Roy Buchanan

Roy Buchanan (September 23, 1939 - August 14, 1988) was an American guitarist and blues musician, and was considered a soulful master of the electric guitar.

Legacy

Buchanan's long-term alcohol problem worsened with time, culminating in a domestic dispute with his wife at their Reston, Virginia home in 1988. She called the police, who arrested Buchanan. Several hours later Buchanan was found hanged in his cell. His cause of death was officially recorded as suicide, a finding disputed by some of Buchanan's friends and family.

Related Topics:
Reston, Virginia - Suicide

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Roy's musical career took him from underground club gigs in the sixties and seventies to national television, gold record sales, and worldwide tours in the eighties with the likes of Lonnie Mack, the Allman Brothers, Willie Nile, and many other blues/rock guitar icons.

Related Topics:
Lonnie Mack - Allman Brothers - Willie Nile

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Even posthumously, he commands the ardent respect of his fellow guitarists and a devoted army of fans. The Buchanan sound is totally unique: heartbreaking, searing solos, trademark shimmering tone, and a mixture of snarls, wails and squeals that mark him as a wizard of the instrument. He was a pioneer in the use of controlled harmonics, and although this technique has been used by rock's greatest guitarists, especially Jeff Beck, Robbie Robertson, and ZZ Top's Billy Gibbons, all acknowledge Buchanan as the master.

Related Topics:
Jeff Beck - Robbie Robertson - ZZ Top - Billy Gibbons

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The Hellecasters featured a cover of his song Sweet Dreams on their 1997 album The Return of the Hellecasters.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~