Get FREE song download here: bit.ly/VegXFy 1991 episode of Real life with Jane Pauley. Joe Bonamassa tells about his beginnings as a blues guitar player. Go to www.jbonamassa.com Check out Joe's Official Channel at / joebonamassatv
I was Joe's unofficial photographer when he was at this age. I followed him around central NY from the time he was 12 until his days with Bloodline. Joe was a humble, very kind and well mannered kid as this video shows. Even as an adult Joe hasn't changed much. I haven't talked to him in some time but I'm sure he's still as honorable as he was back them. There's no question that he had the gift from the beginning. I told his mom Debbie the very first time I saw him play that he'd be a star one day if he kept at it.. I'm glad he did. Joe worked extremely hard to get where he is today and he deserves every bit of the success that he's seen. One of the worlds greatest guitar players without a doubt and one of the very few who didn't let his success go to his head. Congrats Joe!
If I'm reading this correctly, you're some random guy who followed around and photographed a young minorly famous teenage boy? "unofficially". Would that be like me heading out with my cell phone and following billy elish (she's amazing but I don't know her name) around taking pictures, but she's 10 years younger? Can I ask what you'd do with these pictures. Were there montages and vision boards?
Joe is an amazing person and now I can see his roots and appreciate his work. Six strings. WOW!! Music is truly the international language. Joe is blessed and he has blessed us with his talents. Thank you, Joe!!!
His genetics come from his forebears, which in boys particularly, come from the mother. His parents could, under that premise, be thanked, and we can also thank his grandpappy for his hair loss.
My kid plays really well at the age of 11. He's performed on stage about a dozen or so times and always impresses. I helped him get started, but he dove into it on his own accord, mostly. He has some natural talent that can't be taught or explained. And, he wants to do it. I never pushed him or tried to make him like anything, just showed him some basics and some music. Check out my channel and you'll see what I mean. He's amazing.
You will never hear anyone who has actually put in the time and effort to play a musical instrument talk trash about the likes of Joe B. The haters and naysayers have only mean spirited envy and jealousy to define them.
Although I don't believe in such things like gods, fairies, angels, astrology, etc, I do agree he's very talented and has great supportive parents. And that's what matters finally :),
Sure go on, detract from his hard work and the tuition he received from his father and from great players of his day, and from Playing his ass off live during all his formative years. And be all means detract from the power of nature evolve all the complexities of human physiology and from human societies for producing such rich culture. Some ghost made it happen. Sure thing.
I saw this video (and even got it recorded on VHS) back in 1991. I was 21 years old. I always thought he was gonna be a star. 23 years later, I saw him perform at The Palais Theatre in Melbourne. He has grown, not just a blues guitarist, but as an impressive songwriter/singer/performer. Smokin' Joe is already a blues legend in my books.
And to see him get better and better every passing year is even more amazing. He's a bottomless well of talent, and a beautiful human being on top of it all. As an old man, I hope I can keep hearing new stuff from Joe until I'm gone.
@@TheHumbuckerboy , hopefully someone introduced Joe to hearing protection! I am sure his hearing has been affected, I don't know how much. Watching him today in interviews, he doesn't show signs of any hearing issues. Keep on rocking Joe . . . and the beat goes on . . . .
It's funny hearing them say "Joe Bonamassa" like it's a small act, and he is now a huge blues hero. I'm 14 and blues guitarist myself, and he is my hero. What an inspiration he is.
He obviously had a great family structure around him growing up, which no doubt kept him grouunded along with pretty remarkable parents.I love this guy.
why is everyone so eager to take away joe's talent and pass it on to this imaginary idiot in the sky who kills people who disagree with him? this page is littered with people living in cloud cuckoo land. if you say a prayer before a football match, it's cheating if god's on your team. :)
Some people were put on this earth for a reason, and they were blessed with a special talent that no one could ever teach them. And Joe is one of these people.
He may be a technical player that can hit all the right notes, but to free style and play with soul is a god given talent at 13. Technical shredders sound impressive but also play like a robot with no feelings at all. I've started listening to the older 20s Joe and was blown away, did not know about his back ground and how he started.
I like that Joe has accomplished a lot of what he wanted to do, but also that he supports others in their careers, and brings it all onstage for his fans in a pretty relentless touring schedule.
I found Joe while watching Clapton clips (one of my all time favorites). Wow...I cannot believe i never heard of him before. he is fabulous and can sing too. The Clip with him and Clapton doing Furthr on up the Road makes hair on my neck stand up. watched it about 110 times...Holy Cow what a player!
My brothers and I plan to see Smokin Joe this March in SLC, UT. I couldn't be more excited. I love this guy! Down to Earth and grounded but at the same time is able to fly off on a riff whose path only Joe and God understand. Sigh...I wanna grow up [I'm 65} and be the Joe Bonamassa of the keyboard some day. Thanks for all you have offered Joe.
+Gus wang I said 5 before really thinking about it..... You've made me feel competitive now...... A and A minor, C, D, E and E minor, G! I can play these comfortabley, so that's 7 too. I'm just as shit hot as you lol.
I only discovered Joe just over 3 years ago. I was browsing RU-vid and saw a reaction to him and Beth Hart at the Beacon Theater doing "I'll Take Care of You". That was quickly followed by watching them at Amsterdam and "I'd Rather Go Blind". I was hooked, and I never knew I was a Blues fan until then. I now own 10 vinyl albums of each of them and 4 together, along with 3 dvd's. He is amazing, and this video will go in my Beth and Joe Playlist. I'd love to see Joe do a song or two with Angelina Jordan, another young prodigy (16 yrs old in 3 days) that does Jazz, Blues, Country, basically anything there is.
I have watched a lot of Bonamassa videos on you tube. I am really glad this one popped up, so that I know where he came from. I had the pleasure of seeing Derek Trucks when he was 12 or 13 years old, so I've always been aware of his talent. Not so much with Joe. I sure hope his parents are still alive and doing well. As a parent myself, I know I would give up almost anything to help my children. Wonderful people, and I wish them the best.
What a fantastic story. Parents sacrificing for their kids, kids close to their parents, kids succeeding wildly with incredible talent ....everyone reaps the rewards.
I never heard of him until I found an old Clapton guitar festival a few years ago and he did "going down" and blew me out of my socks! This is coming from someone who's been a Johnny Winter fan their whole life so this young man is the real deal!
Precious as a child; you can see he was raised with care and love, lucky boy. I just found Joe B. via a recent PBS (local television) channel and I am speechless! Such passion. He has heart along with the gift of blues. This virtuoso must be an old soul; this life cannot be his first rodeo. I'm hooked.
My sons just turned 17 and I’ve been watching him play live since he was 13. I showed him a few things when he first said he wanted to play, and he flew past me within 6 months. I could never be more proud of him. He’s not famous like Joe was at his age but he’s just got a recording contract with his band, so you never know. Joe’s parents are great and following their example would be good for the parents of any talented kid, support them but don’t let it go to their heads.
I remember watching this very program and hearing about Joe for the first time and being blown away to the point where I wouldn't shut up about "this kid" for the next two weeks. Needless to say, I'm glad he's garnered the recognition he's gotten, albeit I still think he's one of the more under-rated guitarists in the business.
What an inspiration for my 11 yr old son who just started playing 5 months ago. Joe has a unique gift that most will never see. I have to take my son to see now middle aged Joe at a concert and see if it lights a fire in him for the Blues. Right now he is all about AC/DC, Zep, VH and lots of other Rock N Roll thanks to his 59 yr old dad here. I expose him to everything and see what he latches on to.
I’ve loved Joe since the first time I heard him decades ago in the clubs when he came to Chicago and I knew then I was hearing a legend in the making. Glad I was right. You’re amazing Joe and glad your preserving the great guitars and amps in the world with your collection.
Amazing he is, makes my hair stand on end, love his music, never knew he started so young. He had amazing DNA help though family generations of musos . Oh yes he sure can make you tingle with that guitar 👏👏👏
Thats a joke right? Lol he is not blues he just copies it and lame ass people like yourself think hes a bluea artist. Hace ypu heard his original songs, the guy has nothing to say literally nothing.
@@leonardbreau8928 meanwhile nobody gives a shit about him and his lame ass original music. The only people who like him are oldtimers, he never introduced the blues to a new generation.
@@danlovepeaceunity He sold out a show in Clearwater & there was such a demand that they added a 2nd show, which sold out within 24 hours - I would say a lot of people differ with your opinion.
@@leonardbreau8928 old timers leonard old timers. All he is known for is being a blues guitar prodigy. Joe bonomassa writing/lyrical ablility is that of a 6 yr old.
Just saw Joe in Portland last week...blew my damn socks off w/ the timing and musicality he's got. Loved seeing him shred it up at 13 here! What a treat this was!
I would Never mean to insult Smokin' Joe by calling him a boy, That's what you call 13 year old youngsters that fill you with awe and you are 55 years old. He is still all these years later the greatest!
I have known about Joe Bonamasa for quite some time. I even have footage of him recorded on VHS tape. that should give a person an idea how long I've known about him. but with all that I know about him I never really knew when he first started playing the guitar. now that I have found out it was before he was five years old. it makes sense why he's so incredible these days. when it comes to the guitar dedication is absolutely important. and a good amount of natural talent doesn't hurt either.
I saw this some time ago but after seeing Joe in concert the other day, it's great to go back to his 'roots' and see how he is living his dream. Way to go Joe!
The true heart and sole of a musician! Seen him in concert (4) times in the past 5 years. The venue did not matter. Whether it was a small theater in Huntington WV, The Landmark in Richmond VA or my home town in Pittsburgh at the Benedum the outcome is always the same. Absolutely Phenomenal! To criticize as some on this site have done is only a display of ignorance. Every tune in every Genre surpasses all expectations. Attend his performance, Watch his DVD's and the criticism has to disappear. He will go down in history as one of the greatest guitarists of all time. Clapton, Hendrix, Vaughn, Mato and Bonamassa.......you bet!
And the end result comes from the parents who encouraged and supported him. They gave up their spare time and their hard earned money so we could now have the marvel that is Joe. Good job Joe's parents.
He puts on a excellent show. Saw him at Ruth Eckerd Hall in Clearwater Florida. What a prodigy on guitar. I love the way he throws his sunglasses into the audience after his encore.
13 year old Joe Bonamassa is better in guitar playing that half guitar players on earth and still people talk down on him. There is no fucking hope for humanity. HAIL JOE!
I'm not saying Joe is THE BEST guitar player out there. Noone is and noone has ever been. From people playing NOW, Joe is without a doubt one of the best. And what am I saying in my inital comment is that even when he was young, he still was a great player, as the video incidate ofc.
Thomas Papoulakis THE BEST is too vague. If you're talking strictly about technical ability, he's not even in the top 100. But if you're talking about the best in his style or judging the music he's put out and his tone, then yeah maybe top 20.
Agreed, there is NOBODY who ever made it without someone else helping. Parents funding lessons, driving, timing events to be there for their kids, older adults allowing the kid to sit in, take the ice, take the stage, etc. If anyone thinks they are going to make it alone, forget it. Taylor Swift found out at 13 that nobody thought she had any talent - now she tweets and 40,000,000 people see it. Sorry Sony, you screwed the pooch on that deal.
Listening and watching Joe live is definitely the Real experience. Truly how capable a player is of producing sound in the round that captures its audience's attention wholly is the real test of a musician. I have gone to live shows where I loved the recorded music but the player apparently could not reproduce it live. Joe, on the other hand, astounded me from the first time I watched and heard him play live because he exceeds any recording of him I had ever watched or listened previously.
Holy! Watching this now I realize that I saw this as a kid when it originally aired. Completely forgot! JB doesn't get the respect her deserves. He's blistering! So good!
What a wonderful Gift He has to share with us ! I wonder , who benefits the most , those of us who love and appreciate great Blues artists or the artist giving us his/her gift ! ? Just such a beautiful Human Being thing !
Same here... in spite of that, if you pay close attention to his playing, it hasn't improved all that much since he was 12... he was really good then, almost as good as he is now. Same fast runs, almost same phrasing.
Bought his new CD in Snohomish, WA & it kept me awake all the way home to San Jose, CA along the Redwood Highway. Keep on playin' Joe...You are amazing!
This is an amazing story.....Actually brings tears to anyone who appreciates talent and encourages it from a young age.....Great job Mom, dad and Smokin' Joe.!!!!
I can't understand these petty guys that say he has no Soul. They sound Jealous and Racial to me. What does it take for them. You think Buddy Guy, B.B., and all the rest don't know what there talking about.
My current criticism just comes from switching to a country style a lot and performing with Beth Hart. Also, too many guests at his shows that no one wants to hear.
Just jealous of Joe's success.. Joe made it bigger than most artists who play blues and blues rock for a living.. Only others that come to mind that had the kind of success that Joe has are SRV, (and I highly doubt he made anywhere near the $ Joe has), Eric Clapton and maybe one or two others. The people who don't appreciate Joe's music and success just don't know shit about either!
A 13 year old that plays like that is really beyond criticism. However, Joe's playing now and for the last 10 years had been pretty bland and predictable. Maybe that is a consequence of caring more about his vintage guitar/amp collection than actually playing anything artistically valid.
I'm not a rabid fan of Joe, but I can dig his playing and think it is awesome. All the penny ante guitar players out there that comment with negativity will never post videos of themselves playing for fear of the same ridicule that they dish out behind their keyboards in their mother's basements in their underwear will be slung back at them for their crappy playing.
Joe Bonamassa is the greatest blues guitarist of my generation. Some may argue there are others better but there's just something about Joe's style, both lyrically and musically.
Not sure what everyone sees in this guy. He has zero passion/feeling in his playing. He does have some technical chops, but that's where it ends. That said, it takes more than technical robotic prowess to hold my interests. Definitely not in the same league as say Gary Moore, Peter Green, or Jeff Beck. When I listen or watch the aforementioned it stirs something deep, and sometimes I get shivers. When I listen to Joe, I become bored quickly. Very overrated in my opinion. Also, he should definitely give up singing, and maybe hire a vocalist. His wimpy soulless voice doesn't suit the style of music he's trying to play. But these days there's a market for just about anything I suppose, and hoards seem to like him. A sign there's far too many easily impressed music fans these days? I guess in todays world of shitty music, even those with average talent have their opportunity to shine, impress, and become God-like. After watching parts of another more recent video, besides his bank account, it's obviously fed his head and ego. What a joke. I'm not convinced. Posuer comes to mind.
Joe is not a blues musician. He's simply a guy that can shred like any metal player...but just happens to apply his talent to blues based music, of which he has and conveys zero emotion. The most essential element or part (criteria?) to blues music is just that!...Emotion, that being THE BLUES. I swear a big part of his fan-base are metal heads that have been partially converted, yet haven't the slightest clue what blues music is. It's not just the name of a genre.
i have listened to joe, exclusively, for the past 2 years! on may 17, i will be seeing joe play a live show at the Beacon in NYC...!....am i excited?, oh yeah...i wanted a front row seat, so i have been holding these tickets for many months. my birthday is may 19, i couldn't give myself a better present!!! joe is my all time favorite musician, forever! so.....i'm listening, ...joe has never sounded better! and, like you, i have been "singing" his praises to all my friends, too!!! i love joe!
My younger brother is a guitar player, and he got me into Joe Bonamassa about 3 years ago. I was blown away by this early video! I knew he was an incredible guitarist, but had no idea he started so young! This guy is a guitar god!!
amazing talent, but videos like this don't encourage or motivate me at all. even if i practice for the rest of my days, i will never play on the level of a 13 year old kid. that's some motivation
Remmy 315 it's not about learning to play, it's about playing on a certain level. as i said, i could probably practice for the rest of my days, but in the end i will never be able to play even half as good as a 13 year old boy. there's this thing called talent, you can't learn that no matter how hard you try
This comment made me laugh because I used to feel exactly the same way. Thing is, playing the guitar to Joe's levels first requires setting good solid foundations made up of an absolute understanding of the basics. If you learn the basics right, at a very young age, then you'll flourish. As you get older it becomes harder to iron out the cracks but not impossible. It just requires lots and LOTS of practice and confidence.
It's not about your age, or even his age - ""i will never play on the level of a 13 year old kid"" Put it in perspective, Joe started when he was 5. Here he was 13, That's a total of eight years - So now, can you be as good as he is at 13 when you are 8 yeras older than you are when you start? That is the question - Now all you have to be able to digest is how many hours a day or week did he practice. I'd say a 5 year old to 13 in school, play with buddies, study / homework - I don't see more than 2 -3 hours a day max. That do-able for you? I am approaching 60, played drums since age 9, still learning, I play guitar a little here a little there, I can't play as good as he does, but I am still going to learn and play anyway.
We can't all be guitar legends, life would be pretty boring if we were. Anyone can play the guitar though, just not as good as we want. Everyone has a talent though, some would even dare to trade their talent for someone else's.
I just recently found Joe bonamassa I was never lose fanatic man that he changed me!.... I've seen him in concert many times fantastic performer down to earth human being Long live Joe bonamassa......
