 |
| Merle Travis |
Merle Robert Travis (November 29, 1917 – October 20, 1983) was an American
country and western singer, songwriter, and guitarist born in
Rosewood, Kentucky, United States.
[1]
His songs' lyrics often discussed both the lives and the economic
exploitation of American coal miners. Among his many well-known songs
are "
Sixteen Tons," "Re-Enlistment Blues," "I am a Pilgrim,"
[2] and "
Dark as a Dungeon." However, it is his unique guitar style, still called
Travis Picking by guitarists, as well as his interpretations of the rich musical traditions of his native
Muhlenberg County, Kentucky, for which he is best known today. "Travis Picking" is a syncopated style of guitar
fingerpicking
rooted in ragtime music in which alternating chords and bass notes are
plucked by the thumb while melodies are simultaneously plucked by the
index finger. He was inducted into the
Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1970 and elected to the
Country Music Hall of Fame in 1977.
No comments:
Post a Comment