Pedal Steel Guitarist Performs for Troops on USO Tour
(Press Release | Posted 2003-03-29)
While some musicians may use "battlefield" as a metaphor to describe an arduous gig, pedal steel guitar luminary Michael Johnstone recently tested his Peavey Nashville™ 1000 on a real battlefield: the Balkan states formerly known as Yugoslavia.
Johnstone, who has played with Tex Williams, Charlie Pride, Leon Russell and Dale Watson, among countless others, performed with Kevin Branford and the Bakersfield Boys on a tour of U.S. and NATO bases in Eastern Europe. Security was understandably tight, as soldiers prepared for the conflict now known as Operation Iraqi Freedom.
“The U.S. military installations we played were always on high alert," said Johnstone. "Everybody carried M-16 rifles at all times, even at our gigs. Our audiences were enthusiastic but small, because more and more U.S. troops were being re-deployed to the Middle East."
Touring with musical equipment in the post-war Balkans can be a precarious task, as Johnstone discovered. He traveled in armed convoys from gig to gig along the same treacherous mountain roads many refugees used to flee the conflict. "Your equipment could easily be damaged in a place like Bosnia, where the roads are still pockmarked from the mortar barrage, AC voltage is unpredictable and an amp tech is hard to find. Your gear must be 100% reliable."
Luckily, Johnstone counts himself among the many Peavey faithful, and traveled with his Nashville 1000. "I’ve been using Peavey amps for many years now, and they always deliver a fat, clean sound and are extremely dependable,” he said. “For pedal steel playing, you need ample clean power and headroom, plus lots of EQ and patching and looping options—not to mention a stout, full-range 15” speaker and an open-back cabinet for that articulate, singing quality—all in a compact, lightweight package. The Nashville 1000 delivers on all fronts. It’s simply the best steel guitar amp available.”
During his 30 years on the USO circuit, Johnstone has entertained troops in Southeast Asia and all over the Pacific Rim, Cuba, Iceland and Europe. "I always like to do these USO tours whenever I can," he said. "Coming from a military family myself, I like to support our armed forces and take a little bit of music to them. I also like to see the situation for myself, see what the place looks like and what the local culture is like, talk politics with local folks, hear their music and travel the countryside."
Johnstone currently performs traditional "cowboy" music around Southern California with the celebrated Riders of the Purple Sage.
Peavey Electronics Corporation is one of the largest manufacturers of musical instruments and professional sound equipment in the world. Peavey holds more than 130 patents and produces more than 2,000 products, which are distributed throughout the United States and to 136 other countries. To find out more about Peavey Electronics and its artists, visit www.peavey.com.
