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Chet Atkins
Composer
Born June 20, 1924Died June 30, 2001 (77 years)
Chester Burton "Chet" Atkins, known as "Mr. Guitar" and "The Country Gentleman", was an American musician, occasional vocalist, songwriter, and record producer, who along with Owen Bradley and Bob Ferguson, among others, created the country music style that came to be known as the Nashville sound, which expanded country music's appeal to adult pop music fans. He was primarily known as a guitarist. He also played the mandolin, fiddle, banjo, and ukulele.
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, 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.
Description above from the Wikipedia article Chet Atkins, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.
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, 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.
Description above from the Wikipedia article Chet Atkins, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.
Filmography
| 2025 | The Rock Prophet: Link Wray · as Self |
| 2018 | Elvis Presley: The Searcher · as Self |
| 2016 | Everly · as Self - Musician |
| 2016 | |
| 2014 | The Winding Stream · as Self (archive Footage) |
| 2011 | Mark Knopfler: A Life in Songs · as Self - Guitar |
| 2010 | Country's Greatest Stars Live: Vol. 1 · as Self |
| 2007 | Opry Video Classics: The Hall of Fame · as Self (archive Footage) |
| 2005 | Grand Ole Opry's Vintage Classics · as Self |
| 1999 | In Dreams: The Roy Orbison Story · as Self |
| 1999 | The Genius of Lenny Breau · as Self |
| 1996 | Neil Diamond: Under a Tennessee Moon · as Self - Guest Artist |
| 1995 | Big Dreams & Broken Hearts: The Dottie West Story · as Chet Atkins |
| 1994 | Elvis: The Tribute · as Self - Performer |
| 1993 | Late Night with Conan O'Brien (TV Series) · as Self - Guest |
| 1992 | The Best of the Ed Sullivan Show (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1992 | The Tonight Show with Jay Leno (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1991 | |
| 1990 | An All Star Salute to Country Music · as Self |
| 1989 | Pat Sajak Show (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1988 | The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour (1988) (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1987 | Dolly (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1987 | Biography (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1987 | The Secret Policeman's Third Ball · as Self |
| 1984 | |
| 1977 | The 19th Annual Grammy Awards · as Self |
| 1975 | The Val Doonican Music Show (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1975 | Arena (1975) (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1975 | Number One (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1975 | Austin City Limits (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1974 | Dinah! (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1974 | Pop Goes the Country (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1972 | BBC In Concert (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1972 | Pebble Mill at One (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1970 | Evening at Pops (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1969 | The David Frost Show (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1969 | Hee Haw (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1969 | The Johnny Cash Show (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1969 | This is Tom Jones (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1967 | Kraft Music Hall (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1967 | The Joey Bishop Show (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1966 | The Jerry Lewis MDA Labor Day Telethon (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1966 | Nashville Rebel · as Chet Atkins |
| 1963 | The Jimmy Dean Show (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1962 | The Tonight Show starring Johnny Carson (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1961 | The Mike Douglas Show (TV Series) · as Self - Guitarist |
| 1961 | The Porter Wagoner Show (TV Series) · as Self - Guest |
| 1957 | Country Style, U.S.A. (TV Series) · as Self - Guitarist |
| 1955 | This is Your Life (UK) (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1952 | Today (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1948 | The Perry Como Show (TV Series) · as Self - Guest |
| 1948 | The Ed Sullivan Show (TV Series) · as Self |