Photos: Derek Storm

Robin Trower is an influential English blues-rock guitarist and vocalist who rose to prominence in the late 1960’s as a member of the progressive rock band Procol Harum. In 1971, he departed to launch an incredibly enduring solo career, forming a powerful blues-rock trio heavily inspired by the atmospheric, effects-laden style of Jimi Hendrix. Renowned for his soulful, soaring Stratocaster solos and classic creamy tone, Trower has spent over five decades building a massive global cult following and remains highly prolific well into his 80s. Trower earned four consecutive RIAA Gold-certified albums (and five overall) in the United States. His 1974 breakthrough masterpiece, Bridge of Sighs, peaked at number seven on the U.S. Billboard charts. It was followed by consecutive gold sellers For Earth Below (1975), Long Misty Days (1976), and In City Dreams (1977). His late-career solo work has continued to regularly dominate the blues charts. For instance, his 2019 album Coming Closer to the Day became his first release to secure the number one spot on the Billboard Blues Albums chart. In late 2008, Fender honored him with his own official Fender Custom Shop Signature Stratocaster, a rare distinction reserved exclusively for the world’s most elite and influential guitar icons.

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