This gentleman said it all. I couldn't dispute one word of it. Couldn't have said it any better. Thank you!

I was fortunate to see him three times, one opening for Chick Corea with Gambale. After the first time I saw him (and I had been playing a while at that point and had been written up in the Spotlight Column and Guitar Player's Soundpage competitions etc), I was so blown away I don't think I dared to play for a week or two... never cried at a musician's passing, but I did when I heard the terrible news of his passing. No one I've ever heard since has impressed me as much as this guy who was truly next level and was untouchable for some 40yrs too... nice homage and thanks for it

I met Allan in 1994 at a small club in upstate NY, 25 people maybe in the place and 10 of those were my friends . In between sets he came up to my table and had a beer , yeah it was fun and we talked about BEER .. Great guy and i will miss him ...

I remember the day I heard A H the first time back in 1985. I was on the phone talking to my girlfriend. At the same time there was this Swedish guitarplayer talking on the radio, presenting some of his favorite guitarplayer. I knew them all from before. Suddenly, in the middle of the conversations the introduction of of Metal Fatigue bursted out. I could no longer focus on the conversation. I simply had to stop with these exact words. "I cant talk there´s a guitar on the radio". The next day I roamed the LP stores to look for the record. Still great and inspiring music.

I'd first heard Allan when he recorded Jon Hiseman's Tempest album around 1973. He also played some violin on that album and you could tell immediately how he developed his incredible vibrato. I, also, saw Allan with Soft Machine at a very small club in Bryn Mawr, PA called The Main Point. That night, he played a Gibson ES-335 thru a small Fender amp. The sound just totally knocked me out. He was an incredible musician and will not be forgotten by any guitarists who knew who he was.

First time I saw Alan in 1972 with 'Soft Machine' in Hanover Germany. He was my 'benchmark' guitar player ever since. Saw him again in the early 90's in Sydney Australia. Received my 'Alan Holdsworth HH2' from 'Kiesel Guitars' a little while ago. Now the very sad news of his departure. I feel numb. His music is a big part of my life and that will not change. Cheers and Thank You Alan.

Hello from u.k. Great tribute, I’m 66 now ditched rock late 70s! Just old school prog, and fusion this stuff is on a different level!

Absolutely agree with you Pete it's tragic that Allan never achieved the fame and fortune that he throughly deserved...he will be remembered by his fans and peers as one of the all time greats.

Allan was an amazing player with his own, unique style - and was a nice person too. The anti-rock star whose interviews set him apart from the spoiled, whiny, self important knuckleheads... Rest in Peace, Allan, we'll miss you.

Thanks for that tribute Pete. Holdsworth is such a unique atrist that while listening to his music, I have an impression that I am enoyjng art made by some more intelligent and more sophisticated form of life than homo sapiens, who comes from a planet in a galaxy located far away from Milky Way.

Rest in peace to Alan Holdsworth..He was something..

I saw him two times in Holland early 80's an late 90's, the last time was a small jazz venue and after the gig he came for a beer, so me and my friends talked to hime a little, what a nice guy he was ! I actually thanked him for all he did for the music, also I asked him if he ever had blessures from guitar playing the way he did he said : It may look like I do, but I don't laughs :))) He will be missed, but I also think he already completed his quest ! Rest in peace my friend !

a "Mozart" of our times...brilliant, unique voice, and so humble...

I feel fortunate to have seen Tony Williams Lifetime live in N.Y.C., Believe It tour. I saw Allan play his composition Fred on his white 3 pickup Gibson SG right befour my eyes..

Great comments, it is mind boggling he never achieved " fame and fortune" , especially when you see the people today that have... a real shame

I'm really outraged on myself and the music industry as a whole... I should have bought his records and he should had got the credits he deserved !!! This world is unfair buth luckily Allan will Always be respected by true music lovers !!!

very respectful and very well put thank you.. you said it all... I was fortunate enough to see him 3 times at the Variety Playhouse in Atlanta back in the late 90s...maybe... they were awesome shows with awesome musicianship..RIP Allan..

I like that donation to his funeral and that his family actually closed it when they got enough money. So many (maybe me included, sorry) would have just milked it for all it's worth. His family saw joy in that they got just enough and quit in a respectful way. Myself? I am 31 years old and have heard two friends say (in different situations) that they don't see the point in paying for music. Why should "they" (artists and the others) get their money? This with Allan Holdsworth is a good reason why. Support what you really enjoy in which ever way you can. I buy CD's. If I really like a artist or a band I buy most their stuff.. If not all. I like the music but also like the fact that I support something I really enjoy. Something I want others to discover and something I'd like to experience live. Not everyone is Elvis Presley or Elton John and make money to last generations to come. If you like music - Support it.

what a monster , saw A H live in 83 with chad and JJ , met him briefly, shook hands and said, i play in a band too, and he looked at me with those big eyes , needless to say i was in the presence of an intense genious ., sometimes the greatest artists dont make a heck of a lot of money . or fame too ..... did,nt hear too much when larry coryell died . it should,nt be all about how many records you sell ....... what about just being a great artist .

I was just looking at concert dates he had booked at the Iridium in Chicago a few days ago. Hard to believe he's gone. What a body of work. Fortunately I did get to see him a couple times at Bogarts in Cincinnati years ago. I'm really sick about his loss but it's compounded by all the recent deaths of some of my favorite musicians.

There’s this saying in the music business that musicians are either richer than you can possibly imagine or poorer than you would ever believe.

Very nice and informative tribute to a fine player.

Great job Pete,I was lucky enough to be front & center in OKC when U.K. opened for Tull in '79...I was Only there for U.K...I couldn't believe the Boos from Okie crowd...but I knew what I was watching & Listening to...Another Great Guitarist,under-appreciated by the masses but HE will always LIVE ON IN MY MUSICAL AFFAIR until I die...Thank god...We have their Recorded musical legacies on our C.D.'s...or Spotify....Who's next?Clapton,Gilmour or Buddy Guy? U.K./U.K. is one of my special favorites since the first spin on my Akai Quadrophonic sound system back in late '78. It's ebb & flow...just BLEW ME AWAY!Top favorite from that late 70's/early 80's Prog Rock scene...but he did SO MUCH MORE after U.K.(Polydor Records)In the last year alone...Bowie,Keith Emmerson,Prince,Al Jarreu,Greg Lake,John "my man" Wetton and now Allan Holdsworth.Thanks to ALL of you,some of the BEST SOUNDTRACKS OF MY LIFE! R.I.P.....My Love goes out to ALL the families of these Dearly Departed....One other thing...I want to RECOMMEND to ALL U.K. LOVERS...There is a DVD of a U.K. REUNION that I found on Amazon. It's from 2011 in Japan with Wetton and Jobson and a "PUT- TOGETHER"AMAZING 3 OTHER BANDMATES..I wonder why Holdsworth didn't participate...It is a VERY IMPRESSIVE U.K. RETROSPECTIVE PLAYED "FLAWLESSLY FOR LIVE PERFORMANCE(So close to Original Studio recordings) OF SOME OF PROGRESSIVE ROCKS MOST AMAZING ARRAINGMENTS!

i love UK>>> This is from a girl who worked her way backwards from Asia..... one of my faves since JR high./13 years old.... ( ps that is well over 30 years ago ) hope there is an awesome party somewhere with Keith, Greg, John and Allan... Ride easy my friends:(

I first became aware of Holdsworth via the UK album and the first solo on 'In the dead of Night' was just incredible. Thanks for your excellent tribute Pete.

I really appreciate your video. Been seeing it in my feed for a while now and finally clicked on it, kinda been avoiding it because this topic is soo sad but soo nesassary to pay tribute to the most unique guitar player there ever was. For me it was, David Gilmour, S.R.V., Joe Satriani, Fredrik Thordendal of Meshuggah who was directly influenced by Holdsworth, and then finally discovered Shawn Lane and Holdsworth at the same time, Lane also influenced/life changed by Holdsworth. This all happened for me in my early 20's. A most exciting time of musical/guitar discovery. Once I heard Holdsworth, I was hooked, he went to the top of my list, he was exactly what I was looking for. Fredrik Thordendal has been on a few tracks that sound Eerily close to 4.15 Bradford Executive off of the "Sand" album, which has another one of my favorites "Clown". I was lucky enough to see Holdsworth quite a bit, after discovering him around 2002. I caught the rare show of SoftWorks with members of Soft Machine in Seattle around 2005 right before Horn player Elton Dean passed away. I saw him later at Yoshis in Berkeley as a trio and a quartet with Alan Pasqua on Keys, Jimmy Haslip on Bass and as always Chad Wackerman on the skins, for the filming of the DVD live st Yoshis. I bought 8 tickets for all my friends to go, I made them go lol. Alan Pasqua told a great story backstage, after the show about going to a small island and accidentally finding Igor Stravinsky's grave which really inspired him to push the boundaries. Allan was less talkative but soo gracious, probobly because I was praising him soo much, but such a cool bunch of Genius musicians who just said keep practicing and be yourself. Had to pay my Respects to a true Master and Gentlemen. R.I.P. -A.H.

thank you so much !!

Great insight as usual Pete and a nice recap of his career!

He blazed on the early 90's Chad Wackerman album "FORTY REASONS"... truly an exceptional album in terms of the players... the songs... and the recording quality/mix/mastering.

God of the gods of the guitar

I am really appreciative with your tribute of the late, and greatest musician in my opinion of course !!

DON,T FORGET HE DESIGNED GUITAR AMPS THE HE MAN WAS A GENIUS .

One guitar magazine tagged him a ‘cosmic astronaut’ due to his OTT guitar playing…..R.I.P. Allan

Thanks for the video. What a Player Alan was. It would be nice to see you reviewing some of his best solo Work.

Allan was the first to play the modern Ibanez super strats as well around 1985 before they really took off with Vai and Satriani in 1987.

never heard anything from him except first U.K. album but heard nothing bad but always very good. U.K. is still one of my favorite band's.

Great to listen to your comments and opinions Pete.

The Man who famously said that he absolutely hates the sound of guitar strumming.................R.I.P.....

Well articulated

It's too bad Allan didn't make money equal to his talent.

Rest In Peace Mr. Holdsworth.

Well done sir!!

we seem to have similar first experience with Allan holdsworth with I.O.U, first time i heard it it was what is this, very different very strange feeling about it , and then looked into all his other stuff, from Gong ect

I met Allan on 3 occasions.

The guitar player from the 1980s band It Bites was heavily influenced by Allan's work, and I believe he will be devoting the whole of his Sunday radio show to him this coming Sunday 23rd April 2017. www.progzilla.com/shows/the-francis-dunnery-radio-show/ His official Facebook page message reads, "Hi guys, hope you are doing great. Please join me on Progzilla radio this Sunday 23rd April at 6.00pm UK time which is 1.00pm USA east coast time for another enlightening episode of the Francis Dunnery Radio Show. This weeks show is 'Alan Holdsworth, the unknown genius'. An psychological and astrological profile of England's most brilliant guitarist. Not to be missed."

Well said :-)

I first heard him with Jon Hiseman's Tempest

ALLAN HOLDSWORTH RIP!!!

One of the most ironic brief musical stops that I have not heard nor do I know anyone else who listened to the album that he played on with Gary Husband by brit-pop band Level 42. I have not heard if they ever performed live or not.

. . . the things you see. Goodbye Allan

Saw him at the stone in San Francisco in 81 or 82

Sorry also have the bruford albums after U.K. first album. Those featured Holdsworth too.

“Making a lot of money” is relative, financial literacy is easily obtained in a free world, but it may come at the risk of dampening pure genius evolving through the starving artist competing priorities.

It was the Jazz Explosion. Allan, Stanley, Randy Brecker, Bernard Wright....I can't remember who was on drums right now..(Simon Phillips..??) it'll come to me. Yea...'88 sounds right.

On the upside he's in good company..Bird, Mozart...not bad!

Eddie Van Halen, its time to redeem yourself and at least pay for the mans funeral.