Ritchie Blackmore and John Fogerty have paid tribute to fellow guitarist Duane Eddy who died Tuesday at 86.
Blackmore says, “He was a brilliant guitarist in his own right. He was the first guitar player with that deep bass sound which I loved…
"When I was 12, I went to London airport to meet him… That was my first of many futile attempts to see him. But I would play his music night and day. He was very kind to me last year, because I had missed him on so many occasions, he sent me a Gretsch guitar as a present for Christmas. I couldn't believe it… The world has lost a truly unique guitar player…”
And Fogerty says, “When I was 12 or 13, I remember hearing ‘Moovin’ ‘N Groovin’.’ It was unlike any other guitar I’d ever heard. It had this wonderful, huge, big sound, and then he started twanging the strings. The sound was massive and the guitar tone was perfect; where he placed the notes made so much sense…”
Fogerty was supposed to induct Eddy into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1994 but had to cancel due to the Northridge earthquake in Los Angeles where he lived.
Blackmore never saw Eddy perform in person.
Check out his original post here on Blackmore's Official Instagram.