On this day (April 20) in 2012, Bert Weedon died at the age of 91 in Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire, England. He was a guitarist who had landmark hits on the charts in the United Kingdom. Weedon also performed alongside stars like Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole, and Judy Garland. However, Weedon is best remembered for his short instructional book Play in a Day. Millions of people, including John Lennon, Paul McCartney, and Eric Clapton, learned their first chords from the book.<\/p>\n
Weedon was a child when he bought his first guitar from a street market called Petticoat Lane. \u201cI used to go down there every Sunday morning, and sort of touch the guitar, and the man would say, \u2018Clear off out of it!\u2019 Eventually, I saved up 15 shillings,\u201d Weedon recalled<\/a>. \u201cI walked up, and he was just about to tell me to clear off. I said, \u2018I\u2019ll have that guitar, please,\u201d he added. Weedon proudly walked him with his purchase and began learning to play.<\/p>\n By the time he was in high school, Weedon was forming and leading bands. In 1959, \u201cGuitar Boogie Shuffle\u201d made him the first solo guitarist to land a top 10 hit on the UK Singles Chart. In 1972, he became the first solo guitarist to top the Official Top 40 Album Chart with 22 Golden Guitar Greats. Weedon also regularly performed on the radio and television. He also played on hundreds of recording sessions.<\/p>\n However, his biggest impact was a short book titled Play in a Day: Bert Weedon\u2019s Guitar Guide to Modern Guitar Playing. The tutorial sold more than a million copies and helped even more musicians start their journeys.<\/p>\n Legends Remember Bert Weedon<\/p>\n