(L-R) Jimmy Page, Steve Vai and Brian May. (Courtesy Metalhead Zone)
Speaking to Jonesy's Jukebox, legendary guitar virtuozo Steve Vai has revealed his biggest influence as a guitarist.
Interview said "who was your big influence?" and Vai responded:
"Jimmy Page. That was the first one. When I heard Page for the first time, I was like, 'That's it, I'm playing the guitar.'
I loved it - the guitar - before that, but for some stupid reason I was just too afraid to pick it up and just didn't feel I was cool enough or something. And then finally when I heard Led Zeppelin, that was it.
Then the floodgates opened up. Then I heard Queen and all that stuff from the '70s. Because that was my age at the time, like KISS, Alice Cooper..."
On what he thinks about Queen's Brian May, he said:
"He's one of the most unique contributors. He doesn't get credit. Because what he does is so rich and so specific, and so deep, it fits so well in Queen music, you just feel it as part of that music.
But when you break it down and when you look at it from a guitar player's point of view, it's unique, and nobody to this date could do what he does and make it sound like that.
He is an iconic player. His tone, his choice of melody notes, he doesn't just do solos. His solos are melodies, and they're perfectly in place."
You can watch the entire interview from below. Click here to source of the statement. (Ultimate-Guitar)
