Famous Acoustic Guitarists Of The 20th Century
There is no denying that electric guitars have a certain sexy allure. After all, crowds of screaming teenage fans can’t be wrong, can they? Don’t answer that. At any rate, the appeal of the electric guitar is such that it sometimes threatens to completely eclipse its acoustic cousin. It’s understandable, since the glitz and the glamour associated with rock and roll’s electric guitar are usually noticeably lacking with the more traditional instrument. Fortunately for us all, it’s highly unlikely that the acoustic guitar will ever completely give way to its flashy cousin, especially not as long as talented artists continue to produce wonderful music. Thanks to these individuals, just a few of whom are included 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 Hollywood’s recent “Walk the Line,” you probably are now. The recently deceased Mr. Cash was a Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter and one of the most influential American musicians of the last century. His career lasted nearly fifty years, during which time he sold over 90 million albums. His music involved cross-genre success and his legacy includes the music of country, rock and roll, folk, blues and gospel. He continues to be one of history’s most famous acoustic guitar artists.
Another artist who continues to ensure the popularity of the acoustic guitar is country music’s 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 general 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 leftist political views as for her music, but that has never outshone the quality of her artistry.
Sheryl Crow (1962-Present) has done a great deal for the image of the acoustic guitar over the past two decades. She first came to the attention of the general public in 1994 when her song “All I Wanna Do” became an unexpected smash hit (I still remember that video on MTV). Since then, she has had a steady 20+ years of success and has performed with such high profile artists as Michael Jackson, Mick Jagger, and The Rolling Stones. Her genres include rock, country, pop rock, blues-rock and folk, although it is her pop rock music that tends to gain 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 over 27 million albums worldwide. Her genres include pop, folk, pop rock, adult contemporary and country, and her music inevitably features her acoustic guitar skills. Although some would argue that her career has declined in recent years, the songs of her first albums remain as fixtures on the playlists of radio stations across the United States as well as other countries.
Honoring The Divine Feminine Through Art
There is no denying that electric guitars have a certain sexy allure. After all, crowds of screaming teenage fans can’t be wrong, can they? Don’t answer that. At any rate, the appeal of the electric guitar is such that it sometimes threatens to completely eclipse its acoustic cousin. It’s understandable, since the glitz and the glamour associated with rock and roll’s electric guitar are usually noticeably lacking with the more traditional instrument. Fortunately for us all, it’s highly unlikely that the acoustic guitar will ever completely give way to its flashy cousin, especially not as long as talented artists continue to produce wonderful music. Thanks to these individuals, just a few of whom are included 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 Hollywood’s recent “Walk the Line,” you probably are now. The recently deceased Mr. Cash was a Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter and one of the most influential American musicians of the last century. His career lasted nearly fifty years, during which time he sold over 90 million albums. His music involved cross-genre success and his legacy includes the music of country, rock and roll, folk, blues and gospel. He continues to be one of history’s most famous acoustic guitar artists.
Another artist who continues to ensure the popularity of the acoustic guitar is country music’s 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 general 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 leftist political views as for her music, but that has never outshone the quality of her artistry.
Sheryl Crow (1962-Present) has done a great deal for the image of the acoustic guitar over the past two decades. She first came to the attention of the general public in 1994 when her song “All I Wanna Do” became an unexpected smash hit (I still remember that video on MTV). Since then, she has had a steady 20+ years of success and has performed with such high profile artists as Michael Jackson, Mick Jagger, and The Rolling Stones. Her genres include rock, country, pop rock, blues-rock and folk, although it is her pop rock music that tends to gain 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 over 27 million albums worldwide. Her genres include pop, folk, pop rock, adult contemporary and country, and her music inevitably features her acoustic guitar skills. Although some would argue that her career has declined in recent years, the songs of her first albums remain as fixtures on the playlists of radio stations across the United States as well as other countries.
In June of 2004, the planet Venus made one of it’s rare transits across the face of the sun, passing between the sun and the Earth. No one alive on Earth had ever witnessed this event since the last pair of Venus transits took place in 1874 and 1882, a hundred and twenty-two years prior. The next transit, which is the pair to the June 2004 transit, will occur on June 5th-6th, 2012. There was much speculation that this Venus passage would greatly affect the influence of the feminine energy on our planet. As we all know now, this divine feminine influence is much needed in our world today to offset the powers of greed, dominance and war so that we may begin to care more consciously for the well being of our planet, nature and one another.
Though women throughout history have always taken the lead in being the care takers of others, the planet and those less fortunate, I believe this transit did inspire many women to do and be more. Women making a difference do not always make headline news, but I can assure you they are out there creating positive change. Many more women now than ever before are stepping up to the plate in politics; traveling to impoverished countries; speaking out for living green, caring for the planet and endangered species; assisting less fortunate women and children globally and creating non-profit organizations to help every living being and creature. I am an artist, and my journey as a painter did not escape this Venus influence. It came to me in a rather unexpected way in the fall of 2004.
I had just moved out of town to a beautiful, secluded ranch outside Santa Fe, New Mexico in the high desert. The property came with a real working art studio that had been built by a well known woman painter here. Though I can make do painting in almost any space, I am always more inspired when I am able to work in a “real” studio space. I had been staring at a big blank canvas for days, and decided to take a long walk in the hills for inspiration. I walked a long way, and laid down in the shade under a Juniper to rest before heading back. I dozed off, and when I awoke, I was surrounded by five coyotes. Three of them were laying there very intently, one was sitting and the other was pacing restlessly behind me. Now, I had never heard of coyotes attacking a person so I didn’t freak out completely. But then again, my mind didn’t rule out the possibility. I didn’t know what to do. Do I even look them in the eye? Do I just say cheers and get up and walk away? Or do I run like hell? I pondered all this for some time. The coyotes didn’t appear to be going anywhere soon. We were clearly going to have a waiting game on our hands. So out of nowhere, I started to sing. I sang a lot in the studio when painting, and had memorized may songs. So I started in with Eric Clapton and Layla, then Bonnie Raitt with Nick of Time and Angel from Montgomery and on down the line with songs from Everything But The Girl, Gregg Brown, David Gray, James Taylor, Beth Orton and Patty Griffin. I just sang my heart out, all the while keeping an eye on this restless coyote behind me. I have no idea how long I sang, but suddenly the big coyote in front of me got up, approached me with a long,deep stare, then turned away and off they all went…just like that. I guess I was a bit in shock, and I ran the whole way home. I dug through my kitchen cabinets to find a half bottle of Tequila, and spent the next few hours nursing that in the hot tub.
That night I had a dream, and saw a painting where I was singing to the coyotes. I was up at sunrise, and in the studio, brush in hand. She Sings To The Coyotes was born. I left shortly after finishing that painting for a trip to Ireland with my two sons and a sister. I went back to my roots, and a family reunion with relatives I had never met. I had a long discussion with an Irish relative about Druids, Pagan rituals and Celtic traditions and particularly the role of women in all these. I told her my coyote story, and she commented on what a feminine response I had to what was a potentially threatening situation. And that conversation opened the door to a journey I would take into the sacred feminine through visionary art.
So what is the sacred, or divine, feminine, and why is it important? The divine feminine is a mysterious, creative force that gives birth to all Life. It is the symbol for Oneness, and includes both male and female principles. It is the nurturing and sustaining energy in the Universe that enables us to maintain balance. It embodies the laws of Spirit: forgiveness, compassion, faith, love, peace and kindness. We become people and a world out of balance without these influences. It is no secret that the male principle, and man’s laws, have been the dominating influence for the last seven thousand years. And today, we are indeed a world out of balance. The male energy is one of action, the female energy is one of response to those actions. Without respect for the need of the feminine response, our actions will inevitably lead to imbalance whereby we fail to nurture ourselves, one another and our planet.
Some would say it calls for the return of the Goddess. It is possible that many of the problems we face in the world today are a result of our vision and faith in a God to whom we solely attribute masculine principles. Who is not to say the Goddess is right there next to God, and they are One. Every man I know on this planet embodies a feminine side so why not God. Perhaps we need to step back, and take another look at how we came to see God as only a He. We can restore the gifts of the divine feminine on the planet by creating a new vision for humanity that welcomes the feminine image of God, the Goddess, back into our lives. The sacred, divine feminine influence is vital to the successful evolution of us as a people and as a planet. She has been quietly singing her songs and prayers for all life for a long time…and I know for sure the coyotes have been listening.
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