Chet Atkins was undoubtedly among the most influential guitarists of the 20th century, who left an indelible mark on both the country and rock ‘n’ roll catalog. His highly-melodic fingerstyle playing enticed millions of fans worldwide, and was featured on more than 100 albums under his name between 1950 and his passing in 2001.
On June 1, University of Georgia Press will release Chet Atkins: Mr. Guitar by renowned historian and biographer Don Cusic, which covers the whole of Chet’s life, from his birth in Luttrell, TN in 1924, through all of his stellar career in Nashville.
Unlike many artists who come to Nashville to make it big, Atkins worked his way there starting at 18 years of age when he was hired on as a fiddler by Archie Campbell and Bill Carlisle, performing at WNOX in Knoxville, TN. The station soon gave him his own instrumental spot during their noon-time show, and a year later he was on the road with Kitty Wells and Johnny Wright.
After stints on radio playing the barn dance circuit, quite popular in the late 1940s, Atkins started seeing success working with Homer & Jethro. Signed by this time with RCA, he released a number of records of his own unique style. Despite less than stellar sales, the label kept him on, as Merle Travis was a big hit artist at the time with fingerpicked guitar.
In the ’50s he worked with Mother Maybelle & The Carter Family and became quite busy as a session player. You would hear his guitar behind major stars like Hank Williams, The Louvin Brothers, Faron Young, Webb Pierce, Johnny & Jack, Porter Wagoner, and Kitty Wells.
Another major success came in the mid-’50s when RCA put him in charge of their McGavock Street studio, where he oversaw and played on the first single by Elvis Presley, Heartbreak Hotel. He was made Manager of Operations in Nashville a few years later. What a day job for a musician to have!
During the ’60s Chet was part of a team that created a new sort of style for country music, adding strings and a lusher overall sound. He produced major hits like Floyd Kramer’s Last Date and Hank Locklin’s Please Help Me I’m Falling, plus I’ve Been Everywhere for Hank Snow, and Jim Reeves’ He’ll Have to Go. As an RCA Executive, he signed major artists like Charley Pride, Jerry Reed, and Waylon Jennings.
Throughout this time he was also recording his own instrumental guitar albums, sometimes three and four a year. Atkins was invited to play for President Kennedy, and had a hit of his own with Yakety Axe. Gretsch was marketing a Chet Atkins guitar model and there was a popular guitar method book on his style.
He kept us this rabid pace into the 1970s, until he began to slow down a bit mid-decade. The Country Music Hall of Fame inducted him in 1973, and he switched his allegiance from Gretsch to Gibson, who manufactured a signature Chet Atkins model until 2006.
Biographer Don Cusic takes us through all this, and much more, in this new book, releasing June 1. His previous biographies of Roger Miller, Eddy Arnold, Merle Haggard, and Gene Autry have been critical and commercial successes, and one suspects that this one will follow suit. It runs to nearly 500 pages with a selection of photos included.
Pre-orders are enabled now online from UGA Press and Amazon.
