TRAVIS, MERLE ROBERT (1917-1983)
One of the original members of the Browns Ferry Four at WLW, Merle Travis popularized “Travis picking,” a guitar style from western Kentucky characterized by a bass line played with the thumb while two other fingers play melody and harmony notes. Merle Travis wrote or arranged songs that have become bluegrass standards, including “Nine Pound Hammer,” “Dark As A Dungeon,” and “John Henry.” He became a member of the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1970, the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1977, and the Kentucky Music Hall of Fame in 2002.