Quotes from Chet Atkins

When I was a little boy, I told my dad, 'When I grow up, I want to be a musician.' My dad said: 'You can't do both, Son'.

A long apprenticeship is the most logical way to success. The only alternative is overnight stardom, but I can't give you a formula for that.

Years from now, after I'm gone, someone will listen to what I've done and know I was here. They may not know or care who I was, but they'll hear my guitars speaking for me.

Once you become predictable, no one's interested anymore.

Everything I've ever done was out of fear of being mediocre.

It took me 20 years to learn I couldn't tune too well. And by that time I was too rich to care.

A long apprenticeship is the most logical way to success. The only alternative is overnight stardom, but I can't give you a formula for that.

Everything I've ever done was out of fear of being mediocre.

Once you become predictable, no one's interested anymore

It takes a lot of devotion and work, or maybe I should say play, because if you love it, that's what it amounts to I haven't found any shortcuts, and I've been looking for a long time.

Do it again on the next verse, and people think you meant it.

If you hear something you like, and you're halfway like the public, chances are they'll like it too.

You shape your own destiny.