Former Alice Cooper guitarist Orianthi recently shared the ten guitarists who influenced her sound with Guitar World. She mentioned classics such as Eric Clapton and Jimi Hendrix but credited Gary Moore with pioneering ‘blues metal.’ The guitarist recalled her earlier days and said:
“I remember my dad playing Gary Moore’s stuff growing up, and even as a kid, I was like, ‘Wow, this is incredible.’ I was blown away by his intensity, as well as his skill. But he’s a unique player… he’s kind of like a blues-metal player, which is a pretty crazy blend. You’ve got wild scales and fast stuff, but then he hits you with so much soul and aggression.”
She then explained how Moore stood out for her among others and continued:
“So, he had all those things going for him, but what really made him stand out was the emotion he could hit you with through his playing. He could bend strings with reckless abandon, but he’d pair that with these beautiful melodies; it was unreal. And seeing him do all that live was yet again another experience. I remember watching a lot of videos of him playing as a kid, and while I never got to meet him, that inspired me big time.”
Orianthi also mentioned Moore, amongst many other guitarists, as her foundation of playing in an earlier interview. While chatting about her recording and writing processes, the blues guitarist referred to her song ‘Blues Won’t Leave Me Alone,’ and said:
“I recorded this album with Richie [Sambora]. It was a lot of fun, but it was a very different kind of sound – almost like new-age blues. […] Ever since I was a kid, I’ve had this feeling that the blues won’t leave me alone. […] My father had such an amazing record collection, which was predominantly blues – B.B., Freddie and Albert King, Gary Moore, Eric Clapton, Howlin’ Wolf – growing up listening to that, it’s always going to be the foundation of my playing.”
The guitarist once again showed her admiration by performing a cover of ‘Still Got The Blues’ with Vanessa Amorosi. Watch the performance below.
