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"MR. GUITAR" CHET ATKINS MEMORIALIZED AT SERVICE AT THE HISTORIC RYMAN AUDITORIUM
(NASHVILLE, Tenn.)---July 5, 2001---Chet Atkins, known around the world as "Mr. Guitar" and as one of the architects of the "Nashville Sound" was remembered at a star-studded memorial service on Tuesday, July 3 at the historic Ryman Auditorium. He was born Chester Burton Atkins on June 20, 1924 in East Tennessee and died at his home in Nashville on June 30, 2001.
Chet Atkins' casket rested on the floor of the Ryman, the site of his Grand Ole Opry debut 55 years ago. On the stage under a spotlight were his gleaming orange Gibson electric guitar and his trademark white hat in a simple yet stirring reminder of what the world has lost with his passing. The memorial service began with amsical tribute by Connie Smith performing Farther Along with accompaniment by Marty Stuart, Mark Castevens and David Hungate. This was followed by an emotional reading by Country Music Hall of Famer Eddy Arnold, one of many artists produced by Atkins.
"We will never see the like of his talent in one man," said Arnold. "When you talked about who was the greatest guitar player, Chet's name was never mentioned, because you just took him and put him up there, and then you argued about the rest of them." He also noted the marriage of Chet and Leona Atkins, which began before Atkins ever played on the Grand Ole Opry.
Garrison Keillor of public radio's A Prairie Home Companion delivered a eulogy which recalled their years of friendship and many amusing anecdotes Atkins shared with him through letters which he read to the crowd of approximately 1,800. "I had a screamer in the audience," Atkins wrote Keillor a few years ago. "I saw her later and she wasn't all that bad, about 35. A fellow could run some weight off her and maybe fall in love." Keillor called his friend "the guitar player of the 20th century" and cited Elvis Presley, Hank Williams, Patsy Cline and Dolly Parton as a few of artists Atkins knew and played with during his illustrious career.
Other musical tributes included a guitar medley by Paul Yandell (Windy and Wamand Mr. Sandman), Steve Wariner (Sails), and Vince Gill (Wildwood Flower). Marty Stuart was accompanied by a string quartet in the classic The End of the World. The ceremony concluded with a reading by family friend Kevin King.
Artists attending the service included Duane Eddy, John Prine, Charley Pride, Waylon Jennings, Jessi Colter, Little Jimmy Dickens, Charlie Louvin, Porter Wagoner, Don Everly, Bobby Bare, Beth Nielson Chamn, Eddy Raven, T.G. Sheppard, Duane Allen, Kitty Wells, Johnny Wright, Kevin Welch, and Bill Carlisle, whose Knoxville radio show gave the guitar legend airplay in the 1940's. Active pallbearers were Gary Atkins, Ray Stevens, Vince Gill, David Conrad, Steve Wariner, Jonathan Russell, Dr. Will Russell, Chad Sawyer, Paul Yandell and Harry Warner. Atkins was buried at Harpeth Hills Cemetery in Franklin, Tennessee.
The Ryman Auditorium was built at the cost of approximately $130,000 in 1892 by riverboat captain Thomas Ryman. Built as a church for his spiritual mentor, Reverend Sam Jones, the venue was originally called the Union Gospel Tabernacle. When Ryman died in 1904, more than 4,000 people attended his funeral and led by Jones, voted to rename the building the Ryman Auditorium.
The rich cultural heritage of the Ryman includes stage productions featuring legendary names such as Katharine Hepburn, Orson Wells and Mae West. The venue housed the world-famous Grand Ole Opry from 1943 to 1974. In 1994, the Ryman reopened following an $8.5 million renovation which returned it to its former glory and in 2000 was named one of the Best Venues in the Nation to Hear Live Music by CitySearch. Experts say the Ryman's acoustics are second only to the Mormon Tabernacle, surpassing even Carnegie Hall.
For more information about theatrical and musical events at the Ryman, visit the Ryman Box Office, call (615) 889-3060 or visit www.ryman.com. The Ryman Auditorium is located at 116 Fifth Avenue North in downtown Nashville
The Ryman Auditorium is part of Gaylord Entertainment, a diversified entertainment company whose businesses operate in two groups: hospitality and attractions, and music, media, and entertainment. It is headquartered in Nashville, Tenn., and its stock is traded on the New York Stock exchange (symbol: GET).
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