Roy Buchanan

• Genre: Blues & Boogie Rock
• Hometown: Ozark

About

This Arkansas-born guitar innovator spent most of his early professional career as an itinerant sideman and session musician, recording all over the country -- most notably for Rockabilly and early rock artists such as Bob Luman, Ronnie Hawkins and Dale Hawkins. Buchanan's style -- a mix of country and blues, with squealing false harmonics and dramatic overbends reminiscent of a more outre Albert King -- coalesced after he settled in the Washington D.C. area. Buchanan was the object of a PBS documentary called "The Best Unknown Guitarist in the World," which secured him a major record deal and made him a star. Legend has it that Buchanan turned down the guitar spot in the Rolling Stones after Mick Taylor left. He recorded steadily throughout his career for Polydor, Atlantic, Alligator and other labels; his records were largely instrumental. Buchanan, who died in 1988, was a noticeable influence on Jeff Beck, Robbie Robertson, Danny Gatton and many other guitarists.

- Tom Heyman