Most influencial musician/s

What musicians or bands have had the most influence on you in your music or in your life?

I reckon in my life John Lennon has had the most influence on my life. Ive read and seen alot about him and from his lyrics has inspired me generally.


Musically, Ive been most inspired by Jimi Hendrix his carrer has inspired me that you dont ahve to spend years practising to be a great musician and that music is about passion. Its not what you play but the way that you play it.

Jimmy Page has inspired me alot that music doesnt have to be complicated to be brilliant (Whole Lotta Love for example).

Eric Clapton has inspired me because he is seen as one of the greatest rock and blues guitarists ever even though he doesnt have the greatest technique or anthing like that.

Aswell people like Ritchie Blackmore, Caros Santana, Rory gallagher, Gary Moore and The Edge have inspired me. Blackmore for his simplicity and for his constent use of the revolving door system. Santana because of his passion, like Hendrix, and his stuff is universal, never gets old. And Rory gallagher, Edge and Gary Moore proving that guitarists can actually come out of Ireland and become legends.


I spent ages typing this so Id appreciate as much feedbac as possible.

That goes to jimmy page and ritchie blackmore..
both of them briliant players, and great composers
ritchie was the reason i picked the guitar and page made me fall in love with the pentatonic scales and the blues music..
Led Zeppelin you were talking about blackmore's music being simple... i think not!
probably you didn't hear enough purple and rainbow stuff... i know there is an opinion about blackmore that he's only major power chords player.. but behind this man hides great knowledge of theory.. i'm pretty sure that in the year 1972 he was the only rock guitar player that knew what is harmomic minor, and what are arrpegios.. he brought the exotic scales to rock, and he was one of the first guitar players to include clasical stuff in his music. i know that his most familiar stuff like smoke on the water is very simple, but songs like april ,why didnt rosemary, and many others shows that he's not as simple as many people think.
What is also really great about ritchie is the fact that his music is not limited to one style and the purple albums include almost any style of popular music u can think of

This isn't a definitive list, only a list of those who influenced me when I was younger:

1) Tony Iommi -- When I first heard the album "Black Sabbath" it was nothing like I, or anyone, had ever heard at that time. This certainly wasn't the Beatles! The way Iommi could get so much sound, such an awesome growl out of his SG just completely changed my world.

2) Tommy Bolin -- His guitar solo on the song Quadrant 4 on Billy Cobham's 1973 album "Spectrum" is still one of the most frenetic I've ever heard. The guy is all over the fretboard and except for about a 5 second breakdown where he does that typical rock guitarist repetition (da da da, da da da, da, da da, da da da), it is one of the most amazing solos I've ever heard.

3) Ronnie Montrose -- His 1974 debut album was pure guitar muscle. (Sammy Hagar on vocals.) He did some things I'd never heard a guitarist do before. His motorcycle engine sounds (imitated years later by Motley Crew on Kick Start My Heart) on "Bad Motor Scooter" were mind-blowing to me at the time. How could you get that growl out of a guitar? He again impressed me when he teamed up with jazz drummer Tony Williams for the song "Open Fire."

4) Al DiMeola -- When I first heard Suite: Golden Dawn from his 1976 debut album, oh man! I'd never heard such speed, such technical expertise in my life! And that was his goal, to prove he was the fastest. I believe he succeeded. Even today I'm still amazed at his prowess, his sheer speed.

5) Cat Stevens -- Yeah, OK, laugh. But he was a great songwriter and he did play a mean acoustic. I enjoy his work.

6) Rhino (aka Larry Rheinhart) -- Other than "Inagadadavida" (sp?) I haven't heard his stuff with Iron Butterfly, but the stuff he did with Captain Beyond still sounds as fresh today as it did back in the early 70s. I've never grown tired of their first album and still play it on a daily basis.

[Edited by The Ferret on 04-19-2001 at 12:32 PM]

Definately Led Zeppelin, without them i would not play withe the passion i do

Hendrix, the guitarist i aspire to be

Thode are really the main influences in my life, there are others but they don't have the impact these guys do.

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Zeppelin Rules!!!
---Otto the Bus Driver