Deep Purple guitarist Ritchie Blackmore has shared a poignant tribute to the late rock and roll pioneer Duane Eddy, who sadly passed away on April 30th aged 86.
After a battle with cancer, Eddy passed away at Williamson Health Hospital, and the news of his death was confirmed by his widow, Deed Abbate. A representative for the late musician said of his passing in a statement: “Duane inspired a generation of guitarists the world over with his unmistakable signature ‘Twang’ sound.”
The message continued: “He was the first rock and roll guitar god, a truly humble and incredible human being. He will be sorely missed.”
Notably, the icon popularised a distinctive style of guitar playing, which centred around the lower strings of the guitar. This led to his unique sense of rhythm that was prevalent in his solo recordings, which he picked up through working with producer Lee Hazlewood.
The work that he leaves behind helped inspire a generation of guitar players, including Blackmore, who is ensuring Eddy’s legacy remains intact following his passing.
Taking to social media, Blackmore shared: “Just heard about the passing of the wonderful Duane Eddy who was my first guitar idol with songs like Rebel Rouser, Shazam, Some Kind Of Earthquake. I would always rush out and buy his long playing records. My favorite all time tune from him was The Lonely One.”
Blackmore described Eddy as “a brilliant guitarist in his own right” and recalled, “He was the first guitar player with that deep bass sound which I loved. Unfortunately, I never saw him live, although I tried to see him playing on a couple of occasions. One particular time, when I was 12, I went to London airport to meet him. I sat there for hours waiting, so I could get a glimpse of him.”
Sadly for Blackmore, after a few hours of waiting, he finally plucked up the courage to ask airport staff for information regarding Eddy’s plane and was heartbroken to discover it had unexpectedly landed early. “That was my first of many futile attempts to see him. But I would play his music night and day,” he said.
However, there was a happy ending for Blackmore in 2023, he revealed: “He was very kind to me last year, because I had missed him on so many occasions, he sent me a Gretsch Guitar as a present for Christmas. I couldn’t believe it. He will always be my number one inspiration from the time I took up the guitar until now. He was so unique in his playing. The world has lost a great guitar player. A truly unique guitar player.”
Blackmore signed off the message by sending his best wishes to Eddy’s family. The guitarist is survived by his wife and three children, Linda Jones, Chris Eddy, and Jennifer Eddy Davis. Other notable figures that have paid tribute to Eddy include Nancy Sinatra and Joe Bonamassa.
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Here’s a bit of good news for fans of Ritchie Blackmore and his old bands, Deep Purple and Rainbow.
