Duane Eddy, a rock guitarist known for his twangy sound, died at the age of 86 on Tuesday, April 30. He was surrounded by his family at his home in Franklin, Tennessee, reports Guitarworld.
Eddy was an influential guitarist, inspiring artists like Bruce Springsteen, George Harrison, and John Fogerty. He was born in Corning, New York in 1938 and then moved to Arizona in 1951.
He was also part of the country duo Jimmy & Duane. He released “Moovin’ and Groovin’” in 1957, and the following year, his most iconic song, “Rebel Rouser.”
Eddy was inducted into the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame in 1994 and then into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. Eddy had 15 Top 40 hits between 1958 and 1963.
“Instrumentalists don’t usually become famous. But Duane Eddy’s electric guitar was a voice all its own,” said Kyle Young, CEO of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. “His sound was muscular and masculine, twangy and tough. Duane scored more than 30 hits on the pop charts. But more importantly, his style inspired thousands of hillbilly cats and downtown rockers — the Ventures, George Harrison, Steve Earle, Bruce Springsteen, Marty Stuart, to name a few — to learn how to rumble and move people to their core. The Duane Eddy sound will forever be stitched into the fabric of country and rock & roll.”
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