# Pete Drake: Steel Guitar Legend

> Pete Drake, born in Georgia 1932, shaped country music with iconic steel guitar work on timeless hits.
- Title: Pete Drake: Steel Guitar Legend · American Songwriter
- Summary: Pete Drake, born in Georgia 1932, shaped country music with iconic steel guitar work on timeless hits. Pete Drake, born in Georgia in 1932, played steel…
- Keywords: pete drake, steel guitar, country music, tammy wynette, charlie rich, lynn anderson, music, culture, Pete, Drake, Steel, Guitar
- Source: American Songwriter — https://americansongwriter.com/born-94-years-ago-in-georgia-the-a-team-steel-guitar-master-who-played-on-timeless-hits-by-tammy-wynette-charlie-rich-and-lynn-anderson
- Author: Clayton Edwards
- Published: 2026-10-08T17:14:40+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: pete drake, steel guitar, country music, tammy wynette, charlie rich, lynn anderson, music, culture
## Pete Drake's Early Life
Pete Drake was born in Augusta, Georgia on October 7, 1932.
## Steel Guitar Discovery
He discovered the steel guitar as a teenager and rose to prominence in Atlanta.
## Nashville Breakthrough
After moving to Nashville, he joined the A-Team and played on classics like 'Stand by Your Man' and 'He Stopped Loving Her Today'.
## Steel Guitar Innovation
Drake built his first pedal steel guitar after hearing Bud Isaacs play on Webb Pierce's 'Slowly' in 1954.
## Key takeaway

Pete Drake, born in Georgia in 1932, played steel guitar on classics by Tammy Wynette, Charlie Rich, and Lynn Anderson.