Johnny "Guitar" Watson. Hands down one of the unknown greats! Born in 1935 his slashing licks are known to have jumped over genres to influence people like Etta James, Sly Stone, Jimi Hendrix, and Steavie Ray Vaughan. If you ever heard Space Guitar and you knew that he never used a pick on that track you would and could understand why his music had such an impact. Prince, George Clinton and Rick James each recognized Watson's towering influence. He was not only a great guitarist but a pianist and saxophonist. Never-the-less in the 528 pages of Shaw's text, subtitled The Golden Years Of Rythm And Blues, Johnny "Guitar" Watson's name was never mentioned, not even as a footnote.
"The writers don't know who the real cats are. Only other cats know that. They'll testify. They'll let you know you shaped their souls. Look, man, I came up at a time when, far as music goes, you couldn't **** around. You either knew how to play or not; you either could sing or not. There was no faking the ****. The people who heard me then, heard me good and loud. I made my impression, and no book can change that fact."
Johnny "Guitar" Watson
Others in no particular order;
B B King
Walter "Wolfman" Washington
Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown
Smokin' Joe Kubek
Little Jimmy King
Barbara Lynn
Carlos Santana
Eric Clapton
Sylince
