Merle Travis

Merle Travis Merle Travis American country/Western singer-songwriter and musician (1917–1983) Merle Robert Travis (November 29, 1917 – October 20, 1983) was an American country and western singer, songwriter, actor, and guitarist. Born in Rosewood, Kentucky,[1] his songs' lyrics were often about the lives and the economic exploitation of American coal miners. Among his many well-known songs and recordings are "Sixteen Tons", "Re-Enlistment Blues", "I Am a Pilgrim", and "Dark as a Dungeon". He is best known today, though, for his unique guitar style, still called Travis picking by guitarists, as well as his interpretations of the rich musical traditions of his native Muhlenberg County, Kentucky. Travis picking is a syncopated style of guitar fingerpicking rooted in ragtime music in which…

GENRES: Country & Western, Male Vocalist

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