Legendary guitarist Duane Eddy has died aged 86 after inspiring artists like George Harrison with his distinctive style.
The American musician was nicknamed the King of Twang thanks to his reverberant electric sound on instrumentals by the likes of Rebel Rouser and Peter Gunn.
two
two
Eddy was credited with putting the twang at the start of rock’n’roll and influenced stars such as the late Beatles guitarist Harrison and Bruce Springsteen.
Grammy winner Eddy has sold more than 100 million records worldwide – enjoying a string of instrumental hits in the 1950s and 1960s.
After achieving 16 top 40 singles between 1958 and 1963, Eddy returned to the charts in 1986 with a remake of his song Peter Gunn.
His mastery of a unique guitar twang, along with backing screams and handclaps, caught the attention of aspiring artists.
Eddy started playing guitar at the age of five and was self-taught.
He and producer Lee Hazlewood later established the vibrant sound after realizing that the instrument’s low strings sounded better on tape than the high ones.
Speaking in 1986, he told the Associated Press: “I had a distinct sound that people could recognize and I pretty much kept that.
“I’m not one of the best technical players by any means; just seeing the best.
“A lot of guys are more skilled than me with the guitar. A lot of this is over my head.
“But some of it isn’t what I want to hear from the guitar.”
Eddy’s inspiration can be heard in the music of artists who followed, including that of George Harrison, who brought a slow twang to the Beatles’ hit Day Tripper.
Hazlewood, however, later adapted the vibrant sound for his production of Nancy Sinatra’s 1960s smash hit These Boots Are Made for Walkin’.
Eddy died surrounded by his family at Williamson Health hospital in Franklin, Tennessee, on Tuesday after a battle with cancer.
A representative said: “Duane has inspired a generation of guitarists around the world with his unmistakable ‘Twang’ sound.
“He was rock and roll’s first guitar god, a truly humble and incredible human being.
“He will be greatly missed.”
This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
