As a youth in rural Maine, Hugh Bowden taught himself to play the guitar after becoming captivated by the music of legendary guitarist Chet Atkins. Bowden, who now lives in Ellsworth, has performed widely throughout Maine and beyond for several decades, both as a solo fingerstyle guitarist and singer and as a member of several small musical groups, in various styles of music. “I play music primarily for the joy and comfort it always brings to me,” he says. “And I feel doubly blessed in those occasional moments when my music can evoke those same feelings of joy and comfort in the hearts of others.”