Famous Guitarists from Massachusetts

Reference
Updated October 14, 201843 items

List of famous guitarists born who were born in Massachusetts, listed alphabetically with photos when available. Many of these guitar players from Massachusetts 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 Massachusetts 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.

James Taylor and Rob Zombie are a great starting point for your to rank your favorites on this list

This list answers the questions, "What guitar players are from Massachusetts?" and "Who are famous Massachusetts guitarists?"
Ranked by
  • Joe Perry

    Joe Perry

    Age: 73
    • Nationality: United States of America
    • Birthplace: USA, Lawrence, Massachusetts
    • Guitars Played: Gibson Les Paul, Fender Stratocaster, Fender Telecaster
    Anthony Joseph Pereira (born September 10, 1950) better known by his stage name, Joe Perry, is an American musician, songwriter and vocalist, who is best known as the lead guitarist and founding member of the American rock band Aerosmith. Sometimes referred to as the "Greatest American Rock Band of All-Time" and the "Bad Boys from Boston". Aerosmith has sold over 150 million albums worldwide and 70 million in the U.S. alone, making them one of the biggest selling artists of all-time.Perry also has his own solo band called The Joe Perry Project, and is a member of the All-Star band Hollywood Vampires with Alice Cooper and Johnny Depp. He was ranked 84th in Rolling Stone's list of The 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time and in 2001, was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as part of Aerosmith. In 2013, Perry and his songwriting partner Steven Tyler were recipients of the ASCAP Founders Award and were also inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. In October 2014, Simon & Schuster released Rocks: My Life In and Out of Aerosmith, written by Perry with David Ritz.
  • Dick Dale

    Dick Dale

    Age: 86
    • Nationality: United States of America
    • Birthplace: Boston, USA, Massachusetts
    • Guitars Played: Fender Stratocaster
    Richard Anthony Monsour (Arabic: ريتشارد أنتوني منصور‎; May 4, 1937 – March 16, 2019), known professionally as Dick Dale, was an American rock guitarist. He was a pioneer of surf music, drawing on Middle Eastern music scales and experimenting with reverberation. Dale was known as "The King of the Surf Guitar", which was also the title of his second studio album. Dale worked closely with the manufacturer Fender to produce custom-made amplifiers including the first-ever 100-watt guitar amplifier. He pushed the limits of electric amplification technology, helping to develop equipment that was capable of producing a louder guitar sound without sacrificing reliability.
  • James Taylor
    • Nationality: United States of America
    • Birthplace: Boston, Massachusetts, USA
    James Vernon Taylor (born March 12, 1948) is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. A five-time Grammy Award winner, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2000. He is one of the best-selling music artists of all time, having sold more than 100 million records worldwide.Taylor achieved his breakthrough in 1970 with the No. 3 single "Fire and Rain" and had his first No. 1 hit in 1971 with his recording of "You've Got a Friend", written by Carole King in the same year. His 1976 Greatest Hits album was certified Diamond and has sold 12 million US copies. Following his 1977 album, JT, he has retained a large audience over the decades. Every album that he released from 1977 to 2007 sold over 1 million copies. He enjoyed a resurgence in chart performance during the late 1990s and 2000s, when he recorded some of his most-awarded work (including Hourglass, October Road, and Covers). He achieved his first number-one album in the US in 2015 with his recording Before This World.He is known for his covers, such as "How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved by You)" and "Handy Man", as well as originals such as "Sweet Baby James".
  • Rob Zombie

    Rob Zombie

    Age: 58
    • Nationality: United States of America
    • Birthplace: Haverhill, Massachusetts, USA
    Rob Zombie (born Robert Bartleh Cummings; January 12, 1965) is an American musician and filmmaker. He is a founding member of the heavy metal band White Zombie, releasing four studio albums with the band. He is the older brother of Spider One, lead vocalist for American rock band Powerman 5000.Zombie's first solo effort was a 1996 song titled "Hands of Death (Burn Baby Burn)", written and performed with Alice Cooper, which went on to receive a nomination for Best Metal Performance at the 39th Annual Grammy Awards. In 1997, he began working on his debut solo studio album, Hellbilly Deluxe, which was released in August 1998. A month later, Zombie officially disbanded White Zombie. Hellbilly Deluxe went on to sell over three million copies worldwide and spawned three singles. Zombie directed the horror film House of 1000 Corpses in 2000, though the controversial project was not released until 2003. His second studio album, The Sinister Urge (2001), became his second platinum album in the United States. Zombie directed The Devil's Rejects (2005), a direct sequel to his prior film House of 1000 Corpses. The project received a more positive reception than its predecessor. His third studio album, Educated Horses (2006), was a departure from his earlier recordings. The album became his third to enter the top ten of the Billboard 200, though saw a decrease in sales when compared to his previous releases. Deciding to focus on his directing career, Zombie directed the horror film Halloween (2007), a remake of the 1978 horror classic of the same name. The film became Zombie's highest-grossing film to date, though was met with a generally negative critical reception. He later directed Halloween II (2009), which failed to match the success of its predecessor. He released the animated film The Haunted World of El Superbeasto that same year. Zombie returned to music with the release of his fourth studio album, Hellbilly Deluxe 2 (2010). The album peaked at number eight in the United States and sold over 200,000 copies in the country. In 2012, Zombie released a second remix album and directed the horror film The Lords of Salem, which was released the following year. He released his fifth studio album Venomous Rat Regeneration Vendor the following year (2013). He directed the horror film 31. Since the beginning of his music career, Zombie's music and lyrics have featured notable horror and sci-fi themes. His live shows have been praised for their elaborate shock rock theatricality. Since beginning his solo career, Zombie has sold an estimated fifteen million albums worldwide.
  • Tony Rombola
    • Nationality: United States of America
    • Birthplace: Norwood, Massachusetts
    Tony Rombola (born November 24, 1964) is an American musician who has been the lead guitarist and backing vocalist for the Boston-based hard rock band Godsmack since the mid-1990s. Tony Rombola has been cited as 'an extraodinaire' in the guitar world, by Guitar World magazine, and is cited to be the only guitarist to keep an 'original soloing style' during the nu metal period, earning him the respect of the guitar industry. Rombola is also a guitarist for the side-project band Another Animal, formed at the beginning of 2007, the band released their self-titled debut album in October 2007, and played shows, whilst frontman Sully Erna did a small solo tour.
  • Black Francis
    • Nationality: United States of America
    • Birthplace: Boston, USA, Massachusetts
    Charles Thompson IV (born April 6, 1965) is an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist. He is best known as the frontman of the influential alternative rock band Pixies, with whom he performs under the stage name Black Francis. Following the band's breakup in 1993, he embarked on a solo career under the name Frank Black. After releasing two albums with record label 4AD and one with American Recordings, he left the label and formed a new band, Frank Black and the Catholics. He re-adopted the name Black Francis in 2007. His vocal style has varied from a screaming, yowling delivery as lead vocalist of the Pixies to a more measured and melodic style in his solo career. His cryptic lyrics mostly explore unconventional subjects, such as surrealism, incest, and biblical violence, along with science fiction and surf culture. His use of atypical meter signatures, loud–quiet dynamics, and distinct preference for live-to-two-track recording during his time with the Catholics, give him a distinct style within alternative rock.Thompson regrouped the Pixies in early 2004, but continued to release solo records and tour as a solo artist until 2013, when he declared his solo career to be over.