Latest articles by Joe Matera
“There were about 15 people in the audience — and about 10 when they finished.” Chris Spedding on discovering the Sex Pistols and landing them their record deal
The session guitarist recalls taking the young band into a London studio in 1976 to cut the demos that led to the birth of punk rock
He jammed with Prince and Miles Davis — until one deceptive meeting put an end to everything
Prince could have anything... except the guitarist he wanted most
Steve Howe reveals the accident that nearly destroyed the guitar behind Yes’s best-loved songs
For more than two decades, the guitarist kept quiet about the trauma that befell his treasured 1964 Gibson ES-175
Micki Free says Prince really did school Eddie Murphy on the basketball court
The Shalamar guitarist was there the night the Purple One stunned Eddie Murphy and Charlie Murphy — and confirms the legendary Chappelle’s Show story was no joke
Barbra Streisand recorded over 30 takes of “The Way We Were.” Nothing worked. Then the bassist tried something different
Session legend Carol Kaye says the song came alive the moment she ignored the written part
How Neil Diamond, a bag of weed and a twice-rejected song turned a pair of struggling young guitarists into global stars
As the Bellamy Brothers reveal, they were hurting for a hit when they befriended Diamond’s band. The rest is history
John Lydon on the Sex Pistols’ obsession with ABBA
Punk mocked pop’s excesses, but Sid Vicious adored ABBA — and wasn’t afraid to show it.
Session guitar legend Dean Parks on his historic hit recordings with Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson and Paul McCartney, and B.B. King
His classic licks can be heard across some of the artists’ biggest albums of the 1970s and ’80s
Steely Dan’s key guitarist on what happened behind his hit tracks with Walter Becker and Donald Fagen
The ace says he never knew the outcome of a session. ”They would never tell you whether what you played would be kept or not.”
Tim Renwick on his highs and lows with Eric Clapton, David Bowie and Al Stewart
After getting passed up for Bowie‘s Spiders From Mars band, Renwick built a solid career as a journeyman guitarist to the stars
Tim Renwick recalls Pink Floyd‘s wild rise from high school rockers to prog-rock gurus
Renwick, who has played with Eric Clapton, David Bowie and many others, was there from Floyd's start to Gilmour‘s and Waters' solo careers
Rock royalty's favorite sideman recalls his days with Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix, Pete Townshend, Roger Waters and Bill Wyman
From Hendrix‘s earliest U.K. gigs to Clapton‘s Crossroads, Andy Fairweather Low has seen and played with the best of them
The “accidental” 1976 smash hit created by a virtuoso rock group and the most recorded guitarist in history
Louie Shelton and the founding members of Toto didn’t think the song had “a chance in hell” of succeeding. A DJ proved them wrong
The guitarist behind the 1960s pop hitmakers who sold more records than the Beatles and Rolling Stones combined
Louie Shelton played on the original recordings for the Monkees, establishing the sound that would help them become one of America's biggest pop groups
Randy Bachman on the obscure jazz guitar genius whose influence runs through the music of the Guess Who and Bachman-Turner Overdrive
Bachman met Lenny Breau when they were teens in Winnipeg and continues to honor the late guitarist's legacy with a deep archive of unreleased gems
Randy Bachman on the rehearsal mistake that led him to became the the guitarist for Canada's biggest American hitmakers
As Bachman and Guess Who frontman Burton Cummings prepare to return to the road next year, the guitarist recalls how it all began
Bob Dylan couldn’t understand one crucial thing about guitars and film making
‘Hearts of Fire’ was Dylan’s third foray into theatrical films and featured him playing a musician very much like himself
He spoke the one name you shouldn’t say to Kinks guitarist Ray Davies. What happened next was...
Steve Bolton on playing guitar for Davies, David Bowie — and the time Dr. John threw voodoo at Keith Richards
Frank Infante — Blondie’s “secret weapon” — on Robert Fripp’s contributions to their breakthrough album and playing with Joan Jett and Iggy Pop
From bassist to lead guitarist, Frank Infante delivered what the group needed through its smash heyday
As Rush prepare for their 2026 tour, Alex Lifeson recalls the group’s most complex song — and the bizarre dreams that inspired their music
The guitarist said his weekly jams with bassist Geddy Lee helped him “fall in love with the idea of playing again”
“It sounds like 50 Marshall stacks!” Pete Townshend’s guitar secrets revealed by the Who’s substitute guitarist
Steve Bolton said the Who guitarist taught him the power of using just one guitar for some of his most bombastic tracks
Pete Townshend’s substitute guitarist reveals the highs and lows of his time in the Who
Atomic Rooster guitarist Steve “Boltz” Bolton was hired to play on the group’s star-studded 1989 tour — if he could survive the rehearsals
How Snapple and a 1968 news story on Steve Miller led to an urban myth about head-banging insects and heavy metal
A suspicious report about rock music's effect on termites took on new life at the turn of the 21st century. Our reporter dug in
