Tom Morello
Tom Morello was born and raised in Libertyville, Illinois. Before becoming a rock god, he attended Harvard University and received a BA in Social Studies. In the 1990s, Morello met Zack de la Rocha. They later formed perhaps one of the most successful and influential rock bands of the 1990s, Rage Against the Machine. Rage Against the Machine performed outside the Staples Center Convention Center in Los Angeles in 2000, which was hosting the Democratic National Convention. As the show progressed, the audience became increasingly enraged and violent, eventually resorting to throwing rocks at one point.
Tom Morello
Paul Gilbert
Gilbert was born and raised in Carbondale, Illinois. In fast guitar playing, he is best known for his speed and stylistic versatility. Gilbert was called to fill in as a guitarist for Ozzy Osbourne, the legendary metal-monster when he was just 15 years old in the early 1980s. At the time, Ozzy’s manager and producer were adamant about not bringing in a child to play guitar for a man who had previously led Black Sabbath. It wasn’t over, though, until Ozzy’s producer heard Gilbert perform. Gilbert relocated across the country and joined the band soon after. Most guitarists on this list would never be able to combine speed picking with legato and Spanish guitar techniques in the same way that he does.
Paul Gilbert
