BIOGRAPHY – Joe Bonamassa

At just thirty three, Joe Bonamassa has achieved more than many musicians manage throughout their entire career. Having been performing professionally for over twenty years, Bonamassa’s big break came whilst still a child and he has since released several solo albums, performed at such prestigious venues as London’s Royal Albert Hall, shared the stage with the likes of Eric Clapton, Joe Cocker, Ted Nugent and John Lee Hooker. Most recently, he formed the ‘supergroup’ Black Country Communion with singer/bassist Glenn Hughes, drummer Jason Bonham and keyboardist Derek Sherinian. One of the most respected guitarists working in blues today, Bonamassa was once described by his hero B. B. King as “One of a kind.”

Joe Bonamassa was born on May 8th 1977 in Utica, New York. His parents owned a guitar store and Bonamassa developed a keen interest in music from a very early age and was given his first guitar at the age of four. Raised on such artists as Jethro Tull and Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young, Bonamassa quickly became a skilled musician and began to receive tutoring from the late Danny Gatton, who taught the young enthusiast to combine different genres and styles of playing, including blues, jazz and rock. Bonamassa made his public debut at the age of twelve at a club called The Metro, in which he was rushed home by his mother straight after his set as he was performing on a school night. Around this time, Bonamassa received a call from a local promoter called Richard Thornton, who offered the child an opening slot for an upcoming B. B. King show in front of five thousand fans. Impressed his talented supporting act, King invited Bonamassa on a tour over the summer, which eventually brought him to the attention of record companies.

Bonamassa’s first project was Bloodline, a group that he had formed with Miles Davis’ son, Erin, Berry Oakley’s son, Berry Jr. and Waylon Krieger (son of Robby Krieger from The Doors). The group’s one and only album was released on August 23rd 1994 and would spawn the relatively successful singles Stone Cold Hearted and Dixie Peach. Bonamassa’s solo career began in 2000 with the album A New Day Yesterday, which took its name from a 1969 Jethro Tull song. The record would include reworkings of tracks by Rory Gallagher and Warren Haynes and was produced by Tom Dowd, who had previously worked in various capacities with The Allman Brothers Band, Eric Clapton, Ray Charles and Canned Heat. Bonamassa’s sophomore album, 2002′s So, It’s Like That, would consist of original material, written by Bonamassa and various different collaborators. He continued to gain acclaim with albums like Blues Deluxe, Had to Cry Today and Sloe Gin and was recorded in concert for 2008′s Live from Nowhere in Particular.

In May 2009, Bonamassa fulfilled his lifelong ambition by performing to a devoted crowd at the Royal Albert Hall, where he was joined on stage by Eric Clapton and Paul Jones. The concert was captured on film and released on DVD to great acclaim. Following the recording of his latest solo album, this year’s Black Rock, focus began to turn to his new project, Black Country Communion. Their debut album, Black Country (read our review here), was produced by Kevin Shirley (Iron Maiden, Dream Theater) and released on September 20th through Mascot Records. The record was well received by critics and fans alike, whilst the band performed a low key concert in London on the day of its release.