RIP Allan Holdsworth

Ted Lowe Jr · Post by **Ted Lowe Jr** » 20 Apr 2017 12:26 pm

Any Holdsworth fans on here? I was a huge fan of his, got to see him live a few times, incredible guitarist.
I would love to hear someone attempt some of his music on pedal steel someday.
http://variety.com/2017/music/news/alla ... 202031666/

Mark Eaton · Post by **Mark Eaton** » 20 Apr 2017 3:26 pm

Link to a thread started on the 16th:

http://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopi ... holdsworth

Michael Haselman · Post by **Michael Haselman** » 20 Apr 2017 5:32 pm

First heard him on Tony Williams Lifetime "Believe It" in about '75. Have loved everything I've heard by him since. According to Mike Neer he was poverty-stricken at the time of his death. That is a very sad commentary on the state of music and the music business. His music was not at all "out there" just more sophisticated than the average consumer is used to.

Mike Neer · Post by **Mike Neer** » 20 Apr 2017 5:44 pm

Very, very big fan. The deepest musician I have ever experienced.

There was a GoFundMe set up to help fund Allan's funeral, as his financial situation was not good. The target was $20K--the final amount pledged after just three days was $114K before they closed it! Allan had many, many fans.

I will miss him dearly, knowing I won't be able to see him perform again, but I was lucky enough to see him dozens of times beginning in 1982. And then there is all the music he left behind.

It's so fascinating to listen to his evolution as a player and composer. Here is a clip of him from his Sand period, when he was playing the Synthaxe more. That's not usually a favorite period, but it illustrates just how amazing he was that he could radically adapt his technique to play a new instrument. For strings, he decided to use all .009s, I believe. And just look at the frets--they are all equidistant.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e-OCDAIKAh0

Andy Volk · Post by **Andy Volk** » 21 Apr 2017 12:29 pm

My late pal John McGann was another rabid Holdsworth fan. I need to spend more time with his music.

Craig Stock · Post by **Craig Stock** » 22 Apr 2017 3:53 pm

Hey Mike,

Glenn Alexander has an guitar that Alan gave him. Glen. Said to me of his passing, 'Yes, indeed a rare individual we will not see the likes of that again in our lifetime'

Mike Neer · Post by **Mike Neer** » 24 Apr 2017 3:34 am

I do remember that, Craig, one of the Ibanez guitars, I believe.

Craig Stock · Post by **Craig Stock** » 23 May 2017 6:43 pm

Mike, I had dinner with Glenn tonight and he said he was touring with Alan and he had six custom guitars and let him play all of them, and said which do you like best, and Glenn said, the white one and Alan said, it's yours. Cool story