Musician Duane Eddy, also hailed by many as the ‘King of Twang,’ has died at the age of 86 following a battle with cancer.
In a statement to Variety, a representative for the guitarist confirmed the news, saying he passed away on April 30 surrounded by his wife, Deed Abbate, and loved ones at Williamson Health hospital in Franklin, Tennessee.
“Duane inspired a generation of guitarists the world over with his unmistakable signature ‘Twang’ sound. He was the first rock and roll guitar god, a truly humble and incredible human being. He will be sorely missed,” said the rep.
“Instrumentalists don’t usually become famous. But Duane Eddy’s electric guitar was a voice all its own. His sound was muscular and masculine, twangy and tough. Duane scored more than thirty hits on the pop charts,” Mr. Young said in a statement.
Mr. Eddy’s distinctive sound served as an influence and inspiration for musicians to follow, including The Beatles and Blondie.
“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,” Mr. Young added.
British musician Mick Fleetwood also took to social media on May 1 to remember the Grammy winner and honor his talent in the studio.
‘King Of Twang’
Mr. Eddy was born in 1938 in Corning, New York, where he began teaching himself how to play the guitar at the age of 5. He then moved to Phoenix, Arizona, where he spent his teen years performing locally.That is where the guitarist star was born after local DJ and producer Lee Hazlewood spotted Mr. Eddy at 19 years old and cut him a solo deal before he eventually signed with Jamie Records of Philadelphia.
The musician rose to prominence in the ‘50s and ’60s, propelling a career that spanned several decades. With a string of instrumental hits, he became the first stand-alone rock ‘n’ roll star.
Mr. Eddy, along with Mr. Hazlewood, broke new ground by creating the “twang” sound before releasing his debut album “Have Twangy Guitar Will Travel” and the hit song “Rebel Rouser” in 1958.
He opened a new generation of sound by focusing on the bass strands on the guitar rather than the high ones. Speaking to The Associated Press in 1986, Mr. Eddy said that despite others being more skillful, he had higher hopes for what he wanted to hear out of the guitar.
“I had a distinctive sound that people could recognize and I stuck pretty much with that. I’m not one of the best technical players by any means; I just sell the best,” said Mr. Eddy.
His tracks were used in more than 30 films and TV shows over the years, showcasing a number of chart hits, including “Peter Gunn” and “Because They’re Young.”
Mr. Eddy sold over 100 million records worldwide and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994 and the Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum in 2008.
He is survived by his wife and four children.
