On April 14, Rusty Young, the founding member of the popular 1970s country-rock band, Poco, passed away at his home in Davisville, Missouri, from a heart attack. He was 75 years old. Regardless of his chronological age, he left us too soon. For so many of those who are fans of Poco, and I count myself among that following, Young will be remembered as the band’s creative guide, and as an artist who, at the dawn of the 1970’s, brought the pedal steel guitar to the forefront of the west coast rock music scene.

We often read grand and glowing look-back articles on superstars like Elvis, John Lennon, Tom Petty and Prince after their passing. Somehow those artists who were not members of rock royalty are not lauded for their contributions. Rusty Young is a case in point, as he is seen by a large number of people across multiple generations in the half-light of that murky category. In truth, across his career, Young was viewed by the rank and file artists from across the music community as being, along with The Grateful Dead’s Gerry Garcia, perhaps the most accomplished steel guitar player in the industry.

In his day, he was the musician who, almost single-handedly, created a permanent home for the steel guitar through playing the lilting and twangy instrument on songs that were recorded by a host of popular California bands. Among them, the legendary Byrds. They were the band that pioneered their signature jingle-jangle sound with mega hits like “Mr. Tambourine Man,” and “Turn, Turn, Turn.”

A fair statement might be that, in the world of the performing arts and in the arena of professional sports as well, many of us tend to hang on to an indelible and pristine image of celebrities as we knew them from long ago. To see them age only serves to reinforce our own mortality to us. So in our collective mind’s eye, such people remain forever young and vibrant, forever wrapped tightly inside of that eternal bubble of their magic youth. So it is with Rusty Young. For like his last name, his image will never grow old despite the fact that he departed this life at an age that put him squarely in the elderly demographic.

From the ashes of the memorable band, Buffalo Springfield, whose members included Neil Young, Stephen Stills and Richie Furay, Rusty Young formed Poco in 1968. Having played steel guitar on Buffalo Springfield’s lovely song, “Kind Woman,” he carried on in much the same style of that gentle and earthy material from Buffalo Springfield. Such a song that amplified that tone and feel was “Crazy Love.” A lilting and harmony-rich song written by Young, it would become the number 1 song of 1979 on the Billboard adult contemporary chart, and Poco’s biggest selling single.

His songwriting and instrumental expertise were a catalyst for him to emerge as the band’s front man and driving force through five decades of recording and touring. Even as they drifted into their senior years, the members of Poco still continued to tour together right up through March of 2020 when the COVID pandemic brought all live performances everywhere to a screeching halt.

Looking back, there was a time when the members of Poco included country-rock luminaries like former Eagles Timothy. B. Schmit and Randy Meisner, Paul Cotton and Jim Messina. In the world of country-rock, it simply doesn’t get any better than guys like that. Young was also an accomplished player of the banjo, Dobro and Mandolin, and in 2013 he was inducted into the Steel Guitar Hall of Fame. Poco celebrated its 50th anniversary reunion in 2017, and Young released his first solo album, “Waiting for the Sun” in that same year.

As I say, for much of the general public, Rusty Young was sadly a well-kept secret. He certainly wasn’t eulogized by the media as being a member of the esteemed music superstars club. However, across five productive decades he was recognized by those in the music community as being a true craftsmen at his trade. He will be remembered fondly by those who follow the country-rock scene as an artist who had a lasting influence on the Eagles, the most famous band and successful band in American music history. Additionally, the legions of young kids who came of age listening to Poco, and who fell in love with the unique and twangy lilt of the pedal steel guitar, will remember him fondly.

Paul Collins is a freelance writer from Southborough, Massachusetts.