What artist/artists do you regard as being influential to you?

[kenny mac]

Just putting this out to you guys but is there any artist that's responsible for you being what you are musically by thier influence.
I know there are many influences but if you were to pick say,just 2 who would they be?
My main influence I would say was Jeff Lynne from E.L.O
That's probably were my need for home recording and vocal harmonys and song writing crept in and also the Great Ian Hunter also one of the Best writers to come from the uk in my own opinion.
How about you?

[Farrell Jackson]

There are many bands and artists that influenced me early on and still do such as The Animals, The Stones and The Beatles. But Crosby Stills & Nash and Dave Mason are the ones which I think helped set my musical style for life. The mix of acoustic and electric guitars plus three part harmony vocals shows up in my songs all the time. I blame them, lol!

Farrell

[Hook]

If I have to narrow the many down to a few there are 3, in this order.
Kenny Rodgers, Hall & Oats & Elvis Costello.
Rock on!

[Oldrottenhead]

there is no way i could answer that, there are so many things that influence me, and that's before we even get round to music.

and we are all probably influenced by the stuff we hate but is all around us every day. when the kids are in the car i have to suffer Capital FM.

anyway i think i have narrowed it down to one person.

John Peel.

[alfstone]

1) John McLaughlin
2) Miles Davis
3) John Renbourn

_____

Alfredo

[Pine]

Tuff question. So many.

Bob Dylan...for strumming style and lyrical inspiration...

Neil Young...for diversity

Norman Blake/John Hartford..for love of traditional/bluegrass/americana and acoustic focus

 

[fenderbender]

Same here -many-
But and this may sound a little 
Mainly the music on this site -posted by yourselves
Could be the words from a song posted here sets me off digging out stuff-

so yep -I will say you guys/gals --

Tommy

[Johnny Robbo]

OK, here goes...

The artist who got me into music in the first place: Bill Haley & The Comets. I remember my parents playing Rock Around The Clock on the old Dansette record player when I was a toddler. That was it - I had fallen head over heels in love with music.

The artist who made me want to play the guitar: Hank Marvin. I was about 5 yrs old when I heard Apache & it made a lasting impression on me. To this day I still have a Shadows "Best Of" compilation on my mp3 player.

The band that made me start gigging: Dire Straits. I hadn't been playing that long - a couple of years or so - but somehow I managed to get my fingers around the Sultans Of Swing solo. My music teacher at school was in a band, playing keyboards, and he heard me doing my Knopfler impersonation & invited me to go and sit in with his band at a concert they were doing for the 6th form.

The artist who I wanted to be: Easy choice... Gary Moore. I developed a serious Gary Moore obsession for a good 10 yrs & would learn his solos note-for-note (or die trying).

The artist who opened my eyes to jazz: Miles Davis. Kind Of Blue is a masterpiece of tuneful improvisation. Any time I'm stuck for ideas when I have a solo to record, I'll listen to this album & it always seems to spur me on.

The band that turned me on to "prog" rock: Camel. They never bettered their album "The Snow Goose", but what an album! I'd love to do a big, progressive "concept" album like this - it's on my bucket list.

SO there you have it... the music that made me

[ODH]

John Peel.

Same here.  Peel's musical appetite, diversity and enthusiasm really influenced my approach not just musically but as a lifestyle.  Plus he opened my eyes to a lot of music and styles I wouldn't have known about otherwise.  I often say, a bit tongue in cheek, that John Peel was my father; he was certainly my role model.

I'd struggle to pick out individual artists / bands, to be honest, it's a huge panoply.

[Mike_S]

For me I am not sure what is coming through in my music, it's really hard for me to say. But to list artists that I have been obsessed with through the years...

Early Years: AC/DC
Middle Bit: Jimi Hendrix
Last 6 or 7 years: Rory Gallagher, Mark Knopfler

Mike