Myles Kennedy from Alter Bridge recently sat down with Guitar World and talked about musicians who inspired him to pursue guitar and helped him figure out his style in music. His list included names such as Eddie Van Halen, Led Zeppelin, Jimmy Page, and Jeff Buckley.
Myles said that among other musicians, Jeff was one of the most influential idols for him to pursue a guitar career with following words:
“Other than Eddie Van Halen and Jimmy Page, in many ways, Jeff Buckley was one of the big reasons that I needed to chase down being a guitar player. He was one of the individuals that motivated me along the way after I heard his ‘Grace’ album back in ’94.”
Kennedy added that Buckley’s style was the reason he stood out back in the ‘90s when grunge peaked:
“At that time, grunge was all the rage. And while I appreciate grunge, and I love it, Jeff Buckley provided something very different from that stuff.”
He continued praising the late guitarist for combining his skills with influences from other musicians. Myles also mentioned that seeing him live for the first time was the time that he was truly impressed by his guitar skills:
“His music was so ethereal and special, but you could also hear him pulling from Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, world music, and all these unique things. And then, about five months after I bought ‘Grace,’ I was lucky enough to see Jeff perform in Seattle at a little theater that held maybe 500 people. That’s when the full gravity of his vocal and guitar-playing abilities hit me.”
Kennedy explained his thoughts on Buckley’s voice as well, saying that his unconventional methods worked out for him. He also remarked that the rocker doesn’t see the appreciation he deserves, while he continues to influence Myles’s works to this day.
“To this day, his guitar playing is very underrated. Jeff used a lot of weird tunings that made sense with his voice. He was such a crazy talent and so unique. What he did back then profoundly affected me and still does today.”
You can read the whole interview here.
