John (Jack) Bernard Penewell was born in in Arendahl, Minnesota in 1897. He moved to
Madison, Wisconsin in 1915. He began playing steel guitar in high school, and started to
tour Vaudeville variety shows in 1919, performing solo and with musicians such as Ray Pride
and Harold Stockton. He was also one of the first performers to appear on the WIBA radio
station in Madison. In the early 20s, Penewell patented the "Twin Six"; a double-necked
guitar. In 1925, Penewell released his first commercial recordings on the Autograph label,
and went on to release 78s on the Paramount, Broadway, Apex and Puritan labels. By the late
20s, Penewell began to teach steel guitar lessons, later becoming the lead instructor at the
McKinney School of Hawaiian Guitar in Peoria, Illinois. He composed and published several
pieces of sheet music from 1937 to 1956. Penewell continued to teach and play live music
into the 1960s, performing with musicians such as Leo Aberle, Josh Salter, The Royal Palm
Duo, and the Royal Palm Serenaders. Penewell died in 1973 in Madison, Wisconsin.
