Pete Finney, a veteran country musician who toured with Patty Loveless for over two decades and recorded with artists like Reba McEntire, the Chicks, and Vince Gill, has died.
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Nashville’s Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum confirmed the celebrated steel guitarist’s death in a statement earlier this week, saying he died on Feb. 7. A cause of death was not provided for the 70-year-old.
The museum described Finney as “a widely admired Nashville musician” and noted that he “exemplified how top instrumentalists can adapt to a remarkable range of styles and settings, whether in a recording studio, a concert stage, or the corner of a small nightclub.”
After moving to Tennessee, Finney toured with Foster & Lloyd before contributing to the solo careers of both Radney Foster and Bill Lloyd. His diverse career led him to record with a wide range of artists, including Beck, Jon Byrd, Shemekia Copeland, Justin Townes Earle, Jon Langford, Jim Lauderdale, Allison Moorer, and Candi Staton.
Finney was also a music historian. He co-curated the Hall of Fame museum’s 2015–2018 exhibition, “Dylan, Cash, and the Nashville Cats: A New Music City,” and co-wrote the exhibit’s companion book. The book later won the 2016 Chet Flippo Award for excellence in country music journalism from the International Country Music Conference.
“The idea for the exhibit came from Finney’s research on the many non-country artists from North America and England who came to Nashville in the 1960s and 1970s to record with the city’s talented and fast-working studio musicians,” the museum shared.
Over the years, Finney frequently hosted programs and participated in panel discussions at the Hall of Fame museum.
An Early Collaborator Pays Tribute to Pete Finney
Meanwhile, an early collaborator took to social media to pay tribute to Finney.
“My heart is breaking to make this post,” veteran country singer Sylvia began on Facebook. “My friend Pete Finney has passed away. He was the first person I hired to play steel guitar in my band back in early 1983,” she added alongside a throwback snapshot featuring Finney.
“He lived in Texas at the time and moved to Nashville to work with me on the road, which he did for the next 5 years,” the singer continued. “This photo was taken by Jim McGuire at the end of 1987. Pete was such a kind and gentle soul and a wonderful musician. He was also a walking encyclopedia of the history of country music! He is so loved by so many. I’m so grateful I got to make music with him for all those years. Rest in peace, Pete. I love you.”
Finney married singer Carol Tully in 2017.