Blues headlines

Richard Barrett is on a mission to make you a better blues player – with full audio examples and backing tracks

ON JANUARY 20, 2025, one of my all-time guitar heroes, John Sykes, passed away after a courageous battle with cancer. He was only 65. Like a great many rock guitarists, John’s emotional, chop-laden le

When the Irish band were a folksy blues three-piece, it was Eric Bell who defined Thin Lizzy on their 1971 self-titled debut and early 70s follow-ups, Shades Of A Blue Orphanage and Vagabonds Of The Western World

THOUGH HE’S RIGHTFULLY earned his place on electric guitar’s version of Mount Rushmore, Martin Barre has never been remotely interested in hero worship — especially when it comes to guitar heroes. “I

FOR A HALF-CENTURY AND COUNTING, THE THIN LIZZY SOUND HAS BEEN FORGED AND RECAST BY SCOTT GORHAM AND THE GREATS WHO PARTNERED HIM ON DUELLING LES PAULS, INCLUDING THE LATE JOHN SYKES. GORHAM LOOKS BACK ON THE HIGHS, LOWS, JOY AND PAIN OF HIS CLASSIC PARTNERSHIPS

The Surrey-born beatnik folk pioneer, who influenced players as significant as Keith Richards and Thurston Moore, and played alongside Bert Jansch and John Renbourn, has died at the age of 86