By Jessica Nicholson, Billboard | Accomplished steel guitar player and producer Robby Turner, who has played with artists including Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, The Highwaymen and Chris Stapleton, died Thursday, Sept. 4, at age 63. Turner’s son Bobby Turner confirmed the passing of his father on social media, writing, “We’re sad, but we know he’s walking without any help, and he’s no longer in pain.”
Known as the “Man of Steel,” Turner played on projects including the 1976 album Wanted! The Outlaws, from Jennings, Nelson, Jessi Colter and Tompall Glaser, which spawned the Jennings/Nelson hit “Good Hearted Woman” and became the first country album to become certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America.
Turner also recorded and toured with country supergroup The Highwaymen (Jennings, Nelson, Kris Kristofferson and Johnny Cash) and contributed to the group’s 1990 project The Highwayman 2 and their 1995 album The Road Goes On Forever. He contributed to several of Jennings’ albums and became the Country Music Hall of Famer’s primary steel guitar player until Jennings’ death in 2002.
In 2019, Turner was honored as part of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum’s Nashville Cats series. During his interview for the series, he said of working with Jennings, “Waylon never really told us what to do…we just played until he smiled.”
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Go here to read more on Mr. Turner’s remarkable music life:
https://www.msn.com/en-us/music/news/steel-guitar-player-robby-turner-known-as-man-of-steel-dies-at-63/
Looks like Robby was a friend of our own COMBO member John Macy!
Photo: Robby Turner | From his Facebook page
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10221841926676167&set=pb.1797768836.-2207520000&type=3