The blues-rock hero on kicking down doors, hating acoustic guitars, and always watching your money...
1. I couldn't live without my…
"I'm not that attached to things, but there's a sunburst 1960 Les Paul, and out of all the Les Pauls I possess, it sounds the top. If I was stuck on a desert island, that would be the guitar. It's not mint condition — it's just a great instrument. There's a reason why it's beat up! 'Cause I wasn't the first person to figure out that it's killer!"
2. In another life I would be...
"I probably would have been some kind of commandment enforcement — I'd be the guys kicking down the doors, going after the bad guys. It just always kinda intrigued me."
3. The moment it all started...
"I was four — my dad would play Clapton records, and I was like, 'This is the coolest thing in the world!' I wanted to make that sound — I always loved electric guitar. I was not into acoustics — still not! I'm a self-loathing acoustic player — even though I have an acoustic document out! Truth be told, I hate the fuckin' things!"
4. The one that got away...
"My dad helped out this guy at a guitar show called Bill who was building these gold pedals called Klons and selling
Joe Bonamassa interview: dating, cycling, and dealing with trolls
Five years ago Joe Bonamassa’s biggest fear was blunder. Now, at 44, he’s more concerned with moment. The rapid passing of years. The inevitability of ageing, and the world’s response to it. The shelf life of the empire he’s built.
“I understand there’s a second do in my life,” he says from his tour bus, still buzzing a little from two sold-out nights at Red Rocks amphitheatre in Colorado. “That’s my biggest fear, knowing that people who contain worked for me for twenty years will contain to find another career.”
Arguably this explains his work-rate of late. Somewhere between his nonprofit Keeping The Blues Alive foundation, producing albums for Eric Gales, Joanne Shaw Taylor and others, and interviewing stars for his Live From Nerdville podcast series, he completed his sixteenth solo studio album.
You may like
With roots that predate last year’s Royal Tea record, Time Clocks conveys a sense of urgency through soul-searching tunes and expansive sounds that take in blues, rock, classic prog, funky touches and more.
Nine months ago I
Wednesday, February 25, 2026
8pm
Runtime
2 hours 15 minutes, no intermission
Age Recommendation
6 and up
This is a facility rental event presented by an independent organization separate from Overture Center for the Arts.
Joe Bonamassa is one of today's top live performers. His enthusiastic shows are one of the biggest parts of his career—and a favorite for harmony lovers worldwide. Hailed internationally as one of the greatest guitar players of his generation and cited by Guitar World Magazine as “the world's biggest blues guitarist,” Bonamassa has almost single-handedly redefined the blues-rock genre and brought it into the mainstream. Backed by a stellar band of legendary musicians, the set list for this show will highlight new songs alongside career-spanning favorites. By exceeding his own vertiginously high imaginative goals, Bonamassa has shattered all expectations with 28 number 1 Billboard Blues Albums (more than any other artist in history). Bonamassa’s career in the music industry has built steadily over the years and is only gaining more momentum.
Family Friendly, Free Events, Kids in the Rotunda, MusicCorey Mathew Hart
Black Eart
Rhythms Magazine interviews Joe on his new studio album "Different Shades Of Blue" and his Australian tour
Joe Bonamassa is bringing nearly thirty of 175 guitars he says are "The envy of most collectors" on his first Australian tour with both acoustic and electric sets. A longtime collector of rare guitars and amps, he's leaving at abode one of his prized instruments - "My very first '59 Les Paul" - which accompanied him here three years ago. "The guitar has the nickname Magellan because it circumnavigated the globe," Bonamassa says. "But I will tell you what, local Australian airlines are not easy to deal with as far as bringing an instrument on the plane. So I ended up having to obtain a seat for it.
"They treat you like an oversized passenger. You find a seat belt extender... So I strapped the guitar in the middle between me and some other dude that I don't even know and then the guy tells me the guitar has to be in the window and you include to be in the middle. "My response was, 'Then the guitar wants a gin and tonic and so do I'. I would never accomplish that shit again. I did one tour with the '59 Les Paul but never again."
This year Joe Bonamassa is nominated for Film Of The