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April 2026

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51 articles

April 29
- “I knew that she was a shining talent.” Beverley Martyn, British folk singer who worked with Jimmy Page and Nick Drake, dies at 79
- “Clear and unequivocal.” Jimi Hendrix bandmates’ estates lose royalty lawsuit over their classic recordings
April 27
- “I heard it snap over the screaming crowd.” Billy Strings reveals how he broke his leg attempting a skateboard trick before encore
- "It was a pleasure to accidentally open up for Olivia Rodrigo.” Fans surprised as Olivia Rodrigo makes appearance at Brooklyn open-mic night to play her new song “Drop Dead”
- “I said, ‘Send me that song. He never did.’‘ Paul McCartney and RIngo Starr reveal the big mix-up behind their first-ever duet
April 26
- “Great to hear ‘Layla’ and ‘Wonderful Tonight’ live again.” Pattie Boyd, muse to George Harrison and Eric Clapton, just saw Clapton play “Layla” live 37 years after their breakup
April 24
- “I said, ’Where did you learn that!?’” Dave Grohl was shocked to learn his daughter Violet taught herself guitar with Joni Mitchell’s “weird” tunings
- “I didn't even plug it in.” How Larry Carlton chose the Gibson ES-335 electric guitar behind countless hits for Steely Dan, Joni Mitchell and many others
April 23
- “He needed to drink to socialize.” Ritchie Blackmore on his backstage encounters with Eddie Van Halen
- “The chainsaws got locked away in storage.” How Joe Walsh brought friendly competition — and a little hotel-room chaos — to the Eagles
- “I’m on the verge of passing out in bed, and I stumble upon this gift.” Nuno Bettencourt says he’s just discovered a generational talent
April 22
- “I sh*t my pants.” Earl Slick on his first gig with David Bowie, filling Mick Ronson’s shoes — and why making ‘Station to Station’ was “every man for himself”
- “The amp and the guitar — it’s yours.” Steve Lukather tears up remembering how his dad gave up a new car to buy him his first good guitar
April 21
- Win tickets to an all-star tribute to David Lindley led by Papa Mali and Wally Ingram in New Orleans
- “I thought, ‘My God, who the hell is this?’ This shouldn't be allowed.” Ritchie Blackmore explains how Jeff Beck “cheated” — and set the tone for a generation of players to follow
April 20
- “It reminds us that music can still be dangerous, it can still be sacred, and it can still be free.” Bruce Springsteen celebrates the Doors, the E Street Band, Patti Smith and others at the American Music Honors
April 18
- “I saw it and said, ‘What the hell is that?’”: The mystery fuzz pedal that Jake E. Lee got from Paul Gilbert
April 17
- “You're literally leaning into the thing that will destroy you”: Billy Corgan makes a rallying cry against AI
- “Alex challenged our 6’ 11” stage manager to a cognac drinking contest…” Geddy Lee on his funniest memory of touring with Alex Lifeson
- “Pretty please keep an eye out for these stolen guitars”: Joe Bonamassa calls on LA locals to help session player Mason Stoops retrieve his stolen gear
April 16
- “It’s undeniable that if any of the four Kiss faces walk down the street, you get a crowd. In any country in the world”: Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley on their avatar show, new songs, and being bigger than Mickey Mouse
- “All the power was coming from the English bands, we were drawing on that”: Why Joe Perry says Aerosmith’s debut album was an important learning curve
- “He was such a nice guy, I couldn't believe he was a guitarist!” Ritchie Blackmore claims “most guitar players aren't nice people” and names the one exception
- “After Ozzy, everything I do is probably going to be a downgrade…” Why Gus G turned down Megadeth and Machine Head
April 15
- “He said, ‘Before we jam, we gotta jog. I’ve got too much energy!’” Steve Morse on his college jams with Pat Metheny and Jaco Pastorius
- “He asked for my number. I wrote it on a napkin but he didn’t call…” Country guitarist Brittney Spencer on making a fan out of Bob Dylan
- “I walked over, started playing it and I just had to buy it”: How Mike Bloomfield and a chance encounter saw Robben Ford convert to a Telecaster enthusiast
April 14
- “This was the most painful experience I ever had building an instrument, but now, she is in every note I play”: Luthier immortalizes his late wife in a guitar that features her ashes and wedding ring
- “Without you, we wouldn't be here”: Tony Iommi leads the tributes as Laney Amplification founder Lyndon Laney dies, aged 77
- "It doesn't have to be wiggly guitar solos": Opeth's Mikael Åkerfeldt on why The Beatles were more 'progressive' than most modern prog
- “I just try to burn through it, so nobody notices”: The guitar solo mistake Dokken's George Lynch was too “lazy” to change
April 11
- “He said, ‘Don’t worry — the Beatles take this stuff.’” How an acid trip, a cassette and an offhand comment landed teenage guitarist Al Di Meola the gig of a lifetime
April 10
- “The pressure was on.” On this day 50 years ago, Peter Frampton hit number one with ‘Frampton Comes Alive!’ — then came to regret its success
- “It was a really sh*tty one.” Samantha Fish doesn’t like her first live album — that’s why she did it right with her latest, ‘Paper Doll Live’
- “I can tell you how to become a virtuoso very easily.” Steve Vai says guitar-playing excellence is within every player’s reach. But there’s a catch
April 9
- “He thought the gardener was shagging his wife.” Rod Stewart on the bizarre reason the Jeff Beck Group turned down a chance to play Woodstock
- “Too many players start sounding like typewriters.” Uli Jon Roth on the modern technique guitarists need to avoid
- “When I answered the door, I was handcuffed and asked to step outside.” Lindsey Buckingam recounts past troubles with the woman who attacked him
April 8
- “Never say no to anything.” The life lesson that got Tommy Henriksen the Alice Cooper gig — and the Dumpster-find guitar he’s made his own
April 7
- “I don’t do drugs and I don’t do naked hippies.” Ian Anderson reveals the question that made Jethro Tull say no to Woodstock
- “She’s like Hank Williams or Jimi Hendrix. They are one in a billion.” Jack White on the understated “blessing” behind the White Stripes
- “I’ve got some bad news, Paul. Our truck was broken into and the bass was stolen.” Ian Horne recalls how he lost Paul McCartney’s Höfner bass
April 6
- “We drove 300 miles to see you — and you weren’t even onstage!” Randy Bachman on the fake Guess Who — and how he reclaimed the band and the name
April 5
- “I’m not going to be here long. Just give me stuff to sing.” Brian May on Freddie Mercury’s last days
April 3
- “With sorrow and gratitude, we must cancel tonight’s show.” Sudden Illness forces Goo Goo Dolls to scrap multiple concerts on their current tour
April 2
- “After his funeral, we snuck into his house and took the guitar.” Pepper Keenan recalls the strange story behind the instrument that started his career
- “We can't wait for the sick things to meet her.” Alice Cooper reveals his new guitarist — and she’s got the approval of Nita Strauss
- “Ozzy’s like, ‘I really f***ing need to cut the calories!’” A flight attendant mistook Ozzy Osbourne for another rocker
April 1
- “She is known to him from past incidents.” Lindsey Buckingham attacked by women who threw “unknown substance” on him
- “He dipped the silver tube into a bag of white powder and shoved it up my snout.” Chrissie Hynde on her unforgettable first meeting with Lemmy — and the one band he truly loved
- “I just figured it was gone forever.” When Zakk Wylde’s beloved Grail Les Paul fell off the back of a truck, one unique detail helped him get it back