Chet Atkins and Tommy Emmanuel 1999. The Rarest version of "To B Or Not To B"?
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- Опубліковано 10 лют 2025
- This is Chet and Tommy playing "To B Or Not To B" at CAAS in '99. At the end is some footage of Chet as he leaves the hotel. Not great quality, but still historically significant as there is very little video of Tommy and Chet playing together and this is most likely the the last live public performance of Chet.
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So sad to see chet as sick as he was but even dealing with his mortality and sickness he still had that spark and humor that defined him as a country gentleman. His loss was the cruelest twist of fate.
Couldn't have said it better myself.
Touching footage. And the respect and gentleness Tommy Emmanuel showed him was truly honorable. I'm very impressed.
I cried watching this, Chet so sick and frail. I was raised on his music. My Dads family were all musicians. Dad played steel. I miss Chet so much. Tommy is fantastic. Old loves die hard❤🌹
I cried too. I`m welling up now
The quintessential country gentleman. As a lifelong Tommy fan I'm so glad that Chet's wonderful spirit lives on through him.
Me too. Dang.
Chet, if I could add one more thing, Tommy Emmanuel, your protege is still laying it down and still gives you credit for his amazing talent. Your legacy is alive and well, Sir.
so hard to watch CHet so Frail :( i love that man so much , Tommy treated him with the greatest respect .
Tommy knows there will come a time when he is in Chets shoes and i hope someone treats Tommy the same .RIP CHET
Hope so
The respect and love Tommy already has here in Australia is enough for many lifetimes..Tommy's been given the "Order of Australia" by our Government which no other guitarist has..We love him in Australia and glad you do too!!
Chet in his final hour...a great guitarist, gone but not forgotten. RIP.
Bro what do you mean final hour lmfao he died in 2001
@@toastfan23 Can't you see how tired and sick he is? this indeed was the final period of his life.
I love how much Tommy loved Chet and how he helped him through this performance. Brought a tear to my eye...
First , Chet would have wanted to the baby there.
Second , the friendship that is obvious between these two greats and the humility and compassion is something lacking in today's society.
I had the distinct pleasure of seeing Chet at his peak , not once but twice and I have seen Tommy twice as well.
When Tommy speaks of Chet it is with a smile and a little tear. They were great friends.
How does one "want to a baby there"?
May we always be kind to our Elder musicians as they age gracefully....i grew up with Chet's music may he rest in peace. And...thankyou for respecting Chet Atkins for all the music he gave us.
A year or 2 before Chet died... God rest his Soul. He was gettin' old
Tommy is probably the greatest guitar player of all time, and what helps make him that is his great respect of other players,,,,he learned that from other greatest players like Chet here, Chet will live for ever in our minds.
Mr. Atkins was THE man. The Lord above blessed Chet with a wonderful talent and he shared it with the world. Thank you for posting this video. My father who passed away in 1984 loved Chet and his playing, and so do I. I got to meet Tommy last year and he is a fine man also. He didn't know me but that did not stop him from taking a minute to talk and I was impressed with his humility & friendliness. Chet was a great inspiration & his name will live on as one true Mr. Guitar. Play on Chet!
I would not have been playing guitar for 56 years had it not been for this wonderful gentleman. Emmanuel himself knows he owes it all to Chet...
and now I am crying....
ROCKSTARCRANE I wrote to Mr. Atkins in 1957 after hearing his album "Hi Fi In Focus" (which I still have). He actually wrote me back a short personal signed note to thank me. Wish to God I could find that now....
+ROCKSTARCRANE I think I have all his old albums from the 60's yet. Seems I never play them anymore.
That video is so sad. Chet is still my favourite guitarist. I have followed him since the mid 1950s. His playing is always so tasteful, and just absolute perfection. I can't say anything more.
I don't think I have ever missed someone I didn't actually know, but I miss Chet! I got to watch him perform from 10ft away, he was so humble and so incredible. One of a kind.
I first heard Chet on a record seventy years ago and tried to imitate him. Never really managed, but I never stopped loving him. It's hard to believe he's been gone almost twenty years now.
Thank you so much for sharing this rare footage of both Chet and Tommy. It really give a glimpse on the intimacy Tommy has for Chet. Thank you
Oh My! This is beautiful and very poignant. It brought a tear to my eye to see Chet; it was obvious that he was not a well man at this time. This is one of my favourite Chet pieces, both to play and to listen to. Many thanks for uploading it.
Brought me to tears, to see a great musician at the end of a fantastic career. His outstanding guitar arrangements will live on unmatched in taste and musicality....
Miss you Chet....
Beautiful. Thanks for sharing this personal moment.
Thanks for being so humble Tommy he seemed like a blessing to you and alot of great players still playing that incredible style of country and other great melodies all the best to you my freind still talks about your time IN AUSSIE in the old days i used to watch you at palm beach on the gold coast
Thank you so much Tommy,
The respect you give this great man is Awesome.
May you go on & carry on your love of the guitar.
I was fortunate enough to be in the crowd in Nashville that day. It was the only time I ever saw Chet and I was amazed at how reverently people treated him. He was a great musician and a great man.
Bless you for making and posting this video of that great night. So glad you had a much better seat than I did and were smart enough to record this event. I was amazed they didn't video all the performances. The only CAAS I was fortunate to be able to attend, and what a great one to make it to. Bless you Chet.
Tommy and Chet together is absolutely wonderful. Brings tears of happiness to my eyes!
Your rare video clips wow me every time. I can't even imagine what else you have up your sleeve!
Chet, here, as you are in Heaven.. you can't help but be in tune and an on time. Love to you, Sir.. you've brought so much happiness to me and mine...
So sad to see Chet age and sick. To me he will always be the King of Guitar!💙
For all his talent and ability with the guitar Tommy Emmanuel just exudes reverence for his idol and inspiration. May the music of Chet Atkins will alway live on!
Thank you for posting this! This is a real treat.
thank you so much for posting this....not sad, but it did bring a tear...just to know that such god-given genius as chet possessed cannot last forever...and god bless tommy for his love and respect for chet, it shines through in his music...very hard to watch it, but i made myself do it....
Great moment to share with all guitarists in the world! A great man, everywhere recognized as the Nashville guitar father, and one of his "spiritual" son... many miles between Nashville and Australy, but so close in the heart of guitarists.The latest images are strong sensation. The whole history of the guitar you see away ... beautiful images!
I have never seen Chet Atkins or Jerry Reed... and it is a great regret as fan of them. But fortunately, I saw Tommy at the New Morning in Paris.Thanks.
This in a way shows life . Everything is so temporary. You can live and accept and move on. But his memory lives on and will do in my heart and many more. RIP Mr Music, Mr guitar
Here it is, a year later since I saw this video the last time, and it still puts tears in my eyes. That Chet... what a genius of a smart dude he was. I sure do miss him like I would a dearest friend.
Michael
Tommy's thoughtfullness here to Chet will always make me a Tommy fan forever. Chet no doubt wanted to please his fans even here, and tommy helped him do it so well. Thanks for the example tommy.
Great moments
Thanks for posting this video of two great musicians, persons and friends.
Chet was, and played, the Country Gentleman. I surely do miss him.
I had a black Gibson Country Gentleman, made after Gretsch went out of business. A friend and I each bought one the same day. He bought a red one I bought a black one to match my Black Gibson 'Lucille'. Both guitars are now in the hands of younger players, still being appreciated and enjoyed, as they should be.
I now play a Black '91 Gibson SG special that I had customized by luthier John Jordan. He added a neck T-500 pickup and split the coils in both pickups. The tone pot is a push - pull switch to split the coils. Great tone range with that set up.! Also added a gold TP-6 tail piece and gold Gotoh tuners.
My first guitar was a late '50's D-28 Martin that my dad bought for me. Wish I still had that one!
My first electric guitar was a 1966 SG Les Paul. Wish I still had that one too!
Thanks for posting this video! It was incredibly sweet and sad at the same time. What a 'Country Gentleman' from 'Down Under' that Tommy is to have done such honor to Chet. The mutual respect and love between the two Icons of the 'six strings' was awesome to see and hear. Y'all keep it in tune, pickin' and grinnin'!!!
A Master Class in humility and musicality
Amen.
Wow, the honouring here is so beautiful to see. And when Tommy was at the height of his playing too - that 99 master class gig in France. Phew! Just beautiful. So gracious. Freely you have received.
Wow... Greatness... and humbleness... and honor... all rolled into one... from both...
Watching this with a lump in my throat ! Two great talents , one sadly no longer with us . What a great , yet very sad posting . brian
It breaks my heart to see Chet in this condition, Rest in peace Chet, we loved your music.
I am a gutarist, plain and simple. Chet Atkins was a musical inspiration to me, but not as Much as Tommy Emmanuel. Thanks to you both for all of the jammin' together, as I've played with BOTH of you as I listened to you play and strummed or picked (practiced) along with you. Both great guitarists in their own rights.
What a beautiful moment in time shared by two of the most talented musicians we've ever had on this planet. Priceless.
Poor quality or not, thanks for this viewing of Chet and Tommy, two greats in our lifetime.
The great chet Atkins still lives on with his music
The man who turned a dinky little instrument you could carry around with one hand into a full orchestra. This is the guy who showed the world exactly what the guitar is capable of right at the time in the '50s when the guitar in 3 and 4-piece bands started taking over from 17- piece horn bands on the charts. In my mind that puts him in the top 3 musicians of the 20th Century: Louie Armstrong, Aretha Franklin and Chet. There's not a single serious guitar player that doesn't stand on Chet's shoulders, whether they know it or not. Same goes for the other two I mentioned in their respected fields. Not looking to start any debates.
This video just fills me with melancholy. Great selection!
Such a bittersweet watch, the man meant so much to so many people!
Reminds me of the line from The Man Upstairs. Chet has gone "where the celebrities play all their music live". I sure am glad he left some recordings for our enjoyment.
Thanks for this video!
Great video - thanks for sharing it :)
Chet is still the master even years after he has passed on! So many great albums and so much great music with so many accomplished players. He is sadly missed but his music will live on forever!
So sad to watch 😥 Chet is so tired here . Over the years Chet has done it all and laid the huge foundation of guitarist. He has played with the best and he is the best .
Absolutely Great. Thank You for sharing this !
Love that song "To B or Not to B...I first heard it on a rare CD that was issued in the UK .
A great man wrote and a great Musician plays it.... You can certainly see the Love hear ..
Alberta
Dave
I agreee, any overly negative comment or foul language gets instantly deleted and the person gets blocked from my chanel... Thanks for watching and taking the time to comment!
Sad to see Chet so frail.....but a great video.
GREAT!.....thanks for posting...it brings a tear.
It would be hard to believe that another person would have the influence Chet Atkins had on so many great musicians. And one day Tommy Emanuel will be recognized as both a great artist and the fine gentlemen he is.
Chet and Tommy are a perfect match of Talent and Respect..Tommy really love and respect his Idol. Tommy learned a lot from Chet..RIP Chet👊🏿👊🏿👊🏿
if you now Tommy and his style, you'll know that he is NEVER showing off.
I watched and listened to Chet from the 60's on. My grandfather was a huge fan and I became one as well. Listening to him play it sounds like perfection but if you watch his face once in a while you'll see him grimace slightly like he hit a wrong note but you don't hear it. It's just not up to Chet's standards. There is only one Mr. Guitar. Thanks for the great music, Chet.
DOESNT MATTER HOW CLOSE TO DEATH YOU ARE YOU ARE STILL A MUSICIAN AND EVERYTHING COMES BACK AND YOU PLAY RIGHT TO THE END OF THE SONG RIP ADKINS YOU ARE AND ALWAYS WILL BE GREAT
I can tell Tommy is paying a respect to Chet atkin. What a good guitarist he is. I think chat must have guided him a lot of his playing style.
Priceless. Poignant. Thank you!
Wonderful. Precious video.
This is so amazing to get this precious footage
Chet was Tommy's Idol. Chet handed out guitars to a handful of guitarist chosen by him as worthy to have this particular guitar. At the 12th fret was 'CGP', certified Guitar player. Tommy received one and so did Mark knopfler. Chet hugely respected both Tommy and Mark as they both said Chet was the leading influence in the style they developed. As a player I can say there are a few who can play like Chet and those who wish they could. He really was that great an influence to players. God bless him.
Rockers2Rockers Chet did not award a CGP to knoffler.
thx for posting!! p.
He got in his chariot and left for heaven.
I'm showin' you off
I love Chet and Tommy so much
If we're being honest, this is the greatest two guitar players, ever. I dislike labeling and ranking talent as I just did, since I am a guitarist myself and ability comes in so many forms on just that instrument alone, but these two guys are the exception. They could both do things beyond what they're known for, and well. I'm going to break my rule here. They were/are just in their own league. By all accounts, both wonderful humans too. Sad that Chet looks so frail at this point. Life doesn't make exceptions for legends unfortunately.
im amazed how many opinions still stand in the way of what he was showing us x
It really brings tears to me. So amazing.
It is a little sad to see Chet not at his best. he was quite ill and it takes a lot of guts to get up there and not be the Chet we all loved. Once he got going though it seems to come back to him quite nicely.
That baby will be a good person.
YEAH - I found this video and Thank You....
The absolute best acoustic guitar players IMO. Awesome stuff.
Thank you
"Look, see, still got the, uh, the old tagger on it." -Nigel Tufnel
Chet was barely able to play here because his health was deteriorating which made his fingers much slower than normal. He died a couple of years later. Rest in peace Chet.
All return to the source. Thank you Chet for all you gave in your time.
The best way, the only way to describe Chet Atkins work on guitar is "Heaven on Strings" One thing about Chet, even though he was the master of his craft is that he was always willing to learn (and exploit) new things. Make no mistake, he learned from and loved every musician with whom he worked. He loved Jerry Reed as much as he love Mark Knoffler or Tommy Emmanuel. In Chet's mind, they were family. And that pretty much sums it up. Chet, We MISS YOU!
Beautiful man !!!! The greatest of all guitar players :-)
The Master and the apprentice absolutely love them...
I asked the Good Lord why great players like Chet had to die.
HE replied back: "Great players live on in the hearts of those that loved them"
sun Tao: Appreciate your feeling. It would be nice to hear another of Chet's jokes. He made me laugh every time.
Tommy learned to play from hearing Chet on vinyl records. For me technology -vinyl, tapes, digits, etc.... puts me directly in touch with the creative mind and technique of people I never could have known. We can listen to the finest musical moments of Chet or Beatles completely unencumbered with other human frailties and undaunted by distance. I learned to play like Tommy did. I just copied what I heard on a machine. It took hours, weeks, and years for much of it, but those were hours spent with the part of my heroes that I most coveted. I didn't think I'd ever meet them. But I think we have the very finest part of them available thanks to technology. Also, I would have been afraid I would disappoint them or them me.
I don't worship the tech itself, just the opportunity it affords us to learn from the best musicians who ever recorded anything.
The most crucial part of Chet (for me) will never die, he's right there when I need him most and a he is in his most powerful form.
As you say, he lives on in our hearts. There will be no more Chet jokes, but the finest sounds and ideas he could create remain for all of us.
Only Tommy could have pulled this off,,helping Chet,,,,God Bless Them Every One,,
Tommy showing his humility before The Grandmaster of the 🎸 guitar..
2 Legends! What a pleasure!
My guitar heroes. Learn from the best!
amazing...
BobDylansDreams3- I think you took that wrong. Pretty sure Tommy just wanted his hero to be in tune. I live w/my 95 year-old Dad and sometimes have to gently fix up this or that for him, but it's cuz I know he has pride in himself & I don't want him to be embarrased.
Thinking about it, this video was made in 1999 and the baby crying in the background is 21 years old now. He or she should have a beer on Chet in celebration of just entering life while Chet was leaving and for a brief moment sharing space and time.
we love you chet x
Chet's legacy lives on in Tommy.
i just hate to see Chet get old in front of all of us,,,,he was a like a patient Dad or Uncle to all us guitar pickers,,amazed at his talent "could I ever get a mile close to him in my best efforts?" I know Tommy loves him but ,I hate to see Chet at this age in awkward circumstances, though I know Chet would never turn down an offer to play in live performance,,,to me Chet will always be the King, the fingerpicking guru,the coach ,the mentor, the Godfather,,,,,We Miss You Chet,,DDD
oh, i got tears...
Pobre Chet, increible como estaba
U know what pains me about this. Is when Tommy asks Chet to tune his Guitar properly. I know it sounds bad but the only way is down from there. Vintage footage!!