fate, talent and one more ingredient...luck! Steve Vai has said that he's the luckiest guy in the world. I believe he's right. But, before you go commenting on his image - check out not only what he's released as music, but also look at the way he went about learning his instrument. This guy played for 10 hours a day, every day, for years and years. This is a guy who can transcribe almost anything that can be written onto a sheet of paper. I'll admit - if you had John Popper playing lead guitar in a band, you'd probably get laughed at. But, then on the other hand, the public can only laugh for so long until they run out of breath. When they stop laughing they are forced to take note of the musicians abilities. This is where Steve Vai is head and sholders above mossty other guitarists on the planet. Sure he fit into the "glam" look back in the 80s, but that was just a phase that passed (thank God!). So, to wrap this up and put into perspective...lok at pictures of Handrix when he played live. Scarves all over the place, fringe hanging from his coat and a big hat with a feather...who thinks that this is what made Hendrix a star? He gained his legendary status by playing his guts out. Looks matter in today's market - musicianship and talent matter in historical relevance.