Underrated Rock Guitarists

Jake E Lee

Ozzy Osbourne's "other" guitarist, Jakey Lou Williams was for a long time the "also-ran" guitarist who joined bands and then left before they got famous - he did this with Mickey Ratt, who later became RATT, with Rough Cutt, and in Dio - each time not staying long enough to contribute to the band'sdebut release. His turn came around however, joining Ozzy Osbourne after the untimely demise of Randy Rhoads. He played on Bark At The Moon, and then on The Ultimate Sin, both of which are some of Ozzy Osbourne's strongest material. He is often overlooked however, due to the iconic status of Randy Rhoads, and the imposing presence of the man who replaced him, Zakk Wylde. He left Ozzy Osbourne's band in 1987, briefly playing in the band Badlands before fading to a relative obscurity.


Micky Moody

So many high profile guitar heroes have done a stint in Whitesnake, including such famous names as John Sykes, Steve Vai, Warren DeMartini and Vivian Campbell, that Michael Joseph "Micky" Moody is often overlooked and not given his due. Micky Moody, however, was the original guitarist, and played on nine of the band's albums - more than half of the band's catalogue! His tenure in the band was for 6 years, making him one of the longest serving guitarists in the band - On this score he is edged out by Adrian Vandenberg, Reb Beach and Doug Aldrich - however he probably takes solace in the fact that these guys devote a significant amount of their time reprising music that he created.


Craig Goldy

Another alumnus of the LA band Rough Cutt, Craig Goldy stayed in the band long enough to contribute to their early material. He followed a similar path to Jake E Lee by moving from that band to play in Dio, this time after the band had had two extremely succesful albums with guitarist Vivian Campbell. He contributed to the albums Dream Evil, Master of the Moon, and Magica - some of the very favourites for die-hard Dio fans. He was the last guitarist in the band, although was replaced on tours by Doug Aldrich for some dates, due to hand injuries.


Ross The Boss

Ross "The Boss" Friedman invented New York Punk, and then went on to play heavy metal in the loudest band in the world. In 1973 he cofounded The Dictators, the New York rock band that invented punk music. This band, along with the New York Dolls, influenced the punk rock bands that came later in the '70s and caused much public controversy, including The Ramones and The Sex Pistols.

By 1978, after three albums, The Dictators had disbanded and Ross The Boss had become a guitarist for hire. In 1980, backstage at a Black Sabbath concert in England, Ross The Boss met Joey DeMaio and together they founded Manowar, who went on to become one of the biggest bands in heavy metal, and still hold the world record for being the loudest band ever.

As a guitarist, Ross The Boss was a master of "tight but loose", playing with conviction and feel, with one foot in the blues and one foot in shred guitar. At the moment he plays in The Dictators as well as in the Ross The Boss Band.


Tracii Guns

The founder of LA Guns, and of Guns N Roses, Tracii Guns never quite became the household name that many of his contemporaries like Slash, Axl and Nikki Sixx did. This is a shame, because he is one of the best songwriters, performers and musicians of that era. A man who effortlessly and seamless combined blues, rockabilly and country with punk, rock, shred and metal, he's one of only very few guitarists who can claim to be both versatile and uniquely idiosyncratic. Tracii guns still plays in LA Guns today, and now uses a Floyd Rose equipped Telecaster-style electric guitar along with Marshall amplifiers.

Dan Hawkins

The "other" guitarist in The Darkness, Dan Hawkins was often overshadowed by his by his older brother Justin Hawkins, the flamboyant singer/electric guitar player/frontman for the band. It's easy to see why Justin got so much of the limelight - his falsetto singing, stage poses, adventurous outfits and outrageous performances onstage, and his hijinks and misadventures offstage were always bound to get the most attention from critics, journalists and fans alike. But the whole time while Justin was running around, pouting, and drinking enough champagne to drown Andorra, Dan Hawkins was there laying down the riffs and the hooks that made the band famous. With a killer tone delivered by the classic pairing of a Gibson Les Paul and a Marshall stack, he was also a key songwriter for the band, and was involved in the production of the albums. He now plays in the band Stone Gods.