Brad Paisley (b. 1972) is that rare country music star whose guitar-playing prowess equals his singing and songwriting talent. Paisley recorded five gold or platinum albums between 1999 and 2008 and had 10 No. 1 singles on the country charts. His guitar playing on those records proved him to be one of the most accomplished pickers in Nashville. Brad Douglas Paisley ...
(Vocals, guitar, 1895–1991) The Kentuckian singer-guitarist was a superstar of early country radio, appealing to the vast mid-western audience of the WLS National Barn Dance with gentle renditions of old songs like ‘Barbara Allen’ and ‘The Fatal Wedding’. In the 1920s and 1930s he sold hundreds of thousands of songbooks and records. After retiring to run a music ...
(Producer, record executive, 1915–98) This influential Westmoreland, Tennessee-born record producer started out as a piano player in pop dance bands before being hired as an assistant to pioneering Nashville producer Paul Cohen at Decca. From the late 1950s until the 1980s, Bradley produced the records and helped shape the musical identities of a host of stars, ...
Louisiana native James Burton (b. 1939) is one of several guitarists weaned on country music who parlayed his unique talent into session and tour work with rock musicians while maintaining his ties to the country community. Burton first achieved local fame as a backing musician on the popular ‘Louisiana Hayride’ radio show, which spotlighted a young Elvis and rivalled ‘The ...
For 35 years Mike Oldfield (b. 1953) has created work that melds progressive rock, folk, world music, classical music, electronic music, new age and dance. He is best known for his hit 1973 album Tubular Bells, which provided a theme for the movie The Exorcist, broke new ground as an instrumental concept album, ...
(Vocal/instrumental group, 1970–present) This best-selling American heavy rock band, frequently compared to The Rolling Stones and Led Zeppelin, centred on the relationship between principal members Steven Tyler (vocals) and Joe Perry (guitar). The pair came together in Boston, Massachusetts, with Joey Kramer (drums), Brad Whitford (guitar) and Tom Hamilton (bass). Their first album Aerosmith (1973) was ...
(Vocal/instrumental group, 2001–07) Formed from various seminal rock groups of the heaviest ilk, Audioslave – Chris Cornell (vocals), Tom Morello (guitar), Brad Wilk (drums) and Tim Commerford (bass) – make a racket honed through experience gained in the likes of influential acts Rage Against The Machine and Soundgarden. Perhaps too dry to be taken in one sitting, their ...
(Vocal/instrumental group, 1976–present) A mainstream American rock band whose meticulously layered music was largely the brainchild of songwriter, guitarist and producer Tom Scholz, Boston’s line-up was completed by Brad Delp (vocals), Barry Goudreau (guitar), Sib Hashian (drums) and Fran Sheehan (bass). The all-conquering first album Boston released in 1976 became the biggest-selling debut of all time and yielded ...
Considered one of modern jazz guitar’s ‘big three’ guitarists – along with Pat Metheny and Bill Frisell – John Scofield (b. 1951) is also one of the most versatile players of his generation. Conversant in fusion and hard bop as well as in the heady grooves of the jam-band scene, his stew of blues and jazz mixed with post-bop and ...
(Vocal/instrumental group, 1996–present) Other bands in the genre may be more acclaimed, and some more stylistically diverse, but Linkin Park – Chester Bennington (vocals), Mike Shinoda (MC), Brad Delson (guitar), Dave Farrell (bass), Joseph Hahn (DJ) and Rob Bourdon (drums) – are certainly the most successful in the nu metal sphere. Formed from the remains of various Californian ...
Prince (1958–2016) used guitar as a stage prop that exuded flash on a par with his wardrobe, enigmatic persona and overall showmanship, but his talent on the instrument was a crucial element in bringing his unique blend of rock and soul to a worldwide audience. Prince Rogers Nelson, also known as the Artist Formerly Known As Prince, ...
(Vocal/instrumental group, 1991–2000, 2007–11) Formed in Los Angeles by Zack De La Rocha (vocals), Tom Morello (guitar), Tim Commerford (bass) and Brad Wilk (drums), their left-wing lyrics were as polemical as their metallic, rhythmic music. Their eponymous debut album (1992) bottled their live sound and frank social commentary. La Rocha left in 2000, the other members forming ...
Driven by a fierce intelligence, a relentless pursuit of social justice and a wide-ranging taste in sounds and songs, Tom Morello (b. 1964) was the driving force behind the bands Rage Against The Machine and Audioslave. Morello has won Grammys and performed around the world inspiring and uniting people with music. Known for innovative guitar solos and varied, ...
Camp. Trashy. Lightweight. Throwaway. Exploitative. Fraudulent. Europop has drawn all those insults and more, and remains, after 30 years, most popular among those with a love of kitsch. Nevertheless, the danceable pop of early 1970s mainland Europe has had an enormous influence on manufactured pop, as well as all house and disco-derived dance music. Throughout the ...
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An extensive music information resource, bringing together the talents and expertise of a wide range of editors and musicologists, including Stanley Sadie, Charles Wilson, Paul Du Noyer, Tony Byworth, Bob Allen, Howard Mandel, Cliff Douse, William Schafer, John Wilson...
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Classical, Rock, Blues, Jazz, Country and more. Flame Tree has been making encyclopaedias and guides about music for over 20 years. Now Flame Tree Pro brings together a huge canon of carefully curated information on genres, styles, artists and instruments. It's a perfect tool for study, and entertaining too, a great companion to our music books.
David Bowie
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