Established in 2004 by the GaSGA’s founding officers, this membership-category is to honor Georgia’s steel guitarists who, through their passion and commitment, have made significant contributions to the advancement of our beloved instrument.

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2011
Tommy Dodd

The son of a career Air Force family, Tommy Dodd has lived all over the world. His love of music came naturally. His mother and brother both enjoyed singing, and his father played several instruments, including steel guitar. Music was a huge part of their lives. He had his first steel guitar lesson at the age of 13 when they were stationed in Anchorage, Alaska.   more

2010
Bill Ferguson

Bill was born in Atlanta, GA, May 20, 1947 to Carl & Annie Mae Ferguson, who also had five daughters and another son. He graduated from Southwest DeKalb High School in 1965 (barely, he says). The following year, Bill met Linda, and they soon married in 1967 when she was 17.    more

2010
Jerry W. Braswell

Jerry was born to George and Mozell Braswell on July 12, 1947, in Atlanta, Georgia. He attended James L. Mason and John Carey grade schools in Atlanta. In 1960, the family moved to Lithia Springs, Georgia where he attended Douglas County High School and Citizen’s High School in Atlanta . . . more

2009
Richard 'Sunny' Allbright

Born in Ft. Payne, Alabama March 30, 1922, and raised in Buford, Georgia,
Rick “Sunny” Allbright has seen just about all a musician’s life has to offer. He knows the good times and giddy heights of success from his early years playing rhythm and steel guitar . . . more

2008
Gene Still

Gene was born in Belle Glade, Florida. At six months old, his parents moved back to their home area in Gwinnett County. He and Emily, his wife of 57 years, have lived mostly in the Lawrenceville, GA area. His two sons are professional musicians . . . more

2004
Vern Kendrick

Vern was born in Buffalo, New York on December 23, 1938 to a father who was an old Vaudevillian dancer and a Mother who was a concert pianist. Vern grew up listening to the Grand Ole Opry every Saturday night on the radio, and . . . more

2004
Garland Nash

Garland's musical interest was well-formed by age seven when he decided that he wanted to be a musician. He couldn't wait for his favorite music programs to come on the radio. His father played banjo, and two of his sisters played guitar and sang . . . more