I would tend to think that Duane Eddy Inspired thousands of Guitarist to play Rock and Roll. He toured with the Top Name Rock and Roll Stars of the late 50s and early 60s. I saw Duane Eddy in Person, in St. Louis, around 1960. Duane Eddy also wrote and recorded many songs for TV Shows, a very lucrative thing to do, and it took great talent to do this kind of Song Writing and Guitar Playing. By Robert Lee Johnson The Great Accomplishment of Duane Eddy was to sell so many Records, as strictly Guitar Playing.
Most Guitarists make their money from backing up singers.
Even those Guitarists who are considered the All Time Great Jazz Players made most of their living from Backing Up Singers. Even Chet Atkins, the most recorded Guitarist of all time made most of his living from Backing Up Singers, and producing records. The Critics may praise this Guitarist or That Guitarists. However, Critics buy few records. A Guitarist would starve to death for certain if he depended on money that came in from Record Sales to Critics.