Versatility is Greg Suran's trump card. From working with Iris hitmakers The Goo Goo Dolls and Seattle-born emo band Sunny Day Real Estate, to performing Lionel Richie's timeless repertoire and playing a wide array of tunes as part of American Idol's house band, Suran is a true guitar chameleon. Another formidable act to add to this bulging list? The Eagles' Joe Walsh , whom he toured with from 2011 to 2013 on the Analog Man tour, also served as a mentor in some capacity.
So, how did this gig come about? “I was [singer-songwriter] Jewel's music director for a while after The Goo Goo Dolls, and I hired a friend of mine, Drew Hester, to play drums,” Suran tells Guitar World . “Drew was playing with Joe, and Joe needed a guitar player, and he was about to do this big tour. Drew recommended me to Joe, and I actually went to Joe's house in LA and into his studio.
“Joe was like, ‘Alright, come on in, let's jam.’ We basically played some blues riffs, and we did a couple of his songs, but we just kind of played guitar. And he's like, ‘Yeah, okay, sounds great.
’ That was it.” Playing with Walsh came with plenty of guitar – and life – lessons. Suran admits that he “came in hot, wanting to impress him”– understandable, considering Walsh's stature in the guitar community.
"We'd trade solos sometimes, like on Turn to Stone , and he'd give me a solo on Life of Illusion . It was always interactive. I'd try to bust out my best hot and fastest licks, and he'd alway.