# How many of the now-gone "guitar greats" have you seen live?



## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

The place downstairs at work, where I go for coffee, always has one of the satellite radio stations on, and it seems whenever I pop downstairs for a cup there is something on the speakers that I haven't heard in ages. This morning, it was the Allmans doing "one Way Out". And as I put sweetener in my coffee, I was thinking how lucky I was to have seen the original Allmans with Duane and Dicky on guitar. Which got me to thinking about many of the other greats I'd been fortunate to see, but especially those I never saw, and never will get to see. That, of course, includes only those who were alive and performing during my time. I mean I would have loved to see Django Reinhardt, but that would require Sherman, Peabody, and the wayback machine.

I did get to see Frank Zappa many times, as well as Jerry Garcia, Lenny Breau, Terry Kath, Dominic Troiano, and Muddy Waters. But I never got to see Les Paul, Roy Buchanan, Danny Gatton, Gary Moore, Albert King, Jimi Hendrix, and a great many others not mentioned here. Almost went to see Wes Montgomery (whose concert was cancelled on account of death). I did get to see Ed Bickert. He's still alive, but officially retired and not gigging anymore. Not sure if that "counts".

So which long-gone icons did you find yourself fortunate enough to see when they were alive and picking. Doesn't have to be anyone on a 50 Greatest of All Time list. Could be someone minor but mindbogglingly good, a local legend. Any genre or sub-genre of music: rock, rockabilly, blues, country, jazz, experimental, classical, metal, etc. They have to be physically dead, though (I guess Bickert doesn't count, then). Not _tragically_ so (ignore Kath, Gatton, Buchanan, Cobain, and similar self-enders), just not possible to see live anymore, even though they may have come through your town at some point when you were of age to go see them.


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## Scottone (Feb 10, 2006)

I saw Roy Buchanan a few times and am really glad that I did. He really had a big impact on my playing, especially his use of harmonics, which are still a big part of my lead style.


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## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

You lucky SOB! Major jealousy here. MAJOR major jealousy.


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## marcos (Jan 13, 2009)

The only guitar greats I have seen are SRV , Santana, BB King here in Ottawa. I wish I would have known that Hendrix was here in the late 60's as that would have been" the Show" to see.
I did listen to a live CD recorded when he came to town and it sounded pretty crappy but that was just a bad recording. If George Thoroughoud counts, i saw him too.


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## Hamstrung (Sep 21, 2007)

I saw Randy Rhoads a month before he died and I was lucky enough to catch Stevie Ray Vaughan a couple years before his untimely passing.


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## greco (Jul 15, 2007)

In te early 70's, I went to a small pub in Kingston upon Thames, England to see Rory Gallagher. I saw him there several times. He was very loud and often quite drunk.

Cheers

Dave


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## Guest (Nov 13, 2012)

Randy Rhoads (with Quiet Riot, twice with Ozzy),
Cliff Burton (Metallica), Frank Zappa. Met John Belushi
(he MC'd the Stones' benefit for the blind concert in 
Oshawa, way back). There may be more, but, I forget
most of the concerts I've been to.


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## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

marcos said:


> The only guitar greats I have seen are SRV , Santana, BB King here in Ottawa. I wish I would have known that Hendrix was here in the late 60's as that would have been" the Show" to see.
> I did listen to a live CD recorded when he came to town and it sounded pretty crappy but that was just a bad recording. If George Thoroughoud counts, i saw him too.


A high school classmate went to that Hendrix show (at the now long-gone Capitol Theatre on Bank St.) and got invited to the party afterwards. Being as she was 16 or 17, she thought it best to decline the invitation.


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## Scottone (Feb 10, 2006)

mhammer said:


> You lucky SOB! Major jealousy here. MAJOR major jealousy.


I have to thank a guy that I was working with at the time for talking me into seeing him the first time at the Alberts Hall room (Brunswick Tavern). I didn't have a clue who he was at the time


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## bluzfish (Mar 12, 2011)

When I was around 13, I used to stay with my cousin in Kerrisdale sometimes and we'd sneak out and sit outside the Kerrisdale Arena listening to Janis, Jimi, Jefferson Airplane, Grateful Dead, Country Joe, The Doors and many others when they were in their early prime. When I got older and could afford the $2.00 or $4.00, I saw most of the touring acts of the day - the aformentioned plus the Kinks, Who, John Mayall and other British bands - too many to remember really. Sometimes you would get a surprise when there would be three or four bands in one show - i.e. going to see The Doors with Albert King opening or Vanilla Fudge with a brand spanking new Led Zeppelin in front, Blind Faith with Rory Gallagher playing while the stage was set for BF behind them. I could go on but the most thrilling performer I ever saw was Dizzy Gillespy in a small club where I was up front and not 6 feet away from him.

Then there were my days as a sound tech working up close and personal with The Police, Dire Straits, Talking Heads, Stevie ( I actually got to put some shielding in one of his strats when it was found to be too noisy to use that show), Ziggy, Joan Jett, Patty Smith and many others too numerous to mention. My fave show of all of those had to be Paul Butterfield with Elvin Bishop, Levon Hellm, Rick Danko and a keys player I can't remember. Being a fan, I got to sit backstage toking with Rick where I got lots of lowdown about the early Band days. There were always after show parties with the performers, but this was very special for me.

I'm sure you are thinking "there goes ramblin bluz again" but I have had an incredible life when it comes to touching the greats. I don't share it much for obvious reasons but I do love to when the opportunity arises.


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## Beatles (Feb 7, 2006)

I was fortuante enough to see SRV, Jeff Healy and Dominic Troiano. Not a guitar great, but great none the less was Elvis.


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## Hamstrung (Sep 21, 2007)

Beatles said:


> I was fortuante enough to see SRV, Jeff Healy and Dominic Troiano. Not a guitar great, but great none the less was Elvis.


Oh yeah! How could I forget Jeff Healy! I saw him in the "See the light" days. Awesome show. Laristotle mentioned Cliff Burton as well who I did see with Metallica back in the day. I'll keep following this thread. I'm sure there may be others mentioned that I forgot I saw!


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## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

bluzfish said:


> My fave show of all of those had to be Paul Butterfield with Elvin Bishop, Levon Hellm, Rick Danko and a keys player I can't remember. Being a fan, I got to sit backstage toking with Rick where I got lots of lowdown about the early Band days. There were always after show parties with the performers, but this was very special for me.


Cripes, with the exception of Elvin Bishop, pretty much all of that band is dead. Would the keyboard player have been Mark Naftalin?


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## hardasmum (Apr 23, 2008)

I saw Les Paul in 2006 while in New York City.


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## bluzfish (Mar 12, 2011)

mhammer said:


> Cripes, with the exception of Elvin Bishop, pretty much all of that band is dead. Would the keyboard player have been Mark Naftalin?


After sharing that spliff with Rick, my memory gets kind of, ummm, foggy. For the life of me I just can't remember. Paul, Levon and Rick were kind of my focus.


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## Mooh (Mar 7, 2007)

Got to see Roy Buchanan. His playing changed me. Same with Oscar Peterson.

Edit: Jeff Healey.

Peace, Mooh.


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## mario (Feb 18, 2006)

Rory Gallagher, Roy Buchanan, Frank Zappa, SRV, Randy Rhoads, Albert Collins and Albert King come to mind.


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## smorgdonkey (Jun 23, 2008)

Jeff Healy and Darrell Abbott are about the only 2 that I have seen (that I recall off of the top of the head) that would be considered high level greats I think.


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## Scottone (Feb 10, 2006)

You just reminded me that I saw Joe Pass and Oscar Peterson on a double bill at the Ontario Place forum. Joe was a force of nature on guitar and him and Oscar playing together was insane.



Mooh said:


> Got to see Roy Buchanan. His playing changed me. Same with Oscar Peterson.
> 
> Peace, Mooh.


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## marcos (Jan 13, 2009)

mhammer said:


> A high school classmate went to that Hendrix show (at the now long-gone Capitol Theatre on Bank St.) and got invited to the party afterwards. Being as she was 16 or 17, she thought it best to decline the invitation.


Can you imagine the stories she would have to tell if she would have gone. Now thats a party you want to go to.


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## marcos (Jan 13, 2009)

bluzfish said:


> When I was around 13, I used to stay with my cousin in Kerrisdale sometimes and we'd sneak out and sit outside the Kerrisdale Arena listening to Janis, Jimi, Jefferson Airplane, Grateful Dead, Country Joe, The Doors and many others when they were in their early prime. When I got older and could afford the $2.00 or $4.00, I saw most of the touring acts of the day - the aformentioned plus the Kinks, Who, John Mayall and other British bands - too many to remember really. Sometimes you would get a surprise when there would be three or four bands in one show - i.e. going to see The Doors with Albert King opening or Vanilla Fudge with a brand spanking new Led Zeppelin in front, Blind Faith with Rory Gallagher playing while the stage was set for BF behind them. I could go on but the most thrilling performer I ever saw was Dizzy Gillespy in a small club where I was up front and not 6 feet away from him.
> 
> Then there were my days as a sound tech working up close and personal with The Police, Dire Straits, Talking Heads, Stevie ( I actually got to put some shielding in one of his strats when it was found to be too noisy to use that show), Ziggy, Joan Jett, Patty Smith and many others too numerous to mention. My fave show of all of those had to be Paul Butterfield with Elvin Bishop, Levon Hellm, Rick Danko and a keys player I can't remember. Being a fan, I got to sit backstage toking with Rick where I got lots of lowdown about the early Band days. There were always after show parties with the performers, but this was very special for me.
> 
> I'm sure you are thinking "there goes ramblin bluz again" but I have had an incredible life when it comes to touching the greats. I don't share it much for obvious reasons but I do love to when the opportunity arises.


Wow !!! Thats quite a resume. It was a great time to live through does years. We were fortunate enough to see all of these great artists. Its like people who lived 200 years ago telling you that they hung out with Bethovan, Mozart, Debussy and co.


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## marcos (Jan 13, 2009)

mario said:


> Rory Gallagher, Roy Buchanan, Frank Zappa, SRV, Randy Rhoads, Albert Collins and Albert King come to mind.


Crap. forgot about Albert Collins and also Alvin Lee from Ten Years After. All of them came to ottawa at one time. The Albert Collins show was excepptional where he actually went outside the Rainbow club on the market here and had a 100 yrd or so guitar cable and stopped traffic right in the middle of the street intersection. He was so freekin loud my ears were rigning for a week. What a fantastic showman.


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## Roryfan (Apr 19, 2010)

It saddens me to realize that Jeff Healey is on the list.

At 40 I'm too young to have seen most of the greats (Gallagher, Buchanan, Bloomfield, Hendrix, the two Alberts) in person when they were alive & I refuse to see The Who, The Stones, Aerosmith etc. now. DVDs of their classic concerts will have to suffice.


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## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

My sister was likely at the 100ft cable show. As for Alvin Lee, he's still alive isn't he?


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## marcos (Jan 13, 2009)

mhammer said:


> My sister was likely at the 100ft cable show. As for Alvin Lee, he's still alive isn't he?


As far as Wikipedia is concerned, he is 67 years old. I saw him at Barrymores on Bank and he was freekin loud also. Twin Marshall stacks for him and the bass player. My ears where bleeding afterwards. lol.


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## J-75 (Jul 29, 2010)

I saw Hendrix in '68 at the Coliseum in the 'Ex'. He had a big show the following year, at Maple Leaf Gardens, but in '68 his show 'fit' into the much smaller venue. Get this; it was a sit-down event and, for all I can('t) recall the tickets may have been sold by seat number. I was sitting about fifty feet from him and my ticket cost me 6 bucks.
FWIW, I saw Janis Joplin there too, same year, same price (I think), but she was not a player, so I guess that doesn't count.


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## cheezyridr (Jun 8, 2009)

i saw johnny winter recentl, although he's not in his top form anymore (said with all due respect) but other than that, i can't think of anyone i've ever seen that was one of the mount olympus-level guitar gods. i've seen plenty of contemporary big boys like warren demartini, malmsteen, craig goldy,slash, glenn tipton, george lynch, tom keifer, pepper keenan, viv campbell, etc the demi-gods of guitardom, i suppose.


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## mario (Feb 18, 2006)

Roryfan said:


> It saddens me to realize that Jeff Healey is on the list.


Another one I missed mentioning. JH used to play regularly at a long gone blues bar called the "The Firehall" here in London in his early days. Still have the 45 he sold out of his case. Good times.


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## 4345567 (Jun 26, 2008)

__________


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## mario (Feb 18, 2006)

mhammer said:


> My sister was likely at the 100ft cable show.


If that quote is about Albert Collins...he always played with a 100ft cable. I was really blessed to have seen him a couple of times before he passed.


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## Steadfastly (Nov 14, 2008)

I've only seen Brian May and he's still alive as of the writing of this post.


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## bolero (Oct 11, 2006)

bluzfish said:


> When I was around 13, I used to stay with my cousin in Kerrisdale sometimes and we'd sneak out and sit outside the Kerrisdale Arena listening to Janis, Jimi, Jefferson Airplane, Grateful Dead, Country Joe, The Doors and many others when they were in their early prime. When I got older and could afford the $2.00 or $4.00, I saw most of the touring acts of the day - the aformentioned plus the Kinks, Who, John Mayall and other British bands - too many to remember really. Sometimes you would get a surprise when there would be three or four bands in one show - i.e. going to see The Doors with Albert King opening or Vanilla Fudge with a brand spanking new Led Zeppelin in front, Blind Faith with Rory Gallagher playing while the stage was set for BF behind them. I could go on but the most thrilling performer I ever saw was Dizzy Gillespy in a small club where I was up front and not 6 feet away from him.
> 
> Then there were my days as a sound tech working up close and personal with The Police, Dire Straits, Talking Heads, Stevie ( I actually got to put some shielding in one of his strats when it was found to be too noisy to use that show), Ziggy, Joan Jett, Patty Smith and many others too numerous to mention. My fave show of all of those had to be Paul Butterfield with Elvin Bishop, Levon Hellm, Rick Danko and a keys player I can't remember. Being a fan, I got to sit backstage toking with Rick where I got lots of lowdown about the early Band days. There were always after show parties with the performers, but this was very special for me.
> 
> I'm sure you are thinking "there goes ramblin bluz again" but I have had an incredible life when it comes to touching the greats. I don't share it much for obvious reasons but I do love to when the opportunity arises.


hot damn!! that is spectacular!

I wonder if the keyboard player was Leon Russell?


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## bluzfish (Mar 12, 2011)

I wish!! I would have remembered that. I am in awe of Leon Russell. I saw him with Ringo's Allstarrs tour once in the 70s but I would walk on glass to hear him as a headliner, especially in an under 1000 seat venue.

BTW, apologies to all - I kind of forgot the thread title said "now gone" when I posted.


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## marcos (Jan 13, 2009)

bluzfish said:


> I wish!! I would have remembered that. I am in awe of Leon Russell. I saw him with Ringo's Allstarrs tour once in the 70s but I would walk on glass to hear him as a headliner, especially in an under 1000 seat venue.
> 
> BTW, apologies to all - I kind of forgot the thread title said "now gone" when I posted.


I also did not read the title properly. Sorry,but nonetheless, very entertaining.


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## BIGDC (Aug 16, 2011)

I was here http://www.ukrockfestivals.com/bA1.html (where's Waldo!), scroll down to see the line-up. I guess quite a few of these folks are no longer with us. I also saw Free w/ Paul Kossoff,Captain Beefheart and Love with Arthur Lee at he Liverpool Stadium (not all on the same bill).


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## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

Wow. Great lineup, and appropriate squalor for a festival of that era. Seeing/hearing Paul Kossoff would have been marvelous. You just reminded me that I needed to add Clarence White to my own list.


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## bscott (Mar 3, 2008)

Frank Zappa and Rory G.

B


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## zontar (Oct 25, 2007)

I think all the ones I've seen are still alive, except for Randy Rhoads.

Although as for bass players I would list Jim Clench.


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