|
Donald's Encyclopedia of Popular MusicA B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y ZATKINS, Chet(b 20 June '24, Luttrell TN; d 30 June 2001, Nashville) Guitarist, named outstanding instrumentalist by Cashbox magazine 14 years in a row '51-65; also producer and RCA executive. His father was a music teacher; his older half-brother Jim played guitar with Fred Waring and Les Paul. He began as a fiddler with Dixieland Swingers on Knoxville radio '42; toured with Archie Campbell, Bill Carlisle, playing fiddle and guitar. To Cincinnati's radio WLW '44; married singer Leona Johnson there '46. Sang on first records for RCA '47 (and later had the masters destroyed). Toured with Maybelle Carter; moved to Nashville '49; recorded as guitarist, appeared on Grand Ole Opry, assisted RCA A&R man Steve Sholes, organizing recording sessions; his first album Chet Atkins' Gallopin' Guitar '53 was followed by over 100 more, in many genres (Finger Style Guitar '56, Three Dimensions '64, Picks On The Beatles '65), but his own playing stayed the same: bass rhythm with the thumb, melody picked with three fingers. He became an assistant producer '52 and took over when Sholes moved to NYC '57; Atkins's uncanny knack for finding talent and matching material to artist resulted in credit for the 'Nashville sound': he produced records for Jim Reeves, Don Gibson, Charley Pride, Waylon Jennings, Hank Snow, Jerry Reed, Dottie West, Everly Brothers, Elvis Presley, Trini Lopez, Perry Como and many more; an RCA vice-president '68 until retirement '79. During the '60s he teamed with Floyd Cramer, Boots Randolph and others for a Masters Festival and occasional concert series; he was elected to the Country Music Hall of Fame '73. Atkins's albums included The Night Atlanta Burned, an attempt at a country string quartet based on arrangements for a mandolin orchestra discovered in an instrument case dating from the Civil War; Chester And Lester '75 (duet with Les Paul, one of several Grammy winners); also Picks The Best, Legendary Performer, two-disc This Is Chet Atkins (all RCA). Concentrating more on playing, he signed with Columbia '83, added initials CGP (Certified Guitar Player) and expanded his repertoire and style, leaning towards jazz and new age, as with Stay Tuned '85 with Earl Klugh, George Benson, Mark Knopfler, Larry Carleton. Neck And Neck '91 with Knopfler was a notable commercial success; Simpatico '94 was an acclaimed duet with Suzy Bogguss; Almost Alone '96 on Columbia included standards as well as his own tunes. Other albums: two-CD The RCA Years with Jerry Reed, Lenny Breau, Merle Travis and others; The Essential with Doc Watson, also on RCA (see also entry for Martin Taylor). Gallopin' Guitar '93 is a Bear Family boxed set; he won a Grammy Lifetime Achievement award '93 and had 13 Grammys altogether. |