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Danny Gatton & Roy Buchanan

Tele masters, in life and death

John Holmes

You might wonder why I am writing about two “country” guitar players in a blues

magazine - but although generally acknowledged as country players, they both played
a wide variety of styles with equal skill, refused to be pigeon-holed into one genre,
and quite possibly between them ignited the passion for using the Fender Telecaster

as a blistering solo instrument. Although, at various times, both were heralded as
“the world’s greatest unknown guitarist”, they followed their heart, which ultimately
was to the detriment of their professional careers, although both stated they had no
interest in being “rock” stars, and just wanted to do their own thing and receive some

recognition for doing so.

They had almost parallel careers, and hence it seems reasonable to consider them
together…

eroy (Roy) Buchanan was the older by 6 years, being born in Ozark, Arkansas,
on September 23rd 1939. He grew up in a small town called Pixley, California,
Lwhere his father was a farmer and Pentecostal preacher, and the young Roy

was introduced to gospel music at a very
early age when his father took him to
mixed race revival meetings. This led him

to tune into late night R&B radio stations,
where he first heard the blues, and which
inspired him to take up the guitar at the

age of 7 (wow! I was still playing with toy
cars at that age!).

His family were deeply religious, as was
Roy himself, but as he got older he was

of the opinion that he was living a sinful
life.

Rather strangely, considering his interest

in blues, he first started learning steel
guitar, but by age 13 had switched to
electric guitar, and purchased a Fender
Telecaster, the instrument with which he

became synonymous. By subtle use of
the volume control and his little finger he was able to recreate the sound of a pedal
steel, as well as the multitude of other sounds he extracted from this most basic of

guitars.