What inspired Eric Johnson to start playing the guitar? "It was Nokie Edwards of the Ventures. He was one of the first guys I ever heard play guitar, and I really enjoyed the sound. And when I was a kid it was something new and different to try. Then I got into guys like Clapton and Hendrix, who had these amazing sounds, which further inspired me to play."

“The best music happens when you have a personal connection to it,” My Chemical Romance guitarist Frank Iero says. “That same philosophy can extend to the instrument you hold in your hands: if a guitar means something special, you’re bound to do great things with it.”

The following is excerpted from Randy Rhoads by Steven Rosen and Andrew Klein (Velocity Publishing Group). In 1979, Randy Rhoads had to decide whether to stay with a struggling unknown act called Quiet Riot or join forces with the famous former lead singer from Black Sabbath. The decision wasn't as easy as you think. Dana Strum -- the Hollywood-based Badaxe and Slaughter bassist who Ozzy considered for his band -- recalls the events surrounding Randy Rhoads' audition for Ozzy Osbourne.