Dim Bulb

[Tompicks]

I stumbled across this article today, can't believe I had not seen this one before.

http://www.blackroseacoustic.org/encore ... tlight.htm

Chet's quote about being a dim bulb is amazing to me - It's rare to find people who are are the best in the world at what they do but still remain humble. The world would be a happier place if people didn't take themselves so seriously.

[smokymtguitar09]

Tom,
That's a wonderful article. Thanks for posting it.
Ronnie Evans

[Richard Hudson]

Thanks for that one, Tom. That was a great article and apparently a good interview. Lots of insight. Chet was the greatest in so many ways, but his humility kept him there. We could never get enough of him.

[RonBloor]

Thanks for that article Tom... Very insightful. I was amazed to hear Chet talking about Jerry and Lenny's influence on him..
"He(Jerry) and Lenny helped me so very much to improve, but I was always intimidated by them, they were so good. I'd hear them and I wouldn't want to play! Fortunately, they were good influences. They made me work and try harder - but it sure was intimidating."
I've heard different versions of this, but the story always seemed a bit unbelievable until I saw it in this article!!

[thenorm]

There are some artists that make a point of letting people know that they consider themselves the best at what they do. They make no bones about it and many of them get a condescending air about it around others. People really don’t’ want or need to hear that. But it happens. Those kinds of people get a reputation for being insufferable jerks.

There are passages in the MAMG book and the Country Gentleman biography that indicate that Chet knew exactly where he stood in the guitar world, particularly when he started working for RCA Victor. He knew he was the New Kid and the Latest Item in the industry

But he also said that, in that business you always had to be aware that at any time some kid could walk through the door and cut you to ribbons.

When Jerry Reed and Lenny Breau came on the scene they intimidated Chet a little bit. How could they not? Both of them took the guitar to new dimensions. They would intimidate anyone.

Chet, however, had a thing he did. He would hand someone a guitar and say “Play me something.” always looking for the new lick or inspiration to improve his own playing.

He could have closed himself off and said “I’m the Great Chet Atkins” and tried to deflect Jerry’s and Lenny’s careers but he did the opposite and mentored them himself. He once said Jerry Reed was a bit of a godsend because by incorporating some of Jerry’s (and later Lenny’s) style into his own he freshened his own offerings.

Another thing… you don’t get to be a great producer by demanding that artists kowtow to you. So Chet kept himself low key but in control of the sessions. It worked wonders for artists he produced. The “humility”, respect for others actually, paid off for him, the artists and the record label.

The public is a fickle beast. It can love an artist, give them fancy titles and all that and suddenly just drop that very same artist with sometimes frightening speed.

There used to be a quote that would be applied to the current hot shot…

“Who’s Chet Atkins” which would become “Get me Chet Atkins”, then “Get me someone who plays like Chet Atkins” and then go back to “Who’s Chet Atkins” That's show biz, folks...

We here on the board are hardcore fanatics and can’t imagine anyone not liking Chet. But, th truth is, some people don’t. They don’t hate him, they just don’t ‘get’ him or don’t care for his way of playing. I remember one clip where Chet said “I’m real big in yard sales. And “They don’t play me on the radio anymore.”

He knew, great guitarist or no, that it required that the public to like him well enough for him to continue making a living at it. And being down to earth and respectful of others had a great deal to do with continuing to work in that business.

And as Paul has said a more than once, as they packed up after a show. “You played great tonight, Chet.”

“Fooled ‘em again.” Chet would respond…