Merle Travis

Having a very popular guitar technique named after you is usually the proof that you’re doing something right. Merle Travis gave his name to the brand of picking used by everybody in country and folk, whether it be on acoustic or electric, and the Kentucky cowboy was one of the pioneers of instrumental guitar with his 1955 solo debut The Merle Travis Guitar. As a singer, he also wrote the classics Dark As A Dungeon and Sixteen Tons, and recorded deep heartfelt renditions of them.