Con Hunley

Soulful balladeer Con Hunley was born and raised near the Smoky Mountain foothills in east Tennessee and learned about music singing gospel songs in church. Hunley idolized Chet Atkins but wasn't much of a guitarist, so he taught himself piano by listening to Ray Charles' "What'd I Say." He began playing publicly in high school, and by 1963 Hunley lived in Knoxville, working at a mill by day and performing at the local Eagles club for $12 a gig at night. He joined the Air Force in 1965, teaching taught aircraft maintenance and playing with local musicians as much as possible. ...