A pioneer of the Telecaster sound, besides an alleged invitation to join the Rolling Stones which he turned down and which gave him the nickname "the man who turned the Stones down". He recorded five albums for Polydor, one of which, Second Album, went gold, and after that another three for Atlantic Records, one of which, 1977's Loading Zone, also went gold. Buchanan quit recording in 1981, vowing never to enter a studio again unless he could record his own music his own way.
"For Buchanan’s part, he mined the Telecaster’s lap guitar heritage, manipulating the instrument’s volume and tone controls with his pinkie to emulate the sound of wailing country steels. He could simulate a phasing effect, palm muting along the strings, and would flip from aching long sustained bends to breakneck-speed blues runs in a split second. The latter is a major element in Joe Bonamassa’s style. It’s all there in Sweet Dreams, from the opening faded in D, E and F# notes to the nitro’d flourish just after the one-minute mark. And that sound, man! Before guys like Buchanan, great guitar tone was really just a happy accident. He taught us to treat it like the Holy Grail."
~Ed Mitchell / Classic Rock
His Passing ~
According to his agent and others, Buchanan was doing well, having gained control of his drinking habit and playing again, when he was arrested for public intoxication after a domestic dispute. He was found hanged from his own shirt in a jail cell on August 14, 1988, in the Fairfax County, Virginia, Jail. According to Thomas Hartman, who was in a cell near Buchanan's, the deputy sheriff opened the door early in the morning and found Buchanan with the shirt around his neck. His cause of death was officially recorded as suicide, a finding disputed by Buchanan's friends and family.
One of his friends disputed the suicide, Marc Fisher, reported seeing Roy's body with bruises on the head . . .
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- YouTube
Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.
www.youtube.com
- YouTube
Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.
www.youtube.com
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