Gerry Rafferty

His next record, Night Owl, also sold well, but his star fell throughout the 1980s, and whilst he is still working, he has had little commerical success since. Both lines were designed specifically as signature products for Satriani. The single narrowly missed the UK number one spot, but the album sold millions of copies both there and in the US, and remains a mainstay of radio airplay. Satriani has endorsed Ibanez's JS Series guitars, and Peavey's JSX amplifier. In 1978, Rafferty cut a solo album, City to City, which contained the song with which he remains associated, Baker Street. Satriani has maintained a large fan base throughout the world during his career. After working with Billy Connolly (now better known as a comedian) in a band known as the Humblebums, in the mid-1970s Rafferty joined with his old school friend Joe Egan and others to form Stealers Wheel, a group beset by legal wranglings but which did have a huge hit with Stuck in the Middle With You (later immortalised in the infamous torture scene in Reservoir Dogs). In relation to contemporary virtuoso guitarists however, such as Yngwie Malmsteen and John Petrucci, Satriani is often praised as a more lyrical, soulful guitarist.

Gerry Rafferty is a British singer and songwriter, born 1947 in Paisley, Scotland. The virtually flawless precision of his techniques as a guitarist have sometimes been described as "robotic" -- however this must be considered alongside the fact that few others in the world can match his technique, and that he has delved into many of the simpler styles with considerable success, such as blues and rock and roll. In depth biography (http://www.vh1.com/artists/az/rafferty_gerry/bio.jhtml). Satriani has often been criticized for the "sterility" of his music. Official Website (http://www.gerryrafferty.com/). In 1996, Satriani formed G3, a concert tour featuring three instrumental rock guitarists -- originally Satriani, Steve Vai, and Eric Johnson. In 1994, Satriani joined the band Deep Purple to replace guitarist Ritchie Blackmore during the band's tour.

In 1989, Satriani's song "One Big Rush" (originally released on Flying in a Blue Dream) was featured on the soundtrack to Say Anything. Word spread quickly, and Satriani was soon counted among rock's most talented guitarists. When his friend and former student Steve Vai gained fame playing with David Lee Roth in 1986, Vai raved about Satriani in several interviews with guitar magazines. During the 1970s, Satriani moved to Berkeley, California to pursue a music career.

He was inspired to play guitar at age 14, after hearing Jimi Hendrix. Joe Satriani was born on July 15, 1956, in Carle Place, New York. He is also a renowned guitar teacher, whose students have included Steve Vai, David Bryson (Counting Crows), Kirk Hammett (Metallica), Larry LaLonde (Primus), and Charlie Hunter, Kevin Cadogen (Third Eye Blind) among others. He has mastered nearly every performance technique on his instrument, including two-handed tapping, sweep picking, volume swells, tap harmonics, etc.

Satriani is recognized as one of the most technically proficient guitarists in rock. It is notable that while his non-musician fans tend to call him "Satch", other guitarists more typically call him "Saint Joe"; there are numerous t-shirts to this effect. Satriani has received 13 Grammy nominations, and he has sold more than 7 million albums worldwide. His success is notable in a genre typically unfriendly to instrumental musicians.

Joe "Satch" Satriani is an instrumental rock guitarist. Is There Love in Space? (2004). G3: Rockin' in the Free World (2004). The Electric Joe Satriani: An Anthology (2003).

Strange Beautiful Music (2002). Live in San Francisco (Previously recorded material) (2001). Additional Creations (Bonus CD with limited "Engines of Creation") (2000). Engines of Creation (2000).

Crystal Planet (1998). G3: Live in Concert (1997). Joe Satriani (1995). Time Machine (1993).

The Beautiful Guitar (1993). The Extremist (1992). Flying in a Blue Dream (1989). Dreaming #11 (1988).

Surfing With the Alien (1987). Not of This Earth (1986).