RCA in Music City, U.S.A.: The Nashville Sound

Chet Atkins was a respected guitarist and songwriter long before he was put in charge of RCA’s office in Nashville in 1957. Most producers took their cues from the prevailing prejudices at The Grand Ole Opry, the long-running live radio show on WSM, Nashville, which networked a traditional concept of country music to the nation every Saturday night: fiddle and steel guitar were the prominent instruments; drums were mistrusted. But Atkins recognized that the impact...