These late legends help end International Guitar Month
As April comes to an end, so does International Guitar Month. To close this series, over the next two days, we feature some of the legends of the instruments. Today we begin with some artists who have passed on.
More than fifty years after his death, Jimi Hendrix is still considered by many to be the greatest guitarist ever. Although he burned out fast with a small catalog of work, his talent and personality trumped that.
Jeff Beck was one of the most innovative guitarists. His work ranged from hard rock to jazz fusion. Inducted into The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of The Yardbirds and as a solo act, Beck also won eight Grammy Awards.
Terry Kath was the soul of the band Chicago. His guitar work gave the group its edge. His death, in an accidental gun incident, changed the band’s main focus—many say for the worst.
They don't name guitars after you because you suck. Gibson did this with Les Paul and it's still one of the standards in the industry. Paul and his then-wife Mary Ford dominated the charts in the early to mid-1950s with twenty-seven hit songs.
When you win nine Country Music Awards for Instrumentalist of the Year along with fourteen Grammys, it's easy to see why Chet Atkins earned the nickname “Mr. Guitar.” Rolling Stone magazine has him twenty-first on their list of the greatest guitarists of all time.
When Eric Clapton was asked how he felt about being the greatest guitarist, he responded, “Go ask Prince.” If you're unsure about this, check out this performance at The Rock Hall of Fame of “While My Guitar Gently Weeps.”
While he didn't invent this, Eddie Van Halen made the two-handed tapping method of guitar playing his own. An avid collector, Van Halen donated seventy-five guitars to Mr. Holland’s Opus Foundation, a group that donates musical instruments to schools with low-income students.
Tomorrow the series closes with some guitar legends who are still making great music