Doyle Dykes (born May 23, 1954) is an American

country A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation, or other political entity. It may be a sovereign state or make up one part of a larger state. For example, the country of Japan is an independent, sovereign state, while the ...

acoustic guitarist from

Jacksonville Jacksonville is a city located on the Atlantic coast of northeast Florida, the most populous city proper in the state and is the List of United States cities by area, largest city by area in the contiguous United States as of 2020. It is the co ...

, Florida. He is influenced by a wide variety of musical styles and musicians such as

Chet Atkins Chester Burton Atkins (June 20, 1924 – June 30, 2001), known as "Mr. Guitar" and "The Country Gentleman", was an American musician who, along with Owen Bradley and Bob Ferguson, helped create the Nashville sound, the country music s ...

Jerry Reed Jerry Reed Hubbard (March 20, 1937 – September 1, 2008) was an American singer, guitarist, composer, and songwriter as well as an actor who appeared in more than a dozen films. His signature songs included " Guitar Man", " U.S. Male", "A Thi ...

Duane Eddy Duane Eddy (born April 26, 1938) is an American rock and roll guitarist. In the late 1950s and early 1960s, he had a string of hit records produced by Lee Hazlewood, which were noted for their characteristically "twangy" sound, including "Rebel- ...

, to the

Beatles The Beatles were an English rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the most influential band of all time and were integral to the developme ...

and U2. Cited along with guitarists such as

Tommy Emmanuel William Thomas Emmanuel (born 31 May 1955) is an Australian guitarist. Regarded as one of the greatest acoustic guitarists of all time, he is known for his complex fingerstyle technique, energetic performances and use of percussive effects on ...

as one of the best fingerstyle guitarists in the world, he is also known for his capability of playing proficiently with a wide range of different guitar tunings. Some of his best-known works and interpretations are "

Wabash Cannonball "The Great Rock Island Route", popularized as "Wabash Cannonball" and various other titles, is a 19th century American folk song that describes the scenic beauty and predicaments of a fictional train, the ''Wabash Cannonball Express'', as it tra ...

", "Country Fried Pickin'", "U2 Medley", "Be Still", "

Amazing Grace "Amazing Grace" is a Christian hymn published in 1779 with words written in 1772 by English Anglican clergyman and poet John Newton (1725–1807). It is an immensely popular hymn, particularly in the United States, where it is used for both ...

" and "

While My Guitar Gently Weeps "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles from their 1968 double album '' The Beatles'' (also known as "the White Album"). It was written by George Harrison, the band's lead guitarist. Harrison wrote "While ...

". Dykes is a devout

Christian Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...

and has served as a minister in a small church in Florida;Dykes (2011), p.75 the influence of Christianity is present in much of his work. He was a major endorser of

Taylor Guitars Taylor Guitars is an American guitar manufacturer based in El Cajon, California, and is one of the largest manufacturers of acoustic guitars in the United States. They specialize in acoustic guitars and semi-hollow electric guitars. The company w ...

and

Rivera Rivera () is the capital of Rivera Department of Uruguay. The border with Brazil joins it with the Brazilian city of Santana do Livramento, which is only a street away from it, at the north end of Route 5. Together, they form an urban area of aro ...

Sedona amplifiers, with his own signature models of each. In 2013 he began endorsing the Guild Guitar Company. Since 2015 he has touted his custom steel-fret Olson guitar as his "favorite guitar."

Biography

Dykes was born in

Cleveland Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along the southern shore of Lake Erie, across the U.S. ...

Tennessee Tennessee ( , ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked state in the Southeastern region of the United States. Tennessee is the 36th-largest by area and the 15th-most populous of the 50 states. It is bordered by Kentucky to th ...

and grew up in Jacksonville, Florida in a Christian community. His father is referred to as "Bubba Dykes" and he has a brother named Aubrey. He cites June 1965 during his church's "summer revival" as the moment he became a lifelong Christian as an 11-year-old boy, seeing "the lights of salvation and a new purpose and desire for my life and since that day, I've never been the same".Dykes (2011), p.35 His first guitar was a $30 Sears Roebuck Silvertone acoustic.Dykes (2011), p.32 Dykes claims a sailor named Barry Lackey was the most important influence in his development as a guitarist. Lackey attended his church one day, and using a thumbpick from his pocket, "completely blew him away" with his "spider picking", playing just like

and

Merle Travis Merle Robert Travis (November 29, 1917 – October 20, 1983) was an American country and western singer, songwriter, and guitarist born in Rosewood, Kentucky, United States. His songs' lyrics often discussed both the lives and the economic expl ...

, Doyle's heroes.Dykes (2011), p.45-7 Lackey was then invited to his home for supper that night and showed him a right-hand picking pattern that "got his fingers working together in the right way, where the thumb played the bass and after-beat rhythm, and the three fingers took care of the rest." He later reunited with Lackey at a Taylor Guitars event in

Detroit Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at th ...

in 2002, and claims that were it not for him, he would never have become a successful guitarist. Dykes' early years as a guitarist took him around the world as he toured with The Stamps Quartet and later with

Grand Ole Opry The ''Grand Ole Opry'' is a weekly American country music stage concert in Nashville, Tennessee, founded on November 28, 1925, by George D. Hay as a one-hour radio "barn dance" on WSM. Currently owned and operated by Opry Entertainment (a divis ...

star

Grandpa Jones Louis Marshall Jones (October 20, 1913 – February 19, 1998), known professionally as Grandpa Jones, was an American banjo player and "old time" country and gospel music singer. He is a member of the Country Music Hall of Fame.McCall, Michael; ...

. Dykes has since returned to the Grand Ole Opry for numerous performances. Although a world-renowned guitarist, Dykes frequently plays church venues with small audiences, and some intimate shows that aren't advertised, stating, “I’ve been blessed with the opportunity to play music for people. Dykes and Emmanuel

Dykes was a longtime endorser of

. According to owner Bob Taylor, "If I had to pick the artist who most represented the Taylor Guitars brand and who has done the most for us, I would say Doyle Dykes. Doyle has represented Taylor Guitars to more players for more years than anyone." The Doyle Dykes Signature Model Taylor guitar (“DDSM”) features an amplification system by L.R. Baggs. On December 23, 2004, Dykes had an operation on a brain tumor in which the surgeon compressed his brain. The operation left him with a temporary loss of balance (meaning he had to learn to walk again) and suffered from extreme headaches and nausea for several years afterwards and ultimately left him deaf in his right ear.Dykes (2011), p.197-8 He and his wife, Rita, a high school sweetheart, have been married for at least 37 years and have four children, including daughters named Holly, Heidi and Hayley and a son named Caleb, also an accomplished guitarist. He has resided for many years in the

Nashville Nashville is the capital city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the seat of Davidson County. With a population of 689,447 at the 2020 U.S. census, Nashville is the most populous city in the state, 21st most-populous city in the U.S., and the ...

area and is a close friend of

. Dykes is an avid collector of old Western movies, including the films of

John Wayne Marion Robert Morrison (May 26, 1907 – June 11, 1979), known professionally as John Wayne and nicknamed The Duke or Duke Wayne, was an American actor who became a popular icon through his starring roles in films made during Hollywood's Gol ...

Gene Autry Orvon Grover "Gene" Autry (September 29, 1907 – October 2, 1998), nicknamed the Singing Cowboy, was an American singer, songwriter, actor, musician, rodeo performer, and baseball owner who gained fame largely by singing in a crooning s ...

Roy Rogers Roy Rogers (born Leonard Franklin Slye; November 5, 1911 – July 6, 1998) was an American singer, actor, and television host. Following early work under his given name, first as co-founder of the Sons of the Pioneers and then acting, the rebra ...

and

Steve McQueen Terrence Stephen McQueen (March 24, 1930November 7, 1980) was an American actor. His antihero persona, emphasized during the height of the counterculture of the 1960s, made him a top box-office draw for his films of the late 1950s, 1960s, and 1 ...

.Dykes (2011), p.221 In 2011 he released a book ''The Lights of Marfa'', a semi-autobiographical book documenting his encounters with God, with numerous Christian references to events in his own life.

Discography

* 1996: ''Fingerstyle Guitar'' * 1997: ''H.E.A.T'' * 1998: ''Gitarre 2000'' * 2000: ''Zelf: A Self Portrait on Guitar'' * 2001: ''Country Fried Pickin * 2003: ''Songs of Faith and Freedom'' * 2004: ''Chameleon'' * 2008: ''Bridging the Gap'' * 2013: ''Christmas with Doyle Dykes'' * 2017: ''Return of the Falcon'' * 2017: ''Life Behind the Guitar''

References

Bibliography

External links

Official websiteDoyle Dykes Interview - NAMM Oral History Library (2002/2017)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dykes, Doyle Living people American country singer-songwriters American country guitarists American male guitarists Southern Baptist ministers Musicians from Jacksonville, Florida 1954 births Acoustic guitarists Singer-songwriters from Florida Guitarists from Florida 20th-century American guitarists Country musicians from Florida 20th-century American male musicians American male singer-songwriters