is terrible news. I met him over 20 years ago, and he was very kind. We took in some shows in Nashville together, and visited when he was here in PA with Patty Loveless. He was hugely important in the steel guitar and country music community. RIP Pete.

[Mike Neer]

RIP Pete, and condolences to his friends and family. He will be missed here.

[Greg Simmons]

So sorry to hear this. I saw Pete with Michael Nesmith back in January 2018 at Pappy & Harriet's in California.

Vaya con Dios to a fine musician and one of the good guys.

Here he is with Robbie Fulks.

https://youtu.be/cKX-sToS128?si=IW9AAgwaBmMz_tEO

[Richard Sinkler]

Confirmed true by Michael Sweeney. Truly sad. I met Pete in the 90s when he played for Patty.

[Brett Day]

I remember seeing Pete in Patty Loveless' music video "The Trouble With The Truth". He and guitarist Tim Hensley were both in the video, they were both in the band, and Pete was playing a Sierra D-10 in the video.

[Jerry Overstreet]

Sorry to see this. I had not heard of any issues or illness with Pete. I always admired Pete's approach and his presence here with some Nashville music insight.

Last time I saw him was on the Opry TV a couple times. I forget who he was playing with but he had a S10 GFI under his fingers.

R.I.P. Pete. Thanks for your music.

[Richard Sinkler]

I remember seeing Pete in Patty Loveless' music video "The Trouble With The Truth". He and guitarist Tim Hensley were both in the video, they were both in the band, and Pete was playing a Sierra D-10 in the video.

That's my favorite Patty Loveless song, although it is extremely difficult to pick just one. Pete was playing a Sierra when I met him. Truly sad that he is gone.

[Geoff Queen]

I’m very sorry to read this. Pete was very kind to me. What a career he had with all the folks he played with, all the sessions, and all of his work with the CMHOF. My condolences to his family.

[Doug Earnest]

I'm so very sorry to hear this. He was the artist in a very good interview that I recently heard.
Sending sincere sympathy to his family. Pete, you made some very good music.

[Brett Day]

Sorry to see this. I had not heard of any issues or illness with Pete. I always admired Pete's approach and his presence here with some Nashville music insight.

Last time I saw him was on the Opry TV a couple times. I forget who he was playing with but he had a S10 GFI under his fingers.

R.I.P. Pete. Thanks for your music.

I saw a video of Patty Loveless on the Opry and saw a GFI S-10 and I'm wondering if it was Pete

[Jerry Overstreet]

Thanks for the memory refresh Brett. Yes, it was Patty. He looked and played as great as ever. I wish comfort and peace for those grieving his passing.

[Tucker Jackson]

Terrible news.

I recently listened to his life story on the pocdast Music Maker snd Soul Shakers. What an interesting guy. I could listen to him speak all day. He made no mention of any health struggles... but I suppose that's not what he was there to do.

[Craig Stock]

RIP Pete, what a shock, just saw a few of his posts recently.

Really nice guy, sent me a PM a year back about his involvement in the 80's movie 'Roadie' with some funny stories.

He will really be missed here, condolences to his family and friends!

[Skip Edwards]

This is sad news. I finally met Pete a couple years ago on one of those Outlaw Country cruises. We had a good time talking, hanging, and playing together. I'm sorry I didn't get to know him better, and didn't know him longer.
My condolences to Pete's friends and family.
Vaya con Dios, PF...

[Bobby Martin]

So sorry to hear of Pete's passing, another great Wash. D.C. area steeler who made it big in Nashville. Saw him play with Liz Meyer band in the '70's. R.I.P.

[Ricky Davis]

RIP Pete; I know you are high on that Musical Mountain.
Pete was a long time friend of me and of Lloyd Green; here's a shot of Pete and Lloyd looking at the Famous Lightening Bolt Sho~Bud Fingertip Lloyd played/recorded for years; when it go put in the Country Music Hall of Fame Museum; after I restored it. This was a Monumental Historic Showcase; Pete was proud to see it with Lloyd.

lloyd in hall of fame.jpg

Ricky

[Russ Tkac]

So sorry to hear this. I loved Pete's playing. Comfort and peace to his family and friends.

[Rick Grieco]

Such very sad news. I saw Pete play with Michael Nesmith back in 2018 in NYC and a couple more times with The Monkees in 2019 and 2021. His style was unique, refreshing and at times daring...needless to say, I loved it all. I once reached out to him here on the forum to discuss his copedent, and he couldn't have been more gracious. Rest in peace, Pete...you will be sorely missed.

[Herb Steiner]

He had an overabundance of curiosity, empathy, intelligence, self-awareness, and heart.

I've known Pete since he landed in Austin TX in 1979. We understood each other from the start. RIP my buddy. HS

[Chris Templeton]

Awwww.
Here's his All Music credits:https://www.allmusic.com/artist/pete-fi ... 83#credits

[Joe Alterio]

My Pete story is one of how he stole my dream gig from right out under me. About a decade ago, Mike Nesmith posted on Facebook that he wanted to tour and have a pedal steel guitarist that was akin to Red Rhodes and Chris Scruggs, since Chris was no longer available. Well...let me tell you...I was ready to give a sabbatical notice at work, and asked my internet friends Dana Rhodes (Red's ex-wife) and John Ware (drummer with Nez and Red in the First National Band) for their recommendations - this would have been something I'd likely have done for free. Despite all this, Chris gave Nesmith Pete's name and his recommendation to use him...and the rest is history. I had a sour taste about this 'Pete Finney' guy but I reached out to him and found him to be a real student of Red's (as am I) and we connected over that.

I regret Pete and I didn't get to connect more over the past couple of years. I pinged him here on the SGF when he was going to be playing in Milwaukee and he was kind enough to give me a heads-up as to where he'd be after the show and gave me his number to text him - needless to say, he spent a good half-hour in freezing weather in Milwaukee in December chatting me up about Red Rhodes, Nez, and all things pedal steel. He opened up about the bad shape Nez was in and how it seemed Nez knew his time was near - and he was right. Nesmith passed away just a couple of weeks later.

We kept in touch, mostly on Red Rhodes topics, over the years. The few times I headed to Nashville, we just couldn't get connected as he was usually pretty busy...either playing or socializing. I only recently learned he had some time in with Doug Sahm and had been meaning to text or call him to learn a bit more about it....sorry that can't happen now.

My condolences to his family, friends, and fans.

[Bob Hoffnar]

Pete was a friend. Always generous with his time and open hearted. It's heartbreaking.

[scott murray]

very sorry and rather shocked to see this sad news.

I met Pete once and mistook him for Steve Fishell, I got their last names crossed. I asked him how the Buddy Emmons book was coming along and he corrected me. I felt like an idiot but he was very friendly.

saw him play a couple times with Chris Scruggs' Stone Fox Five. he was playing his old Fender lap steel on those gigs and he sure knew how to work it.

he will obviously be sorely missed. farewell Pete, and thanks

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[Brint Hannay]

I'm very sorry to hear this. Pete happened to be at Nick's in Alexandria, VA one night when I was playing guitar and steel there with Heavy Country sometime in the late Nineties (I think). He knew bandleader Joey Martin from his D.C. days, and Joey asked me if it would be okay if Pete sat in on my steel for a set. I didn't know Pete but I knew his name, and of course I said sure. Pete was kind to me about my own playing, and played great on my Super Pro despite a couple of unusual things in the setup (especially 2nd string tuned to D). Later on, in 2009 I contacted Pete through the Forum and he remembered me and kindly hooked me up with a comp ticket to Patty Loveless's show at the Birchmere (great show--Patty and Pete and the whole band).
A fine player and a soft-spoken, friendly guy. RIP, Pete.