Multi-instrumentalist Dan Dugmore, best known as a pedal steel guitarist, shares stories from his career as part of the Museum’s Nashville Cats interview series, which highlights legendary musicians. This live interview was recorded on March 9, 2024, in support of the Museum’s exhibition “Western Edge: The Roots and Reverberations of Los Angeles Country-Rock.”

During this interview with the Museum’s Michael McCall, Dugmore talks about growing up in California; purchasing his first pedal steel guitar from Sneaky Pete Kleinow of the Flying Burrito Brothers; a chance meeting with one of his musical influences, Duane Eddy; performing with John Stewart, Linda Ronstadt, and James Taylor; and moving to Nashville in the early 1990s to add his signature sound to hundreds of country hits from Brooks & Dunn, Tim McGraw, and others.

A Southern California native, Dugmore credits Rusty Young’s pedal steel work on the Buffalo Springfield song “Kind Woman” for inspiring him to learn the instrument. He quickly established himself, becoming the go-to pedal steel player for Linda Ronstadt and James Taylor for more than a decade while working with everyone from Stevie Nicks to the Pointer Sisters to Warren Zevon. After he was hired to work on a Matraca Berg album in Nashville, Dugmore relocated to Tennessee in 1990 and has since lent his talents to recordings by, among others, Kenny Chesney, Faith Hill, George Jones, Toby Keith, Patty Loveless, Martina McBride, Kacey Musgraves, Willie Nelson, Dolly Parton, Charley Pride, Randy Travis, Carrie Underwood, Keith Urban, and Trisha Yearwood.

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