"Joe Satriani is one of the most respected guitarists of the ‘80s and ‘90s.Born July 15, 1956 in Westbury, NY, he picked up a guitar at 14 and quickly learned the string instrument. From there, he relocated to Berkeley and set his sights on a solo career, while still teaching several rock legends like Kirk Hammett from Metallica, Larrry LaLonde from Primus, David Bryson from the Counting Crows and jazz fusion player Charlie Hunter.Taking on the nickname ""Satch,"" the rocker started playing with Greg Kihn. He released his self-titled EP in 1984 entirely on his own. When former student and newest member of David Lee Roth's solo band Steve Via praised his guitar teacher in several publications, it was not long before Satriani was booking lessons and shows. Right about this time Not of This Earth appeared, it was Satriani's first full-length album.It wasn't until his sophomore effort, Surfing with the Alien that this guitar legend earned the title of rock's top guitarist, and received gold certifications for his work. He continued to create chart topping albums and singles that gave him an even stronger edge on other guitarists of earlier decades. In the ‘90s he created his own line of guitars for Ibanez Company and released a few more full-length solo albums while also replacing Ritchie Blackmore of the group Deep Purple. The heavy metal group had asked Satriani to permanently join them, but Satriani was satisfied with his successful solo career and left the group's tour after a short stint.He has continued to release albums into the most recent decade, with 2005's Super Colossal and 2006's Satriani Live! He continues to collaborate with other metal rock artists and prove that he is the best one for the job."