The Five Most Underrated Guitar Players of the Classic Rock Era

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 Rick Derringer 

Started out by founding the band The McCoys. Recorded the number one hit song "Hang On Sloopy" Went on to play with both Johnny and Edgar Winters. In 1982 played on two hits songs, one with Air Supply (Making Love Out of Nothing at All) and the other with Bonnie Tyler (Total Eclipse of the Heart).

Derringer has recorded with a wide ranging who's who of great musicians ranging from Barbara Streisand to Todd Rundgren.

youtu.be/WAeRPtmxFn8 

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 Gary Duncan

First got noticed when he played as Gary Cole in the popular Central Valley band The Brogues from Merced.

Auditioned with fellow bandmate Greg Elmore for the Quicksilver Messenger Service. Duncan's exquisite interplays with the legendary John Cipollina helped to define the San Francisco sound. Several members left the group in 1971, but Duncan continued to play in various incarnations of the group right up to his death in 2019.

True Quicksilver fans always appreciated his musicianship, but to most people outside of San Francisco he labored in the shadow of the more well known Cipollina. It was Duncan who provided the blistering guitar solos on the album  Fillmore - The Last Days.

youtu.be/0ipxKUCZANI

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Tim Renwick

Started playing guitar when he was 14 most known for his early work with Al Stewart. Has played as a session man for the likes of Elton John, Procol Harum, Eric Clapton, and David Bowie.  He also toured with Pink Floyd.

My personal favorite is his haunting solo in Stewart's The Dark and Rolling Sea.


youtu.be/LhZFUCK-H8s

Danny Kirwan

Kirwan joined Fleetwood Mac in 1968 after months of following them around and studying the legendary Peter Green's style. Green credited him with helping to provide the counterpoint needed to complete the beautiful Albatross. On stage they were like in perfect unison but didn't get one well off stage. 

Kirwan contributed two songs to Fleetwood in Chicago a cult favorite where he and the band played with several great Chicago blues musicians.

When Green left, Danny Kirwan had to carry a larger role in writing the band's material. Kirwan wrote a large share of the songs on the band's  subsequent albums like Kiln House and Penguin. Played with Bob Welch after founding member Jeremy Spencer left the group prior to a concert in Los Angeles.

Danny suffered a serious breakdown from the stress of  constant touring and excessive drinking and was later fired from the group.

 youtu.be/H8R8fSvEHKI

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Dicky Betts

​One of the founding members of The Allman Brothers Band, Betts traded licks with all time great Duane Allman from the band's inception in 1969 until Allman died in a motorcycle accident in 1971.
Betts took over most of the songwriting chores and the bulk of guitar work. He wrote two of the bands biggest hits in Jessica and Rambling Man.

​It has been said that he was removed from the band because of substance abuse problems. Before he left he did some stellar work with Warren Haynes and later joined Haynes group Gov't Mule.

He was very underrated but not completely unknown among rock fans; he was listed at #58 in Rolling Stone Magazine's list of the top 100 rock guitarists.

youtu.be/tHcgmiQwEts