Joe Bonamassa
Artist Profile & Setup
- Instruments: Electric Guitar (Primarily vintage Gibson Les Pauls, Fender Stratocasters, and ES-335s), Acoustic Guitar, Vocals
- Primary Roles: Solo Artist, Bandleader, Songwriter, Producer
- Genres: Blues Rock, Electric Blues, Roots Rock
Extensive Biography
Joe Bonamassa (born May 23, 1977, in New Hartford, New York) is widely recognized as one of the world's premier guitar virtuosos and a driving force in keeping modern blues-rock relevant on a global commercial scale. Raised in a musical family—his father ran a guitar shop and introduced him to classic British blues-rock records by Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, and Rory Gallagher—Bonamassa picked up the guitar at age four and progressed with terrifying speed.
By age 12, he was already opening shows for legendary blues icon B.B. King, who famously took the young prodigy under his wing and declared him a generational talent. In his teens, Bonamassa formed the short-lived band Bloodline alongside the sons of other rock legends (including Miles Davis, Robby Krieger, and Berry Oakley), releasing a self-titled major-label album in 1994 before striking out on his own.
Opting for total artistic independence rather than chasing Top 40 radio, Bonamassa launched his solo career with his debut album A New Day Yesterday (2000). Over the next two decades, he built an unprecedented empire of independent music production through his own J&R Adventures label, releasing dozens of solo albums, live concert films, and side-project collaborations. In addition to his solo work, he achieved massive commercial success and critical acclaim as a member of the hard-rock supergroup Black Country Communion (alongside Glenn Hughes, Jason Bonham, and Derek Sherinian) and the blues-rock trio Rock Candy Funk Party.
Beyond his prolific recording and touring schedule, Bonamassa is an obsessive gear historian, collector (housing his legendary collection known as "Nerdville"), and philanthropist. Through his non-profit organization, the Keeping the Blues Alive Foundation, he has raised millions of dollars to fund music education programs, support struggling musicians, and supply instruments to underfunded public schools.
Selected Discography & Studio Albums
Solo Studio Albums
- A New Day Yesterday (2000)
- So, It's Like That (2002)
- Blues Deluxe (2003)
- Had to Cry Today (2004)
- You & Me (2006)
- The Ballad of John Henry (2009)
- Black Rock (2010)
- Dust Bowl (2011)
- Driving Towards the Daylight (2012)
- Different Shades of Blue (2014)
- Blues of Desperation (2016)
- Redemption (2018)
- Royal Tea (2020)
- Time Clocks (2021)
- Blues Deluxe Vol. 2 (2023)
- Live at the Hollywood Bowl with Orchestra (2024 / Live Album)
Collaborations & Side Projects
- Bloodline – Bloodline (1994)
- Beth Hart & Joe Bonamassa – Don't Explain (2011)
- Beth Hart & Joe Bonamassa – Seesaw (2013)
- Black Country Communion – Black Country Communion (2010)
- Black Country Communion – 2 (2011)
- Black Country Communion – Afterglow (2012)
- Black Country Communion – BCCIV (2017)
- Black Country Communion – V (2024)
- Rock Candy Funk Party – We Want Groove (2013)
- Beth Hart & Joe Bonamassa – Black Coffee (2018)
Guitar of the Day | Home Edition - Joe Bonamassa