Latest articles by Phil Weller
Mark Knopfler on the guitarist who blew him away
The Dire Straits legend heard a blues guitarist moving beyond his influences and into something “really powerful”
Eric Clapton said he spent 30 years “meandering” back to the path he left in 1965
Clapton left Mayall’s band intending to pursue an even more hardcore form of the blues, only to spend the next three decades taking the long way back
“Can I state here that I hate the Police?” Ritchie Blackmore says the band helped bring Deep Purple back together
The guitarist saw a gap for Deep Purple’s earthy, aggressive rock at the height of the Police’s success
Warren Haynes on the guitarists who changed his life
From discovering Hendrix through his older brother to studying Clapton and Johnny Winter, Haynes traces the players who shaped his approach to the guitar
Chris Cornell said “punk rock guilt” contributed to the Nirvana guitarist’s suicide
Cornell said many ‘90s bands found that their success conflicted with their punk rock ethos
Billy Strings says his mother made the cover of his new album just before she died
The bluegrass virtuoso says ‘So Much for Goodbyes’ is a deeply personal tribute to the woman who raised him — and an attempt to break the cycle of generational trauma
David Lee Roth recalls the night Tony Iommi thought he’d kidnapped Ozzy Osbourne: “What did you do to Ozzy?!”
The Black Sabbath singer vanished during the bands’ infamous 1978 tour with Van Halen, sparking an all-night search
Tony Iommi’s new bassist thought she’d lost the gig on day one
Becky Baldwin feared she’d never hear from the Black Sabbath guitarist again after recording with him for the first time. Instead, she landed a starring role on his first solo album in 21 years
Joe Bonamassa reveals one of the most-played guitars in his 600-plus collection
The blues guitarist says the heavily modified 1968 Telecaster has become a “secret weapon” thanks to its unlikely Gibson-meets-Fender design.
Joe Bonamassa says toxic guitar culture has gone too far
The blues guitarist says the abuse Nick Jonas received after one high-profile mistake is proof that musicians deserve more empathy
Todd Rundgren on the Jimi Hendrix album that changed everything
The guitarist reveals the moment Hendrix moved beyond his influences and discovered a voice entirely his own
David Lee Roth’s Skyscraper drove Billy Sheehan out. “The whole atmosphere changed”
The bassist says the camaraderie that defined Eat ’Em and Smile disappeared as Roth chased a more polished sound on his second solo album
The Eric Clapton album David Gilmour says every guitarist should study
Before he became one of rock’s most distinctive guitarists, Gilmour spent hours learning Clapton’s solos note for note. He says every aspiring player should do the same.
Chrissie Hynde on James Honeyman-Scott’s tragic loss. “I am guilty”
The guitarist reflected on the drug-related deaths of Honeyman-Scott and bassist Peter Farndon less than a year apart after the band struck it big
Eric Clapton on the one guitarist who mastered the “difficult” art of modern blues. They’re no longer speaking
Slowhand highlighted one player as a champion of the genre — but their friendship wasn't built to last
Samantha Fish names the five guitar players she says will keep the blues alive
She’s been backed by Joe Bonamassa and Slash, but who is she backing as the next generation of blues greats?
Bands hired Alex Lifeson for the Rush sound. He loved disappointing them
“I like to do something that they would never expect,” the guitarist says of his post-Rush collaborations, where he chased strange effects, new textures and unexpected sounds.
Bono, Springsteen and Ed Sheeran mourn Glen Hansard: “A musical and mischievous archangel”
The Oscar-winning Irish singer-songwriter has died at 56 following a motorcycle crash in Dublin
A lost John Lennon song has been found for the Beatles’ Rubber Soul reissue — but its origins remain a mystery
The home demo was an unexpected discovery in Lennon’s archive, and the clues it contains have only deepened the mystery surrounding its creation
Brian May names Freddie Mercury’s “most beautiful” Queen song — and it’s not “Bohemian Rhapsody”
The guitarist says the 1984 deep cut exposed Mercury’s personal struggles and brought the two bandmates closer together
“It seemed kind of a natural progression.” George Harrison never understood why Bob Dylan going electric caused such outrage
The Beatle recalled watching Dylan plug in — and wondering why so many fans felt betrayed
Derek Trucks on the musician and instrument that made him a better slide player
One player in particular had as much impact on his sound as Duane Allman and Elmore James
Dave Davies revisits the Kinks’ Beatles rivalry — and reveals the only Fab Four member he admired
More than 60 years after the bands first clashed, the guitarist says George Harrison was “the nicest guy,” while offering little praise for Lennon or Paul McCartney
