Con Hunley was born in Fountain City and attended Central High School. He idolized Chet Atkins and taught himself to play using Chet Atkins's signature guitar style, often called "Atkins style" or "Travis picking,". Rather than using a guitar pick, this method utilizes his thumb and the first two (or sometimes three) fingers of his right hand to play a combination of bass, rhythm, and melody simultaneously, creating a rich and complex sound.