Scotty Moore

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Scotty Moore, the pioneering rock guitarist whose sharp, graceful style helped Elvis Presley shape his sound and inspired a generation of musicians died Tuesday. He was 84.

“As a musician, I consider him one of the co-founders of rock ‘n’ roll because of the guitar licks that he invented,” said biographer and friend James Dickerson, calling Moore an icon.

Moore, a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, was the last survivor of a combo that included Presley, bassist Bill Black and producer Sam Phillips.

Moore was a local session musician when he and Black were thrown together with Presley on July 5, 1954, in the Memphis-based Sun Records studios.

Presley was a self-effacing, but determined teen anxious to make a record. Moore’s bright riffs and fluid solos — natural compliments to Presley’s strumming rhythm guitar — and Black’s work on a standup bass gave Elvis the foundation on which he developed a blend of blues, gospel and country that came to be called rock `n roll.