Warren Haynes’ bluegrass past

Rolling Stone Magazine has listed Warren Haynes as 23rd on their list of the 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time. While I would contend that the title of that list should be amended to the 100 Greatest Rock Guitarists of All Time, and even then it could be disputed (by those concerned with the genre), the fact remains that Warren Haynes is greatly respected in rock circles as being one the genre’s best.

What many fans who enjoy the music he has made with the Allman Brothers Band and Gov’t Mule may not know, is that Haynes grew up in the mountains of North Carloina surrounded by bluegrass music…and enjoyed it!

[speaking of Doc Watson, Tony Rice, Jerry Douglas and others] All of those guys are such special musicians because they excel at their own genre but they’re influenced outside of their own genre, which I think makes you better as a musician. They’re just amazing. Tony Rice is great. That whole group of musicians are people that I respect and have listened to for a long, long time.

In an article on Swampland.com, author Derek Halsey explores Haynes’ love of bluegrass, his dad’s listening habits (Stanley Brothers and Bill Monroe, among others), and the 20 year history of Haynes’ Christmas Jam concert, which included Del McCoury in the 2008 lineup.

For those interested in how bluegrass music helped shape one of rock music’s greatest guitarists, it’s an interesting read.