sound device "busy"

[Pastor Robert Cox <gtpc puc net>]

I am fairly new to Linux and have had a series of successes in
installation, thrilling! Virtually everything is working and I have
little need (and no desire) to us that other OS anymore EXCEPT for one
thing, sound.

I am running RedHat 6.0 with a SoundBlaster compatible sound card (ESS
something or other). When I try to do anything to set up the sound, (and
even in the boot process I note the module can't be loaded because) the
device is busy.
I have disabled all PnP in the Bios, the solution that worked with
Caldera, but to no avail.

I defer to the wise ones, please?