Chet Atkins Biography, Photos and Posters

Chet Atkins

Biography

Born: June 20, 1924
City and Country of Origin: Luttrell, Tennessee
Music Training:
Awards: CMA 1988 - Musician of the Year; 1985 - Instrumentalist of the Year; 1984 - Instrumentalist of the Year; 1983 - Instrumentalist of the Year; 1982 - Instrumentalist of the Year; 1981 - Instrumentalist of the Year; 1969 - Instrumentalist of the Year; 1968 - Instrumentalist of the Year; 1967 - Instrumentalist of the Year; Grammy 1996 Best Country Instrumental Performance, "Jam Man;" 1994 Best Country Instrumental Performance, "Young Thing;" 1993 Best Country Instrumental Performance, Red Wing; 1992 Best Country Instrumental Performance, "Sneakin' Around;" 1990 Best Country Vocal Collaboration, "Poor Boy Blues;" Best Country Instrumental Performance, "So Soft, Your Goodbye;" 1985 Best Country Instrumental Performance (Orchestra, Group Or Soloist), "Cosmic Square Dance;" 1981 Best Country Instrumental Performance, "Country After All These Years;" 1976 Best Country Instrumental Performance, Chester And Lester; 1975 Best Country Instrumental Performance, The Entertainer; 1974 Best Country Instrumental Performance, The Atkins-Travis Traveling Show; 1971 Best Country Instrumental Performance, Snowbird; 1970 Best Country Instrumental Performance, Me And Jerry; 1967 Best Instrumental Performance, Chet Atkins Picks The Best
Top Recordings: "Yakety Axe,"
Chet Atkins Biography: Chester Burton "Chet" Atkins was an influential guitarist and record producer. His picking style, inspired by Merle Travis, Django Reinhardt, George Barnes and Les Paul, brought him admirers both within and outside the country scene. Atkins produced records for Eddy Arnold, Don Gibson, Jim Reeves, Jerry Reed, Connie Smith, and Waylon Jennings. He created, along with Owen Bradley, the smoother country music style known as the Nashville sound, which expanded country music's appeal to include adult pop music fans as well.

Chet was obsessed with music while growing up with his mother and two older brothers and an older sister. He started out on the ukelele, later moving on to the fiddle, but traded his brother Lowell an old pistol and some chores for a guitar when he was nine. He was forced to relocate to Georgia to live with his father after a near fatal asthma attack.

He developed his own sound and style of play in 1939 after listening to Merle Travis picking over WLW radio. His unique style became his trademark throughout his career.

He dropped out of high school in 1942 to take a job at WNOX radio in Knoxville. There he played fiddle and guitar with singer Bill Carlisle and comic Archie Campbell as well as becoming a member of the station's "Dixieland Swingsters," a small swing instrumental combo.

He moved around working at WLW in Cincinnati, Ohio, Raleigh, Richmond, Virginia. He auditioned for Red Foley,who was leaving his star position at the WLS National Barn Dance to join the Grand Ole Opry, in Chicago. Atkins made his first appearance at the Grand Ole Opry in 1946 as a member of Foley's band. He also recorded a single for Nashville-based Bullet Records that year. That single, "Guitar Blues," was fairly progressive, including as it did, a clarinet solo by Nashville dance band musician Dutch McMillan with Owen Bradley on piano. When his spot on the Opry was eliminated he moved on to KWTO in Springfield, Missouri, but was fired for not sounding country enough.

While he was working in Denver, Colorado, he was approached by RCA's director of country music A&R, Steve Sholes. He made his first RCA recordings in Chicago in 1947, which did not sell. After that he found himself working with Mother Maybelle and the Carter Sisters back at KWTO. They soon caught the attention of the Opry and moved to Nashville. Atkins began working on recording sessions, performing on WSM and the Opry.

While Atkins hadn't had a hit record on RCA his stature was growing. He began assisting Sholes as a Session Leader when the New York-based producer needed help organizing Nashville sessions for RCA artists. Atkins's first hit single was "Mr. Sandman," followed by "Silver Bell," which he did as a duet with Hank Snow. His albums also became more popular. In addition to recording, Atkins became a design consultant for Gretsch, who manufactured a popular Chet Atkins line of electric guitars from 1955-1980. Atkins also became manager of RCA's Nashville studio eventually inspiring and seeing the completion of the legendary Studio 'B'. This studio was the first studio built specifically for the purpose of recording on the now famous 'Music Row'.

When Sholes took over pop production in 1957 - a result of his success with Elvis Presley - he put Atkins in charge of RCA's Nashville division. Rock was king and the country sound was in shambles. Atkins together with Bob Ferguson decided to eliminate fiddles and steel guitar as a means of making country singers appeal to pop fans. This became known as the Nashville Sound. Under Atkins crossover country hits became common, as Atkins used the Jordanaires and a rhythm section on hits like Jim Reeves's "Four Walls" and "He'll Have to Go" and Don Gibson's "Oh Lonesome Me" and "Blue Blue Day."

It sure didn't hurt his recording career as an artist to be in charge of a major label like RCA. He would record the rhythym tracks for his own music at RCA, but add the solo parts at home, gradually refining the recording till he had the sound he wanted. His sound became famous and he performed by invitation at the White House for presidents Kennedy through George H. W. Bush.

By the time his mentor, Sholes died in 1968 Atkins had become vice president of RCA's country division. He brought is artists like Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, Connie Smith, Bobby Bare, Dolly Parton, Jerry Reed and John Hartford. He took a major risk in the mid 60s during the civil rights strife in the South when he brought in a Black country singer Charley Pride.

During the 70s Atkins became stressed by his executive duties. After a bout with colon cancer he reduced his executive responsibilities at RCA and went back to his first love the guitar. In 1982 he left RCA and signed with Columbia Records. While at Columbia he devoted much of his efforts towards one of his pet loves jazz. During the 90s his cancer returned and his health began to fail.
Died: June 30, 2001

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