Steel stories: remembering steel guitar players from Los Angeles' country music history

This thesis centers around local musicians who play the pedal steel guitar. Understanding their stories required looking into the history of country music in Southern California as well as the development of the instrument itself. I spoke with an older generation of musicians about their careers. My main lines of inquiry included the future of the pedal steel guitar, stylistic and technological innovations of playing it, the emotions tied to being a backup musician, what happens to endangered instruments and what are the conditions for its revival.