David Bowie
There was a period when I was really in to 80s music, and one of the first places I turned was David Bowie. Of course, most people consider his best work to be in the 70s, but Scary Monsters is still one of my favorite albums, even after investigating some of his previous work.
Collective Soul
When I first started playing guitar, Collective Soul was one of the bands that converted me over to the genre of rock and classic rock. I love their guitar work, and the spiritual undertones to their music.
Daniel Amos
Daniel Amos fans may not enjoy my music. However, the band has left a lasting impression on my psyche with their thought-provoking lyrics and ever-changing musical styles. I particularly like their ¡Alarma! album as well as their Doppelgänger album.
Extreme
I love Extreme's music, particularly the III Sides to Every Story album. I like concept albums and I have to commend this band for completing such an ambitious undertaking. Nuno Bettencourt is one of my favorite guitarists, fusing funk and Van Halen-esque hard rock.
Harem Scarem
Harem Scarem simply seems incapable of producing bad music. They are one of the best bands of the Melodic Rock genre, evolving (and sometimes transforming) as time progresses.
Jimi Hendrix
Jimi was an extraordinary guitarist and a pretty good songwriter too. I love his clean guitar tone, particularly on his slower songs. I really like a lot of the techniques he uses and his R&B style of playing.
Eric Johnson
Eric Johnson is an extraordinary guitarist, but it doesn't stop there. He's also a fabulous singer, songwriter, and pianist. His inspirational music is truly moving, and his instrumental music truly melodic.
Mourning Widows
After Extreme, guitarist Nuno Bettencourt went on to form and front the Mourning Widows. They never released more than two albums, but their aggressive style and catchy music had a significant impact on me.
Remy Shand
I like his do-it-yourself attitude and determination. His first (and only?) album The Way I Feel is such a wonderful collection of songs with plenty of replay value. He played most of the instruments on the album to boot.
Other Influences
Of course, there are many other artists that have influenced me. At the risk of excluding someone, I have made a not-so-comprehensive list of my other influences:Santana, Rage Against the Machine, Tom Morello, Van Halen, Nuno Bettencourt, Population 1, DramaGods, Satellite Party, Further Seems Forever, The Eagles, Riley Armstrong, Jason Mraz, Ivana Santilli, Wes Montgomery, Mr. Big, Rush, Eric Clapton, They Might Be Giants, "Weird Al" Yankovic, Allan Holdsworth, Barenaked Ladies, Paul Simon, Dan Reed Network, Chage&Aska, B'z.
