Leo Kottke is an American guitarist from Athens, Georgia, widely acknowledged as one of the founding fathers of modern fingerstyle acoustic guitar. Since the late 1960s, he has influenced virtually every serious fingerstyle player who followed — from Michael Hedges to Andy McKee — through his extraordinary command of both six- and twelve-string guitar.
His landmark 1971 debut album 6- and 12-String Guitar on Takoma Records remains one of the most essential fingerstyle recordings ever made. Released when he was just 26, it showcased a technique and musicality that seemed decades ahead of its time: powerful alternating bass thumb work, fiercely independent treble lines, and an uncanny ability to suggest full orchestrations from a single instrument.
Kottke is particularly celebrated for his 12-string playing — a notoriously difficult instrument — especially on pieces like "Vaseline Machine Gun," which has become a benchmark for fingerstyle technique. Despite partial hearing loss and tendinitis that forced him to modify his approach over the years, his playing has only grown more nuanced.
With over 30 albums spanning folk, blues, and Americana, Kottke's catalog rewards deep listening. His dry wit and storytelling on stage are as legendary as his guitar work.