One might not think that Dolly Parton, Rob Zombie, k.d. lang, and Nikki Sixx would share any kind of common ground, but there is something they all emphatically agree on: John 5 is one of the most creative and exciting guitar players they have ever encountered.
They’re just some of the music stars who sing the praises of the -toting axe ace in the new documentary . The film also includes glowing testimonials from the likes of Joe Satriani, Rob Halford, the late Gary Rossington, Peter Criss, Michael Anthony, and Rudy Sarzo, among others. All of which has the subject of the movie feeling vaguely verklempt.
“It’s so strange and unbelievable to me,” John 5 says. “Everything that’s happened to me has exceeded all of my wildest dreams. When I was starting out, I was just hoping to make a living as a session player.
I never thought I’d sign an autograph, let alone have Dolly Parton talking about me. I still have a hard time trying to fathom where life has taken me.” As success stories go, John 5’s tale is pretty spectacular stuff.
Arriving in Los Angeles in the late ’80s from his hometown of Grosse Pointe, Michigan, the 17-year-old guitarist (born John Lowery) quickly found work playing on movie and TV soundtracks, followed by album sessions for Rick Springfield and David Lee Roth. He played live dates with his friend Lita Ford, but owing to a long-standing fear of planes, he preferred studio dates and travel that didn’t involve flying, until he signed on with .