Paul Gilbert is one of the most popular guitar players in the history of guitar playing. In fact, he is conducting lessons now and doing concerts on his own. He is revered as one of the best guitar players in the industry. He was voted top 4 in the Top 10 Greatest Guitar Shredders of All Time in the GuitarOne magazine. He is also part of the 50 Fastest Guitarists of All Time by Guitar World.

He was born on the 6th of November 1966 in Illinois. He was part of Racer X and Mr. Big. He has also released several solo albums. He also did collaborate with Joe Satriani and John Petrucci during the 2007 G3 tour.

In 1981 to 1982, Paul spoke with Mike Varney, who founded Shrapnel Records, requesting for a gig with Ozzy Osbourne. Paul was 15 years old at that time. And Varney couldn’t see why Ozzy Osbourne would want to be playing alongside a 15-year-old guy. But when he played Paul’s demo, he instantly knew that he was something. They communicated constantly for the next 3 years. And when Paul came to LA for the Guitar Institute of Technology, he was shortly asked to join Racer X. He was able to record the debut album, Street Lethal.

Paul played with Juan Alderete, Harry Gschoesser and Jeff Martin. They were influenced mostly by Judas Priest. Paul was playing like Yngwie Malmsteen. He displayed fast-driven solos and a very extreme level of technique. Gschoesser was then replaced by Scott Travis. Bruce Bouillet then joined in 1986 as a second guitar player. Paul earned his fame for his technical pieces in Frenzy, Scarified, Scit Scat Wah and B.R.O. He left Racer X in 1988. The band would eventually regroup without Bouillet to produce a reunion album, Technical Difficulties.

In 1988, Paul was joined by Billy Sheehan, who used to be part of David Roth’s band. They founded the popular, Mr. Big, together with Pat Torpey and Eric Martin. They made huge success in Japan. Their name spread internationally in 1991 during the release of the second album, Lean into It. This album carries the popular song, To Be With You. Paul left the band in 1997 to pursue a solo career.

He is greatly influenced by Eddie Van Halen, Tony Iommi, Alex Lifeson, Akira Takasaki, Randy Rhoads, Yngwie Malmsteen, Robin Trower, Jimmy Page, Jimi Hednrix and The Ramones. He has also declared numerous times that he was also greatly influenced by his uncle, Jimi Kidd. He was the guy who got Paul into playing the guitar. He also listens to The Beach Boys and The Beatles.

Paul, as mentioned earlier, now teaches guitar. He writes his own column in Total Guitar. And he demonstrates how to do guitar techniques in a CD. He teaches at the Guitar Institute of Technology regularly and is as well an honorary dean in the Japanese division of the Institute.