BookmarkedGuitar god Stevie Salas finds inspiration in autobiographies

In every great story I have read I find that others have struggled as well and I learn from reading how they pushed through without giving up and losing hope.

—Stevie Salas, musician

He's often included in lists celebrating the best guitarists in the world.

And Apache musician Stevie Salas is considered to be a genuine rock god, who has performed with acts like Mick Jagger, Rod Stewart, Justin Timberlake and Jeff Healey.

He is also the advisor to the Contemporary Music Program at the Smithsonian Institution National Museum of the American Indian. Salas will be in Winnipeg for Aboriginal Music Week.

So SCENE asked Salas what he likes reading:
 
I tend to read a lot of autobiographies. I can't tell you just one in particular because I have read so many but I can tell you why.

Most people think I have a charmed life because on the outside (and a lot on the inside too) it has been an incredible journey but it is never as easy as it looks and I often need a confidence boost when I doubt my abilities and am struggling.

So I read autobiographies to be inspired and to also let myself off the hook. In every great story I have read I find that others have struggled as well. And I learn from reading how they pushed through without giving up and losing hope.

Let's face it - we all lose hope sometimes and the other thing that is consistent in these stories is all have gone from rich to poor more than once (I lost a million dollars in the stock market and still am mad at myself for being so stupid). But these books help me heal and also help me wake up and feel like I need to kick some ass and get things going.
 
Two books that I feel are a must read are The Education Of Little Tree and In Search of Captain Zero.

Catch Stevie Salas live with Joey Stylez and LightningCloud on Saturday November 3 at the Pyramid Cabaret.