Music
Famous Guitarists from North Carolina
List of famous guitarists born who were born in North Carolina, listed alphabetically with photos when available. Many of these guitar players from North Carolina 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 North Carolina 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.
The list you're viewing has a variety of items, like Ben Folds and Warren Haynes, in it.
This list answers the questions, "What guitar players are from North Carolina?" and "Who are famous North Carolina guitarists?"- Dec. at 24 (1946-1971)
- Nationality: United States of America
- Birthplace: Nashville, Tennessee
- Guitars Played: Gibson Les Paul
Howard Duane Allman (November 20, 1946 – October 29, 1971) was an American guitarist, session musician, and founder and leader of the Allman Brothers Band. The Allman Brothers Band was formed in ...more - Dec. at 89 (1923-2012)
- Nationality: United States of America
- Birthplace: Deep Gap, North Carolina, United States of America
Arthel Lane "Doc" Watson (March 3, 1923 – May 29, 2012) was an American guitarist, songwriter, and singer of bluegrass, folk, country, blues, and gospel music. Watson won seven Grammy awards as well ...more - Age: 55
- Nationality: United States of America
- Birthplace: Winston-Salem, North Carolina, United States of America
Benjamin Scott Folds (born September 12, 1966) is an American singer-songwriter and record producer. From 1995 to 2000, Folds was the frontman and pianist of the alternative rock band Ben Folds Five. ...more - Age: 68
- Nationality: United States of America
- Birthplace: Nashville, Tennessee
Randy Lynn Scruggs (August 3, 1953 – April 17, 2018) was a music producer, songwriter and guitarist. He had his first recording at the age of 13. He won four Grammy Awards and was twice named ...more 
Age: 76- Nationality: United States of America
- Birthplace: Nashville, Tennessee
Ellen McIlwaine (born October 1, 1945) is an American singer-songwriter and musician best known for her career as a solo singer, songwriter and slide guitarist.- Age: 50
- Nationality: United States of America
- Birthplace: Tennessee, Nashville, USA
Waylon Malloy Payne (born April 5, 1972) is an American country singer, songwriter, musician and actor. He is the son of the country singer Sammi Smith. - Dec. at 50 (1926-1976)
- Nationality: United States of America
- Birthplace: Nashville, Tennessee
Arthur Neal Gunter (May 23, 1926 – March 16, 1976) was an American blues guitarist and musician. He was best known for his song "Baby Let's Play House", which was later a hit single for Elvis ...more - Dec. at 76 (1929-2005)
- Nationality: United States of America
- Birthplace: Dunn, North Carolina, United States of America
Fred Lincoln "Link" Wray, Jr. (May 2, 1929 – November 5, 2005) was a Shawnee rock and roll guitarist, songwriter, and vocalist who became popular in the late 1950s. Building on the distorted electric ...more - Dec. at 92 (1895-1987)
- Nationality: United States of America
- Birthplace: USA, North Carolina, Carrboro
Elizabeth "Libba" Cotten (née Nevills) (January 5, 1893 – June 29, 1987) was an American blues and folk musician, singer, and songwriter. A self-taught left-handed guitarist, Cotten developed her own ...more - Age: 96
- Nationality: United States of America
- Birthplace: Nashville, Tennessee
Harold Ray Bradley (January 2, 1926 – January 31, 2019) was an American guitarist and entrepreneur, who played on many country, rock and pop recordings and produced numerous TV variety shows and ...more - Mark Warner is a song writer, studio musician and music producer from Nashville, Tennessee. Warner has received acknowledgement from the music industry for his songwriting contributions. In 2001 he ...more
- Dec. at 75 (1936-2012)
- Nationality: United States of America
- Birthplace: Gaston, North Carolina
Charles Louis Brown (August 22, 1936 – May 16, 2012) was an American guitarist, bandleader and singer who has garnered the honorific nickname "The Godfather of Go-Go". Go-go is a subgenre of funk ...more - Dec. at 33 (1907-1941)
- Nationality: United States of America
- Birthplace: Wadesboro, North Carolina
Blind Boy Fuller (born Fulton Allen, July 10, 1904 or 1907 – February 13, 1941) was an American blues guitarist and singer. Fuller was one of the most popular of the recorded Piedmont blues artists ...more - Age: 49
- Nationality: United States of America
- Birthplace: Asheville, North Carolina
Bryan Sutton is an American musician. Primarily known as a flatpicked acoustic guitar player, Sutton also plays mandolin, banjo, ukulele, and electric guitar. He also sings and writes songs. - Age: 62
- Nationality: United States of America
- Birthplace: USA, Asheville, North Carolina
Warren Haynes (born April 6, 1960) is an American musician, singer and songwriter. Haynes is best known for his work as longtime guitarist with the Allman Brothers Band and as founding member of the ...more - Age: 83
- Nationality: United States of America
- Birthplace: York, Pennsylvania
Delano Floyd "Del" McCoury (born February 1, 1939) is an American bluegrass musician. As leader of the Del McCoury Band, he plays guitar and sings lead vocals along with his two sons, Ronnie McCoury ...more - Age: 32
- Nationality: United States of America
- Birthplace: Wilmington, North Carolina, USA
Cheyenne Nichole Kimball (born July 27, 1990) is an American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and mandolinist. Her debut album, The Day Has Come was released in July 2006 coinciding with an MTV reality ...more - Age: 73
- Nationality: United States of America
- Birthplace: Wagram, North Carolina
Lucius "Tawl" Ross (born October 5, 1948, in Wagram, North Carolina) was the rhythm guitarist for Funkadelic from 1968 to 1971 and played on their first three albums. He left the band in 1971 soon ...more - Age: 58
- Nationality: United States of America
- Birthplace: Raleigh, North Carolina
Doug Aldrich (born February 19, 1964) is a Los Angeles-based hard rock guitarist. He founded the band Burning Rain with Keith St. John in 1998 and has played previously with the bands Whitesnake, ...more - Dec. at 77 (1921-1998)
- Nationality: United States of America
- Birthplace: USA, North Carolina, Greensboro
Talmage Holt Farlow (June 7, 1921 – July 25, 1998) was an American jazz guitarist. He was nicknamed "Octopus" because of how his large, quick hands spread over the fretboard. As Steve Rochinski ...more - Dec. at 93 (1913-2006)
- Nationality: United States of America
- Birthplace: North Carolina
Etta Baker (March 31, 1913 – September 23, 2006) was an American Piedmont blues guitarist and singer from North Carolina. - Age: 60
- Nationality: United States of America
- Birthplace: Fayetteville, North Carolina
Jimmy Herring (born January 22, 1962) is the lead guitarist for the band Widespread Panic. He is a founding member of Aquarium Rescue Unit and Jazz Is Dead and has played with The Allman Brothers ...more - Age: 43
- Birthplace: Goldsboro, North Carolina
Warren Harding Barfield, Jr. (born May 4, 1979) is a Christian musician. - Age: 80
- Nationality: United States of America
- Birthplace: Roanoke Rapids, North Carolina
Roy Lee Ferrell, Jr. is an American musician, best known as the keyboardist and saxophonist for the band The Righteous Brothers, which he joined in 1967. - Dec. at 40 (1962-2002)
- Birthplace: USA, North Carolina, Boone
Michael Houser (January 6, 1962 – August 10, 2002) was a founding member and lead guitarist of the band Widespread Panic. He appeared on seven studio albums during his 16-year tenure with the band ...more
