Joe Bonamassa facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Joe Bonamassa
Bonamassa performing in 2013
Background information
Birth name	Joseph Leonard Bonamassa
Born	(1977-05-08) May 8, 1977 (age 48) New Hartford, New York, U.S.
Genres	Blues rock hard rock blues rock and roll
Occupations	Musician singer songwriter
Instruments	Guitar vocals
Years active	1989–present
Labels	J&R Adventures Provogue Keeping the Blues Alive

Joseph Leonard Bonamassa (born May 8, 1977) is an American blues rock guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He started his music journey at just twelve years old, opening concerts for the famous musician B.B. King. Since 2000, Joe has released many solo albums. Eleven of these albums have reached the top spot on the Billboard Blues chart.

Joe Bonamassa has played with many well-known blues and rock artists. He has also been nominated for three Grammy Awards. Among guitarists, he is famous for having a huge collection of old, valuable guitars and amplifiers.

In 2020, Joe started Keeping the Blues Alive Records. This is a record label that helps new and talented blues musicians. Artists like Dion, Joanne Shaw Taylor, Joanna Connor, and Larry McCray have released music through his label. Joe often helps produce their music and plays with them.

Early Life and First Steps in Music

Joe Bonamassa was born in New Hartford, New York, and grew up in Utica, New York. His family comes from Italy. He began playing guitar when he was only four years old. His father loved music and showed him British blues rock records by artists like Eric Clapton and Jeff Beck. These musicians greatly inspired young Joe.

When he was eleven, Joe was taught by American guitarist Danny Gatton. At twelve, Joe had his own band called Smokin' Joe Bonamassa. They played shows around New York and Pennsylvania on weekends, so he could still go to school. Joe played a red 1972 Fender Stratocaster guitar, which his father gave him. He called it "Rosie."

In 1989, Joe opened for B.B. King at about twenty concerts. Before he turned eighteen, Joe played in a band called Bloodline. The band included the sons of famous musicians like Miles Davis and Robby Krieger. Even though Bloodline didn't become super famous, it helped people notice Joe's amazing guitar skills.

Joe's Music Career

Early Albums and Big Concerts (2000–2019)

Joe Bonamassa's first studio album, A New Day Yesterday, came out in 2000. It had both his own songs and covers of songs by artists like Rory Gallagher. The album reached No. 9 on the Billboard Blues chart.

Between 2002 and 2006, three of Joe's studio albums hit No. 1 on the Billboard Blues charts. All five of his solo albums during this time made it into the Top 10. In 2009, Joe achieved a childhood dream: he played at the Royal Albert Hall in London. Eric Clapton, one of his heroes, even played a song with him there.

Joe's live acoustic album, An Acoustic Evening at the Vienna Opera House, was released in 2013. This was the first time Joe played a concert using only acoustic instruments. He also performed four shows in London in March 2013, each with a different band and song list. These shows were recorded and released as Tour de Force in October 2013.

Bonamassa performing at Radio City Music Hall in 2015

Joe's album Different Shades of Blue (2014) was special because it featured mostly his own original songs. He wrote the songs with other talented songwriters in Nashville. This album reached No. 8 on the Billboard 200 chart and No. 1 on both the blues and indie charts.

In May 2015, Joe won a Blues Music Award for Instrumentalist – Guitar. In April 2018, Fender released a special amplifier designed by Joe. On June 27, 2018, Joe performed at the famous Grand Ole Opry for the first time.

Recent Music and Projects (2020–Present)

Joe released the live album and film, Now Serving: Royal Tea Live from the Ryman, on June 11, 2021. This was from a special concert he played at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville in September 2020. The show was streamed live and raised money for Joe's Fueling Musicians program. This program helped musicians who were struggling financially during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In late 2022, Joe decided to take a break from social media for a short time. However, he returned to Instagram in early 2023.

Working with Beth Hart

Joe first noticed Beth Hart's music after seeing her perform on TV. They often met while playing shows in Europe. Joe was very impressed by her singing. While recording his album Dust Bowl, Joe was inspired to try working with a female singer. Beth Hart came to mind.

They met in Dublin, and Joe suggested they make an album together. Beth was surprised and excited. Joe, Beth, and producer Kevin Shirley chose soul songs they both loved for their album, Don't Explain. They recorded ten songs, including "I'll Take Care of You" and "Well Well."

Their next album, Seesaw, was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Blues Album in 2013. They released another album together, Black Coffee, in January 2018.

Other Music Projects

Joe Bonamassa is also a member of the jazz-funk band Rock Candy Funk Party. They released their first album, We Want Groove, in 2013. They also played on the TV show Conan in 2014.

From 2015, Joe also hosted podcasts called The Pickup Radio. In these shows, he talked about guitars and famous blues and rock musicians.

Joe is also the guitarist and a singer for the hard rock supergroup Black Country Communion. They released their fourth album, BCCIV, in September 2017.

In August 2021, Joe appeared as a contestant on the TV show To Tell the Truth. In 2022, he played lead guitar on two songs from Alan Parsons' album, From The New World. In 2024, Joe played guitar on a new version of Mark Knopfler's song "Going Home: Theme of the Local Hero". This song helped raise money for the Teenage Cancer Trust.

Joe's Amazing Guitar Collection

Bonamassa's signature Epiphone Les Paul

Joe Bonamassa is famous for his huge collection of old and rare guitars and amplifiers. He started collecting them when he was young. His parents owned a music shop in New York, which is now called Bonamassa Guitars. His first old guitar was a 1963 Stratocaster.

Joe used to buy guitars all the time, even ones he wouldn't play. Later, he sold many of them to focus on guitars he could actually use. In 2020, Joe said his favorite guitar is his 1951 Fender Telecaster, which he calls "The Bludgeon." In 2021, Fender released a special copy of "The Bludgeon."

In 2014, he bought a 1958 Gibson Flying V guitar. He named it Amos after its first owner. He plays this rare and valuable guitar in his concerts. Joe also collects Gibson Les Pauls, including many from 1958–1960. In 2021, Epiphone released a copy of his 1958 Gibson Les Paul Custom in black.

Joe has over 100 amplifiers, mostly old "tweed" Fender amps. He calls the part of his home where he keeps his vintage gear the "Bona-seum." In a 2019 interview, Joe said he has more than 400 guitars and 400 amplifiers!

Even though Joe loves guitars and amps, he doesn't like guitar pedals much. He thinks some pedals make the guitar sound too artificial. He believes it's important for guitarists to learn to play well without relying too much on effects.

Musical Influences

Bonamassa performing at Stafford, Texas in 2007

Unlike many blues rock guitarists, Joe Bonamassa was mostly influenced by British and Irish blues artists, not American ones. He has mentioned three albums that greatly influenced his playing: The Beano Album by John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers with Eric Clapton, Rory Gallagher's Irish Tour '74, and Goodbye by Cream. He also said that Stevie Ray Vaughan's Texas Flood was a big influence when he was young.

Joe explained that he liked the "sophistication" of the British approach to blues music. He said, "B.B. King's a big influence – he's probably my biggest traditional influence." He also mentioned Paul Kossoff, Peter Green, Gary Moore, Jeff Beck, and Jimmy Page as his heroes. He felt that the English way of playing blues music connected with him more.

Keeping the Blues Alive Records

In June 2020, Dion released his album Blues with Friends. This was the first album released through Keeping the Blues Alive Records (KTBA). Joe Bonamassa and Roy Weisman created this new record label to help blues musicians. The album featured famous artists like Van Morrison, Jeff Beck, and Bruce Springsteen. It quickly reached No. 1 on the Billboard Blues Albums chart.

Dion also released a Christmas song, "You Know It's Christmas," with Joe Bonamassa in 2020. Dion made music videos for all the songs, sharing them online.

Dion's song "Blues Comin' On" (with Joe Bonamassa) was nominated for a 2021 Blues Music Award. The album also won Favorite Blues Album.

Other artists have also released successful albums on the KTBA label. Joanne Shaw Taylor released the No. 1 album The Blues Album (2021). Joanna Connor released the No. 1 blues album 4801 South Indiana Avenue (2021).

Dion released Stomping Ground in November 2021, which became his second No. 1 album on the Billboard blues chart. Larry McCray and Robert Jon & the Wreck also released music on the KTBA label in 2022.

In 2022, Joanne Shaw Taylor released Blues from the Heart: Live. All these projects were produced by Joe Bonamassa. More artists like Dave Mason, Jimmy Hall, and Marc Broussard have also joined the label.

In March 2024, Dion released Girl Friends on KTBA, which became his third No. 1 blues album.

Awards and Nominations

Joe Bonamassa has been recognized for his music:

Solo Studio Albums

• A New Day Yesterday (2000)
• So, It's Like That (2002)
• Blues Deluxe (2003)
• Had to Cry Today (2004)
• You & Me (2006)
• Sloe Gin (2007)
• The Ballad of John Henry (2009)
• Black Rock (2010)
• Dust Bowl (2011)
• Driving Towards the Daylight (2012)
• Different Shades of Blue (2014)
• Blues of Desperation (2016)
• Redemption (2018)
• Royal Tea (2020)
• Time Clocks (2021)
• Blues Deluxe Vol. 2 (2023)
• Breakthrough (2025)

See also

In Spanish: Joe Bonamassa para niños