Robby Turner, the pedal steel guitarist whose soulful mastery of the instrument is embedded in stardom-redefining songs for Waylon Jennings, Sturgill Simpson and Chris Stapleton, has died. He was 63.

While the pedal steel guitar is a staple sound of country and roots music, the number of people who master the tricky instrument is small. One such player is Eric Heywood, a resident of Butte who’s ...