Boomer Castleman
Encyclopedia
Owen Castleman, better known by his stage name Boomer Castleman, was an American singer-songwriter
and guitarist from Farmers Branch, Texas
. He was a one-hit wonder
, hitting the US charts in 1975 with the single "Judy Mae", which peaked at #33.
Castleman is also the inventor of the palm pedal
, a device that allow guitar players to execute pedal steel-style string bends. He made his original prototype in 1968, and the device is now marketed under the name Bigsby Palm Pedal. The original patent has expired, allowing other vendors to market similar devices, but the Bigsby/Castleman version is the original.
Castleman also founded the independent country music record label BNA Records
which he later sold to BMG Music.
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
and guitarist from Farmers Branch, Texas
Farmers Branch, Texas
Farmers Branch is a city in Dallas County, Texas, United States. It is both an inner-ring suburb of Dallas and is part of the Dallas–Fort Worth Metroplex. The population was 27,508 at the 2000 census. A July 1, 2008 U.S...
. He was a one-hit wonder
One-hit wonder
A one-hit wonder is a person or act known mainly for only a single success. The term is most often used to describe music performers with only one hit single.-Characteristics:...
, hitting the US charts in 1975 with the single "Judy Mae", which peaked at #33.
Castleman is also the inventor of the palm pedal
Palm pedal
A palm pedal a mechanical device that consists of levers attached to the strings of a guitar or other stringed instrument for the purpose of pulling the strings up in pitch to a preset half-step or whole-step. Boomer Castleman is known as the inventor. Bigsby was the manufacturer of this product in...
, a device that allow guitar players to execute pedal steel-style string bends. He made his original prototype in 1968, and the device is now marketed under the name Bigsby Palm Pedal. The original patent has expired, allowing other vendors to market similar devices, but the Bigsby/Castleman version is the original.
Castleman also founded the independent country music record label BNA Records
BNA Records
BNA Records, formerly known as BNA Entertainment, is a label group that shares ties with Arista Nashville and RCA Nashville from parent company Sony Music Nashville, which itself is a subsidiary of Sony Music Entertainment. Based in Nashville, Tennessee, BNA features country music acts on its roster...
which he later sold to BMG Music.