The Fretboard Journal Guitar Podcast · The Fretboard Journal

Jon Rauhouse

·1 hr 1 min·5 clips

Jon Rauhouse shares his battle with metastatic prostate cancer and how it changed everything.

This episode features host Jason Verlinde interviewing pedal steel guitarist Jon Rauhouse for the Fretboard Journal's 500th episode. Rauhouse is the musician behind the show's recurring theme "Homie's Parade" and a veteran player known for his work with Neko Case and Billy Bob Thornton. The conversation traces Rauhouse's musical journey and recent health challenges. Rauhouse began as a banjo player before switching to pedal steel after seeing Michael Hardwick perform in the late 1970s. He purchased his first pedal steel, a student model ZB, around 1979 before upgrading to his main MSA guitar, which he named Fabiola. Early in his career, he learned by lifting the needle on records from artists like Marshall Tucker Band and Commander Cody. His pedal steel heroes included Al Perkins and Lucky Oceans from Asleep at the Wheel. Rauhouse stayed in Arizona and toured with the Grievous Angels, which led to session work on numerous alt-country records for the Bloodshot label. He met Neko Case in Chicago while she was sleeping on a couch at Bloodshot founder Rob Miller's place. Their first collaboration was the song "Favorite" for a Bloodshot compilation around 1999. Rauhouse recalls Case giving him a songwriting credit for suggesting an F minor chord on "Wish I Was the Moon." He attended steel guitar conventions, remembering a Fender event where legends Jack Carson and Bobby Cofer reunited. A remote session for a British producer resulted in a track that charted highly in the UK, Australia, and Japan. Rauhouse explains that "Homie's Parade" was inspired by small figurines from a gumball machine at a Mexican restaurant called Rosita's. He was diagnosed with stage four metastatic prostate cancer just before the COVID-19 pandemic, which caused a lymph node to press on his sciatic nerve. Treatment halted the cancer's growth but led to adrenal insufficiency, requiring daily hydrocortisone. During the pandemic, he and singer Blaine Long started the podcast "The Musician's Guide to Everything," interviewing figures like guitar tech Donny Wade. The episode has a reflective and conversational tone, blending personal history with technical insights into pedal steel guitar. Listeners interested in the history of alt-country, instrumental craftsmanship, or artists' personal resilience will appreciate this episode. Those seeking highly technical gear discussions or fast-paced narratives might find other episodes more aligned with their interests.

As heard by us

A warm milestone conversation that turns a theme song into a fuller portrait.

The Fretboard Journal's 500th episode reaches back to John Rauhaus, the musician behind Homie's Parade and a familiar voice from the show's early days.

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Why you'd press play

You want a warm, gear-brained guitar conversation with real history attached.

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