Latest articles by Gary Graff
Waddy Wachtel on his 1970s adventures with Warren Zevon — from Robert Johnson’s licks to “Werewolves of London”
Before making ‘Excitable Boy,’ the guitarist clashed with Zevon, jammed all night on Everly Brothers tour stops and learned the blues from one of rock’s sharpest songwriters.
Carmine Appice on cutting a Coke ad with Jeff Beck, hanging with Jimi Hendrix and playing with Rod Stewart and Rick Derringer
As he returns with a new Cactus album, Appice tells tales from his star-studded past dating back to his years in Vanilla Fudge
Treaty Oak Revival’s Lance Vanley went to buy a $300 Strat. He got an armed encounter
The guitarist behind the hit southern rockers arrived at a garage meeting where a gun was present, a pat-down followed, and an unexpected deal unfolded.
How Vince Gill got and lost Chuck Berry’s autograph in less than an hour
The Nashville hitmaker got a memorable story from the encounter — and a surprise in return from Berry
Samantha Fish doesn’t like her first live album — that’s why she did it right with her latest, ‘Paper Doll Live’
The blues-rock guitarist’s latest release builds on the Grammy Award–nominated success of her 2025 studio album
Ritchie Blackmore on the one musician he was closest to — and what drove a wedge between them
The two men reconnected before one of them died, leading Blackmore to write a song in his memory
“Keith, your guitars only have five strings!” Brian Setzer recalls the day Keith Richards handed him his Les Paul
The Stray Cats guitarist adds that he’s picked up a couple of new guitars — and they’re not Gretsches
“They advertise it as a safe tonic to give you energy — and it’s not.” Brian Setzer on the “health drink” that sent him to rehab
The Stray Cats guitarist explains how an over-the-counter tonic derailed the group’s last tour
“I kept Cozy in the band because he would bring stacks and stacks of English chocolates...”
Rainbow’s new nine-disc ‘Temple of the King’ box arrived with a rare invitation to debrief the elusive virtuoso.
Keith Richards had a priceless response when he caught his band watching the Fab Four
The Rolling Stones guitarist delivered a one-line reminder of who he was — and where he’d been
Steve Stevens showed up to rehearse with Eddie Van Halen — and instantly knew he’d made a mistake
The Billy Idol guitarist recalls his first jam at Eddie Van Halen’s home — and the gear friendship that followed from it
Melissa Etheridge walked into a guitar shop — and nobody knew who she was
What she learned on her visit helped her become her band’s lead guitarist after years of playing acoustics
Narada Michael Walden on the night he walked away from Tommy Bolin
The Mahavishnu Orchestra and Jeff Beck collaborator says Bolin’s addictions forced a heartbreaking decision, months before the guitarist’s death.
Why Bill Frisell bought Robert Quine’s blue Telecaster after his death
Frisell recalls his friendship with Quine, the New York City jam session that led to the guitar’s purchase, and the modifications that made it his own.
Steve Stevens on the time Mick Jagger was mistaken for a session bassist
Jagger dropped in on a Billy Idol studio date hoping to interest Stevens in a new guitar company created by his brother
“The guitar is like this magic wand.” Bill Frisell on imagination, collaboration and the guitar guiding his new album
The jazz great speaks with us about creative humility, turning 75 and why ‘In My Dreams’ is about collective conversation — not guitar heroics
Steve Stevens on smashed guitars, being pushed offstage — and what he discovered watching Billy Idol’s new documentary
As ‘Billy Idol Should Be Dead’ hits theaters, the New York native talks highlights from his long career with the British rocker
Jeff Beck drummer Narada Michael Walden reveals the guitarist left behind a previously unknown trove of unreleased tracks
The jazz-fusion drummer recalls Beck’s “lost confidence” in the years after they collaborated on ‘Wired’
Bernie Leadon dissects the Eagles’ biggest album of all time
“It’s really simple, and simple’s good,” the group’s co-founder says, “if you want to reach people and make it memorable”
Al Jardine on the Beach Boys’ “lost album” and Brian Wilson’s strangest comeback
As ‘We Gotta Groove’ highlights a polarizing, two-year period in the group‘s history, the long-running guitarist reflects on a band in transition
Vince Gill on how he found the instrument he calls “the definitive guitar in my life”
Gill also talks about the “daunting” task of filling in for an ailing Joe Walsh on a recent Eagles gig
Jim McCarty recalls Eric Clapton’s “quite unhappy” time with the Yardbirds
The Yardbirds drummer tells GP Clapton thought the group was selling out when it chose to record “For Your Love.” It turned out to be their first hit
The show that ended David Bowie’s touring career — and the song that became his last hit
Earl Slick recalls working with the artist in his final years on tracks highlighted in the new David Bowie box set, 'I Can’t Give Everything Away'
