For every genre of music, there are the instrumental giants who influenced countless generations of future pickers, strummers and lead soloists. The following list is our take on the country music instrumentalists who have mastered the mix of grass roots pickin’ and southern slang to leave their musical fingerprints on virtually every style of music.
5. Brad Paisley
With a mixture of Country and Southern Rock, Brad Paisley has risen in the ranks to become a well-respected instrumentalist, singer and songwriter. Paisley has attributed his successful instrumental career to the inspiration prompted by past guitar presents. They include his first guitar, a Silvertone Danelectro 1451, a Gibson ES-335 and his current favorite, a 1968 Pink Paisley Fender Telecaster.
4. Keith Urban
This transplant from Australia has married his soulful, rockish lead guitar style with modern country-pop. The end result of this instrumental stylist is consistent hits with songs such as Long Hot Summer, Making Memories of Us and Stupid Boy. He is known for including an incredible inventory of guitars in his guitar gear rig. Some of these include Nashville Telecaster, Gibson Acoustics and Gibson Les Paul Juniors.
3. Ricky Skaggs
A Kentucky native, Skaggs cut his musical teeth with the likes of Bill Monroe and Flatt and Scruggs (both acts are pioneering legends in bluegrass). He did not begin his climb in country music until he joined Emmylou Harris’ Hot Band as a lead and rhythm guitarist. Known primarily as a bluegrass picker, he experimented with rock, pop and elements of bluegrass in the 1980’s and made his national debut with the 1982 hit Highway 40 Blues.
2. Roy Clark
What is most notable about Roy Clark is he is completely self-taught both on guitar and banjo. Clark gained fame in the country music industry from his 1969-1993 stint on the long running country music variety show, Hee Haw. With that fame, he launched a guitar teaching method for those who could not read music. This style of learning to play the guitar inspired the styles of modern musicians such as Keith Urban and Brad Paisley.
1. Chet Atkins
Thousands of words have been written about guitar maestro Chet Atkins. His smooth picking style, inspired by Merle Travis and Les Paul, has been emulated for the last forty years by thousands of young musicians from across the globe. He is number one in any true musician’s book.
Each of these musical giants represents a remarkable era in country music history. Though some may not be with us now, their humble beginnings and musical styling has inspired more than one beginning musician to pick up the guitar. Who do you think is the best of the best? As always…
Keep Rockin’!!! 365 Day 14 Sat with the Tele 3×0033 by jamestruepenny taken on January 14, 2011 BRAD PAISLEY CONCERT IN CENTRAL PARK 2011 by asterix611 taken on July 15, 2011 Keith Urban @ Tacoma Dome by Jackie.h taken on September 12, 2009 Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder by Janet Dancer taken on June 17, 2007 DSC_0453 by 99.44% taken on June 17, 2007 Chet Atkins – Nashville – 1950s by Jack’s Movie Mania taken on January 21, 2012
