Jimmy Page was born January 9, 1944.

He began his career as a studio session guitarist in London and went on to be a member of The Yardbirds from 1966 to 1968, after which he founded the band Led Zeppelin.

Page is unquestionably one of the all-time most influential, important, and versatile guitarists and songwriters in rock history.

Last Year, Rolling Stone magazine ranked him #3 in its list of the 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time.

He has been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice, once as a member of The Yardbirds (1992) and once as a member of Led Zeppelin (1995).

Page was quoted to say: “Many people think of me as just a riff guitarist, but I think of myself in broader terms… As a producer I would like to be remembered as someone who was able to sustain a band of unquestionable individual talent, and push it to the forefront during its working career. I think I really captured the best of our output, growth, change and maturity on tape — the multifaceted gem that is Led Zeppelin.” - 1993 Guitar World Magazine Interview.

By the way… Jimmy Page is reputed to own over 1,500 guitars!

Happy 68th Birthday Jimmy!

James Marshall “Jimi” Hendrix was born November 27, 1942.

To say that Jimi Hendrix was a guitarist, singer and songwriter is like saying Michael Jordon was a basketball player. 

To many people, Jimi is considered to be the greatest electric guitar player in the history of rock-n-roll music… and don’t expect GuitarDaddy to dispute that!

Certainly he was one of the most important and influential musicians of his era across a wide variety of genres.

He said often that his playing style was influenced by blues artists such as B. B. King, Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf, Albert King and Elmore James.

After his initial success playing in Europe, he achieved “rock-star” fame in the United States with his 1967 performance at the Monterey Pop Festival. He went on to headline the iconic 1969 Woodstock Festival and the 1970 Isle of Wight Festival.

Hendrix favored raw overdrive and amplifiers with high gain and treble. It was that combination that helped him fine-tune the previously undesirable technique of guitar amplifier feedback. Simple stated, Hendrix turned the undesireable into the desirable.

One of my favorite Hendrix quotes was: ““Sometimes you want to give up the guitar, you’ll hate the guitar. But if you stick with it, you’re gonna be rewarded.”

He was rewarded, and so were we — every time we heard him play.

Happy Birthday Joe Bonamassa!

Joe Bonamassa was born in Utica, New York on May 8, 1977.

He received his first guitar from his father at the age of 4, and by age 7 he was playing Stevie Ray Vaughan and Jimi Hendrix tunes note for note. At the age of 11, he was mentored by Danny Gatton and learned to play country, jazz and heavy rock.

He opened for B. B. King when he was 12.

After first hearing him play, King said, “He hasn’t even begun to scratch the surface. He’s one of a kind.”

B.B.’s analysis of Joe’s ability was right on track.

Today, Joe Bonamassa is known as one of the finest electric blues-rock guitarists on the planet and is a favorite of GuitarDaddy and TheGuitarBuzz.com.
 

Happy Birthday Joe Bonamassa!

 
Want to JAM like Joe? CLICK HERE for Joe Bonamassa Backing Tracks!

The Texas Cannonball - Freddie King

Freddie King was born on September 3, 1934.

He was nicknamed “The Texas Cannonball”.

He is often mentioned as one of “the Three Kings” of electric blues guitar, along with Albert King and B.B. King.

He is best known for singles such as “Have You Ever Loved A Woman” (1960) and his Top 40 hit “Hide Away” (1961).

He is credited as a key inspiration to Stevie Ray Vaughan and Jimmie Vaughan.  His influence was also strong toward Eric Clapton and the revival of the blues.

King died from heart failure on December 28, 1976 at the all-too-young age of 42.

Happy Birthday Freddie!  We miss you!

Eric Johnson

Eric Johnson was born August 17, 1954.

Eric is best known for his ability to incorporate jazz, fusion, new age and rock into his recordings.

Guitar Player magazine called Johnson “One of the most respected guitarists on the planet.”

In 1990 he recorded the single “Cliffs of Dover,” which won him the 1991 Grammy Award for Best Rock Instrumental Performance.

The latest news on Eric is that he just finished a new studio album, and has scheduled 4 Texas shows with his Alien Love Child band. This is from the official post on Johnson’s web site:

“Johnson will now be giving various tracks to three of the top engineers in contemporary music to mix: George Massenberg, Gary Paczosa and Andy Johns. “I’ve spent the last year and a half in the studio, and I really want to get up on stage and do some playing,” says Johnson. After a recent one-off Alien Love Child show in Dallas, “the band was sounding better than ever, so I want to keep that going.”

Guest artists on the new release will include Sonny Landreth, Jimmy Vaughan, and Steve Miller.

Visit Eric’s official web site by clicking HERE.

Happy 56th Birthday Eric Johnson!

Albert Collins was born on October 1, 1932. We lost him 1993.  He was one amazing blues guitarist.

Albert had several nicknames, including: “The Ice Man”, “The Master of the Telecaster” and “The Razor Blade”.

Collins was popular throughout the 1980′s and early 1990′s and was an influence for other guitarists… namely: Robert Cray, Gary Moore, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Jonny Lang, Susan Tedeschi, Kenny Wayne Shepherd and John Mayer.

In 1983, he won won the award for best blues album of the year with “Don’t Lose Your Cool”.  In 1985, he shared a Grammy for the album Showdown!, which he recorded with Robert Cray and Johnny Copeland.

Collins also performed at Live Aid in 1985, playing “The Sky Is Crying”.

Collins will always be remembered for his live performances, where he would often come down from the stage and mingle with the audience.  Throughout his career, Albert Collins collaborated with Ronnie Wood, Jimmy Page, Robert Cray, Keith Richards, Jeff Beck, Stevie Ray Vaughan, B.B. King and Eric Clapton.  Not bad company!

Happy 77th Birthday Albert Collins!  We miss you!

David Howell Evans was born on August 8, 1961. He is more widely known by his nickname and stage name The Edge (or simply just Edge).

Edge is best known as the guitarist, keyboardist, and main backing vocalist for the rock band U2. The Edge’s unmistakable guitar sound (clean, sharp, incisive, and cutting-Edge) is part of U2′s trademark. The characteristic and mesmerizing sounds and the emotions he expresses through them make him one of the most respected guitarists in rock and roll.

In 2003, Rolling Stone magazine named him at #24 on their list of “The 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time”.[2].

Happy Birthday Edge!

Carlos Santana was born on July 20, 1947.

He is a Grammy Award-winning rock musician and a superb guitarist. Santana became famous in the late 1960s and early 1970s with his band, Santana, which pioneered a blend of rock, salsa and jazz fusion. The band’s sound featured his melodic, blues-based guitar set against Latin percussion.

Carlos experienced a tremendous resurgence of popularity and acclaim in the last 10 years. Rolling Stone magazine named Santana #15 on their list of the 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time in 2003.

Happy Birthday Carlos!