Chet Atkins właśc. Chester Burton Atkins (ur. 20 czerwca 1924, zm. 30 czerwca 2001), Luttrell, Tennessee, Stany Zjednoczone. Pochodził z farmerskiej rodziny z tradycjami muzycznymi. Już w okresie dzieciństwa uczył się grać na gitarze i skrzypcach. Przed solową karierą towarzyszył w nagraniach popularnych wykonawców country, m.in. Redowi Foleyowi, Billowi Carlisle, grupie The Carter Sisters & Mother Maybelle. Był bardzo znanym i popularnym kompozytorem, gitarzystą country, był także producentem wielu płyt innych wykonawców tego stylu. Współpracował z wieloma muzykami, m.in. z Elvisem Presleyem, Johnnym Cashem, Markiem Knopflerem, Waylonem Jenningsem, Georgem Bensonem, czy The Everly
Brothers. Jako mistrz gitary stał się dla wielu młodych muzyków wzorem. Wywarł ogromny wpływ m.in. na twórczość i styl gry Marka Knopflera z grupy Dire Straits. O jego płodności twórczej mogą świadczyć m.in. płyty, które nagrał w latach 1952-2001 w wytwórniach RCA i Columbia.
Grammy Awards
1967 Best Instrumental Performance (za "Chet Atkins Picks The Best")
1970 Best Country Instrumental Performance (za "Me & Jerry")
1971 Best Country Instrumental Performance (za singel "Snowbird")
1974 Best Country Instrumental Performance (za album "The Atkins-Travis Traveling Show")
1975 Best Country Instrumental Performance (za utwór "The Entertainer")
1976 Best Country Instrumental Performance (za album "Chester & Lester")
1981 Best Country Instrumental Performance (za "After All These Years")
1985 Best Country Instrumental Performance (za "Cosmic Square Dance" z płyty "Stay Tuned")
1990 Best Country Vocal Collaboration (za singel "Poor Boy Blues")
1990 Best Country Instrumental Performance (za "So Soft, Your Goodbye" z płyty "Neck and Neck")
1992 Best Country Instrumental Performance (za "Sneakin' Around" z płyty "Sneakin' Around")
1994 Best Country Instrumental Performance (za "Young Thing" z płyty "Read My Licks")
1996 Best Country Instrumental Performance (za "Jam Man" z płyty "Almost Alone")
Oficjalna dyskografia
1952 - Chet Atkins' Gallopin' Guitar (10")
1953 - Stringin Along (10")
1953 - String Dustin'
1954 - A Session with Chet Atkins
1955 - Stringin' Along with Chet Atkins
1955 - Chet Atkins in Three Dimensions
1955 - The Amazing Chet Atkins
1956 - Finger Style Guitar
1957 - Hi Fi in Focus
1958 - Chet Atkins at Home
1959 - Mister Guitar
1959 - Hum & Strum Along with Chet Atkins
1959 - Chet Atkins in Hollywood
1960 - The Other Chet Atkins
1960 - Teensville
1960 - After the Riot at Newport
1961 - Chet Atkins' Workshop
1961 - The Most Popular Guitar
1961 - Chet Atkins Plays Great Movie Themes (33 płyty)
1961 - Christmas with Chet Atkins
1961 - Down Home
1962 - Plays Back Home Hymns
1962 - Caribbean Guitar
1963 - Our Man in Nashville
1963 - Teen Scene
1963 - Travelin'
1963 - The Guitar Genius
1964 - Guitar Country
1964 - Progressive Pickin'
1964 - Reminiscing
1964 - The Best of Chet Atkins
1964 - The Early Years of Chet Atkins & His Guitar
1965 - My Favorite Guitars
1965 - More of That Guitar Country
1966 - Chet Atkins Picks on the Beatles
1966 - From Nashville with Love
1966 - The Pops Goes Country
1966 - The Best of Chet Atkins Vol. 2
1966 - Music from Nashville, My Hometown
1967 - It's A Guitar World
1967 - Chet Atkins Picks the Best
1967 - Class Guitar
1967 - Chet
1968 - Solo Flights
1968 - Solid Gold 68
1968 - Play Guitar with Chet Atkins
1968 - Chet All The Way (Importowana)
1968 - Hometown Guitar
1969 - Relaxin' with Chet
1969 - Lovers Guitar
1969 - Solid Gold 69
1969 - The Nashville String Band
1969 - C.B. Atkins & C.E. Snow by Special Request
1969 - Chet Atkins Picks on the Pops
1970 - Yestergroovin'
1970 - Solid Gold 70
1970 - Me & Jerry
1970 - Down Home
1970 - Pickin' My Way
1970 - This Is Chet Atkins
1971 - Mr. Atkins, Guitar Picker
1971 - Chet Atkins Guitar Method Volume 1 & 2
1971 - For the Good Times
1971 - Strung Up
1971 - Country Pickin'
1971 - Identified!
1971 - Chet Floyd & Boots
1972 - Me & Chet
1972 - World's Greatest Melodies
1972 - Now & Then
1972 - American Salute
1972 - The Bandit
1972 - Nashville Gold
1973 - Picks on the Hits
1973 - Greatest Hits of the 50's
1973 - Finger Pickin' Good
1973 - Discover Japan (tylko w Japonii)
1974 - Chet Atkins Picks on Jerry Reed
1974 - Superpickers
1974 - The Atkins - Travis Traveling Show
1975 - The Night Atlanta Burned
1975 - Famous Country Music Makers
1975 - In Concert
1975 - The Golden Guitar of Chet Atkins
1975 - Alone
1975 - Chester & Lester
1975 - Chet Atkins Goes to the Movies
1975 - Teen Scene (reissue)
1976 - Love Letters
1976 - The Best of Chet Atkins and Friends
1977 - Me and My Guitar
1977 - Chet Floyd & Danny
1977 - A Legendary Performer
1978 - Guitar Monsters
1979 - And Then Came Chet (tylko w Francji)
1979 - First Nashville Guitar Quartet
1980 - The Best of Chet on the Road - Live
1980 - Reflections
1981 - Country After All These Years
1981 - Standard Brands
1981 - Country Music
1982 - Solid Gold Guitar
1983 - Guitar Pickin' Man
1983 - Great Hits of the Past
1983 - Work It out with Chet Atkins C.G.P.
1983 - East Tennessee Christmas
1984 - Tennessee Guitar Man
1984 - A Man & His Guitar
1985 - Collectors Series
1985 - Guitar for all Seasons
1985 - Stay Tuned
1986 - 20 of the Best
1986 - Street Dreams
1987 - Sails
1988 - Chet Atkins, C.G.P.
1988 - Pickin' on Country
1989 - Masters of the Guitar: Together
1989 - Pickin' the Hits
1990 - Neck & Neck (z Markiem Knopflerem)
1990 - The Magic of Chet Atkins
1990 - Country Gems
1991 - The Romantic Guitar
1992 - Sneakin' Around
1992 - The RCA Years
1993 - The Gingham Dog and the Calico Cat
1993 - Gallopin' Guitar
1993 - Jazz From The Hills
1994 - Simpatico
1994 - Read My Licks
1996 - The Essential Chet Atkins
1996 - Almost Alone
1997 - The Day Finger Pickers Took Over the World
1998 - Super Hits
1998 - Masters (importowana)
2000 - Guitar Legend: The RCA Years
2000 - Guitar Man
2001 - RCA Country Legends
2001 - The Master and His Music
2002 - Chet Atkins Picks on the Grammys
2002 - Tribute to Bluegrass
2003 - The Best of Chet Atkins (tylko w Belgii)
2003 - Solo Sessions 2CD