Pete Huttlinger – How He Bounced Back From Tragedy
Pete Huttlinger (June 22, 1961 – January 15, 2016) was an American guitarist. A graduate of Berklee College of Music, Huttlinger was a Nashville studio artist. In 2000, he won the National Fingerstyle Guitar Championship at the Walnut Valley Festival in Winfield, Kansas. He performed around the world with such artists as John Denver, LeAnn Rimes and many others. As a solo artist he performed across the U.S. and Europe.
This is the first interview in this series because it’s by far the most important. Pete passed away months after our second interview (a TAC member hangout Q&A) due to complications of the condition he describes in this interview. His message was that of determination and positivity. Despite his condition, he continued to make incremental progress until he was able to completely re-learn guitar. I’m so grateful to have met Pete. We’ll always remember him around TAC for spreading a positive message that we all need to be exposed to.
What are your top takeaways from Pete? Leave a comment below!
Responses
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Tony, I didn’t see his website in your comment section.
Here is his website: http://www.petehuttlinger.com/index.cfm
Thanks for sharing this!
Great interview. Very inspirational. Seems like such a diamond of a person. And his guitar playing was phenomenal. Sad to see him go.
BTW, what’s that thing he has on the other side of the nut of the guitar? Does it pull the strings down for more tension on the nut?
Or is it just his capo?
Sorry just saw this, yep 🙂
JT,
Good eye 🙂 That is a capo (I believe a Mckinney/Elliott) that just hangs out by the nut when not in use 🙂
Cheers,
Tony
Thanks Tony and Pete, Have you heard Billy McLaughlin”s story? All of you guys are an inspiration for me do keep working it. Let me know when you learn of Billy”s come back. Thanks again.
Steven D
Pete was an amazing guitar player who was taken too soon. His music will live on forever.
As a survivor of stroke, I can emphasize with the struggle he had. Mine was not as great a struggle as his. I complain about my memory not being good since the stroke. I bitch like a baby about my arthritis effecting my fretting hand. After hearing this story I know know there is nothing standing in my way but myself.
I have been watching the Monthly Hangouts. I was going backwards but have decided to go from the beginning. In addition of seeing the evolution of TAC, I can’t wait to see the followup interview. Thanks Tony.
Tony,
You know I found this very inspiring. For someone who himself is disabled I’ve seen my share of set backs and pain. But Pete carried the weight with a light heartedness and seemed to deal with things very well. It just goes to show don’t let disabilities and medical issues hold you back. If you love it, you will find a way. I learned a lot more than just about guitar from this one.
At 15 I spent the summer taking care of my mother who had just had her second stroke. Seeing her relearn everything was just made more real by Pete’s story. What an incredible journey and a huge inspiration to me to never give up…Never.
p.s. what Pete says about each persons experience being their own and not on a global scale is true for guitar playing as well. We each learn in different ways and at different speeds comparing our journey with someone else’s journey is self defeating.
I’ve been through some pretty rough times in my life, but physically, nothing like this man has had to overcome. I’m feeling very blessed about now and a little ashamed I haven’t done more with what I was given.
Keep pluckin on. Great message from Pete– and his wife. Such a loss to the guitar community.
What an incredibly inspiring story. Since my last name is McGuire the song had a very moving impact on me. Thanks Tony for doing this piece.
Talk about an amazing person
I like his simple statement: “I like to play the guitar, a lot.” Sometimes it’s just as simple as that.
I was saddened when I heard that Pete had died, after he had persevered to play again. His journey is inspiring.
In the piece Pete and Tony play at the end, I can see a remnant in the Argo the Dog lick.
Very Interesting and motivating, RIP Pete. Big takeaway, don’t feel sorry for yourself, set a goal and go chase it. Learning guitar like anything else takes time and patience, the peaks and valleys are coming. Keep going, and be positive.
Pete was an inspirational guy, no question. Great story how to bounce back. Wonderful guitarist. I had to watch it twice. Thanks Tony and may peace be with you Pete. Someday we can all meet in the afterlife and play again!
He was a very nice and courageous person. Thanks to this and other video’s we still can enjoy his talent. Thanks Tony!
Great story! It’s about not giving up and having people around you that believe, help and support you. My wife and 2 sons in a 14 year period had multiple bad things happen to us during which each of us had multiple near death experiences. Somehow we have come through it through faith, the people who were there and by not giving up when things looked pretty dark.
Wow, what an amazing story of overcoming such adversity. Thank you for sharing this interview!
The tunes at the end left me smiling, great job. Thank you for the inspiration and sharing Pete story.
What an incredible story, Pete extended a great deal of perseverance with a remarkable spirit. He was so positive through all the adversity he faced. His wife and the people in his circle had allot to do with his recovery yet nothing greater than his love for music through his expression, it cultivated a world only he could touch, pretty awesome. Thank you for the inspiration and sharing Pete story.
Life happens, how we respond makes the difference. Thank you for introducing me to this man and the pleasure of seeing someone respond. Big plus, the music at the end. Thanks Tony! RIP Pete.
Wow. This is inspiring on so many levels and really helps to put things into perspective. I’m three and a half weeks post-op from my second shoulder surgery in just over a year (last year was left shoulder, this year right). Not being able to play guitar for long periods has been a bummer and I find myself getting quite frustrated. But man, after watching this I will not be complaining any more! What an inspiring story and a great guitar player. Very sad that he is no longer with us.
Incredible story and journey of courage, drive and motivation. His music & soul are truly beautiful and inspirational. Sorry to learn of his passing.
Thanks for sharing,
Lisa E.
I got to see this video when you first released it. I loved the interview, his life story and his playing and got a few of his CDs. His Stevie Wonder solo record is super and he has some great Celtic style tunes I also got a DVD with lessons from his website. It was very sad when Pete passed away, but his great playing lives on and is an inspiration.
It’s great that you put these interviews together as a course, Tony. Lots of great players and guitar makers with many great stories to tell!
What a story of commitment and determination, one thing that resonated with me was how goal orientated Pete was I’m that way myself, why start something if your not going to be the best you can be right? The world lost an amazing artist in his passing RIP Pete.
What beautiful attitude he had! So sorry to hear of his passing. A phenomenal human being and great guitarist! Thank you for sharing this Tony. I have a friend that had a stroke a while back that is re-learning guitar and I will tell him about this guy the next time we get together to play.
Inspirational…beautiful playing at the end…..
Being goal oriented versus just wondering around hit me. An amazing story of determination. I am grateful to have been introduced to him. Thanks Tony!
The playing at the end is amazing. Very moving story and music.
Great message of getting up when you get knocked down, an inspiring story. The tunes at the end left me smiling, great job. RIP Pete !
I look forward to the day that I can play like that!
Now I don’t feel too bad with my goal of being able to play Kansas “Dust in the wind” and one Bob Marley song at my advanced age.
His story is very motivating, I can definitely see the need for goals. Watched some YouTube videos of him, and he was everything that you said that he was as a guitarist, and a person.