The First Two Decades of the Most Successful Guitar Magazine Ever
As the modern media landscape has changed dramatically, the former editor of Guitar Player magazine, Jim Crockett, looks back at the pioneering days of one of the most successful music magazines ever. The book is the ultimate insider’s view into the magazine’s evolution from a 32-page startup into an industry leader and the go-to resource for guitarists of all musical styles, from rock and jazz to blues, folk, and classical.
The book features vivid recollections by prominent guitar players, including Joe Perry, George Benson, Pat Travers, Country Joe McDonald, Pat Metheny, Steve Howe, Lee Ritenour, Johnny Winter, Steve Morse, Larry Coryell, Michael Lorimer, John McLaughlin, Stanley Clarke, Liona Boyd, Steve Vai, and many others. In his foreword, Joe Satriani recalls a time when there was no internet, no instructional DVDs, and not even credible rock guitar teachers:
“The first time I discovered GP magazine, I was stunned, overjoyed. Here was a publication that not only featured the artists making guitar music, but left no stone unturned when it came to the inspiration, the ‘how to’, and the tools that they used.”
The magazine’s story is also told through many other people important to Guitar Player’s history, including the Eastman family, and Jim Crockett, who edited this book with his daughter Dara. Included are key personnel such as Tom Wheeler, Jas Obrecht, Roger Siminoff, Mike Varney, Jon Sievert, George Gruhn, and Robb Lawrence as well as leading early advertisers, such as Martin, Randall, Fender and Ibanez Guitars.
Among the many images peppered throughout the book are then-and-now shots of performers and staff, early ads, behind-the-scenes photos from company jam sessions (with such guests as B. B. King and Jerry Garcia), and vintage magazine covers. Rich in history and perspective, Guitar Player: The Inside Story of the First Two Decades of the Most Successful Guitar Magazine Ever is a fascinating first-person chronicle of a music magazine’s birth and rise to greatness.
About the Editors
JIM CROCKETT was editor and then president/publisher of Guitar Player from 1970 through 1989. He also created the magazines Keyboard, Bass Player, Drums & Drumming, and Frets. He has written more than 1,000 published articles, and his books include Fix Your Axe, The Why-To of Scuba Diving, and the e-book Experiencing the Great Whites: and Other Interesting Times. He lives in Acton, California.
DARA CROCKETT is a freelance writer, photographer, teacher, and artist manager. When she’s not surrounded by music and words, she is out in nature, photographing the beauty of Southern Oregon. She lives in Ashland, Oregon.
Guitar Player: The Inside Story of the First Two Decades of the Most Successful Guitar Magazine Ever
$29.99 (US)
Inventory #HL 00131052
ISBN: 9781480397927
Width: 8.0″, length: 10.5″, 280 pages
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– Backbeat Books, An Imprint of Hal Leonard –
Source: Press Release
