During conversation with Paul Warren, which can be seen in the video at the end, John Petrucci tells a curious fact involving Stevie Ray Vaughan and Jimi Hendrix.
“It’s kind of embarrassing to admit, but the first time I heard Stevie Ray Vaughan on the radio, he was playing ‘Voodoo Child,’ and I did not know the Hendrix version, pardon.” And I thought, “My God, what the hell is it? I remember hearing it and thinking that it was the most absurd thing I had ever heard! And then I went to meet Stevie Ray and found out it was a Hendrix song (laughs).”
He went on to say: “That was one of the highlights, I remember exactly where I was, I went through something like ‘Eruption’ (Van Halen), but who did not? you’re sure it’s a guitar. When you’re young and you do not have that much experience, you do not know anything about technique, and you do not understand what’s going on. ”
Watch the complete interview below:
John Peter Petrucci is an American guitarist, one of the founders of progressive metal band Dream Theater along with former drummer Mike Portnoy and bassist John Myung.
John Peter Petrucci played guitar for the first time at age eight when he realized that his sister, who played organ at the time, could stay up late to practice. However, his plan to move from bedtime did not last long and he gave up the instrument.
At age 12 he started playing again when he was invited to join the band of his friend Kevin Moore, who later became the first keyboardist of Dream Theater. John began to practice intensely.
Steve Morse, Steve Vai, Steve Vaai, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Al Di Meola, Alex Lifeson, Allan Holdsworth, David Gilmour and Dave Murray are all self-taught, and have developed their skills to imitate their idols. . John used to play and says his idols are “the Steves and the Als”.
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