Chet Atkins
Born: 20 June 1924
Birthplace: Luttrell, Tennessee
Death: 30 June 2001 (cancer)
Best Known As: Creator of the "Nashville Sound"
Atkins was born in Luttrell, Tennessee, and grew up with his mother and siblings after the divorce of his parents. He started out on the fiddle, but traded a pistol for a guitar when he was nine. He became an accomplished guitarist while he was in high school. Atkins was self-taught, and later on in life gave himself (and a few others) the honorary degree "CGP", standing for "Certified Guitar Player". He made his debut on the Bill Carlisle Show on WNOX in Knoxville as well as becoming a member of the "Dixie Swingers." After three years, he moved to a radio station in Cincinnati, Ohio.
He made his first appearance at the Grand Ole Opry in 1946, supporting Red Foley and made his first recordings for Bullet the same year. After working for radio stations in Richmond, Virginia, Springfield, Missouri, and Denver, Colorado, Atkins came to the attention of RCA Victor. Steve Sholes, the director of country music at RCA, had been trying to locate him, but hadn't known where to find him. After receiving the call from RCA, Atkins moved to Nashville and began recording there. He became the studio guitarist for all of the RCA studio sessions in Nashville starting in 1949. The next year, he became a regular on the Grand Ole Opry.
His first hit was "Mr. Sandman," followed by "Silver Bell," which he did as a duet with Hank Snow. In addition to recording, Atkins designed guitar models that are still popular today for Gibson and Gretsch.
When Steve Sholes left Nashville in 1957, he left Atkins in charge of RCA's Nashville division. Atkins continued to perform and produced many hits, some of which crossed over to the pop charts. He played at the Newport Jazz Festival in 1960 and at the White House in 1961. When Sholes died in 1968, Atkins was promoted to vice president of RCA's country division.
Atkin's last major hit single came in 1969, and in the 1970s, he worked mostly in trio with Homer and Jethro, and then with Jethro (his brother-in-law) after Homer died. By the end of the '70s, he was feeling stifled at RCA because they would not let him branch out into jazz. He left RCA in 1982 and signed with Columbia Records, for whom he produced an album in 1983. While he was with Columbia, he showed his creativity and taste in jazz guitar.
He did return to his country roots for albums he recorded with Mark Knopfler and Jerry Reed.
Atkins received numerous awards, including eleven Grammy Awards and nine Country Music Association Instrumentalist of the Year awards. He died of a brain tumor at his home in Nashville.
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Charles Aznavour
Charles Aznavour (born May 22, 1924)
French singer, songwriter and actor.
Aznavour was born Chahnour Varinag Aznavourian in Paris, the son of Armenian immigrants. At an early age, his artistic parents introduced him to the world of theatre.
One of France's most popular and enduring singers, he began to perform at age nine and soon took the stage name Aznavour. His big break came when the singer Edith Piaf heard him sing and arranged to take him with her on tour in France and to the United States.
Often described as the "Frank Sinatra of France", almost all of Aznavour's songs deal with love. He has written more than a thousand songs as well as musicals, made more than one hundred records, and has played in sixty movies. Aznavour sings in five languages and is the most well-known French singer abroad, performing at Carnegie Hall and other major venues around the world.
A friend of Quebec, he has helped the career of Quebec chansonnier Lynda Lemay in France, and has a house in Montreal.
Film career
In 1960 Aznavour starred in François Truffaut's Tirez sur le pianiste, playing a character called Édouard Saroyan. Aznavour starred in the 2002 movie Ararat playing Edward Saroyan, a movie director.
Awards and recognition
In 1996 Aznavour was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame.
In 1997 Aznavour was awarded an honorary César.
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