For years, Nashville thought it could resist the rock and roll invasion. Throughout the 1960’s, before the rise of Waylon and Willie, what is often referred to as the “Nashville Sound” reigned in the city. Every musical production coming out of Nashville’s studios had to be sweetened and sanitized. Backing vocals and strings were used to soften the original honky tonk sounds of the pioneers, and country music had become an commercial industry. Behind this mellow trend was one man, Chet Atkins. He was an excellent guitar player as well as a well-trained producer. In Nashville, he was the undisputed boss of RCA Studios. With artists like Jim Reeves, Eddy Arnold, Patsy Cline, Floyd Cramer, Ferlin Husky, Ray Price and Tammy Wynette, he gained tremendous success orchestrating this sophisticated sound, often deciding on the repertoires, managing session musicians and dictating the shape of the production. Atkins’ music world evolved in a bubble and remained hermetic to the cultural revolution that America was going through.
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