Pete: The Session Musician

Pete was the go-to guy in Nashville and beyond. The mellow tone of his steel guitar was used to strengthen recording sessions with countless country artists such as Tammy Wynette, George Jones, Marty Robbins, Bobby Bare, Johnny Cash, The Louvin Brothers, Dolly Parton, Porter Wagoner, Jerry Lee Lewis, Reba McEntire and Charley Pride.

When rock artists began to record in Nashville, Pete Drake was the natural choice. He pioneered the use of the steel guitar in rock and pop, performing on recordings by Buddy Holly, the Everly Brothers, Carl Perkins, Elvis Presley, Joan Baez and Perry Como. He played on Bob Dylan’s albums “John Wesley Harding,” “Nashville Skyline,” and “Self Portrait.”

Charlie Daniels gave Pete’s number to George Harrison. Pete went to England to record on the “All Things Music Pass” album. Later George Harrison remixed and re-recorded some of the songs on this album, but left Pete’s steel parts on all the new versions.

Artists whose sessions Pete played on in alphabetical order:

A

  • Abe Kish
  • Al Dean
  • Alex Harvey
  • Anita Carter
  • Arlene Hardin
  • Art Pettibone

B

  • B.J. Thomas
  • Barbara Fairchild
  • Barbara Mandrell
  • Barry Mason
  • Ben Peters
  • Benny Joy
  • Betty Amos
  • Bill Melody
  • Billy Philips
  • Bill Rice
  • Billie Jo Spears
  • Billy Ed Wheeler
  • Billy Grammer
  • Billy Parker
  • Billy Thundercloud
  • Billy Vera
  • Blackwood Singers
  • Blake Emmons
  • Bluefield
  • Bob Dylan
  • Bob Luman
  • Bob Wells
  • Bobby Barnett
  • Bobby Braddock
  • Bobby Crash Craddock
  • Bobby Gentry
  • Bobby Lewis
  • Bobby Vinton
  • Bobby Wright
  • Bom Luman
  • Bonnie Guitar
  • Bonnie Nelson
  • Brenda Lee
  • Bruce Channell
  • Buck Owens
  • Buck Trent
  • Buddy Allen
  • Buddy Holly
  • Buddy Knox
  • Buffy Sainte-Marie
  • Buzz Rabin

C

  • Cal Smith
  • Calhoun Twins
  • Callie Laru
  • Carl Belew
  • Carl Perkins
  • Carl and Pearl Butler
  • Carmel Taylor
  • Charlie Louvin
  • Charlie McCoy
  • Charley Pride
  • Charlie Rich
  • Charlie Walker
  • Chip Taylor
  • Chuck Woolery
  • Claude King
  • Cletis Maggard
  • Compton Bros
  • Con Hunley
  • Connie Cato
  • Connie Eaton
  • Conway Twitty
  • Cooter Brown
  • Crystal Gayle
  • Curly Putman

D

  • Dave And Sugar
  • Dave Doran
  • Dave Dudley
  • Dave Kirby
  • Dave Rich
  • Dave And Sugar
  • David Alan Coe
  • David Houston
  • David Rogers
  • David Wilkins
  • David Wills
  • Debbie Hawkins
  • Del Reeves
  • Demetria Tapp
  • Diane Jordon
  • Dianna Trask
  • Dick Curless
  • Dick Feller
  • Dolly Parton
  • Don Gibson
  • Don McClain
  • Don McClean
  • Donna Fargo
  • Dottie West
  • Doug Greene
  • Duane Philips

E

  • Earl Scruggs
  • Ed Bruce
  • Eddie Miller
  • Eddie Raven
  • Elvis Presley
  • Ernest Tubb

F

  • Faith O’Hara
  • Ferlin Husky
  • Florida Boys
  • Four Freshmen
  • Freddy Hart
  • Freddy Stafford
  • Freddy Weller
  • Gary Paxton
  • Gary Sergants
  • Gary Stewart
  • George Hamilton IV
  • George Jones
  • George McCormick
  • George Morgan
  • George and the Arizona Star
  • George Riddle
  • Good Bros

H

  • Hal Kennedy
  • Hall And Oates
  • Hank Thompson
  • Hank Williams Junior
  • Hank Wilson
  • Hardin Trio
  • Harlan Sanders
  • Howard Crockett
  • Hugh X. Lewis

J

  • J. Lunsford
  • Jack Greene
  • Jack Reno
  • Jackie Ward
  • Jamie Ryan
  • Jan Howard
  • Jean Chapel
  • Jean Shepard
  • Jeanne C. Riley
  • Jeannie Pruett
  • Jerry Lee Lewis
  • Jerry Reed
  • Jerry Smith
  • Jerry Vale
  • Jerry Wallace
  • Jethro Burns
  • Jim Ed Brown
  • Jim Roberts
  • Jimmie Davis
  • Jimmy Dean
  • Jimmy Dempsey
  • Jimmy Doyle
  • Jimmy Gately
  • Jo Jo Benson
  • Joan Baez
  • Jodi Miller
  • Joe Simon
  • Joe Stampley
  • Jo-El Sonnier
  • Johhny Bush
  • John Anderson
  • John Stewart
  • John Wamsley
  • John Wesley Ryles
  • Johnny Bush
  • Johnny Carver
  • Johnny Cash
  • Johnny Duncan
  • Johnny Paycheck
  • Johnny Rodriquez
  • Johnny Russell
  • Johnny Tillison
  • Johnny Wright
  • Josh Graves
  • Julie Andrews
  • Justin Tubb

K

  • Karen Wheeler
  • Karen Kelly
  • Katie Moffett
  • Kenny Roberts
  • Kenny Rogers
  • Kenny Vernon
  • Kimberly Clark
  • Kitty Wells
  • Kris Kristofferson

L

  • LaCosta
  • Larry Ballard
  • Larry Butler
  • Lefty Frizzell
  • Leon Ashley
  • Leon Russell
  • Linda Hargrove
  • Linda Gail Lewis
  • Little David Wilkins
  • Liz Anderson
  • Lois Johnson
  • Lorene Mann
  • Loretta Lynn
  • Louise Mandrell
  • Lucille Star
  • Lynn Anderson

M

  • Margo Smith
  • Marilyn Sellers
  • Marty Robbins
  • Marvin Rainwater
  • Mary Lou Turner
  • Mac Wiseman
  • Maybelle Carter
  • Mel Street
  • Mel Tillis
  • Melba Montgomery
  • Merle Kilgore
  • Michael Clark
  • Mike Lunsford
  • Minnie Pearl
  • Molly Bee

N

  • Nat Stuckey
  • Norma Jean
  • Norro Wilson

O

  • O. B. McClinton
  • O. C. Smith
  • Oak Ridge Boys

P

  • Pal Rakes
  • Pam Rose
  • Pat Boone
  • Patty Page
  • Paul Richey
  • Peggy Little
  • Penny De Haven
  • Perry Como
  • Poco
  • Porter Wagoner

R

  • R. C. Bannon
  • Randy Lee
  • Ray Price
  • Rayburn Anthony
  • Ray Charles
  • Reba McEntire
  • Red Foley
  • Red Sovine
  • Rex Allen Jr.
  • Rex Gosdin
  • Rex Nelon
  • Roger Bowling
  • Ron Manning
  • Ronnie Milsap
  • Ronnie Robbins
  • Roy Clark
  • Roy Drusky
  • Roy Rogers
  • Ruby Wright

S

  • Sandy Posey
  • Sheb Wooley
  • Shel Silverstein
  • Sherry Bryce
  • Sherry King
  • Skeeter Davis
  • Slim Whitman
  • Sorrells Pickard
  • Stan Hitchcock
  • Statler Brothers
  • Steve Baron
  • Steve Davis
  • Steven Stills
  • Stonewall Jackson
  • Stoney Edwards
  • Sunday Sharp
  • Susan Raye
  • Sylvia

T

  • Tammy Wynette
  • Tanya Tucker
  • Tennessee Ernie Ford
  • Teresa Brewer
  • Terry Bradshaw
  • Terry Stafford
  • Tex Ritter
  • The Everly Brothers
  • The Four Guys
  • The Happy Goodmans
  • The Hardin Trio
  • The Imperials
  • The Kate Sisters
  • The Kendells
  • The Monkees
  • The Speer Family
  • Thomas Wayne
  • Tiny Harris
  • Tom T. Hall
  • Tommy Cash
  • Tommy Collins
  • Tommy James
  • Tracey Nelson
  • Troy Seals

V

  • Vera Lynn
  • Vern Gosdin
  • Vernon Oxford
  • Vicki Carr
  • Vicky Byrd

W

  • Wally Fowler
  • Warner Mack
  • Waylon Jennings
  • Whitey Schafer
  • Willis Bros
  • Wilma Burges