Chet (Chester) Burton Atkins is perhaps the best-known, most influential guitarist of recent times. Volumes have been written about him, and his accolades are numerous. The following summary is by no means complete. You may check the sources listed below for more information.

Born in Tennessee in 1924, Chet grew up on a farm surrounded by musical relatives. He picked up uke, mandolin, fiddle, and guitar early in life. At the age of 18, Chet landed a job as staff guitarist at Knoxville powerhouse KNOX radio. In 1946, after marrying Leona Johnson, Chet worked briefly in Nashville with Red Foley at the Grand Ole Opry.

After several other short-lived jobs in various cities, Atkins returned in 1948 to Knoxville to work with Homer and Jethro. This was followed by associations with the Carter Sisters and Fred Rose. Chet quickly became one of Nashville’s most respected session musicians. By 1953, Atkins was doing a lot of session work for RCA. In 1954, Chet’s first LP, Gallopin’ Guitar, was released, and that same year he was given his own radio show on WSM. The following year, Gretsch invited Atkins to design his own signature guitar.

In 1957, RCA opened its own stand-alone recording studio in Nashville and put Atkins in charge of finding talent as well as producing and playing on records. He stayed in this position through the ‘60s while also recording many of his own albums. After helping create many hits for others, Atkins finally had his own Top-Five single in 1965 with “Yakety Axe.”

In the 1970’s, Chet relaxed his duties with RCA and focused on developing musical relationships. Through the rest of his life, Chet collaborated with a number of well-known players, including Jerry Reed and Lenny Breau, and others. Chet left RCA and signed with Columbia in 1982. In 1997, diagnosed with a cancerous brain tumor, Atkins underwent surgery. Thereafter, he would only play with friends on occasion, or make brief, non-playing appearances at local events. Chet Atkins passed away on June 30, 2001.

Sources:
Atkins, Chet and Michael Cochran. Chet Atkins: Me and My Guitars. Russ Cochran (West Plains, MO), 2001.

Foster, Rick. “Remembering Mr. Guitar: A Personal Memorial,” Fingerstyle Guitar Magazine, No. 43, pp. 28-34.

Russel, Rusty. "Giant: The Life Legend, and Legacy of Chet Atkins."Guitar Player Magazine, November 2001, pp. 98-109.