Last week and this, The Guitarists series I've assembled has players from many different eras who separated themselves from the crowd with their amazing talent.  Most country performers do play the guitar to some degree, but these players are known as much for their guitar work as their singing, and in some cases even more.  And being honest, the list is very short.

There is no order or ranking, and I will present them in a mixture of eras so you get a good sample of who they are. Here is Part 1 if you missed it.  This is part 2 of 2.

The Guitarists  -  Part 2

Keith Urban

When Keith Urban  hit the charts, country was riding high and he was a bit different than the other big stars of that moment in 1999.  After paying a lot of dues for a lot of years as a player for many big stars, he got his own deal. He hit about the same time as Brad Paisley.  They had a path cleared by Lee Roy Parnell who was a very different image vocalist and guitarist of the early and mid 90's.  To me, Parnell showed Nashville there was room for this kind of act.  Urban of course has had wild success, and is still a major presence on the charts and on tour. He is an extraordinary guitar player and puts on a terrific show where fans love his joy of playing  -  as much as his playing.  I saw him years ago for the first time in Nashville where his show featured himself and many others.  He then literally played backup for Dolly that night, Brooks And Dunn and many others. That stuck with me. Great artist, performer and player.  Over 20 #1 songs - mega star Keith Urban.

The Modern Master Of Many Stringed Instruments

Chet Atkins

Now we are talking royalty.  Chet Atkins is from a very different era that began in the late 1940's, but he did everything there is to do over the course of about 50 years.  He played and performed with virtually everyone there is to perform with on earth. In his era he also picked with, produced and discovered a who's who of true country legends over the course of many decades.  He is among the most respected artist of any kind in Nashville's history.  He won a truckload of Grammy's and deserved every one.  I'll let him do the rest as you watch his magic with Mark Knopfler of Dire Straits perform. Ask any guitarist on the planet, Chet Atkins was the gold standard of guitarists.  He passed away in 2001 at 77.  Simply a guitar master.

This Guy Was The Inspiration To Virtually EVERYONE In My Two-Week Series

Vince Gill

It's hard not to love Vince Gill.  He is an amazingly versatile singer, performer, guitar player, and ambassador for country music. Gill is one of those guys where it doesn't make any difference how many #1's he has, or how many albums he sold. He was a ton of each. He is among the most talented artists country has ever had. His singing is legendary, as is his guitar playing. He is a great personality, host and performer. He dominated the charts and the award shows for well over a decade with so many wins it was hard to keep up with.  And later, being invited to become an Eagle -  to tour, play, and sing with those legends is incredible praise. I've seen him with the Eagles, he's amazing.  His album, High Lonesome Sound is one of the greatest country albums, (heck any kind of album) ever recorded. I am going to do a complete article on him very soon.  Another mega star, Vince Gill.

 Gill With Urban And Stapleton - What a TREAT!

Jerry Reed

From very humble beginnings, Jerry Reed became a big star whose light shined across many different areas of entertainment. Music, songwriting, movies, TV, concerts and session work, Reed did it all.  He is in the Country Music Hall Of Fame and the Musicians Hall Of Fame.  He broke through when he wrote the song, Guitar Man that became a hit for Elvis, where Reed played guitar in the late 1960's. It was redone in 1981, and Reed played lead.  Guitar Man has been recorded by tons of artist for years and is a song that showcases great guitar playing. Reed though had a huge run of hits over many years and won awards for his own singing and songwriting. His guitar work was loud and extremely skilled. His love of playing was infectious. In his career, he sang and played with everyone.  Extraordinary player and a strong on stage persona helped bring many new fans to us.  Reed passed away in 2008.

This Is A Treat  -  With Glen Campbell

Glen Campbell

There are not many like Glen Campbell.  I don't even know what kind of singer he was. There was a ton of country success, pop and folk too.  In the end, he was kind of his own category, simply Glen Campbell songs. It's funny how his hit songs really didn't showcase his guitar playing, but he was a sensational player.  He picked and played with virtually every musical act on earth in his prime, and that's not an exaggeration.  He was an incredible showman and one of the most popular singers on the planet at one time, and was everywhere. He is a lot more than just Rhinestone Cowboy.  Radio, TV, Movies, on tour, Vegas, Branson, plus the best songwriters of the era were writing for him.  Don't doubt his guitar playing, just watch below.  Campbell passed away in 2017.

Another Treat - With Steve Wariner

Steve Wariner

He was a session player and also played in many very successful bands and backup bands as a bass, and or guitar player.  His list of accomplishments before he ever recorded his own songs is astounding.  He was inspired by Chet Atkins (above) Then, Steve Wariner was simply a recording artist who racked up a bunch of big songs including 10 #1's and recorded with a whole lot of A-list country stars.  Then as his career moved along those fans who didn't know he was a great guitar player found out.  He recorded incredible guitar albums.  This is a guy who should be remembered far more than he is.  He is a ridiculous amount of talent and his versatility is basically unmatched.  From heartthrob to guitar player and about everything musically in between, Steve Wariner is simply terrific!   My Article On Him

Incredible Acoustic, Steel, Mandolin, And Electric Guitar Work Here - Genius

Pete Drake

Recently put into the Country Music Hall Of Fame  in 2021, 33 years after his passing.  His "talking guitar" was generations ahead of anyone as he expanded on a very primitive "technology"  from 1939.  Peter Frampton heard him and of course refined it a generation later to wild success, as have many more.  I know, this clip from the early 1960's will sound very silly to you, but remember there was ZERO - ZERO technology like this that is standard today. I also get it, there is no similarity to Keith Urban here in any way, but I bet Urban is a big fan. Drake was the #1 most sought after session musician for years in Nashville and beyond, and played with everyone including members of the Beatles on their solo albums.   Pete Drake was the standard, and inspired musicians from all walks of music to advance musical technology.  Drake died in 1988 at 55, but was a true trailblazer, and it happened in Nashville.

As Silly As This May Sound Now, It Was A Miracle In 1964