Today, GuitarWorld.com presents the exclusive premiere of "Arizona," a new song by Stephen Doster.
It's title track from Doster's new album, which will be released November 4 via Atticus Records.
"My name’s on the back of many more records than on the front,” says Doster, an Austin-based producer, songwriter and guitarist. “This new record will only be my fourth as an artist. And it’s the record I always hoped I would make.”
Doster’s musical story starts in 1982, when he was recording his debut album with Pretenders guitarist James Honeyman-Scott producing.
“During the sessions, Jimmy was called back to London to cut a new Pretenders single,” Doster says. “He was coming right back to Texas as soon as he was done.” The rest of the story is a public and sad event in music history. For Doster, it was personal.
“A friend entered my room about 48 hours after Jimmy left,” Doster says. “Jimmy’s wife Peggy Sue sent him over to tell me that Jimmy had died, because she didn’t want me to hear about it on the radio first. He was a great mentor to me, and it was a horrific loss for the music world.”
Doster put the recordings on hold and headed to Nashville with Nanci Griffith and Lyle Lovett to play guitar on Griffith’s Once in a Very Blue Moon. It was there that Doster decided to put what he had learned from Honeyman-Scott to use, embarking on a career as a producer.
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Since then, Doster has helmed more than 70 albums by mostly Texas-based acts while continuing to make a living by writing songs for others and performing. His credits include Willie Nelson, Dr. John, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Joe Cocker, Squeeze, Jonny Lang, Charlie Sexton, Ramblin’ Jack Elliott, Gatemouth Brown and Little Feat.
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.
