Close up the honkytonks

January 8, 2007 8:59 PM

Sneaky Pete Kleinow, [Wikipedia | Allmusic] passed away Saturday, January 6 at the age of 72. In addition to being an incredible pedal steel guitar player, most notably with the Byrds and the Flying Burrito Brothers, he was also an accomplished visual effects artist who worked on films such as The Empire Strikes Back, Terminator I & II, and Army of Darkness.
posted by keswick (17 comments total)

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Wow, my geek brain is exploding. I knew all about his guitar playing, I had no idea that he was an animator. How cool can one person be? I mean playing on The Gilded Palace of Sin and animating the skeletons in The Army of Darkness? All in one lifetime? Just wow.
posted by octothorpe at 9:25 PM on January 8, 2007

I too knew nothing of his special effects work. From the AP Wire story you linked to: "Plans for a memorial service to be held in Joshua Tree later this month are pending."

Of course this brings to mind the other memorial service at Joshua Tree.

RIP.
posted by marxchivist at 9:33 PM on January 8, 2007

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amazing dude.
posted by gcbv at 9:37 PM on January 8, 2007

Shit. Just shit. Sneaky Pete's been a role model to me not only because he's one of the few steel players who damn near anyone can pick out on the radio, but because he was smart/savvy enough to have a career as a legendary steel player and also as a real-job animator. I've often told myself and others that Sneaky Pete had it figured out. He was at the top of the game at both music and his real job and I think both benefitted from it.

So yeah...

./

(That's a dot with an A-pedal bend on it.)
posted by stet at 9:50 PM on January 8, 2007

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I don't understand pedal steel so my dot's just regular. But full of feelings.
posted by librarina at 9:55 PM on January 8, 2007

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posted by jdfalk at 10:17 PM on January 8, 2007

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posted by padraigin at 10:24 PM on January 8, 2007

Dude worked on Gumby. And played with the Byrds. Wow.
posted by Ironmouth at 10:57 PM on January 8, 2007

I can only take country rock in small doses, but there's no denying Pete was the man on pedal steel back in those days, a huge influence on everyone in that scene. In fact, he was on an amazing variety of the records I used to get to review back then — big-deal LPs like Mind Games, Waka/Jawaka, Songs in the Key of Life, Blue; as well as lots of others from solo people like Shawn Phillips, Jimmie Spheeris, Danny O'Keefe, Minnie Riperton; and bands probably now long forgotten, like Howdy Moon, Millington, Crowbar (the Canadians), and L.T.D.

He was such a top musician that (like others here) I’m astounded to learn that he also worked on The Terminator, Gremlins, the Doughboy, the little chuck wagon, etc. etc. (Also a bit caught up short to realize the heroes of the 70s are now, in fact, in their 70s.) Great post, keswick; sad news.
posted by lelilo at 11:07 PM on January 8, 2007

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posted by johnny novak at 4:13 AM on January 9, 2007

♪
posted by Smart Dalek at 5:02 AM on January 9, 2007

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posted by foot at 5:46 AM on January 9, 2007

He was an animator, too? Wow, that's even more surprising than when he turned up on a Lemonheads record. Dude really was sneaky.
posted by COBRA! at 6:52 AM on January 9, 2007

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What a guy!
posted by ob at 7:31 AM on January 9, 2007

Now, that's a life.

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posted by allaboutgeorge at 11:57 AM on January 9, 2007

I saw him at GramFest back in 2003. He was arguably the rockin'est act on the program. He will be missed.

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posted by echolalia67 at 8:20 PM on January 9, 2007

He played steel like that and animated the Terminator??????

HOLY FLYING WOW!

(Head explodes)
posted by Enron Hubbard at 5:18 AM on January 10, 2007