Stevie Ray Vaughan, Steve Vai, Slash and More Play "The Star-Spangled Banner"

By Damian Fanelli
published

Happy Independence Day, everyone! In honor of the holiday, I originally wanted to share a grainy, vintage video of Stevie Ray Vaughan performing "The Star-Spangled Banner" in ancient times. But then I noticed Steve Vai's particularly awesome version of the song ... and Eric Johnson's version—and then I found versions by Slash and Dave Mustaine. So I figured the more, the merrier. I could've kept on going (There's always Cliff Burton's version, and let's not forget Neal Schon), but I think this handful gets the point across. Feel free to complain, compare and contrast! Enjoy your holiday!

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Damian Fanelli
Damian Fanelli
Editor-in-Chief, Guitar World

Damian is Editor-in-Chief of Guitar World magazine. In past lives, he was GW’s managing editor and online managing editor. He's written liner notes for major-label releases, including Stevie Ray Vaughan's 'The Complete Epic Recordings Collection' (Sony Legacy) and has interviewed everyone from Yngwie Malmsteen to Kevin Bacon (with a few memorable Eric Clapton chats thrown into the mix). Damian, a former member of Brooklyn's The Gas House Gorillas, was the sole guitarist in Mister Neutron, a trio that toured the U.S. and released three albums. He now plays in two NYC-area bands.