Chet Atkins and the Instruments of Country Music

Offered in conjunction with the Museum´s exhibition, Chet Atkins: Certified Guitar Player, made possible by the Gretsch Company. Additional support provided by GAC. This workshop will focus on lessons learned from Chet Atkins's incredible life, and on the instruments behind country music's sound. A Tennessee native, Atkins rose from an impoverished and sickly childhood to become one of the world’s greatest guitar players and one of country music´s best record producers. The workshop will include sessions by an Chet Atkins expert and a fingerstyle guitar specialist, as well as a guided tour of historic RCA Studio B. Museum educators will highlight lessons from the Chet Atkins teacher’s guide, and the Shapes, Sound Holes & Strings and RCA Studio B curricula.

To register or for more information, please contact School Programs Manager, Nathalie Lavine, at 615-416-2088 or nlavine@countrymusichalloffame.org.

The Life and Music of Chet Atkins by Dr. Richard Hood with guest guitarists Ben Hall and Eddie Pennington

Chet Atkins scholar and fingerstyle guitarist Dr. Richard Hood illustrates Chet Atkins’s life and legacy in this multi-media presentation. Hood will guide listeners through Atkins’s story, from his impoverished childhood to his prominence as a world-renown guitarist and an influential record producer. Guitarist Ben Hall and Eddie Pennington, both winners of the National Thumbpicking Championship, will perform selections from the Chet Atkins catalog. Presented in support of the exhibit Chet Atkins: Certified Guitar Player, made possible by the Gretsch Company. Additional support provided by GAC. Included with Museum admission. Free to Museum members.

Thumbpick Guitar Demonstration: Eddie Pennington

Eddie Pennnington is a Kentucky guitarist dedicated to preserving the traditional styles of Merle Travis. His performance mixes stories, traditional folk songs and Travis-style arrangements of contemporary tunes. Pennington is a member of the Thumbpickers Hall of Fame and a two-time National Thumbpicking Champion. Presented in support of the exhibit Chet Atkins: Certified Guitar Player, made possible by the Gretsch Company. Additional support provided by GAC. Included with Museum admission. Free to Museum members.

Panel Discussion: Chet Atkins, Record Producer: Behind the Scenes at RCA

To complement our exhibit featuring guitarist and record producer Chet Atkins, the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum will discuss Atkins’s record production methods with some of his closest associates. RCA crossover artists Bobby Bare (“Detroit City”) and Jim Ed Brown (“The Three Bells”), background singer Dolores Dinning Edgin, studio guitarist Ray Edenton, and hit songwriter John D. Loudermilk (“Abilene”) will share stories of their work with Atkins, providing insights into what made him one of country music’s most successful producers of all time. Presented in support of the exhibit Chet Atkins: Certified Guitar Player, made possible by the Gretsch Company. Additional support provided by GAC. The program will be streamed live on CountryMusicHallofFame.org. Included with Museum admission. Free to Museum members.

Special program: The House that Chet Built: A Chet Atkins tour of Historic RCA Studio B

As RCA Nashville’s manager of operations, Chet Atkins was pivotal in convincing RCA Records to build a Nashville studio in 1957 and in making Studio B one of Music City’s landmark recording facilities. After the studio opened, Atkins logged many hours at “B” as a musician and as a producer, cutting records that helped to define the classic Nashville Sound. This unique guided tour will show how Atkins worked in his longtime recording home. Led by Atkins acolyte and museum staffer Ben Hall. Presented in support of the exhibit Chet Atkins: Certified Guitar Player, made possible by the Gretsch Company. Additional support provided by GAC. Tickets can be purchased as an add-on to museum admission or for $9 for museum members. Reservations are required, and seating is limited. The shuttle departs from the museum promptly at 3:30 p.m. For information call 615-416-2001.