Chet Story

[bill_h]

I just remembered something I heard about Chet when I lived in Nashville ( where I'll be living again before too long!! ) Even if this story's been posted on here before I'm sure someone will be hearing about it for the first time so here goes.

One time a German radio station interviewed Chet via telephone from his office on music row. At the end of the interview the host asked Chet if he could define the Nashville sound for the audience and Chet took some change out of his pocket and jingled it.

[thenorm]

Seems like I remember hearing Chet tell that years ago with a slghtly different wrinkle

He was on TV telling the host (Crook and Chase maybe) that a German TV guy asked him (as you said) to define the nashville sound and Chet was starting to oblige him. As you know, Chet had a similar response to that question in most cases. He then said "This German guy took some coins out of his pocket and put them in his two cupped hands a shook them and in heavily accented German said "I tink Dis is da Nashville Sound"

Just a wrinkle on the same story... They change with the telling sometimes.

Kinda like the cruise story that gave us the line "You're pretty good but you're no Chet Atkins:

Speaking of that line, I wonder if the guy who said it ever surfaced....

[cgprnd]

Bruce, I remember in about 1989 or 1990 that Pat Sajak had a very short-lived talk show on weeknights and
his cohost was a former Nashville news anchor during the time that Pat Sajak was a Nashville weatherman.
Chet was a guest on his show one night. He and Paul performed "Ready for the Good Times to Get Better" from
the album "Country After All These Years". When the song finished Chet's interview with Pat included that story.
Rande

[bill_h]

I've heard 3 different versions of the "You're no Chet Atkins" story but the one I subscribe to is the one where Chet was stretched out in a lawn chair on a cruise ship with his guitar and some clown who was passing by said "You're good but you're no Chet Atkins." I believe this is how it really happened because John Knowles told me that Chet told him about it shortly after it occurred. No sense in debating too much which version is accurate though. I'm sure we can all agree that Chet was one of the greatest ever and his dry humor was just about as legendary as his playing!

[keener]

Good stuff, guys. I loved Chet's dry sense of humor.

Top guitarist of all time, true gentleman, great at discovering talent, always open to learning, and a great sense of humor. No wonder we all still love and admire the man.

[bill_h]

Well said Bruce!

[thenorm]

Then there are the stories never told.

Someone on TV once told about being Chet's driver for a day or had Chet in his car for a day for whatever reason. He said Chet came up with story after story about the great and the near great that he knew in Nashville that kept him in stitches all day. He deeme the stories were not for general sharing because some of the stars might have been embarassed. I'm sure Chet's not the only one who could tell such tales. I'm sure Paul could too but there's a sort of code where you don't get such tales printed.

Still, I'll bet Chet's dry delivery added to the tales...

[Richard Hudson]

I want to share this personal experience, not in the interest of name dropping or bragging because we have all been blessed by the acquaintances and experiences we have had because of this 6-stringed instrument that we all love. And the man that played that instrument better than anyone has brought us all together here.

Recently I was privileged and honored to get acquainted with Duane Eddy and his lovely wife, Deed. I knew beforehand that Duane was a Chet Atkins fan as I was, but to hear them both talk about Chet was very humbling for me and just reinforced what I already believed about him. Now, here I am, sitting with the man that has sold more records than any other instrumentalist and he is sharing his genuine love, respect and affection for the greatest guitar player that ever lived with me. A few years back, Duane was invited to make an appearance on The Grand Ole Opry. As he was telling the story, you could tell the goose bumps were coming back all over again. He told how Chet came by his dressing room where a bunch of them were gathered and said, "They want us to play a song together, so why don't we play I Saw The Light." And then he looked directly at Duane and said, "And, we're gonna play it in A." Of course Chet knew the key of A would showcase Duane's style. "So," Duane said, "There I was. About to be on The Grand Ole Opry, a lifelong dream. And I am going to get to play a song written by Hank Williams. And I am going to be playing with my all time guitar hero, Chet Atkins. How could anything be any better?"