“Dickey came to one of the shows. He whispers, ‘Hey, is that the guitar I loaned you?’ I said, ‘Yes, sir.’ He goes, ‘Good. Use it for as long as you want’”: Frank Hannon on how guitar instrumentals helped him grieve father-in-law Dickey Be
(Image credit: Brandon Gullion)Frank Hannon is known for his ’80s rock stylings with Tesla, but he’s not leaning into those sounds on Reflectionshis new instrumental album, which has more of a Western tinge to it. “I started taking my guitar playing to another level of simplicity – slowing down and trying to express myself,” he explains.
He was influenced by a series of personal losses, including that of his father-in-law, Dickey Betts. “I was feeling that,” he says. “and also, a few friends had passed away, along with the pain my wife and I were going through.”That’s when he recalled what Betts had taught him. “He obsessively and intently put 100 percent into everything he did. One of his quotes to me was: ‘Keep on swinging.’”
That matched one of Hannon’s own: “Play guitar like you’ll never...
