Players “You Couldn’t Get the Information Because People Were Making It up on the Spot”: June Millington of Fanny Recalls Life in the Late-’60s Rock Scene As one of the first all-female rock and roll bands to enjoy major-label status their place in music history is undisputed “I Put the Electric Guitar off to the Side for a While and Fell in Love With Bluegrass”: Marty Stuart Reflects on His Deep Connection to Country Music’s History The Martin acoustic guitar stalwart is connected to practically everyone that matters in country music, going all the way back to his original hero, bluegrass pioneer Bill Monroe "The First Lead Guitar Player in Country Music Was a Woman": Country Star Vince Gill and Documentarist Ken Burns Talk American Music History The acoustic aficionados “walk the line” through the endlessly interesting trail of ‘Country Music’ Grid List Latest Players “You Certainly Don’t Want to Be Looking for Commercial Success”: Andy Summers Reveals the Evolving Strategies That Keep His Creative Life Busier Than Ever By Michael Molenda published 16 March 23 “You have to be very much engaged in the pursuit of finding new and unique ways to express your art,” says the Police guitarist With Captivating Stories of Loneliness, Desire, Regret and Freedom, Red Simpson’s ‘Roll Truck Roll’ Epitomizes the Electrified Bakersfield Sound By Jim Campilongo published 15 March 23 Featuring “Doctor of Guitars” Gene Moles, you don’t have to drive a truck to appreciate this 1960s country classic “I Want to Inspire Women to Play”: Nikki O’Neill Talks Writing ‘The Women’s Road to Rock Guitar’ By Sue Foley published 14 March 23 “I wanted to be an encouraging voice and explain guitar terminology and gear,” says the musician and educator Known as the Black Album, Celebrated Pedal Steel Innovator Buddy Emmons’ ‘Emmons Guitar Inc.’ Is Shrouded in Mystery By Jim Campilongo published 10 March 23 Jim Campilongo explains why this enigmatic record remains a hot country jazz favorite “You Gotta Really Want to Do This Thing and Do It for the Love of It”: Steel-Guitar Pioneer Marian Hall Shares Some Age-Old Wisdom for Musicians By Sue Foley published 10 March 23 Having played and recorded with the likes of Gene Autry and Merle Travis, the late maestro passed on some hard-earned knowledge in this enlightening interview “Somehow, Something Went Haywire, but in the Right Direction”: Billy Gibbons Recalls How ZZ Top's Happy Accident, “Cheap Sunglasses,” Came to Life By Richard Bienstock published 9 March 23 “So much of the stuff that you, me and the rest of the world grew up listening to, a good amount of it, if not more than half, was all done by accident,” states the ZZ Top frontman "Only in Retrospect Do You Realize That Something Was Your Peak”: Billy Duffy Looks Back on the Cult’s ‘Sonic Temple’ By Jude Gold published 9 March 23 The Gretsch White Falcon stalwart details making the Platinum-selling late '80s classic (and shares the biggest Spinal Tap moment he’s ever seen!) “It’s so Raw, It’s Bloody”: Jim Campilongo Explains Why Muddy Waters’ Chess Blues Masters Series Album Is His Undisputed Desert Island Blues Disc By Jim Campilongo published 8 March 23 The father of modern Chicago electric blues along with Little Walter, Willie Dixon, James Cotton, Otis Span, Tat Harris and others work their mojo on this collection of groundbreaking masterpieces “He Always Said, ‘I Make Records so Other People Can Hear My Songwriting’”: Christine Lakeland Cale Looks Back on the Musical Genius of JJ Cale By Art Thompson published 8 March 23 In this insightful interview, the late, great tunesmith’s wife reveals the guitars and gear behind JJ Cale’s craft and sheds light on his unique relationship with Eric Clapton Spectacular Pedal Steel and Virtuosic Vocals: Here’s Why Johnny Paycheck’s ‘At Carnegie Hall’ Is a ’60s Country Classic By Jim Campilongo published 7 March 23 Along with recordings by the likes of Merle Travis, Willie Nelson and Ray Price, Johnny Paycheck albums remain sonic templates 123456789Archives Get The Pick Newsletter Name: Your Email Address : Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors Thank you for signing up to The Pick. You will receive a verification email shortly. There was a problem. Please refresh the page and try again. MOST READ1“You Couldn’t Get the Information Because People Were Making It up on the Spot”: June Millington of Fanny Recalls Life in the Late-’60s Rock Scene2Rediscover the Fertile Ground of the Open Position and Cultivate Some Juicy Licks3“I Put the Electric Guitar off to the Side for a While and Fell in Love With Bluegrass”: Marty Stuart Reflects on His Deep Connection to Country Music’s History 4"The First Lead Guitar Player in Country Music Was a Woman": Country Star Vince Gill and Documentarist Ken Burns Talk American Music History5Best Guitar Picks 2023: Get To Grips With Your Playing With Our Top Choice Of Plectrums
“You Certainly Don’t Want to Be Looking for Commercial Success”: Andy Summers Reveals the Evolving Strategies That Keep His Creative Life Busier Than Ever By Michael Molenda published 16 March 23 “You have to be very much engaged in the pursuit of finding new and unique ways to express your art,” says the Police guitarist
With Captivating Stories of Loneliness, Desire, Regret and Freedom, Red Simpson’s ‘Roll Truck Roll’ Epitomizes the Electrified Bakersfield Sound By Jim Campilongo published 15 March 23 Featuring “Doctor of Guitars” Gene Moles, you don’t have to drive a truck to appreciate this 1960s country classic
“I Want to Inspire Women to Play”: Nikki O’Neill Talks Writing ‘The Women’s Road to Rock Guitar’ By Sue Foley published 14 March 23 “I wanted to be an encouraging voice and explain guitar terminology and gear,” says the musician and educator
Known as the Black Album, Celebrated Pedal Steel Innovator Buddy Emmons’ ‘Emmons Guitar Inc.’ Is Shrouded in Mystery By Jim Campilongo published 10 March 23 Jim Campilongo explains why this enigmatic record remains a hot country jazz favorite
“You Gotta Really Want to Do This Thing and Do It for the Love of It”: Steel-Guitar Pioneer Marian Hall Shares Some Age-Old Wisdom for Musicians By Sue Foley published 10 March 23 Having played and recorded with the likes of Gene Autry and Merle Travis, the late maestro passed on some hard-earned knowledge in this enlightening interview
“Somehow, Something Went Haywire, but in the Right Direction”: Billy Gibbons Recalls How ZZ Top's Happy Accident, “Cheap Sunglasses,” Came to Life By Richard Bienstock published 9 March 23 “So much of the stuff that you, me and the rest of the world grew up listening to, a good amount of it, if not more than half, was all done by accident,” states the ZZ Top frontman
"Only in Retrospect Do You Realize That Something Was Your Peak”: Billy Duffy Looks Back on the Cult’s ‘Sonic Temple’ By Jude Gold published 9 March 23 The Gretsch White Falcon stalwart details making the Platinum-selling late '80s classic (and shares the biggest Spinal Tap moment he’s ever seen!)
“It’s so Raw, It’s Bloody”: Jim Campilongo Explains Why Muddy Waters’ Chess Blues Masters Series Album Is His Undisputed Desert Island Blues Disc By Jim Campilongo published 8 March 23 The father of modern Chicago electric blues along with Little Walter, Willie Dixon, James Cotton, Otis Span, Tat Harris and others work their mojo on this collection of groundbreaking masterpieces
“He Always Said, ‘I Make Records so Other People Can Hear My Songwriting’”: Christine Lakeland Cale Looks Back on the Musical Genius of JJ Cale By Art Thompson published 8 March 23 In this insightful interview, the late, great tunesmith’s wife reveals the guitars and gear behind JJ Cale’s craft and sheds light on his unique relationship with Eric Clapton
Spectacular Pedal Steel and Virtuosic Vocals: Here’s Why Johnny Paycheck’s ‘At Carnegie Hall’ Is a ’60s Country Classic By Jim Campilongo published 7 March 23 Along with recordings by the likes of Merle Travis, Willie Nelson and Ray Price, Johnny Paycheck albums remain sonic templates
