Merle Travis

Biography

Merle Travis was a renowned American country and western singer, songwriter, actor, and guitarist, born on November 29, 1917, in Rosewood, Kentucky. His lyrics often focused on the lives of coal miners, as seen in iconic songs like "Sixteen Tons". A pioneer of guitar style known as Travis picking, he was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1970 and elected to the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1977.