Chet Atkins' first professional job was as a fiddler on WNOX in Knoxville, where his boss was singer Bill Carlisle. “He was horrible,” Carlisle said at a tribute concert to Atkins in 1997.

He was 77 years old at the time of his death. Atkins grew up with a love of music and, due to his chronic asthma, spent much of his time indoors honing his craft.