Redd Volkaert (born 1958) originally from Canada, is widely regarded as one of the greatest guitar players in the modern era and is "among the country’s top

Telecaster The Fender Telecaster, colloquially known as the Tele , is an electric guitar produced by Fender. Together with its sister model the Esquire, it is the world's first mass-produced, commercially successful Les Paul had built a prototype solid bod ...

guitar slingers." particularly in the genres of Western Swing and Honky Tonk. He has been the go-to picker for

Merle Haggard Merle Ronald Haggard (April 6, 1937 – April 6, 2016) was an American country music singer, songwriter, guitarist, and fiddler. Haggard was born in Oildale, California, toward the end of the Great Depression. His childhood was troubled af ...

and has a history playing with the likes of

Johnny Paycheck Johnny Paycheck (born Donald Eugene Lytle; May 31, 1938 – February 19, 2003) was an American country music singer and Grand Ole Opry member notable for recording the David Allan Coe song "Take This Job and Shove It". He achieved his greates ...

and

George Jones George Glenn Jones (September 12, 1931 – April 26, 2013) was an American country musician, singer, and songwriter. He achieved international fame for his long list of hit records, including his best-known song "He Stopped Loving Her Today", ...

. Redd can often be found on stage in the company of his fellow Telecaster stalwart

Bill Kirchen William Knight Kirchen (born June 29, 1948) is an American guitarist, singer and songwriter. He was a member of Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen from 1967 to the mid-1970s and later worked with Nick Lowe. ''Guitar Player'' magazine desc ...

formerly of

Commander Cody and the Lost Planet Airmen Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen were an American rock band founded in 1967. The group's leader and co-founder was pianist and vocalist George Frayne IV, alias Commander Cody (born July 19, 1944 in Boise, Idaho, died September 26, 2021 ...

. Together they are often referred to as the "Titans of the Telecaster" such is their ability and notoriety, love and connection with this particular instrument. Redd cut his teeth playing clubs 6 nights a week at 16 til the mid 1980’s in Canada and moved to Los Angeles in 1986. There he worked clubs, private gigs at night and gave guitar lessons and recording during the day. He regularly travelled to Las Vegas to play show rooms and casinos. Redd moved to Nashville in 1990 to play full time clubs seven nights a week on Broadway, Printers Alley and around town and 1 or 2 shifts a day between recording sessions most days, periodically traveling with road bands filling in as a substitute for guitarists in bands such as: Johnny Paycheck, George Jones, Statler Brothers, Rhonda Vincent etc. as well as on the Grand Ole Opry He joined Merle Haggard's band in ‘97 while continuing to record with other folks like Brad Paisley garnering a 2009

Grammy The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pre ...

for Best Country Instrumental Performance. In 2000 Redd moved to Austin Texas where he held a residency at the Continental Club for 20 yrs with his own band on Saturday afternoons, and Sunday nights with Heybale! He continued to tour extensively with Merle as well as his own band in between tours While best known as a Fender Telecaster player, with a personal collection that includes a 1953 Fender Telecaster, a 1951 Fender Nocaster, a 1958 Fender Esquire. Volkaert has lent his name to guitars made by other companies, including Asher. Redd relocated to SW Virginia in 2020 in time for Covid lockdown, recording and giving Skype lessons during that year and a half and has been back playing/ recording & traveling in the US and abroad as of May 2021

Discography

References

External links

Guitarist Redd Volkaert Talks About Telecasters, Austin and Chihuahuas

Artist Picture Blog Redd Volkaert – Ace Guitarist from Austin
Canadian country guitarists Canadian male guitarists Canadian session musicians Living people 1958 births {{Canada-guitarist-stub