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{{Short description|American guitarist (1945–1994)}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2015}}
{{Infobox musical artist <!-- See Wikipedia:WikiProject_Musicians -->
{{Infobox musical artist
|name = Danny Gatton
|image =
| name = Danny Gatton
|caption =
| image = Danny Gatton.jpg
| caption = Gatton with his [[pearloid]] Telecaster
|image_size =
| birth_name = Daniel Wood Gatton Jr.
|background = non_vocal_instrumentalist
| birth_date = {{birth date|1945|9|4}}
|birth_name = Daniel Wood Gatton
| birth_place = Washington, D.C., US
|alias =
|birth_date = {{birth date|1945|9|4}}
| death_date = {{death date and age|1994|10|4|1945|9|4}}
| death_place = [[Newburg, Maryland|Newburg]], Maryland
|birth_place =[[Washington, D.C.]]
| genre = [[Blues]], [[rockabilly]], [[jazz]], [[rock & roll]], [[country music|country]]
|death_date = {{death date and age|1994|10|4|1945|9|4}}
| occupation = Musician
|death_place =[[Newburg, Maryland]]
|instrument = [[Guitar]]
| instrument = Guitar
| years_active = 1959–1994
|genre = [[Blues]], [[rockabilly]], [[jazz]]
|occupation = [[Musician]]
| label =
| website = {{URL|dannygatton.com}}
|years_active = 1960–1994
|label =
|associated_acts =
|website = {{URL|http://www.dannygatton.com}}
|notable_instruments = [[Fender Telecaster]]
}}
}}


'''Danny Gatton''' (September 4, 1945 – October 4, 1994) was an [[United States|American]] [[guitarist]] who fused rockabilly, jazz, and country styles to create his own distinctive style of playing. A biography, ''Unfinished Business: The Life and Times of Danny Gatton'' by [[Ralph Heibutzki]], was published in 2003. It has a voluminous discography. When ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' magazine selected the 100 Greatest Guitarists of all Time in 2003, senior editor [[David Fricke]] ranked Gatton 63rd on his ballot.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rollingstone.com/music/lists/100-greatest-guitarists-of-all-time-19691231 |title=The 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time |publisher=Rolling Stone |date= |accessdate=2011-10-30}}</ref> On May 26, 2010, Gibson.com ranked Gatton as the 27th best guitarist of all time.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gibson.com/en-us/Lifestyle/Features/Top-50-Guitarists-526/ |title=Top 50 Guitarists of All Time – 30 to 21 |publisher=Gibson.com |date= |accessdate=2011-10-30}}</ref>
'''Daniel Wood Gatton Jr.''' (September 4, 1945 – October 4, 1994) was an American virtuoso guitarist who combined blues, rockabilly, jazz, and country to create a musical style he called "redneck jazz".<ref>{{Cite book|title=Unfinished Business – the Life and Times of Danny Gatton| last=Heibutzki|first=Ralph |publisher=Backbeat Books|year=2003|isbn=0-87930-748-X|location=San Francisco}}</ref>

== Early life ==
Gatton was born in Washington, D.C. on September 4, 1945. His father, Daniel W. Gatton Sr., was a [[rhythm guitar]]ist known for his unique percussive style, who left his musical career to raise his family in a more stable profession. The younger Gatton grew up to share his father's passion for the instrument.


== Career ==
== Career ==
Daniel Wood Gatton Jr. was born in Washington, D.C., in 1945. The son of a rhythm guitarist, Gatton started playing at the age of nine. From 1960–1964 he played jazz guitar with the Offbeats, then worked as a [[session musician]] in Nashville.<ref name="Yanow">{{cite book|last1=Yanow|first1=Scott|title=The Great Jazz Guitarists|date=2013|publisher=Backbeat|location=San Francisco|isbn=978-1-61713-023-6|page=82}}</ref><ref name="Huey">{{cite web|last1=Huey|first1=Steve|title=Danny Gatton |url=http://www.allmusic.com/artist/danny-gatton-mn0000955027/biography|website=AllMusic|access-date=26 April 2017}}</ref> When he returned to Washington, he drew attention in the 1970s as a member of Liz Meyer & Friends and other local bands. He recorded his debut album, ''American Music'' (1975), followed by ''Redneck Jazz'' (1978) with pedal steel guitarist [[Buddy Emmons]] appearing as a guest. He founded the band the Redneck Jazz Explosion.<ref name="Yanow" />
Danny Gatton began his career playing in bands while still a teenager. He began to attract wider interest in the 1970s while playing guitar and [[banjo]] for the group Liz Meyer & Friends. He made his name as a performer in the Washington, DC, area during the late 1970s and 1980s, both as a solo performer and with his Redneck Jazz Explosion, in which he would trade [[Lick (music)|licks]] with virtuoso [[Pedal steel guitar|pedal steel]] player [[Buddy Emmons]] over a tight bass-drums rhythm which drew from blues, [[country music|country]], [[bebop]] and [[rockabilly]] influences. He also backed [[Robert Gordon (musician)|Robert Gordon]] and [[Roger Miller]]. He contributed a cover of "Apricot Brandy", a song by [[Elektra Records]]-supergroup [[Rhinoceros (band)|Rhinoceros]], to the 1990 compilation album ''[[Rubáiyát]]''.


Although Gatton could play most genres of music, including jazz, blues, bluegrass, and rock, he was known as a country and [[rockabilly]] guitarist.<ref name="Yanow" /> He toured with singers [[Roger Miller]] and [[Robert Gordon (musician)|Robert Gordon]].<ref name="Huey" /> He was sometimes called "The [[Fender Telecaster|Telemaster]]" and "the world's greatest unknown guitarist".<ref name="Yanow" /> Guitarist [[Amos Garrett]] called him "The Humbler" for his ability to defeat other guitarists in "head-cutting" jam sessions.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://rubbercityreview.com/2010/09/danny-gatton-the-humbler/ |title=Danny Gatton, The Humbler &#124; RCR &#124; American Roots Music |website=Rubbercityreview.com |date=2010-09-24 |access-date=2016-08-10}}</ref> On this point, however, Gatton declared: “The biggest humbler to me, of all time, would be [[Lenny Breau]]. He was the best I have ever seen."<ref>{{cite web | last1 = Newton | first1 = Steve |title=Guitar god Danny Gatton says Lenny Breau is the biggest humbler of all time| date = May 5, 2014 |url=https://earofnewt.com/2014/05/04/guitar-god-danny-gatton-says-lenny-breau-is-the-biggest-humbler-of-all-time/|access-date=15 November 2017}}</ref>
== Playing style ==
Gatton's playing combined musical styles such as [[jazz]], [[blues]] and [[rockabilly]] in an innovative fashion, and he was known by some as "the Telemaster." He was also called "the world's greatest unknown guitarist". His most common nickname was "The Humbler", owing to his ability to out-play anyone willing to go up against him in "head-cutting" jam sessions. It was [[Amos Garrett]], guitar player for [[Maria Muldaur]], who nicknamed Gatton "The Humbler". After a successful gig, Garrett would pull out a tape of Gatton and tell his band, "You think we played well tonight. Let's take a minute to listen to the Humble-lizer." A photo published in the October 2007 issue of ''[[Guitar Player]]'' magazine shows Gatton playing in front of a neon sign that says "Victims Wanted".


In 1987, nine years after his previous album, he released ''Unfinished Business'', an eclectic collection of pop, rock, and country music that ''[[Guitar World]]'' magazine named the tenth best album of the 1980s.<ref name="Schulte">{{cite web | last1 = Schulte | first1 = Tom |title=Unfinished Business|url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/unfinished-business-mw0000677749|website=AllMusic|access-date=26 April 2017}}</ref> He got a contract with his first major record label and released another eclectic album, ''[[88 Elmira Street]]'' ([[Elektra Records|Elektra]], 1991),<ref name="Huey" /> which contained a cover version of the theme song from the animated TV series ''The Simpsons''.<ref name="Koda">{{cite web|last1=Koda|first1=Cub|title=88 Elmira St.|url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/88-elmira-st-mw0000262505|website=AllMusic|access-date=26 April 2017}}</ref>
However, he never achieved the commercial success that his talent arguably deserved. His album ''[[88 Elmira Street]]'' was up for a 1990 [[Grammy Award]] for the song "Elmira Street Boogie" in the category ''Best Rock Instrumental Performance'', but was beaten by [[Eric Johnson]] with "[[Cliffs of Dover (song)|Cliffs of Dover]]".


Gatton turned toward jazz for the albums ''New York Stories'' ([[Blue Note Records|Blue Note]], 1992) and ''Relentless'' (1994) with [[Joey DeFrancesco]].
His skills were most appreciated by his peers such as [[Eric Clapton]], [[Willie Nelson]], [[Steve Earle]], and his childhood idol [[Les Paul]]. During his career, Gatton appeared on stage with guitar heroes such as [[Alvin Lee]] and [[Jimmie Vaughan]], the latter literally walking in one night on a Gatton club gig. There is also an apocryphal rumor about an on-stage "head-cutting" jam between Gatton and fellow Washington DC-area resident (and [[Fender Telecaster|Telecaster]] player who also held the title of The Greatest Unknown Guitarist) [[Roy Buchanan]]. (Gatton had roomed with Buchanan in [[Nashville, Tennessee]] in the mid '60s and they became frequent "jamming partners", according to ''Guitar Player'' magazine's October 2007 issue). He also performed with old teenage friend [[Jack Casady]] and [[Jorma Kaukonen]] (from [[Jefferson Airplane]] and [[Hot Tuna]]) as "Jack and the Degenerates". Those recordings were never commercially released, but live tapes are in circulation. In 1993, Gatton was invited by rocker [[Chris Isaak]] to record tracks for Isaak's ''[[San Francisco Days]]'' CD. Reports of where Gatton's playing can be heard on the CD vary, with unconfirmed reports placing him on either "Can't Do a Thing (To Stop Me)", "5:15" or "Beautiful Houses". Gatton reportedly brought a customized Fender Telecaster and [[Fender Stratocaster|Stratocaster]] to the recording session.


==Death==
He usually played a 1953 Fender Telecaster (Fender now manufactures a replica of his heavily customized instrument), with Joe Barden [[Pick up (music technology)|pickups]] and Fender Super 250Ls, or Nickel Plated Steel (.010 to .046 with a .015 for the G) strings. For a [[slide guitar|slide]], Gatton was known for using a beer bottle or mug (still half full of beer), without regard to whether it might spill all over stage or his guitar. During a 1991 performance on ''[[Austin City Limits]]'', he followed this by wiping the guitar neck with a rag, then holding the rag between his fingers and the frets, all the while playing flawlessly. In the March 1989 issue of ''Guitar Player'' magazine, he said he preferred to use an
On October 4, 1994, Gatton locked himself in the garage on his farm in [[Newburg, Maryland|Newburg]], Maryland, and committed [[suicide by gunshot]].<ref>{{Cite news|date=October 6, 1994|title=GATTON DEAD OF GUNSHOT WOUND|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1994/10/06/gatton-dead-of-gunshot-wound/b1cfae12-39d5-4e13-a19f-ea9f4a599254/|access-date=2022-02-20|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]}}</ref><ref name="thehumblermovie.com">{{cite web|last=Harrington |first=Richard |url=https://www.thehumblermovie.com/october-4th-1994/ |title=October 4th, 1994 – Danny Gatton |website=Thehumblermovie.com |date=1994-10-06 |access-date=2016-08-10}}</ref> Although he left no note nor explanation,<ref name="Heibutzki"/> family members and close friends believe he suffered from [[Depression (mood)|depression]] for many years.<ref name="autogenerated1">{{cite web|url=https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=113485730 |title=Danny Gatton: 'World's Greatest Unknown Guitarist' |publisher=NPR |date=October 4, 2009 |access-date=2014-02-24}}</ref> Friend and drummer Dave Elliott said that he thought Gatton had suffered from depression since they met more than twenty years earlier.<ref name="thehumblermovie.com"/>
[[Alka-Seltzer]] bottle or long 6L6 vacuum tube as a slide, but that audiences liked the beer bottle. He did, however, only play slide overhand, citing his earlier training in steel guitar [Guitar Player, March 1989] One [[guitar amplifier|amplifier]] Gatton is known to have used a 1959 Fender Bassman amp as well as a heavily customized blackface Fender Vibrolux Reverb]].


==Reception==
He always played with a jazz-style teardrop [[Guitar pick|pick]], and was capable of intricate passages combining [[bluegrass music|Bluegrass]], bebop, and garage sounds, executed with amazing clarity and at dizzying speeds. His picking technique was a [[hybrid picking|hybrid combination]] of pick and fingers, primarily his middle and ring fingers on his right hand. The basis of his picking technique was using banjo rolls; he was an accomplished banjo player and from that he learned the traditional ([[Earl Scruggs|Scruggs]] style) right-hand technique. His forward roll consisted of a pick downstroke, then middle finger, then ring finger. His backward roll consisted of middle finger, then a pick upstroke, then a pick downstroke. He possessed a classical guitar left hand technique, thumb behind the neck, fretting with arched fingers.
When ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' magazine selected the 100 Greatest Guitarists of all Time in 2003, senior editor [[David Fricke]] ranked Gatton 63rd on his ballot.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/lists/100-greatest-guitarists-of-all-time-19691231 |title=The 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time |date=December 3, 2010 |publisher=Rolling Stone |access-date=2011-10-30 |archive-date=December 16, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171216184007/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/lists/100-greatest-guitarists-of-all-time-19691231 |url-status=dead }}</ref> On May 26, 2010, Gibson.com ranked Gatton as the 27th best guitarist of all time.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gibson.com/en-us/Lifestyle/Features/Top-50-Guitarists-526/ |title=Top 50 Guitarists of All Time – 30 to 21 |publisher=[[Gibson Guitar Corporation|Gibson]] |access-date=2011-10-30 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100527234351/http://www.gibson.com/en-us/Lifestyle/Features/Top-50-Guitarists-526/ |archive-date=May 27, 2010 |df=mdy }}</ref>


Among his admirers are [[Buckethead]], [[Joe Bonamassa]], [[Lenny Breau]], [[James Burton]], [[Chris Cheney]],<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://australianmusician.com.au/ian-moss-a-chris-cheney-talk-guitar|title=Ian Moss & Chris Cheney Talk Guitar!|date=September 10, 2007}}</ref> [[Vince Gill]], [[Johnny Hiland]], [[Evan Johns]], [[Bill Kirchen]], [[Albert Lee]], [[Les Paul]], [[Arlen Roth]], Paul Bechtoldt, [[Roy Buchanan]], [[Darren Thiboutot Jr.]], [[Richie Sambora]], [[Ricky Skaggs]], [[Slash (musician)|Slash]], [[Lou Reed]], [[Trey Anastasio]],<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.instagram.com/p/CV0cCHvJaYS/ | title=Trey Anastasio on Instagram: "Pat Martino We lost a true genius of improvisational guitar yesterday. One of the greatest of all time. Pat Martino was an absolute giant of flow, musicality and invention. He was a wellspring of melodic ideas, an open channel. I deeply loved and still love his playing, and I'm beyond grateful for his enormous contribution and influence on improvisational guitar music, on me, and on Phish. He opened my mind and heart. In the 80's I wore out the vinyl version of his 1974 Pat Martino Live, one of my all time favorite albums (Which is shamefully now out of print and not on Spotify). That album played on perma loop in the Weaver Street house where Phish rehearsed. I must have listened to it a thousand times. It had a massive effect on me, and I know on Page too. Listen to the interplay between the Ron Thomas' Rhodes and Pat's guitar on "The Great Stream". Luckily some of those tracks were rereleased on "Pat Martino Consciousness Live", which you can still find on Spotify. "The Great Stream" is an excellent starting place to discover Pat. I consider Pat Martino Live to be in the upper echelon of all time great live guitar improv albums. It belongs right up there with Jimi Hendrix "Band of Gypsies" and Danny Gatton "The Humbler Stakes his Claim". Rest in Peace Pat. Thank you for filling my house with music and my mind with visions of the boundless nature of improvised guitar music. With Love, Gratitude and Respect, Trey 📷: @lendelessio" }}</ref> and [[Steve Vai]].<ref name="Heibutzki">{{cite book|title = Unfinished Business: The Life & Times of Danny Gatton|last = Heibutzki|first = Ralph|author-link = Ralph Heibutzki|year = 2003|publisher = Backbeat Books, San Francisco|isbn = 0-87930-748-X}}</ref>
Also among his admirers are [[Les Paul]], [[James Burton]], [[Lenny Breau]], [[Joe Bonamassa]] (whom Danny mentored when Joe was eleven years old), [[Vince Gill]], [[Evan Johns]] (of Evan Johns and His H-Bombs), [[Chris Cheney]], [[Bill Kirchen]], [[Albert Lee]], [[Steve Vai]], [[Buckethead]], [[Arlen Roth]], [[Johnny Hiland]], [[Ricky Skaggs]], [[Slash (musician)|Slash]], and [[Richie Sambora]].<ref name="Heibutzki">{{cite book
|title = Unfinished Business: The Life & Times of Danny Gatton
|edition =
|last = Heibutzki
|first = Ralph
|coauthors =
|year = 2003
|publisher = Backbeat Books, San Francisco
|isbn = 0-87930-748-X
}}</ref>


Gatton has been described as possessing an extraordinary proficiency on his instrument, "a living treasury of American musical styles."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.chairmanralph.com/dannygattoncorner/ |title=Chairman Ralph's Ministry Of Truth |publisher=Chairmanralph.com |access-date=2015-10-26}}</ref> In 2009, John Previti, who played bass guitar with Danny for eighteen years, stated, "You know, when he played country music, it sounded like all he played was country music. When he played jazz, it sounded like that's all he played, rockabilly, old rock and roll, soul music. You know, he called himself a [[Whitman%27s#Whitman's_Sampler|Whitman sampler]] of music."<ref name="autogenerated1"/> Guitarist [[Steve Vai]] reckons Danny "comes closer than anyone else to being the best guitar player that ever lived."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.guitaraficionado.com/playlist-danny-gatton.html#sthash.MPdkbIXm.dpuf |title=Playlist: Danny Gatton « Guitar Aficionado |publisher=Guitaraficionado.com |date=November 15, 2011 |access-date=2014-02-24}}</ref> Guitarist Albert Lee said of Gatton, "Here's a guy who's got it all."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://guitarinternational.com/2011/01/05/albert-lee-a-real-country-gentleman/ |title=Albert Lee Interview : Guitar Interviews |publisher=Guitarinternational.com |access-date=2014-02-24 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140329214848/http://guitarinternational.com/2011/01/05/albert-lee-a-real-country-gentleman/ |archive-date=March 29, 2014 |df=mdy }}</ref>
== Final years, death & legacy ==
Throughout the late 1980s and early 90s, Danny worked closely with Fender to create his very own signature model guitar - The Danny Gatton Signature Telecaster, released in 1990.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dannygatton.com/telecast.html |title=The Definitive Danny Gatton Web Site |publisher=Dannygatton.com |date= |accessdate=2014-02-24}}</ref>
On October 4, 1994, Gatton locked himself in his garage in [[Newburg, Maryland]] and shot himself. He left behind no explanation.<ref name="Heibutzki">{{cite book
|title = Unfinished business : the life & times of Danny Gatton
|edition =
|last = Heibutzki
|first = Ralph
|coauthors =
|year = 2003
|publisher = Backbeat Books, San Francisco
|isbn = 0-87930-748-X
|page = xi}}</ref>
Members of his family and close friends believe Danny had silently suffered from depression for many years.<ref name="autogenerated1">{{cite web|url=http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=113485730 |title=Danny Gatton: 'World's Greatest Unknown Guitarist' |publisher=NPR |date=2009-10-04 |accessdate=2014-02-24}}</ref>


On January 10, 11, and 12, 1995, Tramps club in New York organized a three-night tribute to Danny Gatton featuring dozens of Gatton's musical admirers, the highlight of which was a twenty-minute performance by [[Les Paul]], [[James Burton]], [[Arlen Roth]] and [[Albert Lee]].<ref>{{cite news|last=Herndon|first=David|title=A Tribute to Danny Gatton|url=http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/newsday/access/20132382.html?dids=20132382:20132382&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Jan+09%2C+1995&author=By+David+Herndon.+STAFF+WRITER&pub=Newsday+%28Combined+editions%29&desc=A+Tribute+to+Danny+Gatton&pqatl=google|accessdate=4 January 2011|newspaper=[[Newsday]]|date=9 January 1995}}</ref> Those shows (with all musicians performing for free) raised $25,000 for Gatton's wife and daughter.
On January 10–12, 1995, Tramps nightclub in New York organized a three-night tribute to Gatton featuring dozens of Gatton's musical admirers, the highlight of which was a twenty-minute performance by Les Paul, James Burton, Arlen Roth, and Albert Lee.<ref>{{cite news|last=Herndon|first=David|title=A Tribute to Danny Gatton|url=https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/newsday/access/20132382.html?dids=20132382:20132382&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Jan+09%2C+1995&author=By+David+Herndon.+STAFF+WRITER&pub=Newsday+%28Combined+editions%29&desc=A+Tribute+to+Danny+Gatton&pqatl=google|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121105005242/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/newsday/access/20132382.html?dids=20132382:20132382&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Jan+09,+1995&author=By+David+Herndon.+STAFF+WRITER&pub=Newsday+(Combined+editions)&desc=A+Tribute+to+Danny+Gatton&pqatl=google|url-status=dead|archive-date=November 5, 2012|access-date=January 4, 2011|newspaper=[[Newsday]]|date=January 9, 1995}}</ref> Those shows (with all musicians performing for free) raised $25,000 for Gatton's wife and daughter.


''Blue Skies Calling'' (2011), an album by Boy Wells, includes nearly an hour of Gatton and Wells playing in his living room. "Danny called me before he died and asked me to put a vocal tape together for his label at the time. He needed a singer after his singer, Billy Windsor, had passed. He remained a friend, a good one all those years. This lesson was in the late '70s; it's me and Danny in the living room of his house on Holly Lane in Indian Head, Maryland. It's killer stuff."<ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.bmansbluesreport.com/2011/12/marcel-marsupial-records-artist-boy.html |title=Bman's Blues Report: Marcel Marsupial Records artist: Boy Wells – Blue Skies Calling – New Release Review |publisher=Bmansbluesreport.com |date=December 1, 2011 |access-date=2014-02-24}}</ref>
Danny Gatton has been described as possessing an extraordinary proficiency on his instrument, "a living treasury of American musical styles.
”<ref>http://www.chairmanralph.com/dannygattoncorner/</ref> In 2009, John Previti, who played bass guitar with Danny for 18 years stated: "You know, when he played country music, it sounded like all he played was country music. When he played jazz, it sounded like that's all he played, rockabilly, old rock and roll, soul music. You know, he called himself a Whitman sampler of music"<ref name="autogenerated1"/> Legendary guitarist [[Steve Vai]] reckons Danny “comes closer than anyone else to being the best guitar player that ever lived.”<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.guitaraficionado.com/playlist-danny-gatton.html#sthash.MPdkbIXm.dpuf |title=Playlist: Danny Gatton « Guitar Aficionado |publisher=Guitaraficionado.com |date=2011-11-15 |accessdate=2014-02-24}}</ref> Accomplished guitar veteran [[Albert Lee]] said of Gatton: "Here’s a guy who’s got it all.”<ref>{{cite web|url=http://guitarinternational.com/2011/01/05/albert-lee-a-real-country-gentleman/ |title=Albert Lee Interview : Guitar Interviews |publisher=Guitarinternational.com |date= |accessdate=2014-02-24}}</ref>


==Awards and honors==
Since the advent of [[YouTube]], decades-old bootleg performances of Danny have garnered millions of views,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://m.youtube.com/results?q=danny%20gatton&nfpr=1 |title=danny gatton - YouTube |publisher=M.youtube.com |date=1989-04-10 |accessdate=2014-02-24}}</ref>eliciting high praise from fans worldwide.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=MS5XH84mmI4 |title=Danny Gatton at Gallagher's - YouTube |publisher=M.youtube.com |date=2006-12-23 |accessdate=2014-02-24}}</ref>
* Grammy Award nomination, "Elmira Street Boogie", [[Grammy Award for Best Rock Instrumental Performance|Best Rock Instrumental Performance]], 1991<ref name="Graham">{{cite web |last1=Graham |first1=Jonathan |title=Forgotten Guitar: Danny Gatton Performs on 'Nightwatch' in 1989 |url=https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/forgotten-guitar-danny-gatton-performs-nightwatch-1989 |website=guitarworld |access-date=17 February 2019 |date=14 February 2019}}</ref>
* Danny Gatton Signature Telecaster<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.dannygatton.com/telecast.html |title=The Definitive Danny Gatton Web Site |publisher=Dannygatton.com |access-date=2014-02-24 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140604232250/http://dannygatton.com/telecast.html |archive-date=June 4, 2014 |df=mdy }}</ref>

photo: [[Arlen Roth]] 1994


== Discography ==
== Discography ==
===As leader===
* 1975 – ''American Music''
* ''American Music'' (Aladdin, 1975)
* 1978 – ''Redneck Jazz''
* ''Redneck Jazz'' (NRG, 1978)
* 1987 – ''Unfinished Business''
* 1990 – ''Blazing Telecasters'' (live April 27, 1984)
* ''Unfinished Business'' (NRG, 1987)
* ''Blazing Telecasters'' with Tom Principato (Powerhouse, 1990)
* 1991 – ''[[88 Elmira St.]]''
* ''[[88 Elmira St.]]'' (Elektra, 1991)
* 1992 – ''New York Stories'' with [[Joshua Redman]], [[Roy Hargrove]], [[Bobby Watson]], & [[Franck Amsallem]]
* 1993 – ''Cruisin' Deuces''
* ''Cruisin' Deuces'' (Elektra, 1993)
* 1993 - ''Toolin' Around'' with [[Arlen Roth]]
* ''Relentless'' with Joey DeFrancesco (Exile, 1994)
* ''Redneck Jazz Explosion'' (NRG, 1995)
* 1994 – ''Relentless'' (with [[Joey DeFrancesco]])
* ''[["The Humbler"]]'' with Robert Gordon (NRG, 1996)
* 1995 – ''Redneck Jazz Explosion'' (live December 30 & 31, 1978)
* ''In Concert 9/9/94'' (Big Mo, 1996)
* 1996 – ''The Humbler'' (with [[Robert Gordon (musician)|Robert Gordon]])
* ''Untouchable'' (NRG, 1998)
* 1998 – ''In Concert 9/9/94''
* ''Portraits'' (Big Mo, 1998)
* 1998 – ''Untouchable''
* ''Capitol Attack'' with Robert Gordon (Renegade, 1999)
* 1998 – ''Portraits''
* ''Funhouse'' (Flying Deuces Music, 2004)
* 1999 – ''Anthology''
* ''Showdown at the Hoedown'' with Evan Johns (Jellyroll, 2005)
* 2004 – ''Funhouse'' (live June 10 & 11, 1988)
* 2005 – ''Oh No! More Blazing Telecasters'' (with [[Tom Principato]])
* ''Oh No! More Blazing Telecasters'' with Tom Principato (Powerhouse, 2005)
* 2006 – ''Redneck Jazz Explosion, Vol. 2'' (live December 30 & 31, 1978)
* ''Redneck Jazz Explosion Volume Two'' (Flying Deuces Music, 2006)
* 2007 – ''Live in 1977: The Humbler Stakes His Claim''
* ''Live in 1977: The Humbler Stakes His Claim'' (Powerhouse, 2007)
* ''New York Stories'' with Joshua Redman, Roy Hargrove (EMI, 2009)
* 2011 – ''Blue Skies Calling'', a CD by Boy Wells includes nearly an hour of Gatton and Wells playing in his living room. “Danny called me before he died and asked me to put a vocal tape together for his label at the time. He needed a singer after his singer, Billy Windsor, had passed. He remained a friend, a good one all those years. This lesson was in the late ‘70s; it’s me and Danny in the living room of his house on Holly Lane in Indian Head, Maryland. It’s killer stuff.” <ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bmansbluesreport.com/2011/12/marcel-marsupial-records-artist-boy.html |title=Bman's Blues Report: Marcel Marsupial Records artist: Boy Wells - Blue Skies Calling - New Release Review |publisher=Bmansbluesreport.com |date=2011-12-01 |accessdate=2014-02-24}}</ref>


==See also==
==References==
{{Reflist}}
{{Portal|Biography}}
*[[Bill Holloman]]
*[[Arlen Roth]]


== References ==
==Further reading==
* {{cite book |last= Heibutzki |first= Ralph |author-link=Ralph Heibutzki|title = Unfinished Business: The Life and Times of Danny Gatton |publisher= Backbeat Books |year= 2003 |location= San Francisco |isbn= 0-87930-748-X }}
{{reflist}}


==External links==
== Further reading ==
* [http://www.dannygatton.com/ Danny Gatton website]
* {{cite book |last = Heibutzki |first = Ralph |authorlink =Ralph Heibutzki|coauthors = |title = Unfinished Business: The Life and Times of Danny Gatton |publisher = Backbeat Books |year = 2003 |location = San Francisco |pages = |url = |doi = |isbn = 0-87930-748-X }}
*[https://thehumblermovie.com/ Danny Gatton movie website]


{{Authority control}}
== External links ==
* [http://www.dannygatton.com/ Definitive Danny Gatton website]
* [http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=8834 Photos]
* [http://www.musicianguide.com/biographies/1608000365/Danny-Gatton.html Danny Gatton on Musician Guide]
* [http://rhumba.com/frames/concertframe.html The Concert Tour (journal of a 1991 Danny Gatton concert tour)]


{{Authority control|VIAF=54335862}}

{{Persondata <!-- Metadata: see [[Wikipedia:Persondata]]. -->
| NAME =Gatton, Danny
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES =
| SHORT DESCRIPTION = American musician
| DATE OF BIRTH =September 4, 1945
| PLACE OF BIRTH = [[Washington, D.C.]]
| DATE OF DEATH =October 4, 1994
| PLACE OF DEATH = [[Newburg, Maryland]]
}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gatton, Danny}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gatton, Danny}}
[[Category:1945 births]]
[[Category:1994 deaths]]
[[Category:20th-century American guitarists]]
[[Category:American blues guitarists]]
[[Category:American blues guitarists]]
[[Category:American jazz guitarists]]
[[Category:American jazz guitarists]]
[[Category:American rockabilly guitarists]]
[[Category:American rockabilly guitarists]]
[[Category:Musicians who committed suicide]]
[[Category:American male guitarists]]
[[Category:Musicians from Washington, D.C.]]
[[Category:Guitarists from Washington, D.C.]]
[[Category:Suicides by firearm in Maryland]]
[[Category:Suicides by firearm in Maryland]]
[[Category:1945 births]]
[[Category:1994 suicides]]
[[Category:1994 deaths]]
[[Category:20th-century American male musicians]]
[[Category:American male jazz musicians]]

Latest revision as of 13:07, 4 September 2024

Danny Gatton
Gatton with his pearloid Telecaster
Gatton with his pearloid Telecaster
Background information
Birth nameDaniel Wood Gatton Jr.
Born(1945-09-04)September 4, 1945
Washington, D.C., US
DiedOctober 4, 1994(1994-10-04) (aged 49)
Newburg, Maryland
GenresBlues, rockabilly, jazz, rock & roll, country
OccupationMusician
InstrumentGuitar
Years active1959–1994
Websitedannygatton.com

Daniel Wood Gatton Jr. (September 4, 1945 – October 4, 1994) was an American virtuoso guitarist who combined blues, rockabilly, jazz, and country to create a musical style he called "redneck jazz".[1]

Career

[edit]

Daniel Wood Gatton Jr. was born in Washington, D.C., in 1945. The son of a rhythm guitarist, Gatton started playing at the age of nine. From 1960–1964 he played jazz guitar with the Offbeats, then worked as a session musician in Nashville.[2][3] When he returned to Washington, he drew attention in the 1970s as a member of Liz Meyer & Friends and other local bands. He recorded his debut album, American Music (1975), followed by Redneck Jazz (1978) with pedal steel guitarist Buddy Emmons appearing as a guest. He founded the band the Redneck Jazz Explosion.[2]

Although Gatton could play most genres of music, including jazz, blues, bluegrass, and rock, he was known as a country and rockabilly guitarist.[2] He toured with singers Roger Miller and Robert Gordon.[3] He was sometimes called "The Telemaster" and "the world's greatest unknown guitarist".[2] Guitarist Amos Garrett called him "The Humbler" for his ability to defeat other guitarists in "head-cutting" jam sessions.[4] On this point, however, Gatton declared: “The biggest humbler to me, of all time, would be Lenny Breau. He was the best I have ever seen."[5]

In 1987, nine years after his previous album, he released Unfinished Business, an eclectic collection of pop, rock, and country music that Guitar World magazine named the tenth best album of the 1980s.[6] He got a contract with his first major record label and released another eclectic album, 88 Elmira Street (Elektra, 1991),[3] which contained a cover version of the theme song from the animated TV series The Simpsons.[7]

Gatton turned toward jazz for the albums New York Stories (Blue Note, 1992) and Relentless (1994) with Joey DeFrancesco.

Death

[edit]

On October 4, 1994, Gatton locked himself in the garage on his farm in Newburg, Maryland, and committed suicide by gunshot.[8][9] Although he left no note nor explanation,[10] family members and close friends believe he suffered from depression for many years.[11] Friend and drummer Dave Elliott said that he thought Gatton had suffered from depression since they met more than twenty years earlier.[9]

Reception

[edit]

When Rolling Stone magazine selected the 100 Greatest Guitarists of all Time in 2003, senior editor David Fricke ranked Gatton 63rd on his ballot.[12] On May 26, 2010, Gibson.com ranked Gatton as the 27th best guitarist of all time.[13]

Among his admirers are Buckethead, Joe Bonamassa, Lenny Breau, James Burton, Chris Cheney,[14] Vince Gill, Johnny Hiland, Evan Johns, Bill Kirchen, Albert Lee, Les Paul, Arlen Roth, Paul Bechtoldt, Roy Buchanan, Darren Thiboutot Jr., Richie Sambora, Ricky Skaggs, Slash, Lou Reed, Trey Anastasio,[15] and Steve Vai.[10]

Gatton has been described as possessing an extraordinary proficiency on his instrument, "a living treasury of American musical styles."[16] In 2009, John Previti, who played bass guitar with Danny for eighteen years, stated, "You know, when he played country music, it sounded like all he played was country music. When he played jazz, it sounded like that's all he played, rockabilly, old rock and roll, soul music. You know, he called himself a Whitman sampler of music."[11] Guitarist Steve Vai reckons Danny "comes closer than anyone else to being the best guitar player that ever lived."[17] Guitarist Albert Lee said of Gatton, "Here's a guy who's got it all."[18]

On January 10–12, 1995, Tramps nightclub in New York organized a three-night tribute to Gatton featuring dozens of Gatton's musical admirers, the highlight of which was a twenty-minute performance by Les Paul, James Burton, Arlen Roth, and Albert Lee.[19] Those shows (with all musicians performing for free) raised $25,000 for Gatton's wife and daughter.

Blue Skies Calling (2011), an album by Boy Wells, includes nearly an hour of Gatton and Wells playing in his living room. "Danny called me before he died and asked me to put a vocal tape together for his label at the time. He needed a singer after his singer, Billy Windsor, had passed. He remained a friend, a good one all those years. This lesson was in the late '70s; it's me and Danny in the living room of his house on Holly Lane in Indian Head, Maryland. It's killer stuff."[20]

Awards and honors

[edit]

photo: Arlen Roth 1994

Discography

[edit]

As leader

[edit]
  • American Music (Aladdin, 1975)
  • Redneck Jazz (NRG, 1978)
  • Unfinished Business (NRG, 1987)
  • Blazing Telecasters with Tom Principato (Powerhouse, 1990)
  • 88 Elmira St. (Elektra, 1991)
  • Cruisin' Deuces (Elektra, 1993)
  • Relentless with Joey DeFrancesco (Exile, 1994)
  • Redneck Jazz Explosion (NRG, 1995)
  • "The Humbler" with Robert Gordon (NRG, 1996)
  • In Concert 9/9/94 (Big Mo, 1996)
  • Untouchable (NRG, 1998)
  • Portraits (Big Mo, 1998)
  • Capitol Attack with Robert Gordon (Renegade, 1999)
  • Funhouse (Flying Deuces Music, 2004)
  • Showdown at the Hoedown with Evan Johns (Jellyroll, 2005)
  • Oh No! More Blazing Telecasters with Tom Principato (Powerhouse, 2005)
  • Redneck Jazz Explosion Volume Two (Flying Deuces Music, 2006)
  • Live in 1977: The Humbler Stakes His Claim (Powerhouse, 2007)
  • New York Stories with Joshua Redman, Roy Hargrove (EMI, 2009)

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Heibutzki, Ralph (2003). Unfinished Business – the Life and Times of Danny Gatton. San Francisco: Backbeat Books. ISBN 0-87930-748-X.
  2. ^ a b c d Yanow, Scott (2013). The Great Jazz Guitarists. San Francisco: Backbeat. p. 82. ISBN 978-1-61713-023-6.
  3. ^ a b c Huey, Steve. "Danny Gatton". AllMusic. Retrieved April 26, 2017.
  4. ^ "Danny Gatton, The Humbler | RCR | American Roots Music". Rubbercityreview.com. September 24, 2010. Retrieved August 10, 2016.
  5. ^ Newton, Steve (May 5, 2014). "Guitar god Danny Gatton says Lenny Breau is the biggest humbler of all time". Retrieved November 15, 2017.
  6. ^ Schulte, Tom. "Unfinished Business". AllMusic. Retrieved April 26, 2017.
  7. ^ Koda, Cub. "88 Elmira St". AllMusic. Retrieved April 26, 2017.
  8. ^ "GATTON DEAD OF GUNSHOT WOUND". The Washington Post. October 6, 1994. Retrieved February 20, 2022.
  9. ^ a b Harrington, Richard (October 6, 1994). "October 4th, 1994 – Danny Gatton". Thehumblermovie.com. Retrieved August 10, 2016.
  10. ^ a b Heibutzki, Ralph (2003). Unfinished Business: The Life & Times of Danny Gatton. Backbeat Books, San Francisco. ISBN 0-87930-748-X.
  11. ^ a b "Danny Gatton: 'World's Greatest Unknown Guitarist'". NPR. October 4, 2009. Retrieved February 24, 2014.
  12. ^ "The 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time". Rolling Stone. December 3, 2010. Archived from the original on December 16, 2017. Retrieved October 30, 2011.
  13. ^ "Top 50 Guitarists of All Time – 30 to 21". Gibson. Archived from the original on May 27, 2010. Retrieved 2011-10-30.
  14. ^ "Ian Moss & Chris Cheney Talk Guitar!". September 10, 2007.
  15. ^ "Trey Anastasio on Instagram: "Pat Martino We lost a true genius of improvisational guitar yesterday. One of the greatest of all time. Pat Martino was an absolute giant of flow, musicality and invention. He was a wellspring of melodic ideas, an open channel. I deeply loved and still love his playing, and I'm beyond grateful for his enormous contribution and influence on improvisational guitar music, on me, and on Phish. He opened my mind and heart. In the 80's I wore out the vinyl version of his 1974 Pat Martino Live, one of my all time favorite albums (Which is shamefully now out of print and not on Spotify). That album played on perma loop in the Weaver Street house where Phish rehearsed. I must have listened to it a thousand times. It had a massive effect on me, and I know on Page too. Listen to the interplay between the Ron Thomas' Rhodes and Pat's guitar on "The Great Stream". Luckily some of those tracks were rereleased on "Pat Martino Consciousness Live", which you can still find on Spotify. "The Great Stream" is an excellent starting place to discover Pat. I consider Pat Martino Live to be in the upper echelon of all time great live guitar improv albums. It belongs right up there with Jimi Hendrix "Band of Gypsies" and Danny Gatton "The Humbler Stakes his Claim". Rest in Peace Pat. Thank you for filling my house with music and my mind with visions of the boundless nature of improvised guitar music. With Love, Gratitude and Respect, Trey 📷: @lendelessio"".
  16. ^ "Chairman Ralph's Ministry Of Truth". Chairmanralph.com. Retrieved October 26, 2015.
  17. ^ "Playlist: Danny Gatton « Guitar Aficionado". Guitaraficionado.com. November 15, 2011. Retrieved February 24, 2014.
  18. ^ "Albert Lee Interview : Guitar Interviews". Guitarinternational.com. Archived from the original on March 29, 2014. Retrieved 2014-02-24.
  19. ^ Herndon, David (January 9, 1995). "A Tribute to Danny Gatton". Newsday. Archived from the original on November 5, 2012. Retrieved January 4, 2011.
  20. ^ "Bman's Blues Report: Marcel Marsupial Records artist: Boy Wells – Blue Skies Calling – New Release Review". Bmansbluesreport.com. December 1, 2011. Retrieved February 24, 2014.
  21. ^ Graham, Jonathan (February 14, 2019). "Forgotten Guitar: Danny Gatton Performs on 'Nightwatch' in 1989". guitarworld. Retrieved February 17, 2019.
  22. ^ "The Definitive Danny Gatton Web Site". Dannygatton.com. Archived from the original on June 4, 2014. Retrieved 2014-02-24.

Further reading

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[edit]
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