-
CHET ATKINS

(1924 - 2001) 

If one were to seek a single career which exemplifies the changes country music has undergone during the past seven decades, the life of Chet Atkins stands as an excellent example.

When, as a child, Atkins first studied the music of the south, country performance was essentially folk in nature, characterized by the traditional sound of the fiddle, banjo, and unamplified guitar.  By the time Chet achieved international recognition as a musician and businessman, country music had become a sophisticated popular art form, surrounded by all of the legal, musical , and professional paraphernalia which characterizes popular music in any era.

The manner in which Atkins's artistry and personality altered and responded to the changing context of country performance tells us much about an individual career and also charts the course taken by country music in its journey from rural folk music to commercial art form.

Atkins's career is unique in a single respect:  Every stage in his development as a musician has been matched by an increased impact on the business side of country music.  Chet has, thus, possessed an opportunity afforded few artists, that of consistently imposing his personal interpretation of country music upon a major corporation (RCA Records) and upon many country entertainers.

While the modern corporate context of commercial music can sometimes make pawns of performers, Atkins was always able to work effectively within the business of music, and at times was able to dominate an unwieldy corporate structure.  His impact upon country music, therefore, must be gauged within two context; for his guitar stylings influenced generations of performers, while his success as an A&R director for RCA carried the influence of his taste and personality into the realm of the music business.

William Ivey -- Stars of Country Music

• ALABAMA MUSIC
• ARKANSAS MUSIC
• FLORIDA MUSIC
• GEORGIA MUSIC
• KENTUCKY MUSIC
• LOUISIANA MUSIC
• MISSISSIPPI MUSIC
• NORTH CAROLINA MUSIC
• SOUTH CAROLINA MUSIC

MY MUSICAL LIFE
By Carl P. McConnell

Mabel McConnell talks about the Carter Family, Doc & Carl,
The Original Virginia Boys and the early days of radio.

Fowl Ball: An impressive flock of local and international showbirds gathered recently for an impromptu musical performance at the James D. Martin Wildlife Park in Gadsden, AL. You are cordially invited to watch.