# Greatest Guitar Player of All Time? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 18, 2005, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-guitar-player-of-all-time/326696 "2005-10-18T02:12:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![elelle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f0a364/32.png) [@elelle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elelle)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2005, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-guitar-player-of-all-time/326696/81 "2005-10-25T04:14:32Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > Honeyboy is great. He wasn’t just on the scene when Robert Johnson died- he was _with_ Johnson. I consider myself very fortunate to have seen Honeyboy in person. Yep, exactly, sorry I didn’t make that more clear. Edwards is the main living source of what happened that night with RJ. Living Blues magazine detailed that about 1991. Here’s a memory: 12 years ago, Honeyboy was playing in my hometown of Oxford, MS. Several drunk frat boys were yelling for “Clapton! Play some Clapton!” Can you imagine that? This great elder Blues musician was a contemporary of well, just about everyone, and was there when Robert Johnson died, and he’s asked to play Eric fucking Clapton??? What kind of bizzaro universe is that?? Clapton would have been prostrate at his feet… It happened, and he was a real gentleman about it. Didn’t bitch at all. He just played an incredible version of Sweet Home Chicago, his home after migrating north from hardscrabble Mississippi. He’s still there, still playing, at 90. Go On Honeyboy, You Rock! Hence my vote here. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2005, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-guitar-player-of-all-time/326696/82 "2005-10-25T04:26:15Z")
> [@elelle](#): > > Here’s a memory: 12 years ago, Honeyboy was playing in my hometown of Oxford, MS. Several drunk frat boys were yelling for “Clapton! Play some Clapton!” Can you imagine that? This great elder Blues musician was a contemporary of well, just about everyone, and was there when Robert Johnson died, and he’s asked to play Eric fucking Clapton??? What kind of bizzaro universe is that?? Clapton would have been prostrate at his feet… Clapton, I hope, would’ve smacked them. 😉 > [@](#): > > He just played an incredible version of Sweet Home Chicago, his home after migrating north from hardscrabble Mississippi. He’s still there, still playing, at 90. I only saw him 2 1/2 years ago, so I’m not surprised he’s still going. I considered going to his 90th birthday celebration, but I decided it’d be hard to get in and I’d have no way home when it ended. ---
**Author:** ![DfrntBreign](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f6c823/32.png) [@DfrntBreign](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DfrntBreign)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2005, 10:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-guitar-player-of-all-time/326696/83 "2005-10-25T10:40:43Z")
Has no one here ever heard Warren Haynes??? The guitarist for The Allman Brothers Band, The Dead and Gov’t Mule. Simultaneously!! And still does solo shows when he’s not too busy. And a genuine nice guy, besides. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2005, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-guitar-player-of-all-time/326696/84 "2005-10-25T13:33:54Z")
> [@DfrntBreign](#): > > Has no one here ever heard Warren Haynes??? The guitarist for The Allman Brothers Band, The Dead and Gov’t Mule. Simultaneously!! And still does solo shows when he’s not too busy. And a genuine nice guy, besides. That’s all true - although I think he’s done with the Dead for good. I’ve seen Warren in concert more than any other guitarist, something like 50 times. He’s not even the greatest guitarist in the Allmans these days. He can be a force of nature up there, but he’s got some pretty clear limits. I’m not a big fan of his tone these days, either. ---
**Author:** ![Try\_As\_I\_Might](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ea666f/32.png) [@Try\_As\_I\_Might](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Try_As_I_Might)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2005, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-guitar-player-of-all-time/326696/85 "2005-10-25T21:43:40Z")
> [@John F](#): > > This may be strange, and I’m a Prince fan but I’m not 100% sure he actually plays guitar (at least note for note to the songs anyway). > > It’s been something I’ve wondered about over the years because in video his fingers very often do not look to be in the right places on the fret board for what I’m hearing in the song. Then I saw a Power Generation live video where he had another guitar player “tucked away” on the stage that did seem to be playing the parts. I’ve never seen him live or close enough to be sure. I figure he plays a bit of guitar along with somebody else but it’s more of a showmanship effort on his part. > > I’ve always wondered…any opinions? if memory serves right (and it may not), I believe Prince got a big brake when he was the guitarist for Little Richard. I think I saw an interview in which Little Richard talked about kicking Prince off his band because he was dressing louder than Little Richard. (I think… but I am too lazy to search. Sorry.) Oh, and best lap or steel guitarist? I like Robert Randolph and the family band. Robert has a real gospel/blues meets Hendrix sound and his playing is absurdly good. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-guitar-player-of-all-time/326696.md?page=4)