Rusty Young (musician)
A pedal steel guitar pioneer who fused country twang with rock and roll energy, defining the sound of the foundational country-rock band Poco for five decades.
1946–2021 (age 75)·American guitarist·Birthday: February 23·Baby Boomers
Biography
Rusty Young didn't just join Poco; he invented its signature sound. Hired as a session musician for the band's 1968 debut, his mastery of the pedal steel guitar—an instrument then confined to traditional country stages—became the group's secret weapon. He made the steel sing with rock urgency and melodic grace, a sound so vital he was quickly made a full member. While other founding members departed, Young became Poco's constant, steering it through the 1970s and scoring its biggest hit with the smooth 'Crazy Love' in 1979. He was the band's resilient core, a versatile musician who also took on lead vocals and songwriting. For over 50 years, his playing provided the golden, weeping thread that connected country tradition to the burgeoning Americana scene, influencing countless artists who sought that bittersweet, lyrical blend.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Rusty was born in 1946, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Rusty Was Born
The biggest hits of 1946
#1 Movie
The Best Years of Our Lives
Best Picture
The Best Years of Our Lives
Rusty's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1946Born
United Nations holds its first General Assembly
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $5,150Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Prisoner of Love" — Perry ComoBest Picture: The Best Years of Our Lives
1951Started school
First color TV broadcast in the US
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,925Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Too Young" — Nat King ColeBest Picture: An American in Paris
1959Became a teenager
Fidel Castro takes power in Cuba
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $12,400Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"The Battle of New Orleans" — Johnny HortonBest Picture: Ben-Hur
1962Could drive
Cuban Missile Crisis brings the world to the brink
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,800Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Stranger on the Shore" — Acker BilkBest Picture: Lawrence of Arabia
1964Could vote
Civil Rights Act signed; Beatles arrive in America
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $13,450Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"I Want to Hold Your Hand" — The BeatlesBest Picture: My Fair Lady
1967Turned 21
Summer of Love in San Francisco; first Super Bowl
Gas: $0.33/galHome: $14,250Min wage: $1.40/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"To Sir, with Love" — LuluBest Picture: In the Heat of the Night
1976Turned 30
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
1986Turned 40
Challenger disaster; Chernobyl nuclear meltdown
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $66,600Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"That's What Friends Are For" — Dionne & FriendsBest Picture: Platoon
1996Turned 50
Dolly the sheep cloned
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $99,700Min wage: $4.75/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Macarena" — Los del RioBest Picture: The English Patient
2006Turned 60
Twitter launches; Pluto reclassified as dwarf planet
Gas: $2.59/galHome: $174,700Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Bad Day" — Daniel PowterBest Picture: The Departed
2016Turned 70
Donald Trump elected president; Brexit vote
Gas: $2.14/galHome: $181,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Love Yourself" — Justin BieberBest Picture: Moonlight
2021Died at 75
January 6 Capitol breach; COVID vaccines roll out globally
Gas: $3.01/galHome: $298,900Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Levitating" — Dua LipaBest Picture: CODA
Key Achievements
- Introduced the pedal steel guitar as a lead instrument in a rock context, defining the sound of the pioneering country-rock band Poco.
- Wrote and sang lead on Poco's highest-charting single, 'Crazy Love', which reached No. 1 on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart in 1979.
- Was the only constant member of Poco throughout its entire history, from 1968 until its final album in 2013.
- Inducted into the Steel Guitar Hall of Fame in 2013 for his innovative work on the instrument.
Did You Know?
He learned to play pedal steel by listening to records by country musician Buddy Emmons.
Before joining Poco, he played on Buffalo Springfield's final album, 'Last Time Around', which is how he met future Poco members.
He was an avid fisherman and owned a ranch in Missouri.
His first guitar was a Silvertone that came in a kit with a small amplifier.
“I brought the cry of the steel guitar to a rock and roll band.”
