Please note that the content of this book primarily consists of articles
available from Wikipedia or other free sources online. The Merle Travis
Guitar was the first solo guitar album by Merle Travis, recorded in 1955
when Travis was at the peak of his performing abilities and released on
January 1, 1956. Together with another Capitol release of the previous
year, Back Home, it introduced the style of guitar playing that came to
be known as Travis picking to a wide public of finger-style guitarists
and folk music enthusiasts. The album contains a selection of
traditional guitar pickers' tunes from Travis' native Muhlenberg County,
Kentucky, and includes old standards, blues and rags. Merle Robert
Travis (November 29, 1917-October 20, 1983) was an American country and
western singer, songwriter, and musician born in Rosewood, Kentucky. His
lyrics often discussed the life and exploitation of coal miners. Among
his many well-known songs are "Sixteen Tons" and "Dark as a Dungeon".
However, it is his masterful guitar playing and his interpretations of
the rich musical traditions of his native Muhlenberg County, Kentucky
that he is best known for today.
