Brad Whitford in Concert
Whether you know his name or not, his searing guitar-playing is at the center of some of your favorite rock songs. Born in 1952 in Winchester, Massachusetts, Brad Whitford moved to Boston, where he attended Berklee College of Music. While there, he played in numerous local bands, eventually joining a little ensemble called Aerosmith in 1971.
The hard rock group had formed the year before, and when original guitarist Ray Tabano exited, Whitford was a perfect fit. The band signed to Columbia Records in 1972, and the rest was history. They dropped their first album in ‘73, and it went platinum, landing on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart.
With Aerosmith, Whitford achieved his first No. 1 album, 1993's ‘Get a Grip,' which also went platinum — across the band's tenure, they've sold more than 150 million albums worldwide. Aerosmith's numerous hit singles include 1976's No. 10 charting single "Last Child," co-written by Whitford, plus the band's anthemic 1978 cover of The Beatles' "Come Together" and their 1998 smash "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing," the band's first No. 1 hit in 28 years.
Outside of Aerosmith, Whitford has had a solid career of his own. In 1981, he briefly left the band to pursue a solo project with singer Derek St. Holmes, who'd previously played with Ted Nugent. They worked together on and off as Whitford/St. Holmes, touring as recently as 2015.
Additionally, Whitford has toured with former Aerosmith bandmate Joe Perry in his band The Joe Perry Project. Whitford also has produced Boston band The Neighborhoods, who released a number of albums, including two for Roadrunner Records. In 2010, Whitford participated in the Experience Hendrix tour alongside Joe Satriani, Ernie Isley, and Living Colour. Whitford has been included in Guitar World's 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time.