The undisputed king of electric blues guitar breaks down the genres and sources of inspiration for his most recent album, a tour de force aptly titled Crown, which was produced by Joe Bonamassa. a blues firebrand, Eric Gales. Even as his own light dimmed as a result of his struggles with substance abuse over the course of 30 years and 18 albums, his passion for music and his unwavering determination to keep it alive never wavered. With personal revelations in his lyrics and daring stylistic turns in both his guitar playing and songwriting, he never stopped reviving the genre.

Gales was hailed as a child prodigy and "the next Jimi Hendrix" because of his unique playing style and emotionally raw music and personality. Singers like Jimi Hendrix, Albert King, etc. have a very strong spell over him, and time stops when he listens to their songs. ...