Editing Chet Atkins (section)

==Death and legacy==
Atkins continued performing in the 1990s, but his health declined after he was again diagnosed with colon cancer in 1996. He died on June 30, 2001, at his home in Nashville, Tennessee, at age 77.<ref>[http://archives.cnn.com/2001/SHOWBIZ/Music/07/02/obit.chet.atkins/index.html "Obituary"] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080323145021/http://archives.cnn.com/2001/SHOWBIZ/Music/07/02/obit.chet.atkins/index.html |date=March 23, 2008 }}, CNN, July 2, 2001 Accessed June 21, 2008</ref> His memorial service was held at [[Ryman Auditorium]] in Nashville.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2001/07/04/us/guitars-gently-weep-as-nashville-pays-tribute-to-chet-atkins.html|title=Guitars Gently Weep as Nashville Pays Tribute to Chet Atkins|date=July 4, 2001|work=The New York Times|access-date=September 19, 2016}}</ref> He was buried at Harpeth Hills Memory Gardens in Nashville.

Atkins received numerous awards, including 14 Grammy awards and nine Country Music Association awards for Instrumentalist of the Year.<ref name="RollingStone" /> In 1993, he was honored with the [[Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award]]. ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'' magazine awarded him its [[Billboard Century Award|Century Award]], its "highest honor for distinguished creative achievement", in December 1997.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20080205081628/http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/chetatkins/biography "Biography&nbsp;– Chet Atkins"]. ''Rolling Stone''. Accessed on May 10, 2008.</ref> In 2002, Atkins was posthumously inducted into the [[Rock and Roll Hall of Fame]].<ref name="RockHall" /> His award was presented by [[Marty Stuart]] and [[Brian Setzer]] and accepted by Atkins's grandson, Jonathan Russell. The following year, Atkins ranked number 28 in [[Country Music Television]]'s "40 Greatest Men of Country Music". In November 2011, [[Rolling Stone (magazine)|''Rolling Stone'']] ranked Atkins number 21 on their list of the "100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time".<ref name="Chet Atkins"/>

Atkins is notable for his broad influence. His love for numerous styles of music can be traced from his early recording of the stride pianist [[James P. Johnson]]'s "Johnson Rag", all the way to the rock stylings of [[Eric Johnson (guitarist, born 1954)|Eric Johnson]], an invited guest on Atkins's recording sessions, who, when Atkins attempted to copy his influential rocker "[[Cliffs of Dover (song)|Cliffs of Dover]]", led to Atkins's creation of a unique arrangement of "[[Londonderry Air]] (Danny Boy)".

The classical guitar selections included on almost all his albums were, for many American artists working in the field today, the first classical guitar they ever heard. He recorded [[smooth jazz]] guitar still played on American airwaves.

A stretch of [[Interstate 185 (Georgia)|Interstate 185]] in southwest [[Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia]] (between [[LaGrange, Georgia|LaGrange]] and [[Columbus, Georgia|Columbus]]) is named "Chet Atkins Parkway".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ganet.org/services/leg/ShowBillPre.cgi?year=1997&filename=1997/HR245.passed |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050128185210/http://www.ganet.org/services/leg/ShowBillPre.cgi?year=1997&filename=1997%2FHR245.passed |archive-date=January 28, 2005 |title=Chet Atkins Parkway Bill Resolution. |access-date=January 9, 2012 |url-status=dead  }}</ref> This stretch of interstate runs through Fortson, where Atkins spent much of his childhood.

[[George Harrison]] was notably inspired by Atkins. This influence is shown on songs such as [[All My Loving]].<ref>{{Cite book |title=Guitar world presents the 100 greatest guitarists of all time! from the pages of Guitar world magazine |date=2002 |publisher=Hal Leonard |isbn=978-0-634-04619-3 |editor-last=Kitts |editor-first=Jeff |edition=1st |location=Milwaukee, WI |editor-last2=Tolinski |editor-first2=Brad |page=17}}</ref>

At the age of 13, the future jazz guitarist [[Earl Klugh]] was captivated watching Atkins perform on ''The [[Perry Como]] Show.''<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.buffalostate.edu/pac/season/klugh.asp |title=Performing Arts Center, Buffalo State University |publisher=Buffalo State |access-date=February 27, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100527210241/http://www.buffalostate.edu/pac/season/klugh.asp |archive-date=May 27, 2010 |url-status=dead }}</ref> He was also a big influence on [[Doyle Dykes]],<ref>{{cite web | url= https://www.guitarworld.com/uncategorized/acoustic-nation-dale-turner-guitar-gospel-brilliant-fingerstylist-doyle-dykes | title= Acoustic Nation with Dale Turner: The Guitar Gospel of Brilliant Fingerstylist Doyle Dykes | work=Guitar World | first=Dale | last=Turner | date=18 June 2014 | access-date=4 May 2024}}</ref> and inspired [[Tommy Emmanuel]].<ref>[http://www.tommyemmanuel.com/bio/ Tommy Emmanuel official website biography.] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110825110639/http://www.tommyemmanuel.com/bio/ |date=August 25, 2011 }} Retrieved September 2009.</ref> [[Johnny Winter]]'s thumb-picking style came from Atkins' playing.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://andyaledort.com/johnny-winter-interview-april-2004/|title=Johnny Winter Interview: April 2004|website=Andyaledort.com|access-date=September 15, 2023}}</ref> [[Steve Howe]] called Atkins his favorite "all round guitarist", adding that "there are those in different areas of music who are better than him, but nobody had the same ability when it comes to being across the board. For me, it was an education to listen to what he did."<ref>{{cite web | url= https://www.loudersound.com/features/steve-howe-the-10-records-that-changed-my-life | title= Steve Howe: The 10 Records That Changed My Life | work=Louder | first=Malcolm | last=Dome | date=8 April 2020 | access-date=4 May 2024}}</ref>

[[Clint Black]]'s album ''[[Nothin' but the Taillights]]'' includes the song "Ode to Chet", which includes the lyrics "'Cause I can win her over like Romeo did Juliet, if I can only show her I can almost pick that legato lick like Chet" and "It'll take more than [[Mel Bay]] 1, 2, & 3 if I'm ever gonna play like CGP." Atkins played guitar on the track. At the end of the song, Black and Atkins had a brief conversation.

Atkins' song "Jam Man" is currently{{when|date=October 2022}} used in commercials for [[Esurance]].

In 1967, a tribute song, "Chet's Tune", was produced for Atkins' birthday, with contributions by a long list of RCA Victor artists, including [[Eddy Arnold]], [[Connie Smith]], [[Jerry Reed]], [[Willie Nelson]], [[Hank Snow]], and others. The song was written by the Nashville songwriter [[Cy Coben]], a friend of Atkins. The single reached number 38 on the country charts.<ref>Billboard, June 3, 1967, p. 41.</ref><ref>McClellan, John; Bratic, Deyan. ''Chet Atkins in Three Dimensions: 50 Years of Legendary Guitar'', vol. 1. Pacific, MO: Mel Bay Publications. pp. 47–49.</ref><ref name="whitburn">{{cite book|last=Whitburn|first=Joel|title=Hot Country Songs 1944 to 2008|publisher=Record Research|date=2008|page=392|isbn=978-0-89820-177-2}}</ref>

In 2009, [[Steve Wariner]] released an album titled ''My Tribute to Chet Atkins''. One song from that record, "Producer's Medley", featured Wariner's recreation of several famous songs that Atkins both produced and performed. "Producer's Medley" won the Grammy for Best Country Instrumental Performance [[52nd Annual Grammy Awards|in 2010]].