Ben Keith, 1937–2010
The guitarist who shaped Neil Young’s sound
As a Nashville sideman, multi-instrumentalist Ben Keith developed a subtle, signature sound on the steel guitar and was a member of country music’s “A Team,” a group of top session artists in the 1950s and 1960s. Keith contributed the evocative steel guitar lines in Patsy Cline’s 1961 hit “I Fall to Pieces” and graced the records of such artists as the Band, Linda Ronstadt, Waylon Jennings, and Ringo Starr. But his place in pop music history was cemented by his collaboration with Neil Young, on whose albums and concert tours Keith was a frequent presence over four decades.
Keith was born Bennett Keith Schaeufele in Fort Riley, Kan., and grew up in Bowling Green, Ky. Skilled on electric guitar, piano, and saxophone, as well as pedal-steel, Keith shortened his name on the advice of a secretary at Nashville’s musicians’ union, said Tennessean.com. In addition to his contributions to other artists, he produced two albums of his own work. He also produced Jewel’s 1995 debut album, Pieces of You, “after meeting the then-unknown singer” at Young’s California ranch, said LAWeekly.com. The album went on to sell some 12 million copies.
“Keith met Young in 1971 in Nashville, where the rocker was working on what would become his commercial breakthrough album, Harvest,” said The Washington Post. Keith’s lonely wail “became a signature of Young’s folk- and country-slanted material.”As Keith recalled in a 2006 interview: “I came in and quietly set up my guitar—they had already started playing—and started playing. We did five songs that were on the Harvest record, just one right after the other, before I even said hello to him.” Keith was staying at Young’s California ranch when he suffered a heart attack and died last week.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
“He opened doors outside the realms of mainstream country and proved that the steel guitar could be interesting to a broader audience,” said steel guitarist Steve Fishell. “Ben Keith didn’t need to show off to stand out.”
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
The struggles of Aston Martin
In the Spotlight The car manufacturer, famous for its association with the James Bond franchise, is ‘running out of road’
-
The end of ‘golden ticket’ asylum rights
The Explainer Refugees lose automatic right to bring family over and must ‘earn’ indefinite right to remain
-
Grecotel Luxme Dama Dama: Greek luxury with a breezy beach vibe
The Week Recommends Rhodes is reimagined in this refined and relaxed resort
-
Robert Redford: the Hollywood icon who founded the Sundance Film Festival
Feature Redford’s most lasting influence may have been as the man who ‘invigorated American independent cinema’ through Sundance
-
Patrick Hemingway: The Hemingway son who tended to his father’s legacy
Feature He was comfortable in the shadow of his famous father, Ernest Hemingway
-
Giorgio Armani obituary: designer revolutionised the business of fashion
In the Spotlight ‘King Giorgio’ came from humble beginnings to become a titan of the fashion industry and redefine 20th-century clothing
-
Ozzy Osbourne obituary: heavy metal wildman and lovable reality TV dad
In the Spotlight For Osbourne, metal was 'not the music of hell but rather the music of Earth, not a fantasy but a survival guide'
-
Brian Wilson: the troubled genius who powered the Beach Boys
Feature The musical giant passed away at 82
-
Sly Stone: The funk-rock visionary who became an addict and recluse
Feature Stone, an eccentric whose songs of uplift were tempered by darker themes of struggle and disillusionment, had a fall as steep as his rise
-
Mario Vargas Llosa: The novelist who lectured Latin America
Feature The Peruvian novelist wove tales of political corruption and moral compromise
-
Dame Maggie Smith: an intensely private national treasure
In the Spotlight Her mother told her she didn't have the looks to be an actor, but Smith went on to win awards and capture hearts