Born 96 Years Ago Today in South Carolina, the Guitar Virtuoso Who Backed Elvis Presley, Patsy Cline, and Johnny Cash—and Sold a Million Records Before He Could Legally Drink

On this day (November 11) in 1930, Walter Louis Garland was born in Cowpens, South Carolina. Known professionally as Hank Garland, he was playing guitar professionally by age 12 and recorded the million-selling “Sugarfoot Rag” at age 18. Deftly navigating across genre lines, Garland contributed his superb picking skills to many an Elvis Presley hit in the late 1950s and early 1960s.

Additionally, Garland played on sessions with Roy Orbison, the Everly Brothers, Patsy Cline, Marty Robbins, Ronnie Hawkins, and many others. And at the height of his pop-country success, he surprised audiences by releasing Jazz Winds from a New Direction—the first jazz album ever recorded in Nashville—in the early 1960s.

Today, we’re highlighting the remarkable musical contributions of Hank Garland in honor of what would have been his 96th birthday.

Hank Garland Was a Guitar Prodigy

It’s easy to throw around the term “child prodigy”, but it rings true in Hank Garland’s case.

Raised on the dulcet tones of Arthur “Guitar Boogie” Smith and “Mother” Maybelle Carter, he picked up the banjo at an early age before switching to guitar.

By age 12, Garland had developed his picking skills enough to take them to local radio shows. At 14, he moved to Spartanburg, South Carolina, and took lessons from country-bluegrass musician Don Reno.

Joining the Grand Ole Opry at 15, he moved to Nashville and signed with Decca Records, renting a room at Ma Upchurch’s boarding house. He connected with guitarists Harold Bradley and Bill Byrd, who became his mentors—at first.

“But he immediately left us in the dust—he was so talented,” Byrd told Premier Guitar magazine in 2011.

Making It Big

In 1949, Hank Garland released “Sugarfoot Rag”, a song he co-wrote with George Vaughn Horton.

Selling more than a million copies, it peaked at No. 12 on the U.S. country singles chart and later became a hit for both Red Foley and Jerry Reed.

Nashville took notice, and Garland became a prolific session musician. From 1958 to 1961, he backed Elvis Presley on hits including  “I Need Your Love Tonight”, “A Big Hunk O’ Love”, “A Fool Such As I”, “I Got Stung”, “Stuck on You”, “I’m Comin’ Home”, “I Feel So Bad”, “Little Sister” and “(Marie’s the Name) His Latest Flame”.

Other artists Garland worked with included Patsy Cline, Brenda Lee, Mel Tillis, Marty Robbins, The Everly Brothers, Boots Randolph, Roy Orbison, Conway Twitty, and Moon Mullican.

You may also recognize his work from holiday mainstays such as Bobby Helms’ “Jingle Bell Rock” and Brenda Lee’s “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree”.

A Genre Pivot and a Career Cut Tragically Short

Hank Garland’s 1960 album Jazz Winds from a New Direction resonated with both country and jazz audiences. He seemed primed for major stardom when a September 1961 car crash left him in a coma.

Although he regained consciousness and recovered many of his faculties, a brain injury robbed Garland of his ability to play guitar.

[RELATED: 3 One-Hit Wonders From the 1950s That Are Perfect for Christmas]

On December 27, 2004, Hank Garland died of complications from a staph infection in Orange Park, Florida. He was 74 years old.

Featured image by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images