My most influential acoustic guitar artists.

Have you ever heard of these people?

I started guitar lessons in 1976 at the age of 13 years old. It was the same year that "Frampton Comes Alive" came out. I wanted to be Peter Frampton, or at least, the next one. Frampton was the biggest catalyst for me to want to take up the guitar. The Eagles were huge in the mid 1970's, and every kid who had a guitar, learned Eagles songs. Then one day, I heard Boston's "More than a feeling". Then I heard songs from Fleetwood Mac's Rumours album. The list goes on and on. I was influenced by many of the rock legends of the 1970's, but this is about which acoustic guitar artists influenced me the most.

In those early days, I was listening to everything on the radio. That's because my generation had guitar heroes. Frampton did a song called "Baby, I love your way.", which was an acoustic song. I did my best to learn it the way that I could play it, with basic cowboy chords. I found out many years later that I was playing it all wrong. Frampton was influenced by the song "Blackbird" from the Beatles, and Baby, I love you way, was a reflection of some of the same progressions. When I was 13, I didn't know this. The Fleetwood Mac - Rumours album had several acoustic songs on it. One of the first albums I ever owned was Led Zeppelin IV. Of course, I had to learn the right of passage anthem for every practicing guitarist - Stairway to Heaven. The Eagles were hugely influential for the way I learned how to play acoustic guitar. Almost everything they did had an acoustic guitar.

My aunt introduced me to the band called America. Lots of acoustic songs there, including everybody;s favorite, "A horse with no name". I was also listening to Bread and John Denver, Seal & Crofts. Supertramp and REO Speedwagon had a few acoustic songs make it to the radio. In 1976, another debut album came out that was fronted by two sisters from Seattle. "Dreamboat Annie" was a huge influence, especially the way Nancy Wilson rocked the hell out of her acoustic guitar. I was immediately enamored by her goddess-like appeal and her amazing skills as a guitarist. Styx released the album "Grand Illusion" which had a few hits including "Fooling yourself". Tommy Shaw became one of my biggest acoustic guitar influences. He was the reason I saved my money to buy a brand new 1979 Takamine 12-string acoustic guitar. I still have it. In the late 1970's into the early 1980's, a three-piece rock band out of Canada called Triumph, hit the radio. They did a song called "Hold on". It was such a huge song for me. Rik Emmett's 12-string intro was such a cool sound.

In the early 1980's, a friend of a friend introduced me to the biggest acoustic guitar influence of my life. This guy had several acoustic guitar hit songs in the early 80's, including "Longer", "Leader of the band", "Hard to say" and his earliest hit, "Part of the plan". Dan Fogelberg's music shaped and molded the way I played acoustic guitar. I also learned how to incorporate melody with rhythm from many of the songs that never really made it to the radio. I was lucky enough to see him perform two acoustic shows. I knew I was in the presence of greatness.

I consider myself an acoustic guitarist more so than an electric guitarist. When I play in bands, I play bass guitar. When I'm jamming with my friends, I play acoustic. I leave the electric guitar shredding to the shredders. I'm a rhythm player. Just ask any drummer I've played with. I appreciate classical guitar, but I've never been interested in learning or playing that style. I do my best to emulate finger-style acoustic players like Fogelberg and James Taylor. I get close, but not perfect.

I have always loved the acoustic guitar, because it has always felt like an extension of my hands, fingers and arms. There;s nothing more peaceful than sitting around a campfire, playing acoustic guitar songs that people know and can sing to. In the 46+ years that I have been a guitarist, I have been influenced by countless artists and bands. Far too many to name here. I was lucky to grow up in a time when good, quality music was done by humans who had real talent. I like to think that I pass a lot of this along to my students in every lesson.