Talmage Holt Farlow was born in Greensboro, North Carolina, in 1921.[2] He taught himself how to play guitar. He learned chord melodies by playing a mandolin tuned like a ukulele and listened to Bix Beiderbecke, Louis Armstrong, and Eddie Lang. He said his playing the ukulele was the reason he used the higher four strings on the guitar for the melody and chord structure, with the two bottom strings for bass counterpoint, which he played with his thumb. His only professional training was as an apprentice sign painter. He requested the night shift so he could listen to big band standards on the shop radio. His career was influenced by hearing Charlie Christian playing electric guitar with the Benny Goodman band. He said he made his own electric guitar because he couldn't afford one.
Farlow made an impression on the jazz world when he played in a trio with Red Norvo and Charles Mingus from 1949 to 1953.[2] He used virtuoso technique and guitar mechanics, such as harmonics and using the picking hand to play notes on the fret board. His large, quick hands earned him the nickname "The Octopus".
When Farlow was married in 1958, he retired from full-time performing[2] and settled in Sea Bright, New Jersey, returning to a career as a sign painter. He continued to play occasional dates in local clubs. In 1962 the Gibson Guitar Corporation, with Farlow's participation, produced the "Tal Farlow" model.
Farlow made one album as a leader during 1960–1975, but emerged more often during 1976–1984, recording for Concord before disappearing again. He was profiled in the documentary Talmage Farlow (1981).
Farlow died of esophageal cancer at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York City on July 25, 1998, at the age of 77.