Musicians - Who Influenced You?

[Roflcopter]

Brendan Perry from Dead Can Dance is probably the best example of someone who is strictly a songwriter

[BigBluesGuy]

John Mayer and SRV for me.

[BigBubbaBrown]

Jim Steinman, anyone associated with Genesis, Ray Stevens (when it comes to his non-novelty songs), and Ok Go inspire me but when I start writing it sounds nothing like any of those people, so those guys are my inspiration but I have no real influences. I would love to be able to write like Steinman and Tony Banks, though. Just doesn't happen.

[giessomecontrols]

Quite a lot of people I would think, hearing something new and exciting will influence in someway!

Radiohead are the ones that spring to mind most quickly for me though

[monkeyrocketsurgeon]

when i first started noticing - Carol King, Elton John

then when i got into it - Aerosmith, Cheap Trick, AC/DC, Nugent

then my - Pete Townshend phaze

then - Van Halen (and without me noticing David Lee Roth)

then - U2 made a big impression

then i came to grips with my love of - Elvis Costello (it had been 'round for quite sometime) upon acknowledging it, i began to realize just what a genius i felt him to be.

- Guns and Roses had an impact.

and i stalemated a bit after that....

then a friend turned me onto - The White Stripes; and Jack White has been knocking my musical sensibilities around since then.

of course like most there are hundreds of others.

[TJFlick]

I'm constantly influenced by not only what's going on now...but everything from my youth.

Guitarists for me would be ....anything Steve Gaines ever did. (It still kills me how that guy is never mentioned....and he should be in the top 5 of ANY guitar category) If you don't believe me, just TRY and play, "I Know A Little".....the way Steve did it. Don't cheat on it....play it the way he did it. If you can do it, you get a cookie.

As far as writing specifically goes, James Taylor, Paul Simon, and Jim Croce (not necessarily in that order...it depends on the day of the week).

As far as recording goes, Les Paul tops everyone....but nowadays it's Tom Scholtz hands-down. The dude is the Les Paul of our lifetime.....and that's not an exaggeration.