Iconic Guitarist Eric Gales On His New Album “Crown,” Future Plans, Joe Bonamassa & More
Crown is the new album from iconic guitarist Eric Gales, as due out on January 28, 2022 via the Mascot Label Group. As produced by Joe Bonamassa, the story behind Crown dates back to the early 1990s, when Gales and Bonamassa were both hailed as prodigies during their teens. The pair went on to have very different careers, as Gales’ full potential was hampered by serious substance abuse issues, and in 2009 he hit bottom and served jail time at Shelby County Correction Center for possession of drugs and a weapon. The two guitarists reconnected on stage in 2019 — it has been called one of the most explosive guitar duels ever, amassing over 3 million views — and Bonamassa ultimately told Gales that it was “time he had his seat at the table,” offering to produce his next album.
In a turn of events that served to highlight the role of race in Eric Gales’ story, George Floyd’s murder sparked the BLM movement the day before the album sessions began. The songs on Crown were reportedly written in that context, speaking both to Gales’ personal story and his experience as a Black man in the United States. Thus, after 30 years and 18 albums, Gales is finally getting his due. He is featured on the cover of Guitar World for the first time this month; this is literally three decades after Carlos Santana said that Gales would be the next Jimi Hendrix in 1992, as you can hear here.
On January 24, 2022, I had the pleasure of speaking with Eric Gales via Zoom, as embedded below. More on Gales,Crown and his upcoming touring can be found online by clicking here, here and here.
About the Author
Darren Paltrowitz Darren Paltrowitz is a New York resident with over 20 years of entertainment industry experience. He began working around the music business as a teenager, interning for the manager of his then-favorite band Superdrag. Since then, he has worked with a wide array of artists including OK Go, They Might Be Giants, Mike Viola, Tracy Bonham, Loudness, Rachael Yamagata, and Amanda Palmer. Darren's writing has appeared in dozens of outlets including the New York Daily News, Inquisitr, The Daily Meal, The Hype Magazine, All Music Guide, Guitar World, TheStreet.com, Businessweek, Chicago Tribune, L.A. Times, and the Jewish Journal. Beyond being "Editor At Large" for The Hype Magazine, Darren is also the host of weekly "Paltrocast With Darren Paltrowitz" series, which airs on dozens on television and digital networks. He has also co-authored 2 published books, 2018's "Pocket Change: Your Happy Money" (Book Web Publishing) and 2019's "Good Advice From Professional Wrestling" (6623 Press), and co-hosts the world's only known podcast about David Lee Roth, "The DLR Cast."
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