The guitarist of the day is Jerry Reed

The guitarist of the day is Jerry Reed. One of the rare nylon-string players in country music (along with Willie Nelson), his discovery by guitarist/producer Chet Atkins put the Georgia picker on the map. Virtuosic cuts like "The Claw" continue to attract the attention of serious players. His "Guitar Man," covered by Elvis Presley and many others (including Tom Jones) put him in the popular music world of the 60s and 70s.  Jerry's duets with Chet Atkins (listen to "Muleskinner Blues") set a new standard for a super-accomplished Nashville sound. Humor and showmanship were also Reed trademarks and sometimes compromise his live performances. But, he was performing for the people--not guitar players like y'all. Listen to his chord intro and electric guitar accompaniment to "Georgia on my Mind" and you'll hear this good ol' boy on  the classic Hoagy Carmichael ballad--weep if you have to.  I miss Jerry Reed. I hope you do too.



Jerry on telecaster with Glen Campell on Gibson es335 in this version of "Guitar Man". Check out the original if you can.