Erkan Oğur, born on April 17, 1954, in Ankara, Turkey, is a Turkish singer, songwriter, composer, arranger, and music teacher known for his pioneering work with fretless guitars. He began playing violin and the bağlama lute during his childhood in Elazığ. After studying physics at Ankara University and Ludwig Maximilian University in Munich, Oğur shifted his focus to music, inventing the first fretless classical guitar in 1976. His debut album Arayışlar was released in Germany. In 1989, he moved to the U.S., collaborating with Robert 'One Man' Johnson and introducing the fretless guitar into blues music. Notable albums include Fretless, Eşkıya (1993), Gülün Kokusu Vardı (1998), and Fuad (2001). Oğur's first Turkish album, Bir Ömürlük Misafir, was released in 1996 and ranked fourth on European charts. He has collaborated with various artists, including Bülent Ortaçgil and Kemal Eroğlu, and won awards for his soundtrack work in the 2004 film Yazı Tura. In 2023, Erkan Oğur received a special honorary award at the 3rd Izmir International Film and Music Festival in recognition of his contributions to music.
