Louisiana guitar legend Sonny Landreth performs the song “Cherry Ball Blues” on eTown’s solar-powered stage. Sonny has reinvented a new way to play guitar. And he doesn’t just play slide. He’s doing stuff behind the slide and ahead of the slide.
Sonny Landreth
Sonny Landreth was born on Feb 1, 1951 in Canton Mississippi to Clide and Jeraldine (Jerry) Landreth. When Sonny was in the second grade, the family relocated to Lafayette Louisiana where Sonny was surrounded by the many musical and cultural influences that we can hear so much of in his music today. He is very much in demand as a session player as he never holds back and gives his all for whomever he is working with. He has played with many different artists including: Clarence “Gatemouth” Brown, Clifton Chenier, Steve Conn, Michael Doucet, Jerry Douglas, John Hiatt, Dr. John, Mark Knopfler, Kenny Loggins, John Mayall, Maria Muldaur, Dolly Parton, Zachary Richard and Junior Wells just to name a few. His haunting slide technique is quite different from anything I had ever heard before; sometimes he is able to coax sounds from his guitars that sound like other instruments. Sonny uses a style that combines finger picking, palming and slapping the strings and what looks to me like he’s trying to “excite the strings” like you would with a bow on a violin. His slide technique is quite unique in that he also frets behind the slide, giving him a different sound and “feel” than most slide players. Not only is he an incredible player but also a singer/song writer. (Read more: sonnylandrethfan.com)
