Why does everyone "only " have the c[i]oolest [/i]of influences??

[passthej45]

Have ya'll ever noticed that whenever a now famous guitar player is interviewed that they NEVER listened to any crappy music at anytime in their lives?? It always goes something like this......" ah remeber when I was about 6 or 7 years old diggin' around in my grandpa's shed(insert basement for yankees), and ah found this stack of dusty Lp's (add 78's for increased effect). Well it was all this stuff like Robert Johnson, and Son House and a Blind(throw in a "blind " somebody it is required)..............and I put that vinyl on the turntable and spent hours ,days and weeks listening and lettin' the music get inside me. Well my uncle came home from a poker game one night , he was all drunk and gave me this old guitar that he had won gamblin' ........I think it was a Silvertone or something......well anyway..""

 

How may times have you heard that? So WHO was buying all that Black Oak Arkansas and Uriah Heep and Bachman Turner Overdrive?

And something like this was always their first concert experience.............." I had skipped school that day , was walking along and heard music in the distance......wel ah followed that sound till I found this gathering , well I'll be darned if it wasn't the traveling Lousisana Hayride Show.........I made my way to the front, being as I was only a small boy of 4 and then this tall man with a cowboy shirt comes out and starts wailing on this beautiful gold archtop.."

 

Now we know that depending on the person's age the first performance they witnessed could have very well been Debbie Gibson lip syncing at a shopping mall or when their sister took them to see Flock of Seagulls( I think I just threw up in my mouth)............

So like I said anyone else ever noticed this?????

[vourot]

Hmmmm, it seems if you become famous with your guitar skills it stands to reason that you would be influenced by good players and note as such when asked about it. I'm sure these guys listened to crappy music but it had no impact and did not register.

[bkharmony]

So true. I've certainly got my list of "cool" influences, of course. But if I hit it big, I always planned to make a point of telling everyone how much I loved Night Ranger and Level 42 in high school.

 

I wonder if some of that kind of stuff just gets edited out by the publications.

[Hoss]

So that's what happened to Ol Hoss!!!!

 

We had a gitar in the house when I was a tyke. It had a beautiful, exotic scene painted on the lower bout---Palm trees, beach, a little hut. And rusty, heavy strings that were about 1 1/2" off the fretboard. I tried forever to play the guitar when I was a kid; but there was no way with that guitar. And not knowing any better, I finally gave up.

 

But I did have fabulous musical influences thanks to the (off and on) presence of my daddy's sister cousin lady friend. (never could figure out the exact relationship.)

Stuff like Paul Revere and the Raiders, The Turtles, New Christy Minstrels, The Doors, Bobby Goldsboro...

 

As I now reflect upon my musical influences, it's amazing that I even allow music in the house.