Finger-Picking Good

I've always had a country aroma,'' Chet Atkins once said. ''But I didn't want to be pigeonholed. I wanted to play all kinds of music.''

''Mr. Guitar'' got his wish. Atkins, who died June 30 at age 77 of cancer, was heralded for his influence on such diverse players as George Harrison, Earl Klugh, Mark Knopfler, and George Benson. His pseudo-classical finger-picking style -- the thumb sounding out the rhythmic bass notes and three fingers picking out the melody -- was often imitated.

''There are great guitarists like Les Paul and Django Reinhardt who played faster and hotter,'' says Vince Gill. ''[But nobody made it] sound more peaceful.''

And no one else made a bigger impact on modern country. Born in rural Luttrell, Tenn., Atkins took up guitar at 9; by 1950, he was in Nashville with Mother Maybelle Carter and the Carter Sisters' band. Shy and self-effacing, he became a sought-after session man (Hank Williams, Elvis Presley), and in 1957, RCA appointed him chief country producer and manager of its Nashville operations. Along with Decca's Owen Bradley, he created the ''Nashville sound,'' characterized by lush strings and soaring vocal choruses. He also signed some of country's biggest stars, including Dolly Parton, Charley Pride, and Waylon Jennings. ''We had our ups and downs,'' says Jennings, ''but I loved him.''

Married for 55 years to Leona Johnson (they had one daughter), Atkins recorded more than 100 albums. This past spring, he published a photography book, Chet Atkins -- Me and My Guitars.

Asked in 1981 how he wanted to be remembered, Atkins said, ''I'd like for people to say I played in tune,...in good taste, and that I was nice to people. That's about it.''

ESSENTIAL RECORDINGS
Guitar Legend: The RCA Years (BMG/Buddah, 2000); Chester & Lester/Guitar Monsters (One Way, 1998); Neck and Neck (with Mark Knopfler) (Columbia, 1990)