There is no denying that electric guitars have a certain sexy appeal. After all, crowds of screaming teenage fans can’t be wrong, can they? Don’t answer that. In any case, the appeal of the electric guitar is such that it sometimes threatens to completely outshine its acoustic cousin. It’s understandable, as the glitz and glamor associated with the rock and roll electric guitar is often noticeably lacking with the more traditional instrument. Fortunately for all of us, the acoustic guitar is highly unlikely to give way entirely to its striking cousin, especially as talented artists continue to churn out wonderful music. Thanks to these people, some of whom are listed below, the acoustic guitar continues to enjoy the popularity it has created since its inception.
If you weren’t familiar with the music of Johnny Cash (1932-2003) before the debut of the recent Hollywood “Walk the Line”, you probably are now. The recently deceased Cash was a Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter and one of the most influential American musicians of the last century. His career spanned nearly fifty years, during which he sold more than 90 million albums. His music involved the success of all genres and his legacy includes country, rock and roll, folk, blues and gospel music. He remains one of the most famous acoustic guitar artists in history.
Another artist who continues to secure the popularity of the acoustic guitar is Country Music Bonnie Raitt (1949-present). Ms. Raitt’s music is primarily of the blues, blues rock, and country genres, but like Mr. Cash before her, she has enjoyed crossover success and several of her songs have enjoyed widespread popularity. She has received a total of nine Grammy Awards (so far) and in 2000, she was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. She has occasionally been known as much for her left wing political views as for her music, but that has never eclipsed the quality of her art.
Sheryl Crow (1962-present) has done a lot for the image of the acoustic guitar over the past two decades. She first caught the attention of the general public in 1994 when her song “All I Wanna Do” became an unexpected hit (I still remember that video on MTV). Since then, he has had more than 20 years of success and has performed with such high-profile artists as Michael Jackson, Mick Jagger, and The Rolling Stones. His genres include rock, country, pop rock, blues-rock, and folk, although it is his pop rock music that tends to achieve the most commercial success.
Jewel Kilcher (1974-present), generally known simply by her first name, Jewel, has received three Grammy Aware nominations and has sold more than 27 million albums worldwide. His genres include pop, folk, pop rock, adult contemporary, and country, and his music inevitably features his acoustic guitar skills. Although some would say that his career has declined in recent years, the songs from his early albums remain fixtures on the playlists of radio stations in the United States and other countries.