Guthrie Govan
16:17In 1993 he won Guitarist magazine’s "Guitarist of the Year" competition with his instrumental piece "Wonderful Slippery Thing".
Govan’s earliest influences were Jimi Hendrix and Cream-era Eric Clapton; as such he describes himself as coming from a ‘blues rock background’. While he is ‘wary’ of 1980s technique driven guitar music (‘shred’) he cites the imagination of Steve Vai (as well as Frank Zappa, with whom Vai played) and the passion of Yngwie Malmsteen as influences. Jazz and fusion elements are an important part of his style: he cites Joe Pass as a pivotal influence in this respect.
Govan is known for his virtuoso command of the electric guitar, due to both his technical ability and proficiency in various styles. Fellow virtuosos Joe Satriani and Paul Gilbert have praised Govan's playing.
