Since his tragic death from lung failure in 2003, at just 40 years old, Shawn Lane has become almost a mythical figure in the guitar community.
Though his recorded output – two solo albums, three instructional videos, a DVD with Jonas Hellborg, and over 20 total appearances on other records – attracted little commercial notice during his lifetime, videos displaying his scarcely believable technical skill have won him a steadily growing legion of admirers in the internet age.
One such video is the one above, showing Lane cutting loose with an unbelievable three-minute solo during a performance at The South End in Memphis in 1992.
Lane was a deeply soulful player, with an incredible range of influences that all bled into his playing, but his sheer speed in this video is something to behold. It's no wonder that Paul Gilbert once described him as “the most terrifying guy of all time.”
Sit back and enjoy.
"He'd been given the guitar for his 16th birthday and obviously didn't want it. I took one look and said, ‘Thanks, I'll have it!’ " Phil Manzanera on his Roxy Music Firebird, "Love Is the Drug" 1951 Tele and other favorite guitars
“Eddie told us that he copied that style from listening to us. He was a big fan of the band and came to see us play regularly.” Rick Derringer recalls a young Eddie Van Halen and performing with Johnny Winter
