Born on This Day in 1930, the Legendary Guitarist Who Played With Johnny Cash, Patsy Cline, and Elvis Presley—and Released a Million-Selling Single Before He Was Old Enough to Drink

On this day (November 11) in 1930, Hank Garland was born in Cowpens, South Carolina. While his career was relatively short, he performed with some of the biggest names across multiple genres. He played country, rock and roll, and jazz, recording with the likes of Johnny Cash, Roy Orbison, Patsy Cline, and Elvis Presley.

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Heavily inspired by the Carter Family, Garland began playing guitar at just six years old. At 14, he impressed Paul Howard of the Arkansas Cotton Pickers enough that he brought the young musician to Nashville. While there, he appeared on the Grand Ole Opry and played alongside session greats like Harold Bradley and Billy Boyd. The seasoned session players acknowledged that he was talented but needed a little more practice. At the same time, Garland was too young to work regularly. As a result, he went back to South Carolina to further hone his skills.

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According to Premium Guitar, Garland returned to Nashville after he turned 18. There, Bradley and Byrd took the young musician under their wings. “Billy and I were his mentors. But he immediately left us in the dust,” Bradley later said about him. “He was just so talented. Despite his talent, Garland initially found very little work as a session musician. Then, he released two versions of the guitar-heavy “Sugarfoot Rag.” One was an instrumental cut that showcased his playing. The other featured Red Foley on vocals. That song sold a million copies and helped the teenage phenom become an in-demand picker.

Hank Garland’s Career Ended Abruptly

By 1960, Hank Garland was an A-list studio musician. His guitar appeared on singles from Johnny Cash, Roy Orbison, Elvis Presley, Patsy Cline, and many more. He played on Cline’s “Crazy” and is featured prominently in the holiday classic “Jingle Bell Rock.”

In 1961, Garland released the instrumental album Jazz Winds from a New Direction. The album impressed nearly everyone who heard it and seemingly opened up a new career path for the guitar legend. Unfortunately, fate had different plans. In September that year, he had a near-fatal car accident and was in a coma. While he recovered, Garland suffered a brain injury that prevented him from playing guitar.

Garland died in December 2004 of complications from a staph infection. He was 74 years old.

Despite being active for less than two decades, Hank Garland became one of the most influential guitar players in Nashville’s history.

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