Robby Turner, the legendary steel guitar player known as the “Man of Steel,” died Thursday, September 4, at age 63. Turner’s son Bobby confirmed his father’s passing on social media, indicating that while they were sad, they knew he was walking without any help and was no longer in pain.
Turner built an extraordinary career as one of country music’s most respected steel guitar players and producers, working with legendary artists including Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, The Highwaymen and Chris Stapleton. His nickname “Man of Steel” became the title of his 1996 solo album.
Born into country music royalty, Turner’s parents Doyle and Bernice Turner played in Hank Williams Sr.’s Drifting Cowboys from 1946 to 1948. His father played steel guitar while his mother played rhythm guitar. By age nine, Turner was playing drums and touring with The Wilburn Brothers, though drums would not remain his primary instrument.
Turner’s passion led him to follow his father’s footsteps into steel guitar. At 11 years old, he worked three nights a week at a local honky tonk in Paragould, Arkansas, saving money to buy his own steel guitar. His talent earned recognition early when Shot Jackson of the Sho-Bud steel guitar company sponsored him at age 12, making him the youngest player ever endorsed by the company.
The turning point in Turner’s career came in 1990 when producer Chips Moman asked him to join the backing band for supergroup The Highwaymen, consisting of Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, Johnny Cash and Kris Kristofferson. This opportunity sparked a lifelong friendship with Jennings that lasted until the country legend’s death in 2002.
Turner became Jennings’ primary steel guitar player, performing on nine of his albums from the mid-1970s to the early 2010s. He contributed to the historic 1976 album “Wanted! The Outlaws,” featuring Jennings, Nelson, Jessi Colter and Tompall Glaser, which became the first country album certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America. The album spawned the hit “Good Hearted Woman” by Jennings and Nelson.
The bond between Turner and Jennings was profound. In a 2012 interview with Texas Monthly, Turner revealed that after Jennings’ death, he never wanted to play again and stayed in bed for a week, canceling all commitments. Turner later explained that he came to understand Waylon was in his future, not his past, and he looked forward to seeing him again.
Turner’s extensive resume included collaborations with Tanya Tucker, Randy Travis, John Prine, Marty Stuart, Jim Lauderdale, Loretta Lynn, Travis Tritt and The Oak Ridge Boys. In recent years, he worked on projects from Chris Stapleton, Sturgill Simpson and Colter Wall. He played on Stapleton’s CMA Awards album of the year-winning projects “Traveller” and “From A Room: Volume 1,” Simpson’s “High Top Mountain” and Wall’s self-titled album.
Beyond performing, Turner also worked as a producer and recorded with The Highwaymen on their 1990 project “The Highwayman 2” and 1995’s “The Road Goes On Forever.” He performed with artists including Johnny Paycheck and The Chicks, and released his own projects including 1996’s “Man of Steel” and 1998’s “Steel Country.”
In 2019, Turner was honored as part of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum’s Nashville Cats series. During his interview, he reflected on working with Jennings, noting that “Waylon never really told us what to do…we just played until he smiled.”
Turner took on the solemn task of completing Waylon’s final recordings in 2012. Jennings had recorded simple vocal and guitar tracks in Turner’s “Turner-Up” studio before his death, leaving them with instructions for Turner to finish someday. The result was 2012’s “Goin’ Down Rockin’ – The Last Recordings.”
Shooter Jennings, Waylon’s son, paid tribute to Turner on social media, describing him as a once-in-a-lifetime talent and the funniest person he ever met. Shooter expressed gratitude for having toured and recorded with Turner multiple times.
According to reports, Turner had been facing difficult health challenges before his death, suffering from osteopenia and leukemia. Turner is survived by his son Bobby of Northeast Arkansas, daughter Mackenzie, and another son, Dylan, both residing in Hermitage, Tennessee. A celebration of life is scheduled for October at The Troubadour Theater in Music Valley Village.