While not an original member of Iron Maiden, guitarist Adrian Smith proved to be one of the missing pieces to the puzzle (singer Bruce Dickinson being the other) early on -- resulting in the band obtaining elite status among the metal masses soon after. Born on February 27, 1957, in Hackney (located in East London), Smith was captivated by such... [+] Read More

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As with many of the other English beat groups of the '60s, Alvin Lee cut his musical teeth in Hamburg, Germany in a band called the Jaybirds. By 1966, back in England, he had changed the name of his band to Ten Years After and was rapidly becoming a major attraction because of the virtuosity of his solo work. Most Americans first became familiar... [+] Read More

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Heavy metal/hard rock guitarist Bernie Torme has had several opportunities to break through to the big time as a hired gun with established (or promising) artists, but each time, circumstances prevented him from doing so. Born in Dublin, Ireland, Torme first picked up the guitar at the age of 11, looking up to such fellow Irish-bred guitarists... [+] Read More

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The venerable Delbert McClinton is a legend among Texas roots music aficionados, not only for his amazing longevity, but for his ability to combine country, blues, soul, and rock & roll as if there were no distinctions between any of them in the best time-honored Texas tradition. A formidable harmonica player long before he recorded as a singer,... [+] Read More

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The technically proficient guitar playing of John Petrucci elevated Dream Theater to the upper echelons of contemporary heavy metal. While its lineup has continuously evolved, the Long Island-based quintet has consistently delivered sharp-edged music. Dream Theater is known for its high-energy concert performances. While they've released several... [+] Read More

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Power is a lost figure of the '60s who drifted into the inner circle of British blues after a middling career as a teen idol in the early '60s. He recorded one of the first Beatles covers (an early 1963 single of "I Saw Her Standing There") and never experienced acclaim as a commercial pop singer or blues vocalist. But he recorded some fine... [+] Read More

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Just as alternative rock was signaling the death knell for many of the "guitar shredders' of the late '80s, a few instrumentalists were able to sneak in under the radar, such as Gary Hoey -- who attracted some attention via his 1993 debut, Animal Instinct. Hailing from Boston, MA, Hoey was first a music fan before picking up the guitar --... [+] Read More

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One of the most popular guitarists to emerge from '80s-era heavy metal was Dokken's George Lynch. With an arsenal of snazzy-looking guitars and speedy solos, Lynch helped propel Dokken toward the top of the charts for a spell (before interband tension broke up the group), and later, launched a solo career. Although born in Spokane, WA, on... [+] Read More

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Best known for his stints with hard rock outfits Thin Lizzy and Whitesnake, guitarist John Sykes was born July 29, 1959 in Reading, England. He began playing music at 14, and joined the group Streetfighter in 1980; a stint with Badlands followed before Sykes joined the Tygers of Pan Tang, issuing the LP Spellbound in 1981. After completing work... [+] Read More

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Kenny Wayne Shepherd and his group exploded on the scene in the mid-'90s and garnered huge amounts of radio airplay on commercial radio, which historically has not been a solid home for blues and blues-rock music, with the exception of Stevie Ray Vaughan in the mid-'80s.

Shepherd was born June 12, 1977, in Shreveport, LA. The... [+] Read More

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Die Band „Overdrive“ entstand im März 2005 durch Robert Krystek Gitarre, Marcél Krämer Bass, Gesang und einem Schlagzeuger. Sie ist in M-V durch ihre dort einmalige Musikrichtung und als Vorband der legendären DDR-Band „City“ bekannt geworden.
Robert Krystek, 17 Jahre, fing mit zehn an, Gitarre zu spielen. Früh... [+] Read More

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"Athens, Georgia's Rick Fowler is a midnight stalker on guitar, steady when called for, but fearless when he rips into the moment. As a vocalist he's spooky-smooth. Randall Bramblett, along with a few others, mixes up tasty blues/rock cocktails behind Fowler on Back On My Good Foot. There's a distinct Brit-invasion vibe to several of the songs,... [+] Read More

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Jammates Records announces a March 25, 2008 release date for Back on My Good Foot, the label debut CD from Athens, Georgia-based blues/rock singer and guitarist Rick Fowler. Among those joining him on the album are Randall Bramblett (Hammond organ), Gerry Hansen (drums) and Michael C. Steele (bass and backing vocals) – all members of the Randall... [+] Read More

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British-born blues/rock guitarist Snowy White first became interested in music at age 11, when he heard urban blues performers like B.B. King, Otis Rush, and Buddy Guy, and was inspired to create his own clean, hard-edged style of British blues.

After moving to London in the early '70s, White spent the decade forging his sound and... [+] Read More

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