Featured Guitarist
Billy Duffy
Billy Duffy, guitarist for The Cult, was born in Manchester, England, and began playing the guitar at the age of fourteen. In his early career, Duffy played with various punk line-ups. When the initial punk rock movement of the late 70’s died out, Billy eventually settled as guitarist for the moodier and more artsy band, Theatre of Hate. He eventually met Ian Astbury (then frontman for gothic rock band Southern Death Cult) who was impressed with Duffy's playing and abandoned Southern Death Cult to start a new band with him. Together, they exploited the Southern Death Cult's success by calling themselves Death Cult. After initial fanfare and a couple of singles, Duffy, following a trip to New York, convinced Astbury to shorten the band's name to The Cult in 1984. In February 1993, The Cult’s best-of collection titled Pure Cult: Music for Rockers, Ravers, Lovers, and Sinners debuted at #1 on the charts in Britain and went double platinum in that country. It later went to number one on the charts in Portugal.
Duffy and Astbury are the longest serving members of the band. The Cult toured various cities in the US and Europe in 2011.
Featured Drummer
Mika Fineo
Mika Fineo is the drummer for the rock group Filter, having joined them in 2008. Formed in 1993 in Cleveland by Richard Patrick and Brian Liesegang, Filter has released five studio albums, the most recent being The Trouble with Angels, which was released in August of 2010.
As a young child, Mika's father, a touring keyboardist for George McCrae and others, first exposed him to artists of the early jazz, funk, and R & B scenes. His first instrument was the piano which he began playing at the age of three. Long before graduating high school in Miami, Mika had been performing in church with many outstanding gospel performers. Mika has since been on countless international tours and has tracked for many A-level producers and artists from LA to New York. He has performed on three major motion picture soundtracks as well as Filter’s latest release The Trouble with Angels.
Mika and Filter have just completed an international tour including a final stop in Kuwait to perform for US servicemembers waiting to return home after their deployment to Iraq.
Blog Feed
Gretsch Introduces New Rancher Acoustics
A great Gretsch name is back with the return of Rancher acoustic guitars. The richly resonant Rancher first appeared in the early 1950s with its highly distinctive triangular sound hole and sweepingly elegant pickguard, and Gretsch is now very proud to re-introduce the model with a great new five-instrument selection of body sizes, styles and features.
Gretsch Introduces New Brooklyn Series Drums
Gretsch drums were born in Brooklyn, New York in 1883. They were proudly crafted in the vibrant city for the better part of the 20th Century. Brooklyn and Gretsch share an inseparable history that is part of American music history and folklore.
CHET ATKINS EXHIBITION
The Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum is paying tribute to one of country music’s most versatile and visionary artists, Chet Atkins, with Chet Atkins: Certified Guitar Player, a biographical exhibit which opened August 12, 2011 and runs through June 11, 2012.
Special programs are scheduled throughout the duration of the exhibition. Click HERE for upcoming program details and exhibit information.
UP NEXT: Fingerstyle guitar demo by Jack Pearson, February 19, 1 p.m. CST.
OTHER GRETSCH EVENTS:
The NAMM Show
The 2012 NAMM Show took place at the Anaheim Convention Center from January 19 to 22. Gretsch Guitars, Gretsch Drums, and Bigsby Vibratos were there with eye-catching displays, exciting new products, and great artist performances.
Take a look here for coverage provided by our friends at The Gretsch Pages and check here for videos from the show. Also follow all our Twitter accounts for event reports--Gretsch, FredGretsch, Bigsby, GretschUSA, Gretsch_Drums & GretschDrums.