<\/p>\n
\n\tDuane Eddy has died at age 86. The Grammy-winning guitarist was known for his influential style as well as hits such as \u201cRebel-\u2018Rouser\u201d and \u201cPeter Gunn.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\tEddy died Tuesday (April 30) of cancer in Franklin, Tenn., according to his wife, Deed Abbate. He is survived by his four children and wife.<\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cDuane inspired a generation of guitarists the world over with his unmistakeable signature \u2018Twang\u2019 sound,\u201d a rep for Eddy told Variety<\/em>. \u201cHe was the first rock and roll guitar god, a truly humble and incredible human being. He will be sorely missed.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tBorn in April 26, 1938, in Corning, N.Y., Eddy began playing guitar as a young child. He went on to become one of few artists in the past century to find national fame purely as an instrumentalist, notching 27 hits on the Billboard Hot 100<\/a> such as \u201cRebel-\u2018Rouser,\u201d which debuted at No. 6 in 1958; \u201cForty Miles of Bad Road,\u201d which peaked at No. 9 in 1959; and \u201cBecause They\u2019re Young,\u201d which bowed at No. 4 in 1960. He also had two albums chart on the Billboard 200<\/a>: Twangin\u2019 Up a Storm!<\/em>, which reached No. 93 in 1963, and Lonely Guitar<\/em>, which made it to No. 144 in 1964.<\/p>\n \n\tHe was the last surviving artist to chart in the top 10 of the inaugural Hot 100, which was published on Aug. 4, 1958.<\/p>\n \n\tEddy was also a Grammy-decorated musician, winning his first-ever nomination in 1987 for \u201cPeter Gunn\u201d in the best rock instrumental performance category. In 1996, he earned a second Recording Academy nod for \u201cThunder Road\/Sugarfoot Rag\u201d for best country instrumental performance. He was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1994.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n