John Knowles is an American acoustic guitarist. He is one of five Certified Guitar Players (the other four being Tommy Emmanuel

Tommy Emmanuel

William Thomas "Tommy" Emmanuel AM is an Australian guitarist, best known for his complex fingerpicking style, energetic performances and the use of percussive effects on the guitar. In the May 2008 and 2010 issues of Guitar Player Magazine, he was named as "Best Acoustic Guitarist" in their...

, Chet Atkins

Chet Atkins

Chester Burton Atkins , known as Chet Atkins, was an American guitarist and record producer who, along with Owen Bradley, created the smoother country music style known as the Nashville sound, which expanded country's appeal to adult pop music fans as well.Atkins's picking style, inspired by Merle...

, Steve Wariner

Steve Wariner

Steven Noel "Steve" Wariner is an American country music singer, songwriter and guitarist. He has released eighteen studio albums, including six on MCA Records, and three each on RCA Records, Arista Records and Capitol Records...

, and Jerry Reed

Jerry Reed

Jerry Reed Hubbard , known professionally as Jerry Reed, was an American country music singer, innovative guitarist, songwriter, and actor who appeared in more than a dozen films...

), a lighthearted title given out by Atkins to his friends.

Biography

Knowles first learned music through the accordion. Later, he picked up the ukelele and started transposing from the accordion's keyboard to the fretboard. The musical skills he developed at a young age allowed him to learn guitar in high school. Discovering that the guitar was not well respected in the music community, Knowles worked for and received a Ph.D. in physics from Texas Christian University

Texas Christian University

Texas Christian University is a private, coeducational university located in Fort Worth, Texas, United States and founded in 1873. TCU is affiliated with, but not governed by, the Disciples of Christ...

, while playing guitar on the side.

Honours

• In 1996 he was dubbed a CGP (Certified Guitar Player) by his friend Chet Atkins
• 2004 inducted into the National Thumb Picker's Hall of Fame
• He has won a Grammy and two Emmy nominations