Merle Travis, Date of Birth, Place of Birth, Date of Death

Merle Travis

American country/Western singer-songwriter and musician

Date of Birth: 29-Nov-1917

Place of Birth: Muhlenberg County, Kentucky, United States

Date of Death: 20-Oct-1983

Profession: singer, singer-songwriter, guitarist

Nationality: United States

Zodiac Sign: Sagittarius

Merle Robert Travis (November 29, 1917 – October 20, 1983) was an American country and western singer, songwriter, and guitarist born in Rosewood, Kentucky, United States.
His songs' lyrics often discussed both the lives and the economic exploitation of American coal miners.
Among his many well-known songs are "Sixteen Tons," "Re-Enlistment Blues," "I am a Pilgrim," and "Dark as a Dungeon." However, it is his unique guitar style, still called Travis Picking by guitarists, as well as his interpretations of the rich musical traditions of his native Muhlenberg County, Kentucky, for which he is best known today.
"Travis Picking" is a syncopated style of guitar fingerpicking rooted in ragtime music in which alternating chords and bass notes are plucked by the thumb while melodies are simultaneously plucked by the index finger.
He was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1970 and elected to the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1977.