COREY TAYLOR says he was a better guitarist than most of his own lead guitarists in STONE SOUR

Corey TaylorThe story of his life is one of perseverance and determination. Growing up in Iowa, he was affected by poverty and substance abuse, but he found solace and meaning in music and used it to become one of the most successful musicians of his generation.

In 1992 he co-founded Stone sourwhere he first felt a sense of brotherhood and artistic destiny, as he recently said in an interview with Feedback Def (transcribed by Ultimate Guitar).

“I was homeless, but the guys in the band actually chipped in and got me a hotel room where we could hang out. That was my first experience of being part of a fraternity, the first feeling of community and the first feeling of ‘Okay, I can bring something that these guys have never had,’ which is a clear musical voice and something that will take us even further than we want to.”

Taylor also noticed how Stone sour was where he first became comfortable with his guitar skills. He says he was often better than the band’s lead guitarist, which led him to take on the role himself. It was a bold and risky move, but it paid off in the end.

“I think that was the first year I really had confidence in my abilities as a guitarist. Stone sour When I started, I not only played guitar all the time, but I was also the lead guitarist. So I was not only the main writer, but I was always the lead guitarist. That was kind of the thread of my whole career; I always made up for the weaknesses of the bands I was in at the time. When I started, I was almost always better than the drummer I was in a band. So when we did demos, I always played the drums. But then I had to make a decision. I wanted to sing, I didn’t want to do both. I didn’t want to Phil CollinsI just want to sing.”

“With SourI was always better as a lead player than the guitarist we had in the band nine times out of ten. So I said, “Screw it, I’ll get it done. I’m writing all the music anyway, so I might as well be the one leading.” And then we’ll just get a good rhythm guitarist and go with it. I’d say that was the origin of my headfirst dive, just jumping off the cliff and praying to God that the parachute would go off.”