Latest articles by Christopher Scapelliti
“Pete actually dug me out of the hole.” Why Pete Townshend’s Crossroads debut means so much to Eric Clapton
In 1973, Townshend’s all-star Rainbow Theatre concerts forced Clapton back onstage at the height of his addiction — a moment that eventually led to the creation of the Crossroads Centre and Clapton’s famous guitar festival.
Pete Townshend on the woman who preoccupied him and Jimmy Page at the Who’s “I Can’t Explain” session
Townshend was surprised to find Page hired for the Who's landmark recording — but both guitarists were distracted by talk of their shared girlfriend
“‘Do you remember that guitar that went missing?’” Ronnie Wood says he took a bass guitar from a store to play with Jeff Beck
The Rolling Stones guitarist also revealed that he recorded a nine-minute guitar solo for the group’s new album in memory of Brian Wilson and Sly Stone
“You are Robert Smith from the Cure!” Mick Jagger recalls the unexpected moment that led to a Rolling Stones collaboration
The Stones frontman shared the story during a chat on Tuesday with Conan O’Brien in Brooklyn to announce the band’s new album, ‘Foreign Tongues’
“It sounds like a terrible B-flick horror soundtrack.” Eddie Van Halen on the night he got drunk and wrecked Marvin Hamlisch’s piano
During a late-night experiment in a rented Malibu home, the guitarist scraped the composer’s Yamaha grand with forks and knives — and turned the chaos into a track later used on Van Halen’s ‘Balance’
“It felt like there were insects in my legs.” Peter Frampton recalls the moment he knew something was wrong
As he prepares to release his album ‘Carry the Light,’ the guitarist says the strange sensation came years before he was diagnosed with Inclusion Body Myositis
Mark Knopfler on his grueling 10-hour Steely Dan session that resulted in just seconds of music
Fresh off the success of “Sultans of Swing,” the Dire Straits guitarist joined Donald Fagen and Walter Becker in the studio — and discovered just how painstaking their recording process could be.
Melissa Etheridge says a “heroic dose” of cannabis led to a life-changing awakening
The singer explains how a powerful edible experience in 2003 sparked a spiritual awakening that reshaped her philosophy on life — months before her breast cancer diagnosis
David Coverdale on Tommy Bolin replacing Ritchie Blackmore in Deep Purple
Coverdale and others reflect on Bolin’s time in the James Gang and Deep Purple before his death at 25
Jozef Van Wissem wants to make the lute the new electric guitar — with a pickup and a bottleneck slide
The minimalist composer and collaborator with Jim Jarmusch is electrifying a 24-string relic — and scandalizing classical purists in the process.
“She was a shining talent.” Beverley Martyn, British folk singer who worked with Jimmy Page and Nick Drake, dies at 79
The London folk-scene standout appeared on Simon & Garfunkel’s ‘Bookends’ and finally released her own solo album in 2014
“Clear and unequivocal.” Jimi Hendrix bandmates’ estates lose royalty lawsuit over their classic recordings
High Court rejects claims from Noel Redding and Mitch Mitchell’s estates over decades-old payments
Nuno Bettencourt recalls the moment Eddie Van Halen stopped him from tapping on his own rig
When the Extreme guitarist finally met his hero in 1991, Eddie handed him his guitar — and proved he’d been reading his interviews
Olivia Rodrigo makes surprise appearance at Brooklyn open-mic night to play her new song “Drop Dead”
The singer and guitarist has been making a number of under-the-radar performances ahead of her new album
Paul McCartney and RIngo Starr reveal the big mix-up behind their first-ever duet
The Beatles legends finally record together on “Home to Us,” a Liverpool-inspired song on McCartney’s upcoming album
Jim Peterik reveals the surprising story behind “Vehicle,” the Ides of March hit that broke records on its way to the top
Written by the future “Eye of the Tiger” composer, the 1970 smash became the fastest-breaking single in Warner Bros. history — even though the band thought it was a throwaway.
“The problem was that Jim Gordon got Eric into heroin and things just bogged down.” Behind late Dave Mason’s work with Derek and the Dominos and Jimi Hendrix
Mason, who died on April 19, was present for some of rock’s big moments, including the formation of the Dominos and the making of Hendrix’s “All Along the Watchtower”
How Stevie Ray Vaughan won over David Bowie’s ‘Let’s Dance’ sessions — with guitar and Texas BBQ
Producer Nile Rodgers recalls how the young blues guitarist instantly understood his role on Bowie’s 1983 blockbuster
Pretenders guitarist James Honeyman-Scott on Chrissie Hynde’s “weird” rhythm — and the secret he never told his bandmates
The late guitarist said Hynde’s unconventional sense of time defined the band’s sound — and forced him to “bluff” his way through songs
On this day 50 years ago, Peter Frampton hit number one with ‘Frampton Comes Alive!’ — then came to regret its success
As the guitarist releases his newest single, “Lions at the Gate,” featuring Tom Morello, he recalls the phenomenon that made him a superstar overnight — and reshaped his career trajectory.
Brian May on the chart-topping Queen hit Freddie Mercury composed while getting ready one morning
John Lennon said the song inspired his return to the studio in 1980 for his final album, ‘Double Fantasy’
Courtney Barnett on the moment when everything clicked on her new album
The songwriter recalls the epiphany that inspired “Mantis,” the track that pulled ‘Creature of Habit’ together
Sudden Illness forces Goo Goo Dolls to scrap multiple concerts on their current tour
Frontman John Rzeznik has been diagnosed with pneumonia, sidelining three Canadian tour dates
