POST # 297 Chet Atkins on Hearing Django Reinhardt Play

He was in Chicago, with Duke Ellington in ’46. I was out of work and spent my last dollar just to hear him play. I was in the very back of the Civic Opera House, I believe it was. He was playing some kind of electric, and I remember he would play some fine lick and the band members would yell and encourage him on.

I was so proud for him, because I have always kind of stood in awe of black players. From Blind Blake, on up to Coltrane. Years later, Dr. Pritcher, president of the Chet Atkins Appreciation Society, gave me a copy of part of that Chicago performance. What a nice gift! Anyway, I journeyed backstage, hung around and got his autograph. “D. Reinhardt” he wrote. I have since heard that’s all he could write. I sure wanted to do some finger picking for him, I’ll bet he would’ve loved it. But it never happened.

I have written a song about that afternoon, and someday I’ll record it. I sure had, and still have, a lot of hero worship for Django. Man, he taught the world to play great lines with perfection. I still have that autograph. Maybe some day I’ll auction it for charity at one of the Chet Atkins Appreciation Society (CAAS) meetings (every July in Nashville).

( Chet Atkins doing Django's Tears with Knopfler. - Ed )