34 Years Ago
Tommy Bolin, one of the greatest guitarists ever, died 34 years ago today. He had overdosed on heroin. He was only 25.
Most people don’t know this, but Tommy Bolin is the reason I love guitar so much. I think the first album I ever appropriated from my sister was Teaser (okay, first serious album, because I don’t count the Monkees or Bobby Sherman albums as “serious albums”). It was Bolin who led me to discover other great guitarists and pretty much paved the way for my lifelong obsession with music.
Can you imagine what else Bolin might have accomplished if he’d lived longer? I mean, 25 is…you’re still just discovering yourself at 25! He was amazing! And yet there was still so much he’d yet to see and do.
Tommy Bolin. Yeah.