Eddie Pennington (solo) When using a band I have:
Alonzo Pennington,
Rosebud Pennington Giannini,
Bobby Harper,
Dean Hughes,
Caleb Coots
Influences
Merle Travis,Chet Atkins, Doc Watson, Earl Scruggs, Mose Rager, Thom Bresh, Paul Yandell, Odell Martin, Billy Grammer, John Cephas, Bobby Barber, Norman and Alonzo Pennington
Eddie Pennington is an award winning thumbpicking guitartist in the style of the late Merle Travis. He has been recognized for his efforts to educate, preserve, and perform this western Kentucky style of playing the guitar. He performs venues all over the U.S. and has even performed in France. He often performs with his son Alonzo Pennington of the Alonzo Pennington Band, and his daughter Rosebud, and grandson Caleb Coots. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Eddie's first influence in music was his father Norman Pennington who played fiddle and rhythm guitar. At the age of 9 a neighbor gave Eddie and old guitar that his father repaired for him, and he started learning to play rhythm to his dad's fiddle music. Soon on Eddie discovered the music of Chet Atkins and put on a thumbpick on trying to learn that style of playing. A local guitar hero Don Grace gave Eddie lessons for a few months. At the age of 18 Eddie met Mose Rager the biggest influence of Merle Travis. Eddie traveled often to Rager's home and was deeply influenced by Mr. Rager. Eddie always performs something in his sets that was influenced by Mose Rager. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
After meeting Mose Rager Eddie realized that his favorite parts of Chet Atkins playing was when Chet played the thumbpicking that had been influenced by Merle Travis, and Eddie ever since that time has tried to play in the Travis thumbpicking style. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Awards: 1986 &1987 National Thumbpicking Contest Winner,
2000 Kentucky Governor's Award in the Arts,
2001 National Heritage Fellowship Award (U.S.'s highest award
to a traditional artist.),
2003 Honorary PhD. Western Kentucky University,
2003 Inducted into National Thumbpickers Hall of Fame,+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Venues:+++++++
Eddie performs at many different performing arts centers, and festivals across the US annually. He is often featured at the National Folk Festival having played at such locations as: Lowell MA, Johnstown, PA. Cuyahoga, OH, East Lanising, MI, Dayton, OH, Banjor, ME, Butte, MT, Chattanooga, TN.
He has performed for the Smithsonian Instution's Festival of American Folklife on the mall in Washington DC. In 1996 he was selected to perform at the Olympics in Atlanta, GA. He has toured with the group Masters of the Steel String Guitar. He has performed at the Library of Congress, and at the nation's peforming arts center The Kennedy Center in Washington DC. He was featured on the NPR radio series Folk Master's with Nick Spitzer. He plays the theme song and much of the background music on KET's Kentucky Afield TV program. Eddie is frequently featured on the RFD's Cumberland Highlander TV program. He very often performs at the Chet ATkins' Appreciation Society's (CAAS) convention in Nashville, TN. He was featured as the special guest of Doc Watson during the innagural season at the Blue Ridge Parkway Music Center. Eddie often teaches at music camps such as Puget Sound Guitar Workshop, Steve Kaufman's Acoustic Kamp, Centrum's Country Blues Week, Summer Acoustic Music Week, and Agusta Heritage Workshop.+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Eddie's town of Princeton, KY holds an annual Pennington Music Festival each year the 1st weekend in June. Various artist appear each year along with Eddie and his family. It is a free festival. ++++++++++++++++++
Eddie is married to Penny Phillips Pennington and they have two children Alonzo and Rosebud. They have one grandson at this time Caleb Reese Coots. They are active members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints LDS.++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Some of Eddie's biggest influences in his music have been, his dad, Norman Pennington, Don Grace, Uncle Collie Barnes, Hurstle Flynn, Hanson Clark, Chet Atkins, Mose Rager, Merle Travis, Odell Martin, Bobby Barber, Gene Frances, Frank Hudson, Gayle Moseley, Freddie Russell, and one of Eddie's biggest heroe's is Paul Yandell legendary sideman for Chet Atkins. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Eddie plays all styles of music in the thumbpicking style. He also sings and keeps his shows low key with some humor. He enjoys meeting his audience after his performances. Some of his most requested songs are: Cannonball Rag, Preacher and the Bear, Nine Pound Hammer, Baby O, Blue Smoke, Over the Rainbow, Dueling Banjos. He looks forward to coming to your area and playing for you soon.
Hi Eddie, You are truly one of my heroes. Thanks for keeping the Travis Style alive and Thanks for adding me to your friends list. Hope to see you in June at your festival
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ha ha! i think you're better off being eddie pennington and having folks say you're a GREAT picker. the guy that made that guitar is a big fan of yours. he'll be flattered you checked it out.
Hey Eddie, thanks for dropping by! Your profile says your 109 years old and female? In that case, I'm tempted to say you look good for your age but I just can't bring myself to say it. < grin >
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