All posts by Egil

From Wikipedia:

Lewis Brian Hopkins Jones (28 February 1942 – 3 July 1969), was an English musician and a founder member of The Rolling Stones.

Jones’ main instruments were the guitar and the harmonica, but he played a wide variety of other musical instruments and was a talented multi-instrumentalist. His innovative use of traditional or folk instruments, such as the sitar and marimba, was integral to the changing sound of the band.

Originally the leader of the group, Jones’ fellow bandmembers Mick Jagger and Keith Richards soon overshadowed him; especially after they became a successful songwriting team. He developed a serious drug abuse problem over the years and his role in the band steadily diminished. He was asked to leave the Rolling Stones in June 1969 and guitarist Mick Taylor took his place in the group. Jones died less than a month later by drowning in the swimming pool at his home on Cotchford Farm in East Sussex.

Original Stones bassist Bill Wyman stated about Jones: “…he formed the band. He chose the members. He named the band. He chose the music we played. He got us gigs … Very influential, very important, and then slowly lost it – highly intelligent – and just kind of wasted it and blew it all away.”

The Rolling Stones – “Carol” – 1964:

In the spirit of Brian Jones.. and considering that the crucial blues masterpiece “Muddy Waters at Newport 1960” also has it’s birthday, I choose this album as album of the day:

Other July-03:

Continue reading Today: The late Brian Jones passed away in 1969 – 43 years ago →

Country, Music Calendar

Today: Chet Atkins passed away in 2001 – 11 year ago

June 30, 2012 Egil

From Wikipedia:

Chester Burton “Chet” Atkins (June 20, 1924 – June 30, 2001) was an American guitarist and record producer who, along with Owen Bradley, created the smoother country music style known as the Nashville sound, which expanded country’s appeal to adult pop music fans as well.

From Allmusic:

Without Chet Atkins, country music may never have crossed over into the pop charts in the ’50s and ’60s. Although he is an exceptionally talented guitarist with hundreds of solo records to his credit, Atkins’ largest influence came as a session musician and a record producer. During the ’50s and ’60s, he helped create the Nashville sound, a style of country music that owed nearly as much to pop as it did to honky tonk.
— Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Industry awards

Country Music Association

1967 Instrumentalist of the Year
1968 Instrumentalist of the Year
1969 Instrumentalist of the Year
1981 Instrumentalist of the Year
1982 Instrumentalist of the Year
1983 Instrumentalist of the Year
1984 Instrumentalist of the Year
1985 Instrumentalist of the Year
1988 Instrumentalist of the Year

Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum

Inducted in 1973

Grammy Awards

1971 Best Country Instrumental Performance with Jerry Reed – Me and Jerry
1972 Best Country Instrumental Performance – “Snowbird”
1975 Best Country Instrumental Performance with Merle Travis – The Atkins-Travis Traveling Show
1976 Best Country Instrumental Performance – “The Entertainer”
1977 Best Country Instrumental Performance with Les Paul – Chester and Lester
1982 Best Country Instrumental Performance – Country After All These Years
1986 Best Country Instrumental Performance with Mark Knopfler – “Cosmic Square Dance”
1991 Best Country Instrumental Performance with Mark Knopfler – “So Soft, Your Goodbye”
1991 Best Country Vocal Collaboration with Mark Knopfler – “Poor Boy Blues”
1993 Best Country Instrumental Performance with Jerry Reed – Sneakin’ Around
1993 Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award’
1994 Best Country Instrumental Performance with Asleep at the Wheel, Eldon Shamblin, Johnny Gimble, Marty Stuart, Reuben “Lucky Oceans” Gosfield & Vince Gill – “Red Wing”
1995 Best Country Instrumental Performance – “Young Thing”
1997 Best Country Instrumental Performance – “Jam Man”