List of famous guitarists born who were born in California, listed alphabetically with photos when available. Many of these guitar players from California are legends in the music world, each with their own innovative styles of play. If you play guitar, whether acoustic or electric, then these famous California guitar players should be people you look up to. These are some of the best guitarists that have ever picked up the instrument, and whether they play rock, blues, metal or folk, these men and women are considered legends.
Examples of items on this list include Katy Perry and Courtney Love.
This list answers the questions, "What guitar players are from California?" and "Who are famous California guitarists?"
Randall William Rhoads (December 6, 1956 – March 19, 1982) was an American heavy metal guitarist who played with Quiet Riot and Ozzy Osbourne. A devoted student of classical guitar, Rhoads ...more
Katheryn Elizabeth Hudson (born October 25, 1984), known professionally as Katy Perry, is an American singer, songwriter, and television judge. After singing in church during her childhood, she ...more
Clifford Lee Burton (February 10, 1962 – September 27, 1986) was an American musician and songwriter, best known as the bass guitarist for the American band Metallica from December 1982 until ...more
Jerome John "Jerry" Garcia (August 1, 1942 – August 9, 1995) was an American singer-songwriter and guitarist, best known for his work as the lead guitarist and as a vocalist with the ...more
David Scott Mustaine (born September 13, 1961) is an American guitarist, singer, songwriter, actor and author. He is best known as the co-founder, lead vocalist, guitarist and primary songwriter ...more
Bonnie Lynn Raitt (born November 8, 1949) is an American blues singer, guitarist, songwriter, and activist. During the 1970s, Raitt released a series of roots-influenced albums that incorporated ...more
James Alan Hetfield (born August 3, 1963) is an American musician and songwriter best known for being the co-founder, lead vocalist/rhythm guitarist and main songwriter for the American heavy ...more
Kirk Lee Hammett (born November 18, 1962) is an American musician who has been lead guitarist and a contributing songwriter for the heavy metal band Metallica since 1983. Before joining ...more
Avenged Sevenfold (sometimes abbreviated as A7X) is an American heavy metal band from Huntington Beach, California, formed in 1999. The band's current lineup consists of lead vocalist M. ...more
Merle Ronald Haggard (April 6, 1937 – April 6, 2016) was an American country singer, songwriter, guitarist, and fiddler. Haggard was born in Oildale, California, during the Great Depression. His ...more
Courtney Michelle Love (born Courtney Michelle Harrison; July 9, 1964) is an American singer, songwriter and actress. A figure in the punk and grunge scenes of the 1990s, Love's career has ...more
Daniel Robert Elfman (born May 29, 1953) is an American composer, singer, songwriter, and record producer. Elfman first became known for being the lead singer and songwriter for the band Oingo ...more
Beck Hansen (born July 8, 1970), known mononymously as Beck, is an American singer-songwriter, musician, and record producer. He rose to fame in the early 1990s with his experimental and lo-fi ...more
Albert Hammond Jr. (né Hammond III; born April 9, 1980) is an American guitarist, singer, songwriter and music producer. He is most famous for his role as rhythm and lead guitarist, as ...more
John Cameron Fogerty (born May 28, 1945) is an American musician, singer, and songwriter. Together with Doug Clifford, Stu Cook, and his brother Tom Fogerty, he founded the band Creedence ...more
Edward Calhoun King (September 14, 1949 – August 22, 2018) was an American musician. He was a guitarist for the psychedelic rock band Strawberry Alarm Clock and guitarist and bassist for the ...more
Brian Elwin Haner Jr. (born July 7, 1981), better known by his stage name Synyster Gates or simply Syn, is an American musician, best known for being the lead guitarist and backing vocalist of ...more
Thomas Alan Waits (born December 7, 1949) is an American singer, songwriter, musician, composer, and actor. His music is characterized by his distinctive deep, gravelly voice and lyrics focusing ...more
Robert Trujillo ( troo-HEE-yoh, Spanish: [roˈβeɾto tɾuˈxiʝo]; born October 23, 1964), is an American musician and songwriter. He has been the bassist of the American heavy metal band Metallica ...more
Adam Noah Levine (born March 18, 1979) is an American singer, songwriter, and actor. He is the lead singer for the pop rock band Maroon 5. Born and raised in Los Angeles, California, Levine ...more
Tommy Castro (born April 15, 1955, San Jose, California, United States) is an American blues, R&B, and rock guitarist and singer. He has been recording since the mid-1990s. His music has ...more
Alyson Renae Michalka ( mee-SHAH-kah; born March 25, 1989) is an American actress, singer-songwriter, and musician. She gained fame for playing the role of Keely Teslow in the Disney Channel ...more
Lindsey Adams Buckingham (born October 3, 1949) is an American musician, singer, songwriter and producer, best known as lead guitarist and one of the vocalists of the music group Fleetwood Mac ...more
