Joe Bosso
Joe is a freelance journalist who has, over the past few decades, interviewed hundreds of guitarists for Guitar World, Guitar Player, MusicRadar and Classic Rock. He is also a former editor of Guitar World, contributing writer for Guitar Aficionado and VP of A&R for Island Records. He’s an enthusiastic guitarist, but he’s nowhere near the likes of the people he interviews. Surprisingly, his skills are more suited to the drums. If you need a drummer for your Beatles tribute band, look him up.
Latest articles by Joe Bosso
![null](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/k7qaSBBqHVYprY5L6AJC2L-320-80.png)
Watch Al Di Meola play Race with Devil on Spanish Highway with Steve Vai
By Jackson Maxwell published
This intimate rehearsal clip shows the fretwork of both guitar legends up-close
![Randy Jackson of Zebra plays his white B.C. Rich electric guitar onstage in 1983; the guitarist says the band are working on a new album](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/bPC3oa5fazGVhPToJyRSQa-320-80.jpg)
Randy Jackson on how forgotten '80s heroes Zebra earned their stripes as the people's power-trio
By Joe Bosso published
Led by singer/guitarist Randy Jackson, Zebra kept the spirit of Zeppelin, Hendrix and Cream alive. These days, family man Jackson is busy shaping up the group’s first album in two decades
![Justin Hayward of the Moody Blues wears a white jacket and plays his Bigsby-equipped red ES-335 as he fronts the band onstage at Madison Square Garden in 1978.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/EHUEsEd7nf6Mosis4rGE5T-320-80.jpg)
Justin Hayward on the life, times and tones of the Moody Blues, and the undisputed power of a dimed AC30
By Joe Bosso published
The iconic Moody Blues guitarist revisits obscure Moodies tracks and discusses the gear and thought processes behind his gear, tone and criminally unsung riffs
![Les Dudek takes a solo on a black Strat as Cher stands to his right.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/fpVNgmLUQXxVowcMRX7u48-320-80.jpg)
Les Dudek on playing with the Allman Brothers and getting no credit, Cher and his 2 hours in Journey
By Joe Bosso published
“I’m a legend that nobody knows,” says the journeyman guitarist, who played alongside Dickey Betts on Ramblin’ Man and Jessica, worked with Steve Miller, got scolded by Mike Bloomfield and was almost a founding member of Journey (but wait, there’s more…)
![Grace Bowers plays the Californian music festival BottleRock Napa Valley with her Maestro-equipped Gibson SG Standard in cherry](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/679DxyHrKUCrD2TknLSMUk-320-80.jpg)
Grace Bowers on her dizzying rise as the world’s next guitar hero and breaking the law to get better
By Joe Bosso published
The 18-year-old might be the greatest thing to come out of Nashville since Martin's Bar-B-Que Joint but she's keeping her feet on the ground, hands on her SG, as everyone else stands in awe of her prodigious talent
![Les Dudek (left) and Neal Schon perform onstage](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/4upbEGsxRKD5g2Y2KBxLMF-320-80.jpg)
“I got a call: ‘I’m putting a super band together’”: How Les Dudek joined Journey “for two hours”
By Jackson Maxwell published
Recruited due to his stellar resume – which included studio work with the Allman Brothers Band and Steve Miller – Dudek turned down the gig to pursue a solo career
![A black and white image of an open-shirted Pat Travers playing a Gibson double cut onstage in 1978](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/qeeVhd9qkr4Y9W7igu2wzU-320-80.jpg)
Pat Travers on his chemistry with Pat Thrall, punk and EVH’s ‘70s arrival and Snortin’ Whiskey
By Joe Bosso published
The Canadian-born virtuoso discusses the rise and fall of the Pat Travers Band, witnessing the U.K. punk revolution and the riotous roots of Snortin’ Whiskey
![Les Dudek (left) and Dickey Betts](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/Xm88czX9g8pMhmpRT63hZ9-320-80.jpg)
How Les Dudek ended up on the Allman Brothers Band's Ramblin’ Man
By Jackson Maxwell published
“Dickey was thinking about harmony guitars, like what he did with Duane,” the veteran guitarist recounted to GW
![Grace Bowers performs onstage at Wave in Wichita, Kansas on September 10, 2024](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/Xw9yNhENyi4iGS7cfPbw8G-320-80.jpg)
Why Grace Bowers prefers the Gibson SG to the Les Paul
By Jackson Maxwell published
Though her preference was originally based on aesthetics and weight, her reasons have – as she's grown more seasoned – expanded to feel and tone
![Justin Hayward (left) and Lonnie Donegan perform onstage](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/PFSkrvrczLGGikV4n7fMuL-320-80.jpg)
How Justin Hayward ended up with Lonnie Donegan’s 12-string – before Donegan took it back
By Jackson Maxwell published
Decades later, the guitar would once again end up in Hayward's hands, this time for good
![Les Dudek (left) and Mike Bloomfield](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/HN5TVWH8PnAUWrJRrSKAnD-320-80.jpg)
“‘What are you doing?’” When Les Dudek guested with Mike Bloomfield (without him knowing)
By Jackson Maxwell published
Caught up in the music and the moment, the veteran guitarist – who played on Allman Brothers Band's Ramblin' Man and Jessica – ran onto the stage while Bloomfield was at the keys, none the wiser
![Pat Travers and Eddie Van Halen playing guitar in the 1980s](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/tjWJQP9ovxDjn82vwiwM6H-320-80.jpg)
Pat Travers recalls how Eddie Van Halen gave rise to caricature impersonators
By Matt Owen published
Travers witnessed Van Halen at the peak of his powers, but was able to appreciate aspects of his trailblazing playing style that often went under-appreciated by Eddie's peers
![The Warning's Daniela and Ale Villarreal Velez onstage with a purple PRS guitar and blue bass respectively](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/523QYEdxwKwoPLLRzsQHYP-320-80.jpg)
Following mega-tours with Muse and Royal Blood, sister act The Warning are riff rock’s next big success story
By Joe Bosso published
From Metallica covers to U.S. network television and a searing third album powered by the creative heat of fuzz and distortion, Daniela and Alejandra Villarreal Vélez are going places fast, and hungry for more
![Eric Bazillian of the Hooters plays a Les Paul Junior Doublecut onstage in Germany 2024](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/tLCwi7Z55kpUXEffpmfrwC-320-80.jpg)
The Hooters’ Eric Bazillian on ‘80s mega-hits and helping Cyndi Lauper find a career-defining hit
By Joe Bosso published
The Hooters frontman/guitarist has had a career like no other, scoring hit after hit as a session player, nailing solos in one take. This is how it all went down...
![McKinley James plays his '59 Gibson ES-335 reissue with his fist in the air against a red background](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/PGeduqC69gv2sxZBtmemUU-320-80.jpg)
When his keys player quit, McKinley James had to rethink his playing style – and he did it without turning to pedals
By Joe Bosso published
Now touring as a father-and-son duo, the Dan Auerbach-championed blues rocker just keeps on rolling…
![Mark Tremonti](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/SP5WxLRLcJdXT8xL6pwzv6-320-80.jpg)
Mark Tremonti weighs in on the biggest bands of the ’90s (including Creed)
By Joe Bosso published
As Creed return, Tremonti shares his thoughts on Soundgarden, Pearl Jam and a host of other ’90s icons
![Jamie West-Oram onstage playing a green Stratocaster](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/okEe76jCFLQiT9CeNAbACj-320-80.jpg)
“I always loved Leslie’s beefy sound”: Jamie West-Oram on Mountain, The Fixx and his journey in tone
By Joe Bosso published
West-Oram's guitar tone is reference for a whole generation. Here we discusses its evolution from mono to stereo, and the songwriting approach behind his new solo album, Skeleton Key
![Scott Stapp and Mark Tremonti of Creed](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/HXBYkQqPvgagrYBoSaNRY8-320-80.jpg)
Mark Tremonti and Scott Stapp on the unlikely rebirth of Creed – and why they’ve always been cool
By Joe Bosso published
Thanks to a pair of sports franchises, a bizarre Super Bowl commercial and some shows that sold out in record time, Creed are back. Here, Stapp and Tremonti tell us how it all went down
![Top 30 New Jersey Guitarists: Al Di Meola, Richie Sambora, Bruce Springsteen, Zakk Wylde and Les Paul](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/myeFmzUCGzm3xexmy5SKQn-320-80.jpg)
The 30 best guitarists from New Jersey – from Al Di Meola and Richie Sambora to Gibson's best-selling signature artist
By Joe Bosso published
We gone and made a list of our favorite Garden State guitar heroes... Do write in for which state you'd like to read about next. One way or another, it won't have better pizza
![Tristan Auman of Sometimes In February](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/G6YJqTTfiwSqGv5tAnyqaS-320-80.jpg)
Meet Tristan Auman, the wildly inventive guitarist behind Sometime In February’s gonzo shred
By Joe Bosso published
Ambient beauty abuts technical excellence in the South Carolina prog outfit, but founder Tristan Auman promises us that no matter how crazy the musical ideas the song comes first
![Bryan Adams and Keith Scott](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/bkY3E3wTVGBu6t4qQagjuh-320-80.jpg)
Bryan Adams guitarist Keith Scott on being a low profile multi-platinum guitar hero – and the hits no one saw coming
By Joe Bosso published
From Cuts Like a Knife to Summer of ’69, the Canadian guitar great discusses the gear and solos that have fueled Bryan Adams’ music for more than 40 years
![Larissa Liveir](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/LpHYeoEbP2GUhBw9WjJEFV-320-80.jpg)
Larissa Liveir on becoming a TikTok guitar hero – and why social media is the new demo tape
By Joe Bosso published
The Brazilian guitarist is every inch the modern guitar hero – and hopes that other players will follow in her footsteps
![Mark Tremonti](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/yPEK3nCzfqUpg5vNy4L3PL-320-80.jpg)
Mark Tremonti reveals one of Creed's biggest hits was spontaneously written in front of 4,000 people
By Matt Owen published
The track has helped spearhead Creed’s resurgence in recent years, and is used as a rallying anthem by two major sporting institutions
![Earl Slick onstage at a David Bowie tribute in 2019](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/UwpchRdfeRfp3YhUf6oQai-320-80.jpg)
Earl Slick on fast times with John Lennon and David Bowie – and saying no to Whitesnake
By Joe Bosso published
The venerable session ace has lived a life less ordinary and has the discography to show for it. Earl Slick tells us what it was like to share the stage and studio with music legends
![Frank Infante, then of Blondie, backstage in 1980 holding a Fender Stratocaster](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/jHFqosqTVQMe9HykZxNAAA-320-80.jpg)
“I saw this video of somebody breaking down Heart of Glass. The guy said, ‘Here’s Chris Stein’s guitar part.’ I was like, ‘No, that’s my guitar part’”: Frank Infante sets the record straight on his iconic Blondie riffs and solos
By Joe Bosso published
From One Way or Another to Atomic, the former Blondie guitarist looks back on his time with the new wave sensations: the triumphs, the turbulence, the tones, and why he always has to set the record straight on who played what
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