Norm Hamlet, Merle Haggard's Pedal Steel Guitarist for Nearly 50 Years, Dies at 91

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Norm Hamlet, the pedal steel guitarist who played with Merle Haggard for nearly five decades and taught a young Barbara Mandrell how to play the instrument, has died at the age of 91. Hamlet first met Haggard in the 1960s when he was filling in for Haggard's regular steel guitarist, and he went on to become a member of Haggard's band, the Strangers, in 1967, playing on many of the country legend's most iconic recordings.

Why it matters

Hamlet's long tenure with Haggard and his role in launching Barbara Mandrell's career as a pedal steel virtuoso make him an important figure in country music history. His work helped define the sound of Haggard's music for decades, and his teaching of Mandrell helped pave the way for one of country's most celebrated instrumentalists.

The details

Hamlet first heard the pedal steel guitar, then called the Hawaiian guitar, on the Grand Ole Opry and immediately fell in love with the instrument. In the late 1950s, he was approached by his friend Irby Mandrell to teach Mandrell's daughter, Barbara, how to play the pedal steel. Hamlet agreed, and Barbara Mandrell went on to become known as a pedal steel prodigy, touring with the Johnny Cash Show as a featured instrumentalist by age 13. Hamlet's connection to Haggard began when he was filling in for Haggard's regular steel guitarist, Fuzzy Owen, and Haggard was impressed enough to offer Hamlet a spot in his band, the Strangers, in 1967. Hamlet went on to play on the majority of Haggard's classic recordings over the next five decades.

• Norm Hamlet was born on February 27, 1935 in Woodville, California.
• In the late 1950s, Hamlet taught a young Barbara Mandrell how to play the pedal steel guitar.
• Hamlet joined Merle Haggard's band, the Strangers, in 1967 and played on the majority of Haggard's recordings over the next 49 years.

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