Roundup of Famous Overseas Blues Guitarists
Have you ever come across a song, or a part of a song, being described as “bluesy” while listening to rock or pop? There are many forms of the blues, which is said to be the origin of jazz and rock, and its style can’t be summed up in a single phrase.
Still, those plaintive phrases that evoke the sorrowful historical backdrop in which the blues was born feel distinctly “bluesy,” don’t they? This time, we’re spotlighting legendary guitarists who represent the blues—icons every beginner should know first, along with guitarists who’ve been gaining attention in recent years.
The soulful playing of these blues guitarists might just change your outlook on life!
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- Famous guitarists of the world. Great guitarists who have etched their names into history.
- Blues masterpieces—from prewar blues to blues rock
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Summary of famous overseas blues guitarists (41–50)
Smoking GunRobert Cray
Robert Cray, who rose to popularity in the 1980s as a new-generation blues guitarist.
“Smoking Gun” is both his debut single and his biggest hit.
While Cray excels at minor-key blues, his music reveals not only a sense of freshness but also glimpses of the longstanding traditions of Texas and Memphis blues.
Zydeco ShuffleSonny Landreth
Sonny Landreth is one of the foremost slide guitar players of our time.
Eric Clapton has called him “the most underrated blues guitarist,” and this video makes it easy to see why.
You can savor his distinctive “behind-the-slide” technique in depth.
Get What You DeserveDerek Trucks
A guitarist so skilled he’s called a master in the lineage of the legendary slide player Duane Allman.
His bottleneck technique is exquisite.
He usually plays fingerstyle.
A purist who astonishingly uses no effects at all.
He excels in blues and jazz as well, and with his versatile musical sensibility, he’s a young blues guitarist to watch.
International Blues Jam (Stevie’s Blues)Tommy Emmanuel
It might not be fair to treat Tommy Emmanuel as merely a blues guitarist.
His extraordinary fingerpicking technique allows him to operate in far more realms than just the blues.
That said, it’s also true that the blues lie at his roots.
This piece, dedicated to Stevie Ray Vaughan, vividly tells that story.
Parisienne WalkwaysGary Moore
Gary Moore, the Northern Irish virtuoso who poured flame-like passion and bittersweet melancholy into his guitar.
With a wide-ranging musicality spanning hard rock, blues, and jazz fusion, he continued to evolve throughout his career.
He first rose to prominence in the early 1970s with Skid Row, and as a solo artist scored a UK chart No.
8 hit with Parisienne Walkways from his 1978 album Back on the Streets.
He returned to the blues with the 1990 masterpiece Still Got the Blues, achieving worldwide success.
His expressive, soulful “weeping” guitar tone—often coaxed from his beloved ‘Greeny,’ inherited from Peter Green—has become the stuff of legend.
His music resonates deeply with those seeking heart-stirring guitar sounds and anyone who wants to experience true musical expression that transcends genre.