Joe Bonamassa is an American blues rock guitarist, singer and songwriter from Utica, New York. He works in blues, blues rock, electric blues and rock, and is associated with the labels Journeyman Records and Smokin’ Joe Analog Music Co.

Early life and background

Bonamassa is born in 1977 in Utica, United States. He starts playing guitar at the age of four, encouraged by his father, who introduces him to British blues rock records by Eric Clapton and Jeff Beck. At 11, he is mentored and trained by the guitarist Danny Gatton.

At 12, he forms his own band, Smokin' Joe Bonamassa, and begins playing weekend gigs across western New York and Pennsylvania, including Scranton and Buffalo, while attending school during the week. Around this time, he also plays a crimson 1972 Fender Stratocaster called “Rosie”, which his father buys in Utica. He opens for B.B. King when he is 12.

Recording career

Bonamassa releases solo albums through his independent label J&R Adventures. He has issued 15 solo albums in the period covered by the biography, and 11 of them reach number one on the Billboard Blues chart. One of his later releases, Time Clocks, becomes his 25th number one album on that chart.

Collaborations and groups

He performs with a wide range of musicians, including Stephen Stills, Eric Clapton, Blondie Chaplin, Foreigner, Buddy Guy, Steve Winwood, Warren Haynes, Solomon Hicks and Derek Trucks. He is also a member of Bloodline, Black Country Communion, Rock Candy Funk Party and Mark Knopfler’s Guitar Heroes.

Recognition and other work

Bonamassa plays at the Royal Albert Hall and receives three Grammy Award nominations: for Seesaw, his collaboration album with Beth Hart, in 2013; for Live at the Greek Theatre in 2016; and for Royal Tea in 2022.

Outside recording and performance, he runs the Keeping the Blues Alive Foundation, a nonprofit that supports music education through scholarships and resources for schools in need. He also adds Fuelling Musicians as an extension of that work, providing grants to struggling musicians affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. He is additionally known for his large collection of vintage guitars and related equipment.