“Everyone who met him will carry Chris’ enthusiasm and love for music of all kinds. It was impossible not to be affected by it”: Chris Bird, Guitar World Lessons Editor and former Total Guitar Editor, has died aged 48

Guitar World is sad to announce the loss of Chris Bird, our friend and colleague, who passed away earlier this week, following his cancer diagnosis in 2024.

A pillar of Future’s music-making titles for just shy of two decades, Chris spent the last 22 years lending his knowledge, personality, support and passion for guitar playing for his job to create lessons, tuitions, and content for Guitar World and Total Guitar.

Born on September 10, 1976, in Devon, England, Chris attended the Academy of Contemporary Music (ACM) in Guildford, and worked as a guitar teacher before joining the Future family as Music Editor for Total Guitar.

To land the gig, Chris produced a flawless transcription of Alice in Chains’ Nutshell. His song of choice was selected for its combination of electric and acoustic playing – something that he knew would impress his interviewer, Jason Sidwell.

It was an early example of the meticulous and tireless approach that underscored all his work.

Chris became Editor of Total Guitar in December 2019, just before the COVID pandemic hit. He was the steward for the prestigious title until its eventual closure in October 2024, after which he joined the digital team to work as Lesson Editor for Guitar World, MusicRadar and Guitar Player.

In April 2024, Chris was diagnosed with Stage 4 cancer. After a promising early start to treatment, he received the worst possible news in April 2025. He died around 5pm, May 27, 2025. Chris’ passing is a huge loss and we all miss him greatly.

Despite his accomplishments professionally, his relentless passion for the guitar and his talents as a player, Chris was never above offering a guiding hand as a mentor and teacher, never above listening to new voices and never one to brag about his achievements.

“Chris was naturally an amazing guitarist and technical guru,” notes Michael Astley-Brown, Editor-in-Chief of GuitarWorld.com. “But his greatest strength was his openness to guitar artists in all their forms. He'd speak as enthusiastically about Yungblud and Nova Twins as he would about his heroes Mark Knopfler and Pearl Jam.

“During his tenure on Total Guitar, Chris interviewed Brian May and Jimmy Page. It says a lot about Chris' warmth and depth of knowledge that those conversations were among the most good-natured of any guitar legend interviews I can recall.”

Given his role developing lessons and features for Total Guitar and several of the world’s leading guitar brands across the best part of 20 years, we don’t think it’s an overestimate to say that Chris helped hundreds of thousands of people learn how to play the guitar.

As guitarists, we know that means more than simply forming an A chord. People use it to make noise and express themselves. But they also use it to make lifelong friends, meet partners, experience triumph and to cope with disaster – and, in so many different ways, learn to live their lives – all through picking up the instrument.

That is the unfathomable legacy of a great guitar teacher – and Chris was a great guitar teacher.

“We were both so excited to work more closely together again when he started on Guitar World, afterTotal Guitar closed last year,” adds Mike.

“I wish we could have had more time, but I know everyone who met him will carry Chris’ enthusiasm and love for music of all kinds. It was impossible not to be affected by it. RIP Birdman.”