By Steve Newton Here's another audio excerpt from my 1984 interview with Black Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi, wherein he reveals that he wanted to be a drummer at first. Thank god he got over that! Iommi also talks about losing two fingertips in an industrial accident, and how he was inspired to keep on playing by … Continue reading That time Tony Iommi told me about wanting to play drums, losing his fingertips, and loving Django
Category: guitar heroes
Albert Lee on going country in England and finding his “natural” gig with the Everly Brothers
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON JULY 11, 1986 By Steve Newton In the world of music, jolly old England is famous for a number of things. The Beatles for instance. And rock guitar heroes like Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page, and Jeff Beck. But country music is not one of Brittania's specialties, and it never has been. Luckily … Continue reading Albert Lee on going country in England and finding his “natural” gig with the Everly Brothers
Humble guitar master Allan Holdsworth always struggles to pay the rent
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON JULY 4, 1986 By Steve Newton Today he's regarded by critics and musicians alike as one of the most distinctive guitarists in the world. He's been the principal soloist for the likes of U.K., Gong, Bill Bruford, Soft Machine, Tony Williams' Lifetime and Jean-Luc Ponty. And he's one of the few players … Continue reading Humble guitar master Allan Holdsworth always struggles to pay the rent
That time Tony Iommi told me about the guys from Black Sabbath blowing up singer Ian Gillan’s boat
By Steve Newton Back in January of 1984 I called Tony Iommi up for a chat at his home in Birmingham, England. I was pretty psyched, since Sabbath albums like Paranoid, Volume 4, and Sabbath, Bloody Sabbath had meant a lot to me as a metal-loving teenager in the '70s, growing up in the wilds of … Continue reading That time Tony Iommi told me about the guys from Black Sabbath blowing up singer Ian Gillan’s boat
Susan Tedeschi can’t wait to get Doyle Bramhall II’s new album
By Steve Newton Susan Tedeschi called me up from her home in Florida last week in advance of the Tedeschi Trucks Band show in Vancouver this month. We go way back, as I first interviewed her in 1998 when she was a solo artist with a new debut album. While we were chatting about her … Continue reading Susan Tedeschi can’t wait to get Doyle Bramhall II’s new album
Bass god Stu Hamm compares Joe Satriani to Steve Vai and raves about Jaco Pastorius
By Steve Newton Way back in October of 1991 I did an interview with bassist Stu Hamm, a giant of the four-string who was best known for his work with guitar heroes Joe Satriani and Steve Vai. He had recently released his album The Urge, and was headed to Vancouver for a club gig. At … Continue reading Bass god Stu Hamm compares Joe Satriani to Steve Vai and raves about Jaco Pastorius
Stevie Ray Vaughan six weeks before the crash: “I would hate to get caught playing my last gig not trying”
During the interview I asked Stevie Ray if he ever had difficulty getting inspired for a show, and his response was somewhat prophetic.
That time I asked B.B. King who his “King of the Blues” would be
By Steve Newton Way back in 1984 I did my first interview with B.B. King when he was playing a string of shows at the Plazazz Showroom in North Vancouver. Man, was he ever a nice guy. Here he is talking about what it's like to carry the title of King of the Blues, and … Continue reading That time I asked B.B. King who his “King of the Blues” would be
That time I tried telling Albert King that Elmore James was his biggest influence
By Steve Newton When I look back over my 39-year career in music journalism, there are some folks that I'm really, really glad I got to talk to. Like Albert King. Of the three big Kings--sorry B.B. and Freddie--I think I appreciate Albert the most. There was something about the way he could wring deep, … Continue reading That time I tried telling Albert King that Elmore James was his biggest influence
Roy Buchanan on being asked to join the Stones, his fave guitarists, and Jeff Beck’s dedication to him
On January 26, 1986, I did my first interview with guitar legend Roy Buchanan, who was coming to Vancouver for a show at the Town Pump.
Cheering for St. Louis because Santana rocked that Blues jersey back in 1980
By Steve Newton The Stanley Cup playoffs are always more fun when there's somebody to cheer for, but since no Canadian teams made the cut this year, it's been kind of a drag. I mean, who were us hosers supposed to root for? The stinkin' Kings? Not a hope in hell, eh. Since my fave … Continue reading Cheering for St. Louis because Santana rocked that Blues jersey back in 1980
That time I asked David Gilmour which Pink Floyd album was his personal favourite
By Steve Newton Back in May of 1984 I did my first (and so far, only) interview with legendary Pink Floyd guitarist David Gilmour. Gilmour wasn't in Floyd at the time, though--he was doing press to promote his second solo album, About Face. But that didn't stop me from asking him if he missed Pink … Continue reading That time I asked David Gilmour which Pink Floyd album was his personal favourite
That time Danny Gatton told me that he thought Lenny Breau was the biggest “Humbler” of all time
By Steve Newton Back in April of 1993 I called Danny Gatton up at his home in Washington, D.C., to interview him in advance of a show in Vancouver as part of Music West. When he picked up the phone he'd been busy cleaning out his garage, and told me that he'd come across a huge … Continue reading That time Danny Gatton told me that he thought Lenny Breau was the biggest “Humbler” of all time