Pete Finney, steel guitarist who toured with Patty Loveless and Reba McEntire, dies at 70

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Pete Finney, a talented steel guitarist, passed away at age 70. He spent over two decades touring with Patty Loveless and also played on recordings for many famous artists, including Reba McEntire, the Chicks, Vince Gill, and the Judds.

The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville announced this week that Dale Finney passed away on Saturday. The cause of death has not been released.

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The museum described Finney as a highly respected musician in Nashville, praising his ability to excel in many different musical situations – from recording sessions and large concerts to intimate club performances.

Born in Maryland in September 1955, Finney began performing in Washington, D.C., alongside singer-songwriter Liz Meyer. After Meyer moved to the Netherlands around the mid-1980s, Finney moved to Austin, Texas in the late 1970s, and later to Nashville in the mid-1980s.

After moving to Tennessee, Finney initially toured with the duo Foster & Lloyd and then helped launch the solo careers of Radney Foster and Bill Lloyd. He went on to work with a wide range of artists, including Beck, Jon Byrd, Shemekia Copeland, Justin Townes Earle, Jon Langford, Jim Lauderdale, Allison Moorer, Ron Sexsmith, Candi Staton, and many more.

Ray Benson, the frontman of Asleep at the Wheel, wrote “RIP old friend!” in a Facebook post about the passing of Pete Finney. Hundreds of people, including many who knew him personally, shared their condolences. Benson recalled that Finney saw Asleep at the Wheel perform in 1970, which inspired him to learn the pedal steel guitar. He went on to master the instrument, playing with incredible skill and finesse. Benson cherished Finney as a close friend who had been with him since the beginning of his musical journey in Washington D.C.

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Finney also had a deep knowledge of music history. He helped create the Hall of Fame museum’s exhibit, “Dylan, Cash, and the Nashville Cats: A New Music City” (2015-2018), and co-authored the book that went with it. That book won the 2016 Chet Flippo Award, recognizing outstanding country music journalism, from the International Country Music Conference.

The museum explained that the exhibit was inspired by Finney’s discovery of numerous artists – not typically known for country music – from North America and England who came to Nashville in the 1960s and 70s to record with the city’s renowned and efficient studio musicians.

Over the years, Finney regularly led programs at the Hall of Fame museum and took part in panel discussions.

The musician married singer Carol Tully on Oct. 15, 2017.

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In 1991, while on tour with Reba McEntire, a plane carrying eight members of the band crashed into a mountain near San Diego, killing them as they traveled to a concert in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Finney was on a second plane scheduled to depart that same night, and his plane took off after the one that crashed. Reba McEntire was not on either of the planes.

According to a McEntire spokesperson, the two planes departed three minutes apart. The plane that crashed took off initially, and the pilot of the second plane didn’t witness the crash. They only noticed they’d lost radio communication with the first plane and continued their flight, eventually landing in Nashville.

In 2017, Mike Nesmith asked Finney to join the reunited First National Band, a country-rock group originally created by The Monkees. Finney took the place of Red Rhodes, one of the band’s original members who had passed away in 1995.

According to Randy Lewis, a former music writer for the Times, Finney would often build upon the unique instrumental parts created by Rhodes for their recordings, but he consistently added his own creative touches to ensure their performances weren’t just copies of the originals. Both Rhodes and Finney were skilled at using the steel guitar in inventive ways – not just to create a sad, country-music feel, but to add rich layers of sound and depth to their music, almost like a full orchestra.

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In 2021, Finney participated in the Monkees’ farewell tour, performing alongside Mickey Dolenz and Nesmith. The tour concluded before Nesmith sadly passed away in December.

The Hall of Fame noted that Finney often played informal gigs with various musicians in small clubs around Nashville. He’d regularly share the stage with talented players like Mac Gayden, Jen Gunderman, Jimmy Lester, Chris Scruggs, and Kenny Vaughan, among others.

Otis Gibbs, a singer-songwriter and podcaster, often saw the steel guitarist around Nashville’s music community. He had Finney as a guest on his podcast many times.

Gibbs shared on his website that he often saw Pete at concerts – sometimes four or five nights a week. Pete would playfully say he knew the shows were worth attending if he spotted Gibbs in the audience.

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Gibbs said he saw Finney just three weeks ago at a Jon Byrd show in East Nashville.

He recalled quietly approaching the man and whispering, ‘I guess I’m at the right place – Pete Finney is here.’ That was the last time he ever saw him.

Finney is remembered by his wife and loved ones. A celebration of his life will be held this Sunday at the Ford Theater within Nashville’s Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum.

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2026-02-12 03:01