Brad Whitford
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Brad Whitford | |
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Background information | |
Birth name | Bradley Ernest Whitford |
Born | Winchester, Massachusetts, U.S. | February 23, 1952
Genres | |
Occupation(s) |
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Instrument(s) |
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Years active | 1970–present |
Member of | Aerosmith |
Formerly of | The Joe Perry Project, Experience Hendrix, Whitford/St. Holmes |
Website | aerosmith |
Bradley Ernest Whitford (born February 23, 1952)[1][2] is an American musician who is best known for serving as guitarist for the hard rock band Aerosmith for which he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2001. He has also worked as a songwriter for the group, co-composing well-received tracks such as 1976's "Last Child".[3]
Early life and education
Whitford graduated from Reading Memorial High School in Reading, Massachusetts in 1970.[4] He then attended the Berklee College of Music.
Career
20th century
Whitford played in local bands Cymbals of Resistance, Teapot Dome, Earth, Inc., and Justin Thyme before joining Aerosmith in 1971, where he replaced original guitarist Ray Tabano.[5][6] Aerosmith went on to be one of the most successful bands of the 1970s. Following several less successful albums in the late 1970s, however, Whitford left Aerosmith in 1981 to work on his own project with singer Derek St. Holmes, called Whitford/St. Holmes.[6] The project was dissolved after a sole self-titled album was released in 1981, although Whitford/St. Holmes reunited for 2015 and 2016 tours and released another album, Reunion.
Whitford briefly toured with
Whitford also served as a producer for the Neighborhoods, a Boston band that was led by David Minehan, a rabid Aerosmith fan. In 1994, a family illness forced Whitford to leave unexpectedly in the middle of a tour of Asia, and Minehan flew to Japan, where he performed in Whitford's place for several days until Whitford returned.
21st century
In 2007, along with fellow Aerosmith guitarist Joe Perry, Whitford was included in the Guitar World book The 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time.[7]
Whitford missed the start of Aerosmith's 2009 summer tour after requiring surgery as a result of a head injury sustained while getting out of his Ferrari. He joined the tour a month later.[8][9]
In 2010, Whitford was announced as one of the guitarists to take part in the Experience Hendrix tour, playing songs performed and inspired by
Musical contributions and style
While
Concerning his lesser role in the band's songwriting process, Whitford has said, "I don't consider myself a terribly prolific writer. I can write music with other people if they're better songwriters than I am. I really can't create a song. It's very difficult to do. That's why the people that can do it are very few and far between. I'm certainly not that type of a guy. More of a guitar player, more of the kind of [guy] who comes up with enough riffs and ideas to write a song. But to write lyrics and come up with a melody for it, it won't happen."[11]
Said Aerosmith lead singer Steven Tyler of the two guitarists, "Joe is self-taught and his playing comes from raw emotion. Not that Brad's doesn't, but his style is more schooled."[12]
Slash, lead guitarist of Guns N' Roses cites Whitford as one of his heaviest influences, stating: "I identified with Joe Perry's image, both soundwise and visually....but I was also totally into Brad Whitford's guitar solos, and he had a more direct influence on the way I play than anybody realizes."[13]
Aerosmith
Guitarist
This section of a biography of a living person does not include any references or sources. (April 2022) |
Whitford plays lead guitar, co-leads, or guitar solo on the following Aerosmith songs:
- "Make It" from (co-lead) Aerosmith
- "One Way Street" (co-lead, first guitar solo) from Aerosmith
- "Lord of the Thighs" (lead) from Get Your Wings
- "Spaced" from (co-lead) Get Your Wings
- "S.O.S. (Too Bad)" from Get Your Wings
- "Seasons of Wither" (co-lead, second guitar solo) from Get Your Wings
- "Round and Round" from Toys in the Attic
- "You See Me Crying" (co-lead, first and outro solo) from Toys in the Attic
- "Back in the Saddle" (co-lead) from Rocks
- "Last Child" from Rocks
- "Sick as a Dog" (co-lead, first guitar solo) from Rocks
- "Nobody's Fault" from Rocks
- "Home Tonight" (co-lead, first solo) from Rocks
- "I Wanna Know Why" from Draw the Line
- "Kings and Queens" from Draw the Line
- "The Hand that Feeds" from Draw the Line
- "Milk Cow Blues" (co-lead and first guitar solo) from Draw the Line
- "No Surprize" (co-lead) from Night in the Ruts
- "Remember (Walking in the Sand) (co-lead) from Night in the Ruts
- "Mia" (co-lead) from Night in the Ruts
- "Shela" (co-lead) from Done with Mirrors
- "Gypsy Boots" (co-lead) from Done with Mirrors
- "She's on Fire" (co-lead) from Done with Mirrors
- "The Hop" (co-lead) from Done with Mirrors
- "Hearts Done Time" (co-lead) from Permanent Vacation
- "Dude (Looks Like a Lady)" (co-lead, second guitar solo) from Permanent Vacation
- "Girl Keeps Coming Apart" from Permanent Vacation
- "Permanent Vacation" from Permanent Vacation
- "The Movie" from Permanent Vacation
- "Love in an Elevator" (co-lead) from Pump
- "Hoodoo/Voodoo Medicine Man" from Pump
- "Krawhitham" from Pandora's Box
- "Fever" from Get a Grip
- "Flesh" (co-lead, first guitar solo) from Get a Grip
- "Gotta Love It" (co-lead, first guitar solo) from Get a Grip
- "Can't Stop Messin'" (co-lead, second guitar solo)) from "Livin' on the Edge" single
- "Nine Lives" from Nine Lives
- "Ain't That a Bitch" from Nine Lives
- "Crash" (co-lead) from Nine Lives
- "Road Runner" (co-lead) from Honkin' on Bobo
- "You Gotta Move" (co-lead) from Honkin' on Bobo
- "I'm Ready" (co-lead, first guitar solo) from Honkin' on Bobo
- "Stop Messin' Around" (co-lead, first guitar solo) from Honkin' on Bobo
- "Beautiful" from Music from Another Dimension!
- "Tell Me" from Music from Another Dimension!
- "Street Jesus" (co-lead, first guitar solo) from Music from Another Dimension!
- "Can't Stop Lovin' You" from Music from Another Dimension!
Aerosmith songs
Whitford is credited with co-writing the following Aerosmith songs:
- "Round and Round" from Toys in the Attic
- "Last Child" from Rocks
- "Nobody's Fault" from Rocks
- "Kings and Queens" from Draw the Line
- "The Hand That Feeds" from Draw the Line
- "Shela" from Done with Mirrors
- "The Hop" from Done with Mirrors
- "Permanent Vacation" from Permanent Vacation
- "The Movie" from Permanent Vacation
- "Hoodoo/ Voodoo Medicine Man" from Pump
- "Krawhitham" from Pandora's Box
- "Soul Saver" from Pandora's Box
- "Circle Jerk" from Pandora's Box
- "Beautiful" from Music from Another Dimension!
- "Street Jesus" from Music from Another Dimension!
- "Lover Alot" from Music from Another Dimension!
- "Can't Stop Lovin' You" from Music from Another Dimension!
Equipment
At current performances, Whitford can be seen playing a wide array of solid-body guitars, some including
Meanwhile, Aerosmith's original heyday in the late 1970s saw both Whitford and co-guitarist
On the amplifier front, Whitford has created his own amplifier company – 3 Monkeys Amplification and tours with many of their products. Furthermore, he also uses Paul Reed Smith amps. Additionally, Whitford has used a myriad of pedals throughout his career including many boutique ones.[15]
Guest appearances
- Whitford appears in Guitar Hero: Aerosmith as the guitarist. He is also a playable character.
- In 2011 Whitford made a guest appearance on A&Es Storage Wars episode "Hang 'Em High Desert" along with collector Barry Weiss appraising two vintage guitars and an amp
- In 2012 Whitford contributed to Joe Bonamassa's album Driving Towards the Daylight on several tracks.
- In 2019, Whitford made an appearance, along with his son Graham, in an episode of American Pickers where Mike and Frank find the original Aerosmith van (Season 20, episode 8)
References
- ^ ISBN 978-0-7119-2303-4
- ^ ISBN 1-84195-185-4, p. 11-13
- ^ "Top 10 Brad Whitford Aerosmith Songs". February 23, 2016.
- ^ "Famous Reading: Brad Whitford". August 9, 2010.
- ^ Classic Rock Legends interview (accessed May 27, 2008)
- ^ a b Waller, Don (1998) "Rock This Way: A Brief History of Roads Taken", Billboard, August 15, 1998, retrieved April 3, 2010
- ISBN 978-0-634-04619-3, p. 9
- ^ Kreps, Daniel (2009) "Aerosmith Lose Guitarist Brad Whitford For Part of Summer Tour", Rolling Stone, June 8, 2009, retrieved April 3, 2010
- ^ Kreps, Daniel (2009) "Aerosmith's Whitford Plots July 7 Return From Head Injury", Rolling Stone, June 15, 2009, retrieved April 3, 2010
- ^ Benson, John (2010) "Experience ... Jimi Hendrix Archived March 29, 2012, at the Wayback Machine", News-Herald, March 22, 2010, retrieved April 3, 2010
- ^ Sharp, K. (March 16, 2007). Weathering the storms: Aerosmith's tumultuous history, as told by Brad Whitford. Goldmine, 33, 64-65.
- ^ ? Is there a reference to the source of this quote, can't find original anywhere.
- ^ Rolling Stone. (December 13, 2010). 100 Greatest Artists Rolling Stone
- ^ "Rig Rundown: Brad Whitford and Derek St. Holmes". Retrieved January 4, 2017.
- ^ "Rig Rundown – Aerosmith's Joe Perry and Brad Whitford". Retrieved January 4, 2017.