About

“Pedal steel is the main instrument in the church I grew up in,” says DaShawn Hickman. “Where most churches have organs that lead their services, ours are led by pedal steel.” 

One of the foremost contemporary practitioners of Sacred Steel, a blues-gospel tradition dating back to the Pentecostal-Holiness churches of the 1930s, Hickman grew up not only hearing the pedal steel in the tiny House of God church his family attended in Mt. Airy, North Carolina, but also listening to his mother play lap steel in their home. Hickman picked up the instrument at the age of 5, when his mother put it down to concentrate on ministering, and by the age of 12 his local reputation as a pedal steel player was such that he was regularly asked to play at other area churches.  Dashawn has most recently spent time traveling with Cirque du Soleil as a member of the Songblazers band. A new country themed show. First of its kind. More recently you would have seen Hickman on  AGT (Americas Got Talent) along  side fellow musician Steve Ray Ladson, place forth overall. Hickman has also graced the cover of many notable music magazines Blues Blast and All about Jazz as well as featured in Vintage Guitar Magazine. He was also recognized as one of the country's best upcoming artists with nominations from IBA (International Blues Association, Blues Blast Music awards.  He has worked with many notable artists such as Charlie Hunter, Shamika Copeland, Jerry Douglas, Will Kimbrough, to name a few. Be sure to check out him whenever you hear he’s in town