The Power of J

December 13, 2006 by Jo Minor 


I’ve been noticing a strange phenomenon going on in the Metal and Rock music categories for years, and I’ve decided to share it with the rest of world (if the world cares, that is). See, I’ve realised that many guitarists and bassists from said genres of music have their names beginning with the letter “J”, and naturally I remember all these names by heart because my name starts with that letter as well.

At first, I got myself to believe that the only reason I noticed this was because of my own name; but as I delved deeper into music I realised that I had more and more names to add to this list - and here, folks, are seven of the more famous guitarists in the list (complete list is at the end of this article) and a short description of each musician.

Jimi Hendrix
Probably the greatest rock guitarist to have ever lived, Hendrix had a revolutionary impact to the genre. His groove-laden, multi-textured guitar playing contributed heavily to the overall sound of rock ‘n roll and if it wasn’t for his tragic and untimely death he would have gone on to achieve greater heights.


Writer’s Note: Jimi showed the white boys how it’s done.

Jimmy Page
The icon of legendary rock heroes Led Zeppelin, Page fused the melodies of blues and the raw emotion of rock, creating his signature sound in the process. Enthralling the world with timeless rock anthems like “Stairway to Heaven” and “Whole Lotta Love”, Page was also gifted with charismatic stage presence and a spectacular taste in fashion.

Writer’s Note: Jimmy Page rocks!

James Hetfield
The brains behind one-time Thrash Metal titans Metallica, Hetfield single-handedly wrote the band’s best pieces such as “Ride The Lightning” and “Master Of Puppets” - resulting in the band selling over 100 million albums worldwide. Hetfield successfully battled alcohol addiction later on in his career, sadly, at the expense of his musical ingenuity; which strangely disappeared altogether after he became “clean”.

Writer’s Note: One of the brightest talents in Metal.

Joe Perry
Idol of James Hetfield and millions of budding musicians worldwide, Joe Perry is the best known figure in rock ‘n roll giants Aerosmith; second only to enigmatic vocalist Steven Tyler. An incarnation of Jimmy Page, as both guitarists share the tendency of fusing blues and rock influences together - hell, Perry even looks like a young Page at times!

Writer’s Note: Believe it or not, Joe has his own brand of hot sauce.

John Frusciante
Guitarist of funk-rock pioneers Red Hot Chili Peppers. His contributions to rock ‘n roll may seem trivial compared to the larger, more established names in this list but credits to John for overcoming severe drug addiction to help propel a band plagued with inner struggles to great achievements. John is known for breaking into face-melting solos in between his water-tight rhythm playing; all while singing backup vocals makes him THE mainstream rock guitarist of recent times.

Writer’s Note: John injects some class into a genre full of kohl-eyed posers.

Jeff Hanneman
Arguably the meanest and toughest guitarist in the bunch - Hanneman has been with Thrash Metal kings Slayer since the start - contributing more to the band than any of the other three members in the process. Razor-sharp leads and hyper-speed rhythm parts aside, Hanneman’s writing credits include most of the songs in the band’s breakthrough albums “Reign In Blood” and “South Of Heaven”. One guy you don’t want to mess with.

Writer’s Note: Someone you don’t wanna mess with. Ever.

Jennifer Batten
Yes, she’s a lady. Jennifer breaks the “boys-only” stereotype when it comes to rock guitar - she has performed with only the biggest pop star of all time Michael Jackson. Jackson is rather choosy when it comes to his touring and recording guitarists - only the best (Eddie Van Halen and Slash, anyone?) make the cut so you know Jennifer can play as well as the boys in this game.

Writer’s Note: She could’ve moonlighted as MJ’s body double if she wanted to.

The List

Jimi Hendrix
Jim Sheppard
James MacDonough
James Hetfield
Jason Newsted
Zakk Wylde (born Jeffrey Wielandt)
Jake E Lee
John Frusciante
Jon Schaffer
Jesper Stromblad
Jack Owens
Jeff Walker
Jeff Hanneman
Jeff Loomis
Jim Root
John Petrucci
John Myung
Jimmy Page
Jari Maenpaa
Justin Hawkins
Joe Perry
John Lee Hooker
Jennifer Batten
Jesse Pintado
Jon Nodtveidt

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