Multi-faceted guitar great, Hank Garland, died Tuesday of a staph infection. He was 74. Garland, who could play jazz, blues, country, and rock, worked with such performers as Elvis Presley, the Everly Brothers, Roy Orbison, Patsy Cline, and Charlie Parker.

Born Walter Garland in Cowpens, SC in 1930, Hank picked up a guitar at six. At 14, he was 'discovered' by Paul Howard the leader of the band 'The Arkansas Cotton Pickers.' Garland was invited to play with the band at the Grand Ole Opry and did so until it was discovered that he was under 16, and thus not legally allowed to perform at the Opry.

As a result, Garland began playing as backup and worked on recordings by Patsy Cline and the Everly Brothers. In the 1950s, he also backed Elvis on several records, and in 1961, he appeared onstage with Elvis at the concert in Honolulu.

During this period, Garland met Nashville guitarists Harold Bradley and Billy Byrd who introduced him to jazz. Garland is known to have jammed with George Shearing and jazz great Charlie Parker.

Garland's life was nearly ended in September 1961 when he was involved in a car accident. He was in a coma for many months and his injuries were life altering. He was so badly injured that he had to learn to walk, talk, and play the guitar all over again.

Although he did return to his music, Hank Garland was never able to recapture the promising career that could have been. At the time of his death, he was negotiating a movie about his life.