Herb Ellis on starting out as a musician.

Listen Now Add to Play List Read Transcript (File Size: 0.40MB)

Herb Ellis discusses his guitar sound.

Listen Now Add to Play List Read Transcript (File Size: 0.24MB)

Herb Ellis discusses the success of his career.

Listen Now Add to Play List Read Transcript (File Size: 0.41MB)

If you are experiencing problems playing audio on this site,
please update to the latest version of Flash.

Transcription

Q: “How early on did you start playing, how young were you?”

Herb Ellis: “Well, I was about nine years old, I guess. I started playing at four. I don't remember that, but I played the harmonica at four years old, three or four. So my brother and sister told me and my mother when she was alive. And then … I guess I played it fairly well. I mean, I can play tunes when I was three and four on the harmonica and then my sister bought a banjo for me and so I played it, you know. I'd play anything that I could get a hold of. But then about nine years old, I had a cousin who left a guitar at our house. We were raised out in the country and he was one of my city cousins, and so he had a guitar and he just left it there and it's ironic. I mean, I just fell in love with the guitar and started playing.”