Resource id #75
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Chet Atkins

Chester Burton Atkins (June 20, 1924 – June 30, 2001), known also as "Mr. Guitar" and "The Country Gentleman", was an American musician who, along with Owen Bradley and Bob Ferguson, helped create the Nashville sound, the country music style which expanded its appeal to adult pop music fans. He was primarily a guitarist, but he also played the mandolin, fiddle, banjo, and ukulele, and occasionally sang.

Atkins's signature picking style was inspired by Merle Travis. Other major guitar influences were Django Reinhardt, George Barnes, Les Paul, and, later, Jerry Reed. His distinctive picking style and musicianship brought him admirers inside and outside the country scene, both in the United States and abroad. Atkins spent most of his career at RCA Victor and produced records for the Browns, Hank Snow, Porter Wagoner, Norma Jean, Dolly Parton, Dottie West, Perry Como, Floyd Cramer, Elvis Presley, the Everly Brothers, Eddy Arnold, Don Gibson, Jim Reeves, Jerry Reed, Skeeter Davis, Waylon Jennings, Roger Whittaker, Ann-Margret and many others.

Rolling Stone credited Atkins with inventing the "popwise 'Nashville sound' that rescued country music from a commercial slump" and ranked him number 21 on their list of "The 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time". Among many other honors, Atkins received 14 Grammy Awards and the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. He also received nine Country Music Association awards for Instrumentalist of the Year. He was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, and the Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum. George Harrison was also inspired by Chet Atkins; early Beatles songs such as "All My Loving" show the influence.

Birth and Death Data: Born June 20, 1924 (Luttrell), Died June 30, 2001 (Nashville)

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1947 - 1956

Roles Represented in DAHR: guitar, leader, electric guitar, vocalist, composer, songwriter, violin, electric bass, arranger

= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.

Recordings (Results 176-200 of 254 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Victor D9VB-1968 10-in. 10/13/1949 Crocodile tears Carter Sisters ; Maybelle Carter ; June Carter Cash Female vocal quartet, with string band instrumentalist, guitar  
Victor D9VB-1969 10-in. 10/13/1949 Grandma told me so Carter Sisters ; Maybelle Carter ; June Carter Cash Female vocal solo, with string band instrumentalist, guitar  
Victor D9VB-1970 10-in. 10/13/1949 The day they laid Mary away Carter Sisters ; Maybelle Carter Female vocal solo, with string band and harmony vocals instrumentalist, guitar  
Victor D9VB-1971 10-in. 10/13/1949 Blue skies and sunshine Carter Sisters ; Maybelle Carter Female vocal solo, with string band and vocal chorus instrumentalist, guitar  
Victor D9VB-1972 10-in. 10/13/1949 I've got a home up in glory Carter Sisters ; Maybelle Carter Female vocal solo, with string band and vocal harmonies instrumentalist, guitar  
Victor D9VB-1973 10-in. 10/13/1949 Don't wait Carter Sisters ; Maybelle Carter Female vocal solo, with string band and vocal harmonies instrumentalist, guitar  
Victor D9VB-1974 10-in. 10/13/1949 Put that knife away, Nellie Homer and Jethro Male vocal duet, with string band instrumentalist, guitar  
Victor D9VB-1975 10-in. 10/13/1949 Does the spearmint lose its flavor Homer and Jethro Male vocal duet, with string band instrumentalist, guitar  
Victor D9VB-1976 10-in. 10/13/1949 Boogie man boogie Chet Atkins ; Guitar Pickers (Chet Atkins) Male vocal solo, with string band composer, instrumentalist, guitar  
Victor D9VB-1977 10-in. 10/13/1949 Main street breakdown Chet Atkins ; Guitar Pickers (Chet Atkins) String band composer, instrumentalist, guitar  
Decca NA 2702 4/21/1952 Slowly Webb Pierce instrumentalist, electric guitar  
Decca NA 2703 4/21/1952 The last waltz Webb Pierce instrumentalist, electric guitar  
Decca NA 2704 4/21/1952 Bow Thy head Webb Pierce instrumentalist, electric guitar  
Decca NA 2705 4/21/1952 Country church Webb Pierce instrumentalist, electric guitar  
Decca NA 2864 10/8/1952 I'm going back to Tennessee Jimmie Logsdon instrumentalist, guitar  
Decca NA 2865 10/8/1952 That's when I'll love you the best Jimmie Logsdon instrumentalist, guitar  
Decca NA 2866 10/8/1952 As long as we're together Jimmie Logsdon instrumentalist, guitar  
Decca NA 2867 10/8/1952 I wanna be Mama'd Jimmie Logsdon instrumentalist, guitar  
Decca NA 2890 11/7/1952 Kiss me! Kiss me! Jim Eanes instrumentalist, guitar  
Decca NA 2891 11/7/1952 Little brown hand Jim Eanes instrumentalist, guitar  
Decca NA 2892 11/7/1952 When the one that you love loves you Jim Eanes instrumentalist, guitar  
Decca NA 2893 11/7/1952 Gloomy tomorrow Jim Eanes instrumentalist, guitar  
Decca NA 2919 1/23/1953 The death of Hank Williams Jimmie Logsdon instrumentalist, guitar  
Decca NA 2920 1/23/1953 Hank Williams sings the blues no more Jimmie Logsdon instrumentalist, guitar  
Decca NA 2921 1/23/1953 The love you gave to me Jimmie Logsdon instrumentalist, guitar  
(Results 176-200 of 254 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Atkins, Chet," accessed March 29, 2024, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/103333.

Atkins, Chet. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved March 29, 2024, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/103333.

"Atkins, Chet." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 29 March 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/103333

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