October 1974.

Noel Edwin Boggs became one of the major innovators of pre-pedal Western swing steel guitar. His influence touched countless steel players from the 1940's to the present. Born in Oklahoma, Boggs initially worked in that region before moving to New Orleans in the 1930's. There aspiring Western swing bandleader Hank Penny heard him, and by 1939 Boggs was a member of Penny's band, The Radio Cowboys.

His sharp tone and skilful chord work stood him in good stead. By the early 1940's he was working in California, and in 1945 he joined Bob Wills' Texas Playboys, where he recorded the memorable instrumental, "Texas Playboy Rag," and others.

After .leaving Wills, Boggs worked again with Hank Penny, who featured him on his 1946 Top Ten recording of "Steel Guitar Stomp." Through the rest of the 1940's, and into the 50's, much of Boggs' career involved recording session work and performing with Spade Cooley's band. He recorded on his own in the 1950's without success, and faded into obscurity, in part because he refused to embrace pedal steel guitar. He died in 1974, and was inducted into the Steel Guitar Hall of Fame in 1981.