I pretty much agree, Chet. I've always been an ear musician---and a musical loner. Never did try to exactly copy anybody. Just developed my own ways of doing the styles I respected most. Restricted by my own limitations, I created my own cliches; when you put enough of those together over the years, you develop a "STYLE" of your own as a byproduct. A little John Hurt--a little Merle Travis--a little Pete--a little Grandpa Jones--a little Bob Gibson--a ton of myself and my own stubbornness--and many, many other good people I met on those roads less traveled. If I had played "with" others more, I might've been forced to learn more music---even learn to read music. But doing it with others wasn't my forte--I preferred one person and their intrument to a band any day---a small combo to a big band. And being a solo was much easier than practicing with others; that's sad to some extent, but true, nonetheless. And nobody ever quit my group and had to be replaced! Playing by ear was sometimes limiting, but what I put out there for others to hear was the music I loved most--the story songs--not what other musicians wanted me to play.
My recordings were always just me and my instruments---no overdubbing---no other voices (except once; my friend Cindy Mangsen)
Once, as I've said in another thread, I did try to form a group one time. Elvis Presley, Patti Page, Rosemary Clooney, and me. Yep, we were gonns call ourselves "Presley, Page, Rosemary and Thieme"

Art