Latest Features
![Session legend Paul Jackson Jr. [left] wears a white shirt and plays a black single-cut onstage. On the right, a young Whitney Houston performs in 1985 after her self-title debut catapulted her into the A-list.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/RuJoJsQo2ZMwsUhM4HYk9X-840-80.jpg.webp)
40 years ago, session ace Paul Jackson Jr. turned up to record with a then unknown singer – her name was Whitney Houston
Jackson tells us how, armed with the Strat he played on Thriller, he turned up for a studio session that would introduce us to one of the world's biggest stars
Lily Hopkins of the Meffs’ solution to the eternal rock duo challenge
Championed by Frank Turner, the duo is led by riot grrrl-inspired guitarist Lily Hopkins, who delivers her frantic sound through three amps and stupidly heavy strings
The inside story of Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble’s Soul to Soul
Chris Layton, Reese Wynans, Tommy Shannon, and Joe Sublett recall the difficult birth of the 1985 classic of Texas blues, as cocaine, whiskey, and fatigue took their toll
Barry Goudreau was there from the beginning of Boston – but has regrets about how things ended with Tom Scholz
Gibson wielder, who always preferred Marshall to Scholz’s Rockman brand, recalls being edged out but not caring at first, until it led to an angry split and legal repercussions
The Smithereens’ Jim Babjak on how they went from broke to touring with Tom Petty – and became Kurt Cobain’s tonal reference for Nevermind
Babjak reflects on the remarkable career of the Smithereens, competing with tribute acts, and why he was too scared to speak to Pete Townshend
He's the son of Jimmie Vaughan and the nephew of SRV, now he’s carrying the weight of his family playing legacy
SRV’s death left father and son struggling to continue, but they made it. Now, Strat fan Tyrone Vaughan knows he’s capable of delivering a great album – and it might be the one he’s working on now
![Heart's Ann [left] and Nancy Wilson pictured in 1985. Nancy is holding her Gibson Les Paul Custom](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/P6HXpqzcZihm3WmjRcBJXc-840-80.jpg.webp)
Nancy Wilson knew Heart had to adapt to survive the excesses of the 1980s – but she didn’t expect their greatest success
Heart's self-titled 1985 album was just what the doctor ordered, ushering in a triumphant second act for the iconic Seattle rockers
Remembering when Josh Homme played George Harrison’s Rosewood Tele – and lost the ability to speak
We've all been there, one of the most legendary techs in guitar history hands you a Beatle's guitar and it is all too much
Carol Kaye on why it is not who you are but how and what you play that defines you as a musician
As one of L.A.’s top studio musicians during the ‘60s, Carol Kaye’s credits rival anyone's. In this classic 2009 interview, she talks influences, teaching, and how she feels about being a role model
