Chet Quotes

Chet Atkins... is probably the best guitar player who ever lived.

You know, in the days when I started, if you had Chet Atkins' name on your record as a producer and it was on RCA, you could work the road. It didn't have to be a big hit record, it just had to have that on it.

Gerry Mulligan and Chet Baker seemed so sophisticated and bad. I wanted to be like that.

Meeting Chet was a life changing moment for me.

Now, I was on drugs, and that didn't help a whole lot. He hated that. That was part of where Chet and I had problems, so I take complete blame for that.

I listen to music mostly in the evening. I've come to love what is called world music, like the Zimbabwean Oliver Mtukudzi and the Colombian singer Marta Gomez. I also love the Irish folk singer Mary Black. Other favorites include Chet Baker, Eva Cassidy, and Billie Holiday.

Chet loved artists. He did. But he was caught up in the system. He had two hats. He had to have 'em because he did two things: he was an artist, and he was an executive.

I have been fortunate enough to record several singles and a whole album with Chet Atkins.

I only wish Chet Atkins could be here for this joyous occasion.