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That time Ronnie James Dio told me what he really thought of Ritchie Blackmore and Yngwie Malmsteen as guitarists

By Steve Newton Back in 1985 I did my only interview with Ronnie James Dio, who was headed to Vancouver on the Sacred Heart Tour, with Yngwie Malmsteen‘s Rising Force opening up. At one point in the conversation the legendary heavy-metal crooner compared the guitar-playing abilities of his former bandmate Ritchie Blackmore to those of … Continue reading That time Ronnie James Dio told me what he really thought of Ritchie Blackmore and Yngwie Malmsteen as guitarists

That time I asked Def Leppard guitarist Steve Clark what he liked so much about Gibsons

By Steve Newton My nephew Jeff has been letting me borrow his Gibson Les Paul Standard for a while now, and, holy crap, is that one killer instrument! You wouldn’t have gotten an argument about that from Def Leppard guitarist Steve Clark, who used Gibson guitars to craft some of the band’s finest riffs before … Continue reading That time I asked Def Leppard guitarist Steve Clark what he liked so much about Gibsons

That time J. Geils told me that his first love was jazz and he wanted to be a white Miles Davis

By Steve Newton As a teenager in the seventies, I absolutely loved the J. Geils Band. I first got turned onto them through the “Live” Full House album of ’72, which was just a smokin’ concert disc. I was crazy about their versions of old R&B/blues numbers like “First I Look at the Purse” and “Homework”, … Continue reading That time J. Geils told me that his first love was jazz and he wanted to be a white Miles Davis

That time J.J. Cale told me that any help I could give him, he’d appreciate

By Steve Newton I realize I’ve mentioned it before–maybe more than once–but holy crap do I love J.J. Cale. He left us in 2013, but my fondness for the guy hasn’t dwindled at all since he shuffled off this mortal coil. He was the personification of laidback cool–not to mention criminally underrated guitar prowess. My … Continue reading That time J.J. Cale told me that any help I could give him, he’d appreciate

That time Gary Moore told me how he scored Peter Green’s ’59 Les Paul

By Steve Newton Gary Moore has been one of my fave guitarists ever since I heard him with Thin Lizzy back in the seventies. I then closely followed his hard-rock/metal solo career in the ’80s, before he got the blues bigtime in 1990. I was fortunate enough to have interviewed the legendary picker once, back in … Continue reading That time Gary Moore told me how he scored Peter Green’s ’59 Les Paul

Billy Idol humps the stage and Steve Stevens’ guitars rage as the Whiplash Smile tour hits Vancouver

chris cameron photo ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON MAY 22, 1987 By Steve Newton When Billy Idol kept stalling and stalling the release of his latest LP, Whiplash Smile, there was some real danger that the man’s popularity–which had reached great heights after the release of 1983’s Rebel Yell–was beginning to run its course. When a star with so … Continue reading Billy Idol humps the stage and Steve Stevens’ guitars rage as the Whiplash Smile tour hits Vancouver

That time I asked Allman Brothers guitarist Dickey Betts what he’d been listening to in his spare time

By Steve Newton Regular readers of Ear of Newt may have noticed that I, the Newt, really like posting excerpts from my four interviews with Dickey Betts. It’s not just because he’s a guitar legend. Or because he was in the freakin’ Allman Brothers. Though that’s part of it. But I also just like listening … Continue reading That time I asked Allman Brothers guitarist Dickey Betts what he’d been listening to in his spare time

That time Dickey Betts told me that the Allmans had “a good old time” on that porch from the Shades of Two Worlds cover

By Steve Newton When I interviewed Dickey Betts back on July 18, 1991, it was just two weeks since the Allman Brothers had released their 10th studio album, Shades of Two Worlds. That was very much “a Dickey album”, since he’d written or co-written (with fellow guitarist Warren Haynes) five of the album’s eight tracks, and also … Continue reading That time Dickey Betts told me that the Allmans had “a good old time” on that porch from the Shades of Two Worlds cover

Telecaster queen Sue Foley didn’t pick up a guitar to get chicks–or even guys, for that matter

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON APRIL 2, 1992 By Steve Newton Talk about the harried, high-pressure life of a traveling blueswoman! In her Phoenix, Arizona hotel room, Sue Foley is getting it from all sides. It’s check-out time, and room service is banging on the door; she’s playing Tucson that night, and her fellow musicians are out … Continue reading Telecaster queen Sue Foley didn’t pick up a guitar to get chicks–or even guys, for that matter

Rolling Stone can piss right off: here’s the 100 Greatest Guitarists (that I’ve interviewed) and 50 that I haven’t (yet)

By Steve Newton Google “100 greatest guitarists” these days and what shows up at the top is a total joke. It’s the high ‘n’ mighty Rolling Stone‘s list of the so-called finest, posted from 2015. And man does it suck. But what do you expect from the same bozos who oversee the Rock and Roll … Continue reading Rolling Stone can piss right off: here’s the 100 Greatest Guitarists (that I’ve interviewed) and 50 that I haven’t (yet)

Triumph’s Rik Emmett on the merits of the power trio and his secret song for Randy Rhoads

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON FEB. 11, 1983 By Steve Newton Triumph’s Rik Emmett is a man of many moods on guitar. Though best known for supplying the driving rhythms and rapid-fire leads that are trademarks of his group’s two-fisted sound, Emmett never hesitates delving into the subtle and contemplative realms of classical and jazz as well. On … Continue reading Triumph’s Rik Emmett on the merits of the power trio and his secret song for Randy Rhoads

That time Roy Buchanan told me that Pink Floyd’s David Gilmour was just a bluesman at heart

By Steve Newton I’ve been getting quite a few hits lately for a blog I posted about Danny Gatton, which included an audio excerpt from the interview I did with the underrated guitar genius back in 1993. So I figured maybe it was time to treat that particular group of Ear of Newt readers–the ones … Continue reading That time Roy Buchanan told me that Pink Floyd’s David Gilmour was just a bluesman at heart