“The Who, Van Halen – the whole thing where there’s a separate singer from the lead guitar player. That started with Hubert Sumlin and Howlin’ Wolf”: Vernon Reid on the 7 riffs that inspired him, from Hendrix to Chic, Cream, and more

“Everything comes from someplace, ya dig?” Vernon Reid asks Guitar World. “A lot of times we focus on lead guitar, but – of course – rhythm is incredibly important.”

Reid should know, as he’s long been Living Colour’s one and only guitarist, meaning he tackles rhythm and lead, song after song, album after album. He’s done it for years, dating back to 1988’s Vivid, an album that super-charged a generation with its socio-political lyrics, soaring vocals, booming rhythms, and cataclysmic chops.

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Andrew Daly is an iced-coffee-addicted, oddball Telecaster-playing, alfredo pasta-loving journalist from Long Island, NY, who, in addition to being a contributing writer for Guitar World, scribes for Rock Candy, Bass Player, Total Guitar, and Classic Rock History. Andrew has interviewed favorites like Ace Frehley, Johnny Marr, Vito Bratta, Bruce Kulick, Joe Perry, Brad Whitford, Rich Robinson, and Paul Stanley, while his all-time favorite (rhythm player), Keith Richards, continues to elude him.