King of the Blues '10 Grand Finals

July 2nd, 2010 - Tickets are now on sale for Guitar Center’s King of the Blues Grand Finals featuring Derek Trucks plus Honeyboy Edwards. The event takes place on Thursday, September 2nd at the House of Blues in Hollywood, CA. World-renowned guitarist Derek Trucks is the leader of the Grammy-Award winning Derek Trucks Band and also a member of The Allman Brothers Band. Friend of Robert Johnson, Honeyboy Edwards is regarded as the oldest delta blues legend to still be touring. He recently received a 2010 Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award and in '08 received a Grammy for Best Traditional Blues Album.

Hosted by Kenny Wayne Shepherd the event will also feature five of the nation’s top undiscovered blues guitarists competing for the King of the Blues crown and $25,000 cash.

Tickets are only $20 and are available at Ticketmaster.com or HOB box office. Don’t miss it!

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King of the Blues '10 District Winners

June 28th - We have for you the King of the Blues District Winners! These 25 finalists will be moving on to compete at the Regional Finals on Thursday, July 15th. From nearly 4,000 guitar players down to 25, the level of talent really is something to see. Come celebrate the blues and feast your eyes on some great guitar playing! Regional Finals start at 7pm and take place at the following Guitar Center locations...

West Regional Finals – Hollywood, CA
Randy Scott	Northridge, CA
Raj Phanse	El Toro, CA
Dinesh Lekhraj	Covina, CA
Dion Allen Gomez	Modesto, CA
Aaron Hiebert	Tukwila, WA

South Central Regional Finals – North Dallas, TX
Stetson Lee	Tempe, AZ
Douglas Bryant	Tulsa, OK
Ramon Godinez	Laredo, TX
Kirby Joe Velarde	Englewood, CO
Dustin LeRoy Garrett	Lubbock, TX

North Central Regional Finals – Arlington Heights, IL
Joey Pinkl	Arlington Heights, IL
Michael Howe	Grand Rapids, MI
Dave Feily	Twin Cities, MN
Noah Wotherspoon	Florence, KY
Keshav Ramaswami	Overland Park, KS

Southeast Regional Finals – Hallandale, FL
Tony Tyler	Tampa, FL
James Anthony Sims	Marietta, GA
Ford Thurston	Nashville, TN
Roosevelt Collier	Orlando, TX
Christopher Benz	Fairfax, VA

Northeast Regional Finals – Brooklyn, NY
Julian Allatt	Boston, MA
Adam Klutinoty	Youngstown, OH
Mary Ellen Hartung	Paramus, NJ
Brian LaPann	Cherry Hill, NJ
Pinecone Fletcher	Johnson City, NY

King of the Blues '10 Store Finalists

June 8th - We are pleased to announce this year’s store finalists advancing on to the district finals, Thursday June 24th! Blues music is a rich art form with a variety of styles and interpretations... we know there was a lot of talent out there and applaud all who participated!

Akron, OH	Drew Leatherman
Albany , NY	Patrick Tiernan
Albuquerque, NM	Gregory M Gallegos
Algonquin, IL	Erik Larson
Allen Park, MI	Brandon Stults
Allentown, PA	Albert Lazaro
Amarillo, TX	John Ray Holston Jr
Appleton, WI	Kyle Dubois
Arlington Hts., IL	Joey Pinkl
Arlington, TX	Chet Stevens
Arvada, CO	Steve Crenshaw
Atlanta, GA	Nicholas Johnson
Atlantic City, NJ	Cole Albanese
Austin, TX	Johnny Lurie
Avondale, AZ	Armando Serna
Bakersfield, CA	Tyler Hengtgen
Baton Rouge, LA	Benjamin Lecoq
Beaumont, TX	Joshua Herron
Beaverton, OR	Mark McKelue
Birmingham, AL	Brad Hamilton
Boise, ID	Aaron Rehn
Boston, MA	Julian Allat
Brea, CA	Bob Keyes
Bridgeton, MO	Jeff Hankins
Brookfield, WI	Carlos Walter
Brooklyn, NY	Joe Todaro
Brownsville, TX	Raymond Valdez
Buffalo, NY	Ron LoCurto
C. Chicago, IL	Tyler Anselmo
C. Dallas, TX	Timothy Hoover
Canton, MI	Michael Caswell
Carle Place, NY	Joseph Lodespoto
CC Hills, IL	Michael Flynn
Cedar Rapids, IA	Mark Blake
Cerritos, CA	Greg Dobler
Charleston, SC	Daniel Wright
Charlotte, NC	Santiago Elizondo
Chattanooga, TN	Dustin Mitchell
Cherry Hill, PA	Brian Lapann
Cincinnati, OH	Chris Lute
Clackamas, OR	Michael Patterson
Clearlake, TX	Rollan Harrison
Clearwater, FL	John Holt III
CO Springs, CO	Adam Gardino
Columbus, OH	Jerry Loos
Commack, NY	Anthony Safronte
Concord, CA	Sherif Sandelin
Corpus Christi, TX	Cody Angel
Covina, CA	Dinesh Lekhraj
Crestwood, MO	John Horton
Danvers, MA	Gerry Stafford
Davenport, IA	Jared Hughes
Dayton, OH	Richie Terbush
Denver, CO	Jeremy Vasquez
Des Moines, IA	Richard Casciato
Detroit, MI	Kirk Spillane
Durham, NC	Jonathan Emerson
E. Brunswick, NJ	Mike Lefton
Edina, MN	Johnny Kasai
El Cerrito, CA	Paul T. Wood
El Paso, TX	Samuel E. Barlow III
El Toro, CA	Raj Phanse
Englewood, CO	Kirby Velarde
Eugene, OR	Peter Giri
Evansville, IN	Jonathan Gilbert
Fairfax, W. VA	Christopher Benz
Fairview Heights, IL	Larry Gwaltney
Fayetteville, AR	Kody Martens
Fayetteville, GA	Ryan Roberts
Flint, MI	Eric Pattee
Florence, KY	Noah Wotherspoon
Fountain Valley, CA	Gary Tipton
Fredericksburg, VA	Kory Strother
Fresno, CA	Rich Severson
Ft. Collins, CO	Taylor Scott
Ft. Myers, FL	Rex Bongo
Ft. Wayne, IN	Geo Conner
Ft. Worth, TX	Harvey Clinton
Gilroy, CA	Richard Snelgrove
Glen Burnie, MD	Jermaine Jennings
Grand Rapids, MI	Mike Howe
Greensboro, NC	Christopher Ferrrell
Greenville, SC	David C. Danielson
Greenwood, IN	Royce Koshi
Hallandale, FL	Dyce Kimura
Harrisburg, PA	Garrett D Stoner
Highland Park, IL	Daniel James Arrigo
Hobart, IN	Michael Schaefer-Murray
Hollywood, CA	Claudio Tristano
Houston, TX	Adrian Martinez
Independence, MO	Eric Gentry
Indianapolis, IN	Sal Barbera
Jackson, AL	John Bowen
Jacksonville, FL	Bert Mingea
Johnson City, NY	Pinecone Fletcher
Joliet, IL	James Pape
Kalamazoo, MI	Michael Hawkes
Kendall, FL	Zach Berse
Killeen, TX	Andy Gillham
Kirkland, WA	Mac Mason
Knoxville, TN	Ronald Duckworth
La Mesa, CA	Pat Beers
Lakeland, FL	Daniel Pepin
Lancaster, PA	John Pepsin
Larchmont, NY	Efrain Ocasio
Laredo, TX	Ramon Godinez
Las Vegas, NV	Scott Dixon
Lawrenceville, GA	Johnny Williamson
Lewisville, TX	Mark Taylor
Lexington, KY	James Gaetano
Lincoln, NE	Myles Jasnowski
Little Rock, AR	Jake Miller
Lubbock, TX	Dustin Garrett
Lynnwood, WA	Raymond J Knapp
Madison, WI	Willem Van Boldrik
Manchester, CT	Chris Lynch
Manhattan, NY	John Loomis
Maple Grove, MN	Don Douglas
Marietta, GA	James Sims
Mayfield, OH	Tim Facemyer
McAllen, TX	Marco Barrera
Medford, OR	Jesse Kennemer
Memphis, TN	Guy Lee
Millbury, MA	Peter Aleksi
Mobile, AL	Lee Yankie
Modesto, CA	Dion Allen Gomez
Monroeville, PA	William T Duff
Montgomery, AL	Curke Dudley
Murrieta, CA	James Richardson
N. Attleboro, MA	Rob Pearson
N. Houston, TX	Roy Fletcher
N. Olmsted, OH	Chase Ockuly
N. Paramus, NJ	Nick Barone
N.Dallas, TX	Colton O'neill
Naperville, IL	Brian Hasenjaeger
Nashua, NH	Jason Jagentenfl
Nashville, TN	Ford Thurston
Natick, MA	Neil Mehra
New London, CT	Jim Oblon
New Orleans, LA	Marc Steinberg
Northridge, CA	Randy Scott
Oakdale, MN	Timothy Coughlin
Ogden, UT	Jacob Skeen
Oklahoma City, OK	Mark Manning
Orange, CT	Elvis Pool
Orlando, FL	Roosevelt Collier
Overland Park, KS	Keshav Ramaswami
Oxford Valley	Rick Smith
Oxnard, CA	David Miller
Palmdale, CA	Robert Duron
Paramus, NJ	Mary Ellen Hart
Pasadena, CA	Gilbert Serrano
Pensacola, FL	Jeff Higgins
Peoria, IL	Fred Jenkins
Phoenix, AZ	Arthur Bryce
Pittsburg, PA	Timothy Vitullo
Plano, TX	Kevin Hanlon
Plymouth Meeting, PA	Ronald J. Burns
Portland, ME	Travis Humphrey
Pueblo, CO	Dave Aurelio
Queens, NY	John Cotto
Raleigh, NC	Kristen Sayer
Rancho, CA	Mark Perry
Reno, NV	Tony Ghiglieri
Richmond, VA	Tyler Foxwell
Rochester, NY	Adrian Dimatteo
Rockford, IL	Bill Cook
Rockville, MD	Jonathan Sloane
Roseville, CA	John Harmon
S. Chicago, IL	Mike Powers
Sacramento, CA	Bobby Wright
Saginaw, MI	Darrin Brown
Salt Lake City, UT	Jacob Workman
San Antonio, TX	Clay Jarvis
San Bernardino, CA	Johnny Gomez
San Francisco, CA	David Cannaday
San Jose, CA	Phillip Benson
San Marcos, CA	Dylan Burcombe
Scottsdale, AZ	Jayson J Johnson
Scranton, PA	Clyde Rosencrance
Seattle, WA	Michael Gentry
Seven Corners, VA	Phil Flewallen
Sherman Oaks, CA	John Nevolo
Sioux Falls, SD	Kendrick Kasik
South Austin, TX	Andy Macintyre
South Bay, CA	Johnny Camelo
South Bend, IN	David A. Snyder
Southfield, MI	Kenney Mitchell
Spokane, WA	Aaron Puyana
Springfield, MO	Nathaniel Keck
Springfield, NJ	PJ Brutzman
Summerlin, NV	Johnny Lere
Syracuse, NY	Frank Carmickle
Tacoma, WA	Tommy Queen
Tallahassee, FL	Stephen Williamson
Tampa, FL	Tony Tyler
Tempe, AZ	Stetson R. Lee
Terre Haute, IN	Troy King
Toledo, OH	Martin B Hough
Totowa, NJ	Chris Fantasia
Towson, MD	Daniel Price
Tucson, AZ	Kristian Taylor Kaposta
Tukwila, WA	Aaron Hiebert
Tulsa, OK	Douglas Bryant
Twin Cities, MN	David Feily
VA Beach, VA	Alex Ruedigar
Villa Park, IL	Vincent Richardson
Visalia, CA	Steven Matthew Dupy
W. Palm Beach, FL	Dave Rhodes
Warwick, RI	Julie Melucci
West LA, CA	Dave Breitman
Wichita, KS	Mike Loggans
Winter Park, FL	Paul Stott
Youngstown, OH	Adam Kluetnoy

King of the Blues In-Store Competitions Start Tonight!

May 13th - The nationwide search for the next great undiscovered blues guitar player – begins its in-store competitions today. Contestants will go toe-to-toe, demonstrating their blues skills for the chance to win thousands of dollars in prizes and the opportunity to perform at the King of the Blues finals at the House of Blues in Los Angeles, and play on the same stage as Grammy Award-winning guitarist Derek Trucks. The success of last year's reigning champion, Kirby Kelley, is testimony to Guitar Center's support of aspiring artists as he was recently selected to play at the Eric Clapton-curated Crossroads Guitar Festival on June 26th at Toyota Park in Chicago, IL, opening for a long list of legendary artists, including: Allman Brothers Band; ZZ Top; Steve Winwood; BB King; Jeff Beck; Vince Gill; Sheryl Crow; Buddy Guy, John Mayer and Clapton himself. All profits from the Festival will benefit The Crossroads Centre in Antigua, a treatment and education facility founded by Clapton for chemically dependent persons.

"King of the Blues is a wonderful event that came at pivotal point in my life and career, and having won last year's competition is an absolute honor," said Kelley. "Anyone who has ever picked up the guitar and enjoyed the sound of it is equally blessed. We should all remember that fun is the key. Fun in life, as well as in playing the guitar."

All store, district and regional finalists will win impressive prize packages including top gear from Gibson, Epiphone, Ernie Ball, Egnater and Boss. The guitarist crowned Guitar Center's King of the Blues will receive: $25,000 cash; endorsement Deals from Gibson, Ernie Ball, Boss and Egnater; a Feature in Guitar World Magazine; a Gibson 1960 50th Anniversary ES-335; an Epiphone 1965 Elitist Casino, an Egnater Renegade full-stack amplifier, and a Boss GT-10 Guitar Multi-Effects Processor with effects pedals.

Each contestant will be required to give a live guitar solo, performed over one of thirty original backing tracks, developed by Grammy Award-winning producer/guitarist, Pete Anderson (all backing tracks are available for free download here ). One winner from each store will be chosen to move up to district competitions (25 locations), followed by regionally hosted semi-finals (5 locations), which culminate in the aforementioned King of the Blues finals competition on September 2nd. Here, the five finalists will perform in front of a live audience and a panel of celebrity judges, and share the stage with world-renowned guitarist Derek Trucks, leader of the Grammy Award-winning Derek Trucks Band and member of Allman Brothers Band. Trucks' extensive list of accolades and accomplishments includes being tapped by Eric Clapton to join the guitar legend's 2006/07 world tour as a featured soloist and appearing on the cover of Rolling Stone's "New Guitar Gods" issue, as well as being the youngest musician to make the magazine's "100 Greatest Guitar Players of All Time."

Are you Ready? In-store Competitions Start May 13th!

April 29th - A friendly reminder to sign up now if you haven't already, as we are officially two weeks out from the first week of store prelims on Thursday, May 13th. If sign ups are full for prelim #1 at your local store, don't fret! You can sign up for prelim #2 on Thursday, May 20th or prelim #3 on Thursday, May 27th! (Pending those aren't full either.) Be sure to feast your eyes on a few videos we put together to help you prepare for your performance...

If you are still deciding which backing track you'll be playing along to we've got a helpful video of Pete Anderson discussing and playing a bit from the 5 new backing tracks he produced for this year's KOTB.

We also have some valuable performance tips from Pete Anderson. If you make it to the grand finals, Pete Anderson will be leading the backing band that you'll be playing with so listen up, this gent has some great insight (not to mention he's also one of the judges at the grand finals AND wrote/produced most of the backing tracks)!

Lastly, we are very excited to be featuring Egnater as a part of this year's selection of in-store competition amps. Unfamiliar with the Egnater line? Three things. #1 Get in the know. #2 Watch Bruce Egnater help you pick out the right amp. #3 Head into your local GC to dial in just the right tone, lock your settings and get comfortable with Egnater amps before the competition!

The aforementioned videos are on the media page. Be sure to check them out and best of luck to everyone!

"The Blues tells a story. Every line of the Blues has a meaning."
John Lee Hooker

GUITAR CENTER'S KING OF THE BLUES, THE ANNUAL SEARCH FOR THE NATION'S TOP UNDISCOVERED BLUES GUITAR PLAYER, IS BACK

Westlake Village, CA, April 1, 2010 - Continuing its support of aspiring artists, Guitar Center the world's largest musical instrument retailer, today announced the launch of its fourth annual King of the Blues the nationwide search for the next great undiscovered blues guitar player. Starting today, guitarists can sign-up at any of Guitar Center's 214 stores across the country for the chance to compete for thousands of dollars in prizes and the opportunity to perform at the King of the Blues finals at the House of Blues in Los Angeles, and play on the same stage as Grammy Award-winning guitarist Derek Trucks. All store, district and regional finalists will win impressive prize packages including top gear from Gibson, Epiphone, Ernie Ball, Egnater and Boss. The guitarist crowned Guitar Center's King of the Blues will receive $25,000 cash, endorsement deals form Gibson, Ernie Ball, Boss, and Egnater and more!

Local competitions will be held at each of the 214 Guitar Center locations nationwide, beginning May 13th. Each contestant will be required to give a live guitar solo, performed over one of thirty original backing tracks, developed by Grammy Award-winning producer/guitarist, Pete Anderson. One winner from each store will be chosen to move up to district competitions (25 locations), followed by regionally hosted semi-finals (5 locations), which culminate in the aforementioned King of the Blues finals competition on September 2nd. Here, the five finalists will perform in front of a live audience and a panel of celebrity judges, and share the stage with world-renowned guitarist Derek Trucks, leader of the Grammy Award-winning Derek Trucks Band and member of The Allman Brothers Band. Trucks' extensive list of accolades and accomplishments includes being tapped by Eric Clapton to join the guitar legend's 2006/07 world tour as a featured soloist and appearing on the cover of Rolling Stone's "New Guitar Gods" issue, as well as being the youngest musician to make the magazine's "100 Greatest Guitar Players of All Time."