Chet
King Picker and Pioneer of the Nashville Sound
Published on 14. October 2025
344 pages
978-0-89733-694-9 (ISBN)
Description
Chet Atkins was one of the most legendary country guitarists of the 1950s, but his influence spans both instruments and time. The Country Gentleman developed a distinctive picking style that helped pioneer "e;the Nashville Sound."e; Atkins's musical prowess impacted the jazz, blues, and folk styles of the 1950s and expanded country music appeal to pop music fans. In the more than two decades since his death, Nashville has remained his not-so-humble-anymore domain, but this musical deep dive is the first long-form exploration of Atkins's discography and legacy since the guitarist's own autobiography more than fifty years ago. With never-before-seen detailed analyses of Atkins's overwhelming industry influence, this is a perfect read for music fans everywhere.
More details
Content
- Intro
- Contents
- Introduction: A Country Gentleman
- 1 Dust Bowl Blues
- 2 Silvertone
- 3 Django on the Go
- 4 Hire Him . . . Fire Him
- 5 "The Real, Fresh-Squeezed Thing"
- 6 Paging Chet Atkins
- 7 Galloping Guitar
- 8 Down on Music Row
- 9 "The Bourbon Would Almost Knock You Down"
- 10 A Gretsch in Time
- 11 That Do Make It Nice
- 12 Elvis Is in the Building
- 13 Oh, Lonesome Me
- 14 Theme from a Dream
- 15 "How the Hell Did He Come Up with That?"
- 16 "But It's Chet Atkins!"
- 17 "Chit Atkins, Make Me a Star"
- 18 Outlaw Men
- 19 Pontifex Maximus of Nashville
- 20 Oh Yeah, the Boy Can Play
- 21 Last Licks
- Epilogue: This Is How Chet Played It
- Notes
