Latest articles by Phil Weller
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
Alex Van Halen and David Lee Roth to make rare public appearance together this week
The former Van Halen bandmates will take part in a virtual TEDx talk with artist Robert Vargas — 11 years since they last shared a stage
Joe Walsh reveals what Stevie Nicks taught him about songwriting
The Eagles guitarist’s brief romance with the Fleetwood Mac legend gave him a front-row seat to a songwriting process very different from his own
George Harrison on the night the Beatles got George Martin and his crew high
The producer wouldn’t learn about the incident until the early ‘90s
Frank Zappa said John Lennon took credit for one of his songs
Zappa accused Lennon of repackaging his song “King Kong” as if he and Yoko Ono had written it themselves
“This is the kind of guitar playing that melts me.” Brian May on the guitarist who left even the Queen legend humbled
The Queen guitarist has been named the greatest rock guitarist of all time — but when it came to this late blues-rock icon, even May could only stand back and marvel.
Eric Clapton on Chas Chandler’s misstep with Jimi Hendrix — and why he “fell in love with him” anyway
Clapton thought the Experience was the wrong band for Hendrix, but felt “an incredible sense of relief” to have discovered someone else as devoted to the blues as he was
Tommy Emmanuel says a fatal gang fight triggered a lockdown before his gig at San Quentin Prison. He went on anyway
Performing for lifers inside California’s most notorious prison, the guitar legend was rewarded with tears, bear hugs, and a deeply moving reminder of the healing power of music
Mick Jagger on his rivalry with David Bowie — and the Ziggy Stardust–era track that was Bowie’s Rolling Stones tribute
The pair would eventually turn their friendly jousting into a 1985 cover of “Dancing in the Street” for Live Aid’s famine-relief efforts
Robert Plant once paid a radio station to stop playing “Stairway to Heaven”
The singer was driving when he heard the unusual fundraising offer – and decided to make a contribution
Ian Anderson reveals his guilt over Jethro Tull’s name
The band went through many iterations before management suggested Jethro Tull
Mark Knopfler reveals the surprising influence behind the Dire Straits hit "Money for Nothing
Long before “Sultans of Swing” made him a guitar hero, Knopfler was a reporter learning the art of listening — a skill that would define his songwriting.
Mick Jagger says John Lennon talked him out of meeting Elvis Presley — and he still regrets it
The Rolling Stones frontman says Lennon’s disappointing encounter with Presley convinced him to stay away — a decision he still wishes he hadn’t made
Green Day, Pearl Jam, Garbage and others rally around L7 bassist Jennifer Finch as fund to support her brain cancer fight tops $350,000
The GoFundMe organizer says they are “blown away” by the support, with major donations also coming from Maynard James Keenan, Kathleen Hanna, Brett Gurewitz and others
How one FaceTime call helped 19-year-old Anna Cara land her Alice Cooper gig
Tommy Henriksen spotted the future Nita Strauss stand-in on social media, compared her feel to Gary Moore's and called her parents. Months later, she was playing alongside Cooper
Phil Collins heard one sentence on an old George Harrison tape — and thought he’d solved a 30-year mystery
The future Genesis star believed he’d finally discovered why he didn’t appear on All Things Must Pass. Then George Harrison revealed what had really happened.
Famous shock rocker says one unexpected visitor changed his band’s fortunes overnight
The singer reveals how a chance encounter with a music legend led to an introduction that shaped his career for the next 55 years
Paul Rodgers on Bad Company’s rock anthem that took years — and an entirely new band — to complete
Patience — and a single well-played guitar chord — turned out to be a virtue for one of the biggest hits in the group's catalog
Joan Jett and Garbage rally around L7 bassist Jennifer Finch after she receives brain cancer diagnosis
The band has launched a GoFundMe campaign to help cover extensive medical care and in-home support after multiple surgeries and complications
Peter Frampton on why he quit Humble Pie — and the band member who helped push him out the door
Frampton says his rift with Steve Marriott forced him to leave before the band’s breakthrough record came out
“We did our best work with Dave.” Alex Van Halen explains why David Lee Roth was Van Halen’s secret ingredient
The drummer says Roth’s chemistry with Van Halen “was brilliant soup” — and credits the singer with connecting to audiences like no one else could
George Harrison said he would have formed a new group with just one Beatle
Although his solo career was going strong, the Quiet Beatle entertained the possibility of forming a new band with one of his former Fabs
