Draft:Cameron Knowler
American musician, writer, and archivist
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Cameron Knowler is an American recording artist, archivist and writer primarily known for his creative interpretation of American bedrock music. Born and raised in Yuma, Arizona, and now based in Nashville, Tennessee, Knowler brandishes a post-modern perspective on American traditional music that nods to both his formal training and his roots in the American West.[1] Knowler is also the founder of Rural Guitar, a private press and webstore dedicated to the development of early American guitar styles.[2]
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Early Life and Education
Knowler was born in Yuma, Arizona, a historic city along the Colorado River. He grew up in a “snowbird” community in the foothills of the Gila Mountains, called the Fortuna Foothills. Knowler did not attend traditional school (except grades 6th and part of 7th) and describes his upbringing as "un-schooled," spending his days riding dirt bikes, skateboarding, writing poetry and drawing with little supervision.
At age 11, he attended one year at Ron Watson Middle School in Yuma. After the incarceration of his father in 2008, Knowler, his brother and mom moved to Houston, Texas. He eventually enrolled in Houston Community College at 16, studying music theory and creative writing. Knowler went on to study at the University of Houston's Moores School of Music under the tutelage of guitarist Mike Wheeler, where he earned an undergraduate degree in jazz guitar performance, and later a master's degree in archival work from the University of North Texas.[3]
He began playing music at age three, starting with drums and then moving to electric guitar. He was inspired to focus on acoustic flatpicking guitar after seeing a bluegrass concert in Cody, Wyoming, at age 15.[4] Immediately following that experience, a video of Norman Blake's playing became a turning point, leading Knowler to sell his electric guitars and buy an acoustic to closely study Blake's music and techniques.
A decade later, after mailing a copy of his book, Guitars Have Feelings Too, to the famously private Norman Blake, Cameron Knowler received an invitation to visit his hero at his home in Rising Fawn, Georgia.[5]
Musical Career
Knowler has collaborated with other musicians, including Robert Bowlin, Dylan Day, Rayna Gellert, Harrison Whitford[6] and Jordan Tice, who played on Knowler's self titled 2025 album CRK. [7] He has played at major festivals such as Primavera Sound and South by Southwest, and in legendary venues such as LA’s McCabe’s Guitar Shop and Houston’s Anderson Fair. He has played on records by Alex Amen, Haylie Davis, and Eli Winter.[8] He recorded a "Lagniappe Session" for the audio journal "Aquarium Drunkard" that he later released as the EP East of the Gilas.[9]
Writing and Publications
Knowler is known for his first book, Guitars Have Feelings Too, an instructional manual and "flatpicking manifesto” which he wrote after classes during his undergraduate years at Blackhole Coffee House in Houston. The volume explores the relationship between melodic, flatpicked guitar and the rhythm guitar styles of the 1920s and 1930s[10]. The book launched his private press, Rural Guitar, and informed his 2025 publication, Listen to my Noise: The Guitar Stylings of George Riley Puckett.[11] Cameron is a regular contributor to Acoustic Guitar Magazine and Fretboard Journal.[12]
Discography
EPs:
- New & Old (2018, Blue Hole Recordings)
- Honey Off a Rock (2019, Castle Dome Records)
- Live @ the Eastman House (Houston, TX) (2019, Dear Life)
- East of the Gilas (2025, Castle Dome Records)
LPs:
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