Joe Satriani

Born on July 15, 1956, in Westbury, NY, Joe was inspired to play guitar at age 14 after hearing that Jimi Hendrix had died.

Satriani is one of the world’s most renowned guitar teachers, with his most notable student being fellow Long Island native Steve Vai. In 1978, he moved to Berkeley, California to pursue a music career. He continued to teach guitar. His students included Kirk Hammett (Metallica), Larry LaLonde (Primus), David Bryson (Counting Crows), Alex Skolnick (Testament), and Charlie Hunter.

In the early '80s, Satriani got a gig playing guitar with power pop star Greg Kihn, doing some session work and touring with the group. Joe would later tour with Mick Jagger, and as a member of Deep Purple.

His success in a world that’s not typically welcoming to instrumental musicians has been incredible. Satriani has received 13 Grammy nominations, and he has sold more than 7 million albums worldwide. His CDs “Surfing with the Alien” and “The Extremist” are bench marks for guitarist all over the world.

Satriani is recognized as one of the most technically proficient guitarists in rock. He has mastered nearly every performance technique on the instrument, including two-handed tapping, sweep picking, volume swells, harmonics, and extreme whammy bar effects.

Fans of instrumental guitar music widely consider Joe to be the most lyrical and soulful of contemporary rock virtuosos, with an eye and an ear for a good melody, and an emphasis on emotion equal to technique.

Click here to download the Joe Satriani 1024x768 image.

Click here to return to the Hall Of Fame.

Joe Satriani