Ben Keith
Bennett Keith Schaeufele (March 6, 1937 – July 26, 2010), better known by his stage name Ben Keith, was an American musician and record producer. Known primarily for his work as a pedal steel guitarist with Neil Young, Keith was a fixture of the Nashville country music community in the 1950s and 1960s before working with numerous successful rock, country and pop artists as both a producer and versatile, multi-instrumentalist sideman for over four decades. Young affectionately referred to him as "Long Grain" (a joking word play reference to a variety of Uncle Ben's Rice and to Ben's height).
Also recorded as Bennett KeitBen Keithh Schaeufele
Ben Keith
Karl-Heinz Meurer · Charlie1965nrw · CC BY-SA 3.0
- Name
- Ben Keith
- Birth Name
- Bennett Keith Schaeufele
- Born
- 6 March 1937
- Birthplace
- Fort Riley, Kansas, United States
- Died
- 26 July 2010
- Place of death
- La Honda, California, United States
- Occupation
- Musician, singer-songwriter, producer, session musician
- Full name
- Bennett Keith Schaeufele.
- Nationality
- United States
- Fields
- rock music
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Documentary summary
Bennett Keith Schaeufele (March 6, 1937 – July 26, 2010), better known by his stage name Ben Keith, was an American musician and record producer. Known primarily for his work as a pedal steel guitarist with Neil Young, Keith was a fixture of the Nashville country music community in the 1950s and 1960s before working with numerous successful rock, country and pop artists as both a producer and versatile, multi-instrumentalist sideman for over four decades. Young affectionately referred to him as "Long Grain" (a joking word play reference to a variety of Uncle Ben's Rice and to Ben's height).
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wikidata · Q2428968 · wikipedia · Ben Keith
In this article
Biography
Biography
Keith was inducted into the Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum in 2014.
Ben Keith playing lap steel guitar + pedal steel guitar
Bodoklecksel
Neil Young with his band (Rick Rosas, Anthony Crawford, Pegi Young, Neil, Ralph Molina and Ben Keith) in Toronto.
3rdparty!
Key facts
Key facts
• Name — Ben Keith • Birth Name — Bennett Keith Schaeufele • Born — 6 March 1937 • Birthplace — Fort Riley, Kansas, United States • Died — 26 July 2010 • Place of death — La Honda, California, United States • Genre — Country, rock, pop, folk • Instrument — Guitar, pedal steel guitar, dobro, banjo, vocals, keyboards, piano, saxophone, bass • Occupation — Musician, singer-songwriter, producer, session musician • Years Active — 1950s–2010 • Label — Reprise, Geffen • Past Member Of — Neil Young, Great Speckled Bird
Biography
Biography
Born in Fort Riley, Kansas, Keith later relocated to Bowling Green, Kentucky, before working as a session musician in Nashville. Keith's first big recording in Nashville was playing on Patsy Cline's 1961 hit "I Fall to Pieces". Keith first worked with Neil Young in 1971 on Young's Harvest album. They were introduced by Elliot Mazer, the album's producer, who was looking for a session player in Nashville on short notice. They collaborated for nearly 40 years, during which time Keith played with Young on over a dozen albums and on numerous tours. Young co-produced Keith's 1994 album Seven Gates, while Keith played the role of Grandpa Green in Young's movie Greendale, a film accompaniment to Young's 2003 album of the same name. In addition to his work with Young, Keith worked with Terry Reid, Todd Rundgren, Lonnie Mack, The Band, Blue, David Crosby, Graham Nash, Paul Butterfield, J. J. Cale, Linda Ronstadt, Warren Zevon, Ian and Sylvia, Emmylou Harris, Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, Tompall Glaser, Anne Murray, and Ringo Starr. He served as the producer of Jewel's debut album Pieces of You, and also worked as a solo artist. He toured with Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young on their 2006 Freedom of Speech Tour. Keith died of a heart attack on July 26, 2010, while staying at Young's Broken Arrow Ranch in Northern California.
Identity
Identity
Ben Keith is recorded as record producer, guitarist, songwriter and musician. Recorded at birth as Bennett Keith Schaeufele.
Life and career
Dated record
Life and career
The full dated record · 1 entries
2010
Ben Keith died at San Mateo County.
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Named by the record
Places
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Bowling Green.
Birth place
San Mateo County.
Death place
Discography
• To a Wild Rose (En Point, 1984) • Seven Gates: A Christmas Album by Ben Keith and Friends (1994)
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Secondary witness
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 14 August 2026.
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