ARTICLES
George Thorogood elects his favorite guitarist, singer and songwriter
Guitarist and singer George Thorogood elected in an interview with Classic Rock magazine his favorite guitarist, singer and songwriter and explained the reason why he likes these musicians so much.
Advertisement
George Thorogood elects his favorite guitarist, singer and songwriter:
“Brian Jones [Rolling Stones]. That was the first time I ever heard or saw anybody play slide guitar, which really fascinated me. Matter of fact, it’s said that Brian Jones was the first person Mick Jagger and Keith Richards ever saw playing slide guitar.”
“So I was in good company there. When I heard the first two Stones albums, when they were doing mostly covers of blues standards, rhythm and blues, I kind of got it into my mind what I was going to do for a living, someday.”
His favorite singer:
“Paul McCartney and Elvis Presley are neck and neck. McCartney can sing anything in any key. Brilliant. And Presley was just a freak of nature. There was no musical style of which he was not a master.”
His favorite songwriter:
“In the contemporary era, Bob Dylan leads the pack. He got the Nobel Prize for Literature, didn’t he? And he influenced The Beatles and the Stones. It’s hard to top that. I’d also have to put Hank Williams in that same area. Every one of his songs is a masterpiece. And they’re all recorded perfectly.”
The greatest blues performer:
“Robert Johnson. Greatest bluesman of all time. That’s no secret. He played in more or less a contemporary style at that time, and he was better at it than everybody.”
The greatest album of all time
“You’d be hard-pressed to beat Blood On The Tracks by Bob Dylan. It’s pretty severe. It came out a long time ago and it still rings real clear in my head. I can’t get enough of that record.”
The greatest live album of all time
“Live” Full House by the J Geils Band. Their harmonica player, Magic Dick, is a pure, bona fide genius. You rank the great harmonica players – Little Walter, Paul Butterfield, Charlie Musselwhite… But Magic Dick was not only a great blues player, he was also a great rock harmonica player.”
