Overview

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 "the Nashville Sound." 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.
 

Reviews

"Biographer Ribowsky (Hank) explores in this comprehensive account the life and legacy of country music legend Chet Atkins, who wrote, produced, and played on more than 1,000 songs, including 113 under his own name. . . . Ribowsky highlights Atkins’s distinctive finger-picking technique . . . and such career highlights as helping produce Elvis Presley’s early hit 'Heartbreak Hotel.' Other milestones include signing some of the 'biggest names to ever hit country music,' including Willie Nelson and Waylon Jennings, and shaping the so-called 'Nashville sound,' which infused country with poppy tempos and helped revive the genre in the mid-1950s. Ribowsky’s studious research and unapologetically awestruck tone . . . make this a worthy ode to an important figure in American pop culture. Country music fans will be engrossed." —Publishers Weekly