Doyle Dykes

Doyle Dykes (born May 23, 1954) is an American country acoustic guitarist from Jacksonville, Florida. Cited along with guitarists such as Chet Atkins and Tommy Emmanuel 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.

Dykes is influenced by a wide variety of musical styles and musicians, from Chet Atkins, Jerry Reed, and Duane Eddy, to the Beatles and U2. Some of his best-known works and interpretations are "Wabash Cannonball", "Country Fried Pickin'", "U2 Medley", "Be Still", "Amazing Grace" and "While My Guitar Gently Weeps". His most emulated composition is "Jazz in a Box," a virtuoso-level instrumental that requires a wide range of musical technique, finger dexterity, and exceptional skill.

Dykes is a devout Christian and has served as a minister in a small church in Florida, and the influence of Christianity is present in much of his work. He was a major endorser of Taylor Guitars and Rivera 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, Tennessee, growing up in Jacksonville, Florida, in a decidedly Christian household. His father is referred to as "Bubba Dykes," and Doyle has a brother named Aubrey.

His first guitar was a $30 Sears Roebuck Silvertone acoustic. 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 Chet Atkins and Merle Travis, Doyle's heroes. 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." 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. 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 area and was a close friend of Duane Eddy. Dykes is an avid collector of old Western movies, including the films of John Wayne, Gene Autry, Roy Rogers, and Steve McQueen. 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''