Chet Atkins Quiz | Music

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. What was Chet's given name at birth?

Answer: Chester Burton Atkins

He was born Chester Burton Atkins to parents Ida Sharp and James Arley Atkins.

2. Where was Chet Atkins born?

Answer: Luttrell, Tennessee

Luttrell is a tiny town outside of Knoxville, TN. It was here that Chet grew up a poor country kid. His first guitar was a $10.00 Sears-Roebuck acoustic.

3. Chet was well known by all of these names except...

Answer: The Man With The Golden Thumb

Chet was known by all of these callings except, The Man With The Golden Thumb, depending on who was speaking of him. Fellow guitarist and Chet Atkins prodigy, Jerry Reed, was known as the "Man With The Golden Thumb." This was also the title of a Jerry Reed album.

4. What is not a title of a Chet Atkins collaboration with another artist?

Answer: In This Guitar World

Chet recorded collaboration albums with many artist including: Jerry Reed, Les Paul, Suzy Boguss, Mark Knopfler, Tommy Emmanuel, and Lenny Breau to name a few. The biggest and most sought after to this day is the album with Les Paul entitled "Chester and Lester."

5. What is the name of Chet's one and only wife?

Answer: Leona

Chet was married to Leona Johnson-Atkins for 55 years until his death in 2001. Chet met Leona in Cincinnati, Ohio where she was singing with her twin sister on a local radio program. The two dated for one year before they tied the knot in 1946.

6. Chet's birthdate is June 20th 1924.

Answer: True

Chet was born on June 20th and died only ten days after his 77th birthday on June 30th 2001.

7. Chet won 11 Grammy awards.

Answer: True

Chet won 11 Grammy awards along with 9 CMA Instrumentalist of the Year awards.

8. Chet died on June 30th, 2001.

Answer: True

The day the music stopped. But like Chet once said: "When I'm Gone, nobody may know or care who I was, but they'll hear my guitars speaking for me." That quote still gives me chill bumps to this day, because he was right.

9. Chet helped all of these artist get started except?

Answer: Garth Brooks

Chet was involved in the introduction and early success of many young artists including all of the ones above and other such as: Jerry Reed, The Everly Brothers, Charley Pride, Suzy Boguss, and countless others.

10. Chet became the the head of what major record label?

Answer: RCA

Chet grew from an artist in the RCA stable to being the head man. He was promoted to Manager of Operations at RCA in 1957 and he occupied this role for many years, until he got tired of office work and went back to recording albums again.

11. Chet started out playing what instrument on WNOX in Knoxville, TN?

Answer: Fiddle

Chet started in the music business on the radio station WNOX playing the fiddle for Archie Campbell and Bill Carlisle. Until one day they heard him sitting alone playing the guitar. He laid that fiddle down on that day.

12. Chet Atkins is said to be the creator and influence of what style of music?

Answer: The Nashville Sound

Chet influenced the growth and expansion of the Nashville Sound during the late 50s, 60s and on into the early 70s. He incorporated influences from a broad range of genres into his music. He played country music that had a distinctive flavor of jazz, blues, and even some rock/pop styles.

13. Chet performed for which U.S. President in 1961?

Answer: John F. Kennedy

Chet performed for John F. Kennedy at the White House in 1961. The only other president that Chet performed in front of was George Bush Sr. on a late night show many years later.

14. In 1973, Chet was the oldest person ever inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame.

Answer: False

Chet was the youngest artist to be inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1973. His career was at an all-time high in 1973 and an artist is usually inducted long after the peak of their careers.

15. Chet was endorsed by which of the following guitar companies?

Answer: Gibson

Chet was first endorsed by Gretsch up until 1977. Chet then began endorsing and designing guitar for Gibson. Both companies manufactured the "Country Gentleman" model guitar. Gibson introduced a Chet Atkins signature classical strung model called the CEC as well as an acoustic electric called the SST.

16. Chet gave himself what title in 1983?

Answer: C.G.P. (Certified Guitar Picker)

Chet bestowed a title upon himself in 1983 that nobody else had. That title was C.G.P., which stands for Certified Guitar Picker. Chet actually put these initials after his name on his CDs and even autographs from this point forward. He gave honorary C.G.P. titles to only two other men, those men are Tommy Emmanuel and John Knowles.

17. Chet signed with what major record label in 1982.

Answer: Columbia

In 1982, Chet began a new, fresh artistic venture. He resigned as RCA's top man and began recording for Columbia records. Some of Chet's most successful albums came under this new label.

18. Chet was instrumental in the building and success of what famous Nashville recording studio.

Answer: Studio B

Chet was mainly responsible for the creation of RCA's studio B on Music Row in Nashville. He made this studio the first permanent office/headquarters of RCA. Studio B will forever be know as "The House That Chet Built."

19. Chet's half-brother Jim Atkins played with what famous guitarist.

Answer: Les Paul

Chet's brother played with the Les Paul trio at the height of their popularity. Jim asked Les if he had an old guitar he would sell cheap that he could give to Chet. So he gave him an old one of his for a couple hundred bucks. This was the first real guitar that Chet ever had.

20. There is a convention and celebration of Chet's musical life every July in Nashville.

Answer: True

This convention is know as CAAS (Chet Atkins Appreciation Society) convention). This event is held every July and is a 3-day guitar picking festival in Nashville.

Source: Author guitarmaster3

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor ralzzz before going online.
Any errors found in FunTrivia content are routinely corrected through our feedback system.

Chet Atkins Trivia Quiz

This quiz will test your basic knowledge of the greatest guitar player and guitar thinker of all time. Chet influenced many of yesterday and today's artists and inspired many guitar players like me to play fingerstyle guitar.

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