Latest articles by Gary Graff
“He was angry I’d given away a No. 1 hit.” Neil Diamond says he was fired five times before the Monkees scored a hit with his song “I’m a Believer”
Diamond, who returns this week with a new album, said he nearly offered the song to a country star before the pop group made it their biggest hit
“It was such great stuff.” Steve Vai says he’s heard Eddie Van Halen’s unreleased recordings
Vai recalls sitting in Eddie’s studio surrounded by unheard music — and explains why the guitarist believed Van Halen already was his solo career.
Adrian Smith on Bruce Dickinson and Steve Harris’s stage battles in Iron Maiden
The guitarist says the rivalry erupted shortly after Dickinson joined the band — and is captured in the new documentary Iron Maiden: Burning Ambition.
Joe Satriani and Vai on the upcoming SatchVai album — and their plans for the group’s future
The virtuoso duo reveal how their latest single took shape and how their solo successes made this the right time to join forces
Dethklok/Metalocalypse creator Brendon Small says he lost rare guitars gifted by Joe Satriani and Steve Vai
The Dethklok guitarist has also downsized his collection and changed his playing technique to correct years of bad habits
“John McLaughlin scared the hell out of me.” Narada Michael Walden on his 1970s adventures with Mahavishnu, Robert Fripp and Carlos Santana
The drummer and producer for Whitney Houston and Aretha Franklin recalls the intimidating moment he first jammed with the Mahavishnu Orchestra leader
Billy Sheehan on Steve Vai, Paul Gilbert, Steve Lukather, Richie Kotzen and Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal
The Talas, Mr. Big and Winery Dogs bassist reflects on decades of playing alongside some of rock’s most formidable guitarists.
Todd Rundgren reflects on Jeff Beck, Eric Clapton and the moment he nearly jammed with Hendrix
As he nears the 50th anniversary of ‘Faithful,’ his tribute to 1960s classic rock, the songwriter and producer recalls the guitar heroes who shaped him
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
