10 February 2026

The Country Music Hall of Fame has announced the death of steel guitarist, Pete Finney. Pete Finney toured with many bands including the Chicks, Vince Gill, the Judds, Reba McEntire, and Patty Loveless. He passed away on Saturday, February 7, aged 70. Career From Maryland, Mr Finney began his career in Washington D.C before moving to Austin and eventually relocating to Nashville in the mid-1980s. He toured with Foster & Lloyd and later contributed to the solo careers of Radney Foster and Bill Lloyd. Whilst he was touring with Reba McEntire, eight members of her band and two crew members lost their lives in a plane crash in 1991. Mr Finney survived because he was travelling on a different plane. He also toured with the Monkees, which included a final tour with the band prior to member Michael Nesmith’s death in 2021. Legacy  In issuing a statement on Monday, February 9, the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum said Mr Finney had an extensive knowledge of American music history and co-curated an exhibition on the many non-American artists who came to Nashville in the 1960s and 1970s. The organisation said: “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.”