Then, just as he gained confidence in the control room, he faced the biggest challenge of his career as rock 'n' roll upended country music's rising popularity. He wasn't just the first country instrumentalist to become a successful album artist he sold to pop fans who wouldn't have considered listening to other country musicians.ĭuring these six years, Atkins became a full-blown RCA producer. In an era when albums were little more than afterthoughts for most country acts, they became his primary medium. It went beyond singles that sold better than they had at first. If the 1946-54 phase of Atkins's recording career was a slow ramping up, the 1955-1960 era defined his future. To Chet's credit, he used them to enhance his music, not as shallow gimmickry. The homemade electronic effects he created and used on some of his records might not have had names like 'wah-wah' or 'chorus,' but in the late 60s, Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton and others used foot-controlled versions miniaturized by transistors, readily available to anyone. His penchant for electronic experimentation, cultivated as a teenager, yielded some profound innovations. Classical guitar luminaries Christopher Parkening and Chet's occasional collaborator Liona Boyd were friends and fans. His jazz admirers included Lenny Breau, Johnny Smith, Les Paul, Earl Klugh and George Benson. In country, Jerry Reed, Doc Watson, Paul Yandell, Marcel Dadi, Steve Wariner, Vince Gill, Odell Martin and Tommy Emmanuel traced at least part of their musical lineage to Chet. His influence on John Fogerty and Mark Knopfler was obvious. George Harrison invoked his style on Beatles tracks like I'm A Loser. The Ventures' Don Wilson and Bob Bogle owe their careers to one Atkins album cut. Early on, there was Scotty Moore, Eddie Cochran and Duane Eddy. It's impossible to wander through rock 'n' roll history without tramping on guitarists who drank from Chet's musical fountainhead. The rationale behind his induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame actually went beyond that. Twenty-nine years earlier, he'd been the youngest inductee to the Country Music Hall of Fame. The honor recognized his work in Nashville's studios, including his behind-the-scenes roles in the early hits of Elvis Presley and his friends, the Everly Brothers. In 2002, a year after he died following a lengthy bout with cancer, Chet Atkins was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in their 'sideman' category. He was in his early thirties, and the next phase would make him one of the world's most influential guitarists. Now the idol of country guitarists of all ages and persuasions, he was well along in his quest to become the world's best known country guitarist. It didn't break the Top Ten, but it was a hit. In 1955, eight years after Steve Sholes signed him to RCA Victor, Chet Atkins's instrumental rendition of the Chordettes' pop vocal hit Mister Sandmangave him the first hit single of his career. Then, a guitar course in his name, and finally, a hit single. "He was the guitar player of the 20th Century."įirst a guitar he designed with his name on it. At the time I thought I was terrible, but that kept me improving and trying to learn to play better." I was kind of an innovator and I could pull it off very well. Now I am trying to catch up with everybody, but back in those days it was nice. I really was ahead of a lot of people in those days. "I was brave and ignorant and I played pretty well. "I played pretty good back in those days - the 50s and 60s," he says. Unsigned Notes, 'Stringin' Along With Chet Atkins' I always notice some little thing I think I could have done better.'" "When asked recently which of his hundreds of recordings was his personal favorite, Chet's answer was soft, but emphatic.'I don't like any of them, nor do I like to hear them. The things that are made by plans well laid the test of time will tell.īut how can you count, or know the amount of the value of the manīy the melodies played and the beauty made by the touch of Chet Atkins hands It matters not the job you've got as long as you do it well Make the tiniest springs do the tiniest things And long has the skill endured The watchmakers eye and a light to see by and hands that are calm and sure The thread of the tailor, the ropes of the sailor are tied by knowing hands The hands of the baker and candlestick maker are those of a skillful man
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Details
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |