Lenny was born (1941) to a Canadian mother and American father, the family moved from Maine to New Brunswick when he was seven. He played in the family Country band until 1959, thereafter he was initially based in Winnipeg where he explored Jazz and improvisational styles. At the nation’s public broadcaster, the CBC he would have The Lenny Breau Show in 1963-4, he was also a performer at a club just outside of Winnipeg called the Forth Dimension. Speaking of great guitar players, Winnipeg was home to people like Neil Young and Randy Bachman watched Lenny as well.
His music made it to Chet Atkins. Let’s just say that via endorsement from Atkins, there is only one degree of separation between that and greatness. They collaborated on Lenny’s first two albums, he lived in Winnipeg until leaving for the US in 1976. He continued to perform, write, teach and started a family. He was finally kicking his long time drug habit when in 1983 his body was found in a pool at his apartment in Los Angeles. Murder was suspected but never proven. While forgotten by most, his memory and work is preserved by his daughter Emily Hughes and Randy Bachman (Guess Who, BTO).
His style is a blend, but was inspired by Fingerstyle legend Merle Travis, as was Lenny’s mentor Chet Atkin’s who is quoted as saying that Lenny was “the greatest guitarist who ever walked the face of the earth.”.
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