Norman Harris, owner of the legendary Norman’s Rare Guitars, has hinted that Joe Bonamassa could be the ideal person to replace him when he retires. In an interview with Guitar World, Harris describes Bonamassa as “a natural fit” to take over the iconic store in Tarzana, California.
“I think about it all the time,” Norm says of the possibility of handing the shop on to a new owner. “I would love for somebody to take it over who loves it as much as I do, keep my employees and try to run it in the same fashion that I tried to.”
Explaining what makes Bonamassa right for the job, Norm observes: “He loves guitars, can play great and demo them great. He lives to promote young talent like I do.”
Don’t expect the change to happen anytime soon, though. Norm has no plans to retire until he is forced to.
“I’d like to do it until I can’t do it, which is probably getting pretty near,” admits the 76-year-old. “I’m lucky I’m here at all right now… but I’m still excited to go in, even at my age.”
There’s also the small matter of Bonamassa’s existing job. “Joe has such a big career going right now that there’s nothing that should interrupt his career,” Norm insists.
Bonamassa and Harris have a longstanding relationship, first meeting when a 12-year-old Bonamassa visited the shop. “He was just like this wunderkind,” Norm recalls.
Since then Bonamassa has been a frequent associate and customer. He bought Norm’s 1950 Fender Broadcaster in 2023 and a 1962 Stratocaster later the same year.
Joe, for his part, has previously discussed his own retirement plans. “I’ll probably take it to 50 years. That’ll make me 61 when I peace out,” the now-47-year-old told us.
“I’m at the height of my skillset, and the minute it degrades to where I can’t play or sing as well as I’m doing now is the minute I plan the exit.”
He currently shows no signs of slowing down, as he recently proved in a blazing jam with Matteo Mancuso.
The interview with Norman Harris appears in the May 2025 issue of Guitar World, available now from Magazines Direct.
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