Many rock performers have acknowledged that they occasionally mimic other artists. John Christ, the former Danzig guitarist, contributed something fresh to these in a recent Guitar World interview. Ted Nugent and ZZ Top’s Billy Gibbons were a part of his confession.
Although the topic of originality in the music business is still debatable, it is a well-known truth that many musicians either copy or draw inspiration from other musicians. In fact, some iconic bands like Nirvana have been claimed to emulate other performers like Billy Corgan. As far as John Christ suggests, he is one of those who developed his style by looking after his favorites.
Christ had his place in the 90s rock world as the lead guitarist of Danzig for a while. After his departure from the band, he continued his career as a solo artist. One of the significant parts of his music was the pinch harmonics in his playing style. In a new interview, the guitarist talked about different parts of his career and mentioned ripping off Ted Nugent and Billy Gibbons to create these harmonics.
During his conversation with Guitar World, Christ mentioned that he adores Ted Nugent and Billy Gibbons’ music. He also admitted that he modeled his own approach, particularly on the pinch harmonics, in Ted Nugent’s song ‘Need You Bad,’ which he describes as a ‘tour de force.’
The guitarist happily acknowledges Gibbons and Nugent’s influence in the interview:
“The pinch harmonics were a direct rip-off from Ted Nugent and Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top. I love the way they made it scream. Ted Nugent did a song called ‘Need You Bad,’ off the Weekend Warriors album that was sort of a tour de force of pinch harmonics, and I modeled a lot of my style after that.”
It appears that John Christ found his own musical voice while being greatly influenced by his favorite musicians. Even the best artists draw inspiration from their predecessors and favorites, although originality in art is a somewhat touchy topic of discussion. These inspirations, it seems, are what give us beautiful music and artists like John Christ.