Who is the first guitar hero??????????

[hutchman]

Who do you reckon is the first "guitar hero"????

I'm gonna throw a couple out there -
Jimmy Page
Jimi Hendrix
Eric Clapton

This to me is a bit hard to say cause the definition of guitar hero is a bit iffy. But going with it being a mega famous guy that has inspired generations................... and had every chick wanting to bone them. Not some ultra great guitarist that barely anyone knows.

And who do you think would win guitar hero of the 70's 80's 90's and 2000's???

And ...........go!

 

[Esp Griffyn]

If we are sticking to the 20th century, Django Reinhardt perhaps? he was playing around the 20s and was a total beast despite only have two working fingers on his fretting hand.

 

[Konfyouzd]

God is the first guitar hero, DUH!

seriously, though i don't know who it is chronologically. but MY first guitar hero was Jerry Cantrell.

 

[distressed_romeo]

Are we counting classical and flamenco players?

 

[hufschmid]

Who do you reckon is the first "guitar hero"????

I'm gonna throw a couple out there -
Jimmy Page
Jimi Hendrix
Eric Clapton

This to me is a bit hard to say cause the definition of guitar hero is a bit iffy. But going with it being a mega famous guy that has inspired generations................... and had every chick wanting to bone them. Not some ultra great guitarist that barely anyone knows.

And who do you think would win guitar hero of the 70's 80's 90's and 2000's???

And ...........go!

Probably Andres Segovia or Pacco De Lucia...

Way before the ones you mentioned....

 

[Scali]

Yea, Segovia, Django Reinhardt, Les Paul, Chet Atkins, Merle Travis, Charlie Christian...
Tons of great players long before Hendrix and the like. Besides, many of these older players were way faster and better than Hendrix, Page or Clapton ever were.

 

[hutchman]

Probably Andres Segovia or Pacco De Lucia...

Way before the ones you mentioned....

Yeah I guess.... But I was thinking more of the guys that were the groupie magnets that EVERYONE ONE was loving. I've always considered a guitar hero to be a person that isn't necessarily the best player but one who got ultra famous and is also known by playing guitar. Not the best guitarist who is only known in certain circles. The world wide average joe guitar hero. However everyone will have a definition on "Guitar Hero".

 

[Konfyouzd]

^ that's probably a question you'd wanna ask a non guitar player

all of us immediately thought of someone that we personally thought was sick regardless of the recognition they got. that's kind of funny.

 

[playstopause]

If we are sticking to the 20th century, Django Reinhardt perhaps? he was playing around the 20s and was a total beast despite only have two working fingers on his fretting hand.

Ding ding ding!!! We have a winner. Reinhardt happened before anyone else mentioned so far.

 

[Scali]

I suppose the late 60s/early 70s guitarists just had lots more exposure than the earlier guitarists, because of TV, rock music being more accepted, big music festivals being organized etc.
So they are bigger in terms of popularity, but not necessarily because they were exceptional players.

Ding ding ding!!! We have a winner. Reinhardt happened before anyone else mentioned so far.

Except for Segovia

 

[LUCKY7]

Robert Leroy Johnson (May 8, 1911 – August 16, 1938) was an American blues musician, among the most famous of Delta blues musicians. His landmark recordings from 1936–1937 display a remarkable combination of singing, guitar skills, and songwriting talent that have influenced generations of musicians. Johnson's shadowy, poorly documented life and death at age 27 have given rise to much legend.

"Considered to be the "Grandfather of Rock 'n' Roll", his vocal phrasing, original songs, and guitar style have influenced a broad range of musicians, including Muddy Waters, Led Zeppelin, Bob Dylan, The Rolling Stones, Johnny Winter, Jeff Beck, and Eric Clapton, who called Johnson "the most important blues singer that ever lived". He was also ranked fifth in Rolling Stone's list of 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time."

"According to a legend known to modern blues fans, Robert Johnson was a young black man living on a plantation in rural Mississippi. Branded with a burning desire to become a great blues musician, he was instructed to take his guitar to a crossroad near Dockery Plantation at midnight. There he was met by a large black man (the Devil) who took the guitar from Johnson and tuned it. After tuning the guitar, the devil played a few songs and then returned it to Johnson, giving him mastery of the guitar. This, in effect, sold Johnson's soul; and in exchange Robert Johnson became able to play, sing and create the greatest blues anyone had ever heard."

source:
(bad link/copy & paste)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Johnson_(musician)

 

[leftyguitarjoe]

Andres Segovia made the guitar a real performing instrument. We all need to thank HIM for what guitar is today.

I've also got to mention Orville Gibson, Leo Fender, and Les Paul. They all made monumental strides in the guitar industry.

 

[ARC7789]

My first guitar hero was Tom Morello. Specifically when playing Tony Hawk 2 the game's opening video had "Guerilla Radio" playing, that made me want to pick up the guitar.

And now I listen to mostly speed metal , oh how my taste has expanded

 

[All_¥our_Bass]

Iommi and Gilmour were my firsts.

 

[Naren]

Robert Johnson and Django Reinhart.

There were plenty of guitar heroes before Jimi Hendrix and Jimmy Page.

 

[Anthony]

Sam Totman

 

[Esp Griffyn]

I am glad to see Paco mentioned over the page, he is an immensely talented guitarist and musician, his techinique is downright incredible, he definitely deserves more crdit that he gets. I am often awed that he attained such speed with his fingers. However, as awesome as he is, he was still by far the weakest member of the guitar trio, no slight on him of course, but more an awe-inspiring hint at how godly Mclaughlin and Di Meola are...

 

[CrushingAnvil]

Segovia, Les Paul and Reinhardt are some favourites of mine.

Segovia became pretty big though...

Robert Johnson and Django Reinhart.

There were plenty of guitar heroes before Jimi Hendrix and Jimmy Page.

Yeah It's funny how us younger people say Johnson and Reinhardt and 40 year old blues elitists say Hendrix and Santana or something like that...

Muddy waters and Blind Lemon Jefferson were good too!

Sam Totman

OMG YER THROO FIRE N FLAMEZ SO FAASSST!!!1111one

 

[hutchman]

Most of all you guys totally missed my point of the question. Pretentious fucks you all get an F-. For those with good answers "lucky7 " and all the people who gave their guitar hero.... you pass. And I love you. Hahahahahahaha

 

[Scali]

Yeah I guess.... But I was thinking more of the guys that were the groupie magnets that EVERYONE ONE was loving.

Thing is, the whole concept of 'groupies' didn't really exist before the 60s or so. But hugely popular guitarists/musicians did. Popularity just was a different thing in the old days.
I think the ultimate 'hero' would possibly be Niccolo Paganini. Hugely popular, managed to capture, excite and move his public in a big way, and was so good that people thought he was possessed by the devil (yea, you thought the Robert Johnson story was new? ).