ORGANIZATION
PROFILE
The Central Kentucky Steel Guitar Club was
founded and the first show was presented in September 1980. The founding
members were Fred Layman, James F. Vanderpool, Denzil “Al” Vanderpool, Sonny
Morgan and Dr. Jack (Doc) Lewis. The founders were motivated by the
International Steel Guitar Convention in St. Louis.
CLUB OBJECTIVE
To provide a public forum for local Steel
Guitar players as an art form: To showcase the Steel Guitar as a stand-alone
instrument: To enhance the available selection of performing arts in the local
area: To provide a local source for participation among Steel Guitar
enthusiasts and fans.
CLUB
ACTIVITIES
In the beginning the club sponsored four
local shows annually in March, June, September and December. As the activities
became more widely known, professional players began to take interest and
participate as performers themselves. This led to a decision to bill one of the
quarterly shows as a “Regional” show to feature a roster of professional and
semi-professional players. The December show was chosen for this Regional
performance. The date was moved back November to better accommodate the
Nashville players. The format for this show was also changed to a two-day
schedule to begin on the evening of the first Friday in November and all day the
following Saturday.
CLUB
HISTORY
We
are the fourth (4th) longest consecutively running Steel Guitar show
in the United States. We have had the participation of just about every major
professional player as well as local and regional players and continue to build
on this record. We have been located in and outgrown three of four locations
and are still growing each year. We began and remain a non-profit club without
membership dues and operate on a member donation basis