Joseph Leonard Bonamassa ( ; born May 8, 1977) is an American

blues rock Blues rock is a fusion music genre that combines elements of blues and rock music. It is mostly an electric ensemble-style music with instrumentation similar to electric blues and rock (electric guitar, electric bass guitar, and drums, sometimes w ...

guitarist, singer and songwriter. He started his career at age twelve, when he opened for

B.B. King Riley B. King (September 16, 1925 – May 14, 2015), known professionally as B.B. King, was an American blues singer-songwriter, guitarist, and record producer. He introduced a sophisticated style of soloing based on fluid string bending, shi ...

. Since 2000, Bonamassa has released fifteen solo albums through his independent record label J&R Adventures, of which eleven have reached No. 1 on the ''Billboard'' Blues chart. Bonamassa has played alongside many notable blues and rock artists, and has earned three

Grammy Awards The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pres ...

nominations. Among guitarists, he is known for his extensive collection of vintage guitars and amplifiers. In 2020, Bonamassa created Keeping the Blues Alive Records, an

independent record label An independent record label (or indie label) is a record label that operates without the funding or distribution of major record labels; they are a type of small- to medium-sized enterprise, or SME. The labels and artists are often represented ...

that promotes and supports the talent of

blues Blues is a music genre and musical form which originated in the Deep South of the United States around the 1860s. Blues incorporated spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts, chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads from the Afr ...

musicians. Current artists include

Dion DiMucci Dion Francis DiMucci (born July 18, 1939), better known simply as Dion, is an American singer, songwriter and guitarist. His music has incorporated elements of doo-wop, pop, rock, R&B, folk and blues. Initially as the lead singer of Dion and t ...

Joanne Shaw Taylor Joanne Shaw Taylor (born 1985, England) is an English singer and guitarist. She was discovered by Dave Stewart of the Eurythmics at the age of 16. Taylor's albums via Ruf Records, ''White Sugar'' (2009) and '' Diamonds in the Dirt'' (2010), p ...

Joanna Connor Joanna Connor (born August 31, 1962)] is an American Chicago-based blues singing, singer, songwriter and virtuosa guitarist.] Early life Connor was born in Brooklyn of New York City, and raised in Worcester, Massachusetts. After moving to Chic ...

Larry McCray Larry McCray (born April 5, 1960), is an American blues guitarist and singing, singer from Magnolia, Arkansas. Early life McCray, the second youngest of nine siblings, grew up living on a farm.

and others. Bonamassa produces and collaborates on many of the projects.

Early life

Bonamassa was born in

New Hartford, New York New Hartford is a Administrative divisions of New York#Town, town in Oneida County, New York, United States. As of the United States Census, 2010, 2010 census, the town population was 22,166. The name of New Hartford was provided by a settler fam ...

, and grew up in

Utica, New York Utica () is a Administrative divisions of New York, city in the Mohawk Valley and the county seat of Oneida County, New York, United States. The List of cities in New York, tenth-most-populous city in New York State, its population was 65,283 ...

. He started playing guitar at age four, encouraged by his father, who was an avid music fan and exposed him to British blues rock records by

Eric Clapton Eric Patrick Clapton (born 1945) is an English rock and blues guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He is often regarded as one of the most successful and influential guitarists in rock music. Clapton ranked second in ''Rolling Stone''s list of ...

and

Jeff Beck Geoffrey Arnold Beck (born 24 June 1944) is an English rock guitarist. He rose to prominence with the Yardbirds and after fronted the Jeff Beck Group and Beck, Bogert & Appice. In 1975, he switched to a mainly instrumental style, with a focus ...

, greatly inspiring him. At eleven years old, Bonamassa was mentored and trained by American guitar legend

Danny Gatton Daniel Wood Gatton Jr. (September 4, 1945 – October 4, 1994) was an American virtuoso guitarist who combined blues, rockabilly, jazz, and country to create a musical style he called "redneck jazz". Career Daniel Wood Gatton Jr. was born in ...

. When he was twelve years old, he had his own band called Smokin' Joe Bonamassa, which gigged around western New York and Pennsylvania, including cities such as

Scranton Scranton is a city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania, Lackawanna County. With a population of 76,328 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 U ...

and Buffalo, only on weekends since he had school on weekdays. Bonamassa played a crimson 1972

Fender Stratocaster The Fender Stratocaster, colloquially known as the Strat, is a model of electric guitar designed from 1952 into 1954 by Leo Fender, Bill Carson, George Fullerton, and Freddie Tavares. The Fender Musical Instruments Corporation has continuously ...

he called "Rosie", given to him by his father. Bonamassa opened for

at approximately twenty shows in 1989.Brown, Mick. In 1991, he performed on ''

The Mickey Mouse Club ''The Mickey Mouse Club'' is an American variety television show that aired intermittently from 1955 to 1996 and returned to social media in 2017. Created by Walt Disney and produced by Walt Disney Productions, the program was first televised fo ...

'' where he is inducted into the Hall of Fame. Before he reached eighteen years old, Bonamassa was playing in a band called

Bloodline Heredity, also called inheritance or biological inheritance, is the passing on of traits from parents to their offspring; either through asexual reproduction or sexual reproduction, the offspring cells or organisms acquire the genetic informa ...

with the sons of

Miles Davis Miles Dewey Davis III (May 26, 1926September 28, 1991) was an American trumpeter, bandleader, and composer. He is among the most influential and acclaimed figures in the history of jazz and 20th-century music. Davis adopted a variety of music ...

Robby Krieger Robert Alan Krieger (born January 8, 1946) is an American guitarist and founding member of the rock band the Doors. Krieger wrote or co-wrote many of the Doors' songs, including the hits "Light My Fire", "Love Me Two Times", " Touch Me", and "L ...

and

Berry Oakley Raymond Berry Oakley III (April 4, 1948 – November 11, 1972) was an American bassist and one of the founding members of the Allman Brothers Band, known for long melodic bass runs. He is ranked number 46 on the ''Bass Player'' magazine's list ...

. Although Bloodline did not become a famous act, it attracted some attention to Bonamassa's guitar chops.Berick, Mike.

Music career

2000–2019

Bonamassa's debut studio album, '' A New Day Yesterday'', was released in 2000. It features original tunes and covers of artists such as:

Rory Gallagher William Rory Gallagher ( ; 2 March 1948 – 14 June 1995) was an Irish guitarist, singer, songwriter, and producer. Due to his virtuosic playing, but relative lack of fame compared to some others, he has been referred to as "the greatest ...

, Jethro Tull and

Warren Haynes Warren Haynes (born April 6, 1960) is an American musician, singer and songwriter. He is best known for his work as longtime guitarist with the Allman Brothers Band and as founding member of the jam band Gov't Mule. Early in his career he was a ...

. The album features a guest appearance by

Gregg Allman Gregory LeNoir Allman (December 8, 1947 – May 27, 2017) was an American musician, singer and songwriter. He was known for performing in the Allman Brothers Band. Allman grew up with an interest in rhythm and blues music, and the Allman Br ...

on the song "If Heartaches Were Nickels", and was produced by

Tom Dowd Thomas John Dowd (October 20, 1925 – October 27, 2002) was an American recording engineer and producer for Atlantic Records. He was credited with innovating the multitrack recording method. Dowd worked on a veritable "who's who" of recordings ...

. The album reached No. 9 on the ''Billboard'' Blues chart. Between 2002 and 2006, Bonamassa had three studio albums hit No. 1 on the ''Billboard'' Blues charts, and all five of his solo studio albums made the Top 10. In 2009, Bonamassa fulfilled one of his childhood dreams by playing at the

Royal Albert Hall The Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall on the northern edge of South Kensington, London. One of the UK's most treasured and distinctive buildings, it is held in trust for the nation and managed by a registered charity which receives no govern ...

in London, where Eric Clapton played a duet with him. Bonamassa's live album, '' Beacon Theatre: Live from New York'', was released in 2012. The show featured one of Bonamassa's musical heroes,

Paul Rodgers Paul Rodgers (born 17 December 1949) is a British singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. He was the lead vocalist of numerous bands, including Free, Bad Company, The Firm, and The Law. He has also performed as a solo artist, and co ...

(formerly of the bands Free and

Bad Company Bad Company are an English rock supergroup that was formed in 1973 by singer Paul Rodgers, guitarist Mick Ralphs, drummer Simon Kirke and bassist Boz Burrell.Bad Company ''AllMusic'' Peter Grant, who managed the rock band Led Zeppelin, also ...

), as a guest. The live acoustic album, ''An Acoustic Evening at the Vienna Opera House'', was released as a CD/DVD/Blu-ray set on March 26, 2013. This concert marked the first time Bonamassa played a wholly acoustic show. The acoustic ensemble that performed the show was assembled with the help of Bonamassa's longtime producer,

Kevin Shirley Kevin Shirley (born 29 June 1960), also known as The Caveman, is a South African music producer, engineer and mixer for many artists,Spencer et al, (2007Shirley, Kevinentry. Retrieved 4 February 2010. such as the bands Journey, Iron Maiden, ...

. The concluding, three-night stand of Bonamassa's spring 2013 tour, occurred at the famous Beacon Theatre in New York City. Over the summer of 2013, Bonamassa performed four shows in London featuring three different bands (and a horn section at one show), covering four different sides of his music. Each show had a unique

set list A set list, or setlist, is typically a handwritten or printed document created as an ordered list of songs, jokes, stories and other elements an artist intends to present during a specific performance. A setlist can be made of nearly any materi ...

. The shows were recorded for a DVD release, and the set of DVDs was released in October 2013 as "Tour de Force".Sculley, Allen. Joe Bonamassa - Radio City Music Hall Jan 2014

Joe Bonamassa - Radio City Music Hall Jan 2014

Bonamassa's album, ''

Different Shades of Blue ''Different Shades of Blue'' is the eleventh studio album by blues rock guitarist Joe Bonamassa. It was released on September 22, 2014. The album debuted at number 8 on the Billboard 200, which makes this Bonamassa's highest charting album, and ...

'', is his first solo studio album since '' So, It's Like That'' to showcase only original songs (with the exception of a brief instrumental

Jimi Hendrix James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix (born Johnny Allen Hendrix; November 27, 1942September 18, 1970) was an American guitarist, singer and songwriter. Although his mainstream career spanned only four years, he is widely regarded as one of the most ...

cover).Mitchell, Ed. "Heavy Lies the Crown." ''The Blues Magazine'', October 2014. Bonamassa wrote the album in Nashville with three songwriters:

Jonathan Cain Jonathan Leonard Friga (born February 26, 1950), known professionally as Jonathan Cain, is an American musician and songwriter best known as the keyboardist for Journey. He has also worked with the Babys and Bad English. Cain was inducted into ...

Journey Journey or journeying may refer to: * Travel, the movement of people between distant geographical locations ** Day's journey, a measurement of distance ** Road trip, a long-distance journey on the road Animals * Journey (horse), a thoroughbred ra ...

, James House (known for his work with

Diamond Rio Diamond Rio is an American country music band. The band was founded in 1982 as an attraction for the Opryland USA theme park in Nashville, Tennessee, and was originally known as the Grizzly River Boys, then the Tennessee River Boys. It was foun ...

Dwight Yoakam Dwight David Yoakam (born October 23, 1956) is an American singer-songwriter, actor, and film director. He first achieved mainstream attention in 1986 with the release of his debut album ''Guitars, Cadillacs, Etc., Etc.''. Yoakam had considerabl ...

Martina McBride Martina Mariea McBride (née Schiff, born July 29, 1966) is an American country music singer-songwriter and record producer. She is known for her soprano singing range and her country pop material. McBride was born in Sharon, Kansas, and relocat ...

and Jerry Flowers (who has written for

Keith Urban Keith Lionel Urban (born 26 October 1967) is an Australian-American musician, singer, guitarist and songwriter known for his work in country music. Recognized with four Grammy Awards, Urban also received fifteen Academy of Country Music Award ...

). Bonamassa sought to create serious

in the project, instead of three-minute radio hits. The album was recorded at a music studio in the Palms Hotel in Las Vegas. The album charted at No. 8 on the ''Billboard'' 200, No. 1 on the blues chart, and No. 1 on the indie chart. In May 2015, Bonamassa won a

Blues Music Award The Blues Music Awards, formerly known as the W. C. Handy Awards (or "The Handys"), are awards presented by the Blues Foundation, a non-profit organization set up to foster blues heritage. The awards were originally named in honor of W. C. Handy, " ...

in the Instrumentalist – Guitar category. In April 2018, Bonamassa's signature amplifier, the ‘59 Twin-Amp JB Edition, was released by Fender. On June 27, 2018, Bonamassa premiered at the ''

Grand Ole Opry The ''Grand Ole Opry'' is a weekly American country music stage concert in Nashville, Tennessee, founded on November 28, 1925, by George D. Hay as a one-hour radio "barn dance" on WSM. Currently owned and operated by Opry Entertainment (a divis ...

''. He made a guest appearance after being introduced by

Chase Bryant Chase Spencer Yaklin, better known by his stage name Chase Bryant (born October 9, 1992) is an American singer and songwriter. Bryant is a family name shared by his grandfather, Jimmy Bryant, who performed with Roy Orbison and Waylon Jennings. In ...

, and playing along with him in his final song of the set, "I Need a Cold Beer".

2020–present

Bonamassa released the live album and film, ''Now Serving: Royal Tea Live from the Ryman'', on June 11, 2021. It was from his one-night-only concert, at the historic

Ryman Auditorium Ryman Auditorium (also known as Grand Ole Opry House and Union Gospel Tabernacle) is a 2,362-seat live-performance venue located at 116 Rep. John Lewis Way North, in Nashville, Tennessee. It is best known as the home of the ''Grand Ole Opry'' fr ...

in Nashville, Tennessee on September 20, 2020. The show was live-streamed at the time, and raised $32,000 for Bonamassa's Fueling Musicians program, which has been helping financially struggling musicians during the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...

Collaborations with Beth Hart

Bonamassa was first exposed to

Beth Hart Beth Hart (born January 24, 1972) is an American musician from Los Angeles, California. She rose to fame with the release of her 1999 single " LA Song (Out of This Town)" from her second album '' Screamin' for My Supper''. The single was a numbe ...

's music after seeing her play several television performances. The two would often cross paths when playing shows separately in Europe, and Bonamassa became very impressed with Hart when he caught her show at the Blue Balls Festival in

Lucerne Lucerne ( , ; High Alemannic German, High Alemannic: ''Lozärn'') or Luzern ()Other languages: gsw, Lozärn, label=Lucerne German; it, Lucerna ; rm, Lucerna . is a city in central Switzerland, in the Languages of Switzerland, German-speaking po ...

, Switzerland. While recording his album, ''

Dust Bowl The Dust Bowl was a period of severe dust storms that greatly damaged the ecology and agriculture of the American and Canadian prairies during the 1930s. The phenomenon was caused by a combination of both natural factors (severe drought) an ...

'' (and listening to the expanded edition of

the Rolling Stones The Rolling Stones are an English rock band formed in London in 1962. Active for six decades, they are one of the most popular and enduring bands of the rock era. In the early 1960s, the Rolling Stones pioneered the gritty, rhythmically d ...

' ''

Get Yer Ya-Ya's Out! ''Get Yer Ya-Ya's Out!: The Rolling Stones in Concert'' is the second live album by the Rolling Stones, released on 4 September 1970 on Decca Records in the UK and on London Records in the US. It was recorded in New York City and Baltimore in ...

'' which features tracks by

Ike & Tina Turner Ike & Tina Turner were an American musical duo consisting of husband and wife Ike Turner and Tina Turner. From 1960 to 1976, they performed live as the Ike & Tina Turner Revue, supported by Ike Turner's band the Kings of Rhythm and backing vocal ...

), Bonamassa became inspired to try pairing up with a woman. Hart came to mind, and the two musicians met up in a hotel bar in

Dublin Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of th ...

. Bonamassa floated the idea, which Hart accepted immediately, although she was at first under the impression that he was asking her to sing backup vocals on his next album. When she realized that his intention was for her to sing lead vocals, she said "I was floored".Bosso, Joe. Bonamassa, Hart and producer

wrote down lists of soul songs they liked to come up with material for the album, which was named '' Don't Explain''. The group settled on twelve songs, although only ten ended up being recorded. Bonamassa and Hart each chose five songs for the album. Some of Hart's favorite tracks on the album included, "For My Friend" by

Bill Withers William Harrison Withers Jr. (July 4, 1938 – March 30, 2020) was an American singer-songwriter and musician. He had several hits over a career spanning 18 years, including "Ain't No Sunshine" (1971), "Grandma's Hands" (1971), " Use Me" (1972) ...

, and "Sinner's Prayer" by

Ray Charles Ray Charles Robinson Sr. (September 23, 1930 – June 10, 2004) was an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. He is regarded as one of the most iconic and influential singers in history, and was often referred to by contemporaries as "The Ge ...

. Bonamassa had wanted to do versions of

Brook Benton Benjamin Franklin Peay (September 19, 1931 – April 9, 1988), better known as Brook Benton, was an American singer and songwriter who was popular with rock and roll, rhythm and blues, and pop music audiences during the late 1950s and early 1960 ...

's "I'll Take Care of You", and "Well Well" written by Delaney Bramlett &

Bonnie Bramlett Bonnie Bramlett (born Bonnie Lynn O'Farrell, November 8, 1944) is an American singer and occasional actress known for performing with her husband, Delaney Bramlett, as Delaney & Bonnie. She continues to sing as a solo artist. Life and career ...

. Their follow-up album, ''

Seesaw A seesaw (also known as a teeter-totter or teeterboard) is a long, narrow board supported by a single pivot point, most commonly located at the midpoint between both ends; as one end goes up, the other goes down. These are most commonly found a ...

'', was nominated for a

Grammy The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pre ...

in the category of

Best Blues Album The Grammy Award for Best Blues Album was an award presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to recording artists for releasing albums in the blues genre. Honors in severa ...

in 2013. Hart and Bonamassa released, '' Black Coffee'', on January 26, 2018. It was produced by

Additional projects

Bonamassa is a member of the jazz-funk band

Rock Candy Funk Party Rock Candy Funk Party is an American jazz-funk band from Los Angeles, California. It was formed in 2009 by drummer Tal Bergman and guitarist Ron DeJesus, who had previously released ''Grooove, Vol. 1'' in 2007. After adding guitarist Joe Bonamassa ...

. In 2013, they released their debut album, ''We Want Groove''. It was followed by ''Rock Candy Funk Party Takes New York – Live at the Iridium''. The show was recorded over three nights, at the

Iridium Jazz Club The Iridium is a music club located on Broadway in New York City. The club featured weekly performances by Les Paul for nearly fifteen years. History The club opened in January 1994 at its original location, at 63rd Street and Broadway in th ...

in New York City. The band played during '' Conan'' on February 10, 2014. Bonamassa produced

podcast A podcast is a program made available in digital format for download over the Internet. For example, an episodic series of digital audio or video files that a user can download to a personal device to listen to at a time of their choosing ...

s with another guitar aficionado, Matt Abramovitz, between January and July 2015. The Pickup Radio episodes are about "the life and lore of the guitar". Bonamassa and Abramovitz discuss their favorite guitars, guitarists and occasionally non-guitarists associated with the blues and rock genres. Bonamassa also serves as the guitarist for the hard rock

supergroup Supergroup or super group may refer to: * Supergroup (music), a music group formed by artists who are already notable or respected in their fields * Supergroup (physics), a generalization of groups, used in the study of supersymmetry * Supergroup ...

Black Country Communion Black Country Communion is an English-American hard rock band based in Los Angeles, California. Formed in 2009, the band is a supergroup composed of bassist and lead vocalist Glenn Hughes, guitarist and second vocalist Joe Bonamassa, drummer J ...

. In September 2017, the band released their fourth studio album, ''

BCCIV ''BCCIV'' is the fourth studio album by English-American hard rock band Black Country Communion. Recorded in early 2017 at EastWest Studios in Hollywood, California, it was produced by Kevin Shirley and released on 22 September 2017 by Mascot Re ...

''. In August 2021, Bonamassa appeared as a contestant on '' To Tell the Truth''. Bonamassa played

lead guitar Lead guitar (also known as solo guitar) is a musical part for a guitar in which the guitarist plays melody lines, instrumental fill passages, guitar solos, and occasionally, some riffs and chords within a song structure. The lead is the featur ...

on two tracks from the 2022 album, ''From The New World'', by

Alan Parsons Alan Parsons (born 20 December 1948) is an English audio engineer, songwriter, musician and record producer. Parsons was involved with the production of several notable albums, including the Beatles' ''Abbey Road'' (1969) and ''Let It Be'' ( ...

Guitar and amplifier collection

Bonamassa is known for his extensive collection of vintage amplifiers and guitars. He started collecting at an early age. His parents owned a music shop in upstate New York, which is now called Bonamassa Guitars. His first vintage guitar was a 1963 Stratocaster. He bought guitars compulsively for a while, including many he would never play, and then sold a lot of them to focus on guitars he could actually use. During an online interview in 2020, Bonamassa said that his favorite guitar is his 1951

Fender Telecaster The Fender Telecaster, colloquially known as the Tele , is an electric guitar produced by Fender. Together with its sister model the Esquire, it is the world's first mass-produced, commercially successful Les Paul had built a prototype solid bo ...

, nicknamed "The Bludgeon" (which has been modified with a

humbucking Mains hum, electric hum, cycle hum, or power line hum is a sound associated with alternating current which is twice the frequency of the mains electricity. The fundamental frequency of this sound is usually double that of fundamental 50/60 Hz, '' ...

pickup in the neck position). In 2021, Fender and Bonamassa announced the release of a limited edition reproduction of "The Bludgeon", by Custom Shop Master Builder Greg Fessler. Bonamassa is a collector of Gibson Les Pauls, including nearly a dozen "bursts" ( 1958–1960 Gibson Les Paul Standard). In 2021, Epiphone announced the release of a replica of his 1958 Gibson Les Paul Custom in black. Additionally, Bonamassa has a collection of over 100 amplifiers, mostly vintage "tweed" Fender amps. Bonamassa affectionately refers to the area of his home with vintage gear as the "Bona-seum". "Joe Bonamassa has been playing, buying and collecting vintage guitars and amps for most of his life. ...he has a vast collection, enough to create his own museum of rare and vintage gear: the Bona-seum." In a 2019 ''

Guitar World ''Guitar World'' is a monthly music magazine for guitarists – and fans of guitar-based music and trends – that has been published since July 1980. ''Guitar World'', the best-selling guitar magazine in the United States, contains original art ...

'' interview, Bonamassa stated that he has more than 400 guitars and 400 amplifiers.

Influences

Unlike many blues rock guitarists that came before him, Bonamassa's influences are British and Irish blues acts, rather than American artists. In an interview in ''

Guitarist A guitarist (or a guitar player) is a person who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of guitar family instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselv ...

'' magazine, he cited three albums that had the biggest influence on his playing: '' The Beano Album'' by

John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers are an English blues rock band led by singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist John Mayall. While never producing a hit of their own, the band has been influential as an incubator for British rock and blues ...

with

's '' Irish Tour '74'' and ''

Goodbye Goodbye, Good bye, or Good-bye is a parting phrase and may refer to: Film * ''Goodbye'' (1918 film), a British drama directed by Maurice Elvey * ''Goodbye'' (1995 film) (''Tot Ziens!''), a Dutch film directed by Heddy Honigmann * ''Goodbye'' ...

'' by

Cream Cream is a dairy product composed of the higher-fat layer skimmed from the top of milk before homogenization. In un-homogenized milk, the fat, which is less dense, eventually rises to the top. In the industrial production of cream, this process ...

. He also noted that Stevie Ray Vaughan's, '' Texas Flood'', had a big influence when Bonamassa was young. Among other bands, he listed the early blues playing of Jethro Tull as an influence, and named both

Martin Barre Martin Lancelot Barre (; born 17 November 1946) is an English guitarist best known for his longtime role as lead guitarist of British rock band Jethro Tull, with whom he recorded and toured from 1968 until the band's initial dissolution in 201 ...

and

Mick Abrahams Michael Timothy Abrahams (born 7 April 1943) is an English guitarist and band leader, best known for being the original guitarist for Jethro Tull from 1967 to 1968 and the frontman for Blodwyn Pig. Jethro Tull Abrahams was born in Luton, B ...

as important musicians to him. He elaborated on his influences: In an October 2008 interview with ''

Express & Star The ''Express & Star'' is a regional evening newspaper in Britain. Founded in 1889, it is based in Wolverhampton, England, and covers the West Midlands county and Staffordshire. Currently edited by Martin Wright, the ''Express & Star'' publish ...

'', he said: In a December 2012 interview with

MusicRadar MusicRadar is a music website that offers information pertaining to artists and their music. The site features music gear news and reviews, artist interviews and online music and production tutorials. It is owned by British media company Future ...

Keeping the Blues Alive Records

In June 2020, Dion released ''Blues with Friends'' via Keeping the Blues Alive Records (KTBA), a new record label created by Bonamassa and Roy Weisman for Dion and other

musicians to showcase their talents. The album features

Van Morrison Sir George Ivan Morrison (born 31 August 1945), known professionally as Van Morrison, is a Northern Irish singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist whose recording career spans seven decades. He has won two Grammy Awards. As a teenager in t ...

Paul Simon Paul Frederic Simon (born October 13, 1941) is an American musician, singer, songwriter and actor whose career has spanned six decades. He is one of the most acclaimed songwriters in popular music, both as a solo artist and as half of folk roc ...

Bruce Springsteen Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen (born September 23, 1949) is an American singer and songwriter. He has released 21 studio albums, most of which feature his backing band, the E Street Band. Originally from the Jersey Shore, he is an originat ...

, and others (including

liner notes Liner notes (also sleeve notes or album notes) are the writings found on the sleeves of LP record albums and in booklets that come inserted into the compact disc jewel case or the equivalent packaging for cassettes. Origin Liner notes are desce ...

Bob Dylan Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan, born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Often regarded as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture during a career sp ...

). The album reached No. 1 on the ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...

'' Blues Albums chart (9 weeks at No. 1 and 59 weeks total), and No. 4 on

iTunes iTunes () is a software program that acts as a media player, media library, mobile device management utility, and the client app for the iTunes Store. Developed by Apple Inc., it is used to purchase, play, download, and organize digital mul ...

. It also charted in United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Canada and Australia. Dion also released "You Know It's Christmas" (featuring Bonamassa and co-written with

Mike Aquilina Mike Aquilina is an American Catholic author and journalist working in the area of Church history, especially patristics. He is executive vice-president of the St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology, a Catholic research center based in Steubenvill ...

) in 2020. Dion produced a

music video A music video is a video of variable duration, that integrates a music song or a music album with imagery that is produced for promotion (marketing), promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a m ...

for all songs, releasing them on his website and

social media Social media are interactive media technologies that facilitate the creation and sharing of information, ideas, interests, and other forms of expression through virtual communities and networks. While challenges to the definition of ''social medi ...

platforms, such as Facebook and YouTube. Dion's song "Blues Comin' On" (with Bonamassa) from ''Blues with Friends'' was nominated for a 2021

. The album was also awarded Favorite Blues Album.

released the charting single "If That Ain't a Reason" from the No. 1 ''The Blues Album'' (2021), and

released the No. 1 blues album ''4801 South Indiana Avenue'' (2021) on the label. Dion released ''Stomping Ground'' in November 2021, along with music videos. Except for a cover of " Red House (song), Red House", the songs were written by Dion and Aquilina. Multiple guest artists participated on the album, including Springsteen and

Patti Scialfa Vivienne Patricia Scialfa ( ; born July 29, 1953) is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. Scialfa has been a member of the E Street Band since 1984 and has been married to Bruce Springsteen since 1991. In 2014, Scialfa was inducted into ...

on "Angels in the Alleyways", with extensive liner notes written by

Pete Townshend Peter Dennis Blandford Townshend (; born 19 May 1945) is an English musician. He is co-founder, leader, guitarist, second lead vocalist and principal songwriter of the Who, one of the most influential rock bands of the 1960s and 1970s. Townsh ...

. It became Dion's second No. 1 album on the ''Billboard'' blues chart.

(album ''Blues Without You'') and Robert Jon & the Wreck (single "Waiting for Your Man") are also on the KTBA label, with music released by both in 2022. In 2022, Joanne Shaw Taylor released ''Blues from the Heart: Live''. The single and music video for "Can't You See What You're Doing to Me" features

Kenny Wayne Shepherd Kenny Wayne Shepherd (born Kenny Wayne Brobst; June 12, 1977) is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He has released several studio albums and experienced significant commercial success as a blues artist. Life and career Shepherd wa ...

. All projects were produced by Bonamassa.

Personal life

On November 21, 2022, Bonamassa announced in a since-deleted post on

Instagram Instagram is a photo and video sharing social networking service owned by American company Meta Platforms. The app allows users to upload media that can be edited with filters and organized by hashtags and geographical tagging. Posts can ...

that he would no longer post on social media, fearing that he would "be provoked one day into saying something I might regret"; he had replied to a

trolling In slang, a troll is a person who posts or makes inflammatory, insincere, digressive, extraneous, or off-topic messages online (such as in social media, a newsgroup, a forum, a chat room, a online video game), or in real life, with the i ...

post in a harsh manner a few days prior. He stated that future Instagram posts would not be made by him.

Awards and nominations

Discography

Solo studio albums * '' A New Day Yesterday'' (2000) * '' So, It's Like That'' (2002) * ''

Blues Deluxe ''Blues Deluxe'' is the third studio album by American blues-rock musician Joe Bonamassa. Recorded at Unique Recording Studios in New York City, New York, it was produced by Bob Held and features nine cover versions of songs by classic blues art ...

'' (2003) * '' Had to Cry Today'' (2004) * '' You & Me'' (2006) * '' Sloe Gin'' (2007) * '' The Ballad of John Henry'' (2009) * '' Black Rock'' (2010) * ''

'' (2011) * ''

Driving Towards the Daylight ''Driving Towards the Daylight'' is the tenth studio album by blues rock guitarist Joe Bonamassa, released on May 22, 2012. Recorded at The Village Recorder in Los Angeles, CA and Studio at the Palms in Las Vegas, NV, ''Driving Towards the Dayl ...

'' (2012) * ''

'' (2014) * ''

Blues of Desperation ''Blues of Desperation'' is the twelfth studio album by American blues rock guitarist Joe Bonamassa. It was released on March 25, 2016 through J&R Records. Reception ''Blues of Desperation'' has been given a Metacritic Metacritic is a webs ...

'' (2016) * '' Redemption'' (2018) * ''Joe Bonamassa Christmas Comes But Once a Year'' (2019) * ''

Royal Tea ''Royal Tea'' is the fourteenth solo studio album by American blues rock musician Joe Bonamassa released in 2020. It was recorded at Abbey Road Studios. The album was followed by a live release, ''Now Serving: Royal Tea Live from the Ryman'', whi ...

'' (2020) * '' Time Clocks'' (2021) Solo live albums * '' A New Day Yesterday Live'' (2002) * ''

Shepherd's Bush Empire Shepherd's Bush Empire (currently known as O2 Shepherd's Bush Empire for sponsorship reasons, and formerly known as the BBC Television Theatre) is a music venue in Shepherd's Bush, West London, run by the Academy Music Group. It was originally ...

'' (2007) * '' Live from Nowhere in Particular'' (2008) * '' Live from the Royal Albert Hall'' (2009) * '' Beacon Theatre: Live from New York'' (2012) * ''An Acoustic Evening at the Vienna Opera House'' (2013) * '' Tour de Force: Live in London – The Borderline'' (2014) * '' Tour de Force: Live in London – Shepherd's Bush Empire'' (2014) * '' Tour de Force: Live in London – Hammersmith Apollo'' (2014) * '' Tour de Force: Live in London – Royal Albert Hall'' (2014) * ''Muddy Wolf at Red Rocks'' (2015) * ''Live at Radio City Music Hall'' (2015) * '' Live at the Greek Theatre'' (2016) * '' Live at Carnegie Hall: An Acoustic Evening'' (2017) * '' British Blues Explosion Live'' (2018) * '' Live at the Sydney Opera House'' (2019) * ''Now Serving: Royal Tea Live From The Ryman'' (2021) With Black Country Communion * ''

'' (2010) * ''

Black Country Communion 2 ''Black Country Communion 2'' (also known simply as ''2'') is the second studio album by English-American hard rock band Black Country Communion. Recorded in early 2011 primarily at EastWest Studios in Hollywood, California, it was produced by Ke ...

'' (2011) * '' Live Over Europe'' (2012) * ''

Afterglow An afterglow in meteorology consists of several atmospheric optical phenomena, with a general definition as a broad arch of whitish or pinkish sunlight in the twilight sky, consisting of the bright segment and the purple light. Purple light mainl ...

'' (2012) * ''

'' (2017) With Rock Candy Funk Party * '' We Want Groove'' (2013) * '' Rock Candy Funk Party Takes New York: Live at the Iridium'' (2014) * '' Groove Is King'' (2015) * '' The Groove Cubed'' (2017) With Beth Hart * '' Don't Explain'' (2011) * ''

'' (2013) * '' Live in Amsterdam'' (2014) * '' Black Coffee'' (2018) With Sleep Eazys * ''Easy to Buy, Hard to Sell'' (2020)

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Bonamassa, Joe 1977 births Living people Musicians from Utica, New York Lead guitarists Slide guitarists American blues guitarists American male guitarists American rock guitarists American blues singers American rock singers Blues rock musicians Child rock musicians Electric blues musicians Black Country Communion members Epic Records artists Singers from New York (state) Resonator guitarists People from New Hartford, New York Guitarists from New York (state) 21st-century American male singers 21st-century American singers 21st-century American guitarists Provogue Records artists