By: Andrew Vaughan

They don't come much more humble, nor as gifted as Franklin, Tennessee's very own country rock icon, Al Perkins. He may not have grabbed the headlines like Gram Parsons, or Don Henley, or even Sneaky Pete and Clarence White, but make no mistake the steel guitar work of Al Perkins is crucial to the rise of country rock from hippie 60s experimentation to FM album domination in the 1970s.

Perkins learned steel guitar in Texas, something of a child prodigy, and by the time he was just eleven was already playing pedal steel and steel for numerous local bands. Musicians know when to find a gem, and in the late 60s, Perkins was asked to join Texas band, Shiloh, led by a certain Don Henley who had a record deal in LA courtesy of Kenny Rogers (yes, that Kenny Rogers).

"Well one of the band members of Shiloh had died and they all knew me and they asked me to join. They had a record deal through Kenny Rogers in LA, so we all headed to the west coast."

Things didn't work out for Shiloh, although Don Henley would surface a year or two later as an Eagle.

"Don had this great voice; he sounded like a young Rod Stewart to me. And he had a presence and a drive. I told him once that he was destined for great things."

Instead of spluttering around LA with Shiloh, Al took a gig with the Flying Burrito Brothers before teaming up with old friend Chris Hillman (ex Byrds) and Stephen Stills in country rock super group Manassas.

"That was a great band and we did some wonderful things but were not really commercial like the Eagles, for instance."

Next stop, another country rock meeting of the heavyweights with the Souther Hillman Furay band. After a spell producing, Al toured again in the late 70s with Michael Nesmith and Chris Hillman before becoming a Nash Rambler with Emmylou Harris and moving to Nashville at the end of the 80s.

"Nashville was very different to LA. The pace is slower, people take their time during sessions. But I was ready for a change, and once I built my house here I have been very happy."

A practicing Christian, Al lived a different lifestyle to many of those around him during the famed hedonistic 70s in California.

"Well, I kind of kept myself to myself. I'd take a tennis racket on the road and try and find a game. Keep healthy. I was some things which I didn't like and sometimes I'd say something, but mostly I just did my job and avoided all the excesses. A lot of people from back then have had bad health problems, died, even so I'm always grateful to God for leading me in a good direction."

Most recently Perkins has been working with a new combo, Big Dog 3, alongside Emmylou musicians Brady Blade and Chris Donahue. He also plays regularly around town with the Hi Power Band alongside Kristine Arnold (Sweethearts of the Rodeo) and Cactus Moser (Highway 101). If you get a chance to see or hear Al Perkins, take it. It's not often you get to see a master craftsman in action. Check out www.alperkinsmusic.com for details and some wonderful music clips.

Upcoming Appearances:
23 Oct 09 | HiPower Band

Andrew Vaughan is a well-known and respected Nashville based writer. As a music critic his work has appeared in Billboard, Music Week, Mojo, "Q", the London Times, the Guardian, and Folk Roots. He was the founding director of Country Music International magazine and a regular guest on BBC Radio, BBC TV, and VH1.