Yngwie Malmsteen made an appearance on Premier Guitar’s Big Five for an interview during which he revealed five aspects about him. At one point during the conversation, Malmsteen also revealed who his guitar hero is.
Yngwie Malmsteen first became prominent back in the 1980s due to his neoclassical playing style in heavy metal. Throughout his career which has spanned over 40 years, the guitarist has released 22 studio albums and made a great number of guest appearances in various albums.
When he was a teenager, Malmsteen was heavily influenced by classical music, especially by Niccolò Paganini as well as Johann Sebastian Bach. At that time, he also discovered Ritchie Blackmore, one of his most important guitar influences. Malmsteen then reflected these influences in his sound.
Known as one of the most successful representatives of neoclassical metal, Malmsteen still continues his career as a solo artist. In a recent interview by Premier Guitar, the talented guitarist revealed his favorite guitar, desert island album, favorite guitar culture pet peeve, his guitar hero, and his secret weapon.
When he was asked about his guitar hero, Malmsteen revealed that it is Allan Holdsworth. He said that he first heard of Allan in a music store where ‘In The Dead Of Night’ from Holdsworth’s ‘U.K.’ album was playing. Following that, the guitarist mentioned B.B. King and said their sincerity appeals to him no matter what instrument they play.
Talking about his guitar hero, Yngwie Malmsteen said the following:
“Well, I guess everybody already knows that. [It’s Allan] Holdsworth. When I was a teenager, I walked into the music store, and they were playing in this in the store. It was the ‘U.K.’ album, ‘In The Dead Of Night.’ I was totally knocked out, I mean, I couldn’t believe how good he was there. That was a good dear friend of mine too, he’s an amazing guy.
I like B.B. King, he’s just magical. I don’t think anybody could play one note [to] say so much as he did. What I found that appeals to me no matter what instrument they play is that sincerity that comes from.“
You can watch the rest of the interview below.
