United States

Let's see... When I was about 6 years old my next door neighbor, Joey, was 14 and had Kiss Alive and just got the Boston album. I liked both, but I think flipping through the pages in the middle of the Alive double album and looking at all the pictures of the stage and fans hooked me... I definitely liked Boston's music better, but the Kiss 'Show' is probably what lured me in. They had a way of making it look like a musician's Disney Land, and at the age of 6, Disney was hip as all getout!

.... Man, I am old... and tired, LOL!

Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, EVH, Randy Rhoads, Yngwie Malmsteen, Steve Vai, Joe Satriani, Metallica, Dream Theater and Pantera .... too many more to list.
I noticed the better I got, the more people( fellow musicians, listeners) Complimented me on my technique, songwriting, stage performance .... but man the response from the gals

elvis did it to me first and then the beatles came and I was 16 and already laying gigs. this was so wonderful then and it still is .

I was asked to ...

I started playing guitar when I was about 12 because my dad has been playing since way before I was born and to be in a household of a very serious guitarist, it was tough not to follow in his footsteps. I grabbed the concept of playing and reading guitar music quickly on my own and continued without any kind of lessons to this day. I'd say I'm an advanced guitarist and musician in general, but I still have a long way to go.

i have to for placing music behind vocal/lyrical ideas for the guys i do originals with online. nobody can tell what's in my head, but me.

When I was 8 years old, I saw my cousin playing in a wedding band, with a big red ES-335 around his neck...
That did it

7 years old:
Heard BOSTON for the first time on my brothers 8-track.. The opening to "long time" with the organ and guitar blew me away. That guitar ... so incredible.. sparked my interest in guitar

8 years old:
Same with Queen "we will rock you"..

Then finally at 11, the song that drove it home: Jukebox hero. That One Guitar...

I picked one up and self-taught by watching other players at every possible gathering.

Back then, there was not TAB, no internet, no youtube, the only way to learn was to take lessons, which my parents refused "play a real instrument" was my dads approach, like sax or something in school band. ugh. lol.

I did have one influence who was a local guy who did basic blues and rock on a beat up fender mustang.. which at the time were consider junk guitars lol.. he was talented and I would watch him intensely and then pick up and imitate him. Learned a ton just watching him.

Took lessons after 18, and found that I wasn't a very good student, but once the internet hit, I was able to (and still do) focus on a specific facet of what I'm looking to learn. There are some amazing players out there who aren't in bands or doing anything musically outside of their bedrooms and youtube, yet are still fanatical players.. and have a lot to share. I really like a lot of the videos where they play a solo in real time, then give a part by part breakdown and replay it all slowly. If only we had that my first 15 years ...

Michael Hedges