Duane Eddy, famed guitarist from the early days of rock-n-roll, has died of cancer at 86

He is reported to have died a couple of days ago, April 30 at age 86, of cancer, although the exact form, from what I have read so far, has been unspecified.

A good-and-quick summary of his life and career:

https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/music/2024/05/01/duane-eddy-dead-at-86/73532913007/

Highlights from it:

" ... the most commercially successful instrumental artist in the history of rock 'n' roll."

"He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994 on the strength of a career he launched in 1958."

"Eddy went Top 40 15 times on Billboard’s Hot 100 and sold more than 100 million records worldwide."

Some of his hits, no doubt familiar to most all of us:

“Rebel Rouser”(1958) :

https://www.bing.com/videos/riverview/relatedvideo?q=rebel+rouser+eddy+youtube&mid=a0020e4f44e9883ebf1aa0020e4f44e9883ebf1a&form=vire

“Forty Miles of Bad Road” (1959) :

https://www.bing.com/videos/riverview/relatedvideo?q=%22forty+miles+of+bad+road%22+eddy+youtube&mid=6b7c128d962f787338b86b7c128d962f787338b8&form=vire

"The Lonely One" (1959) :

https://www.bing.com/videos/riverview/relatedvideo?q=%22lonely+one%22+eddy+youtube&mid=ef8059afe69f2c23d355ef8059afe69f2c23d355&form=vire

"Peter Gunn Theme" (1960) :

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=296ws9ome4m

In researching for this thread, I found out that a later, and perhaps lesser known, production of his was

"The Man With The Gold Guitar" (1975) :

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5bbic_we3si

Maybe not just the title of a song of his, but as much an epitaph for the man himself.

RIP, Duane, and thanks for some great rock guitar instrumentals.

I loved the unique "twang" sound of his guitar. He was certainly one of my favorite instrumentalists. I have the box set, and every cut is good.

my dad used to get drunk and put a stack of LPs on the record player and make me listen with him. i know all those guys and hate country music to this day

When I was learning to play guitar in the 60"s it was Duane's records that i would learn by. His songs were easy because he only used the base strings. Not like Van Halen who used strings that were not even on the guitar.