FGH 0022: Interview with Billy McLaughlin – His Historic Comeback

Fingerstyle Guitar Hangout Podcast with Adam Rafferty

Summary, Episode 22:

For twenty years, Billy McLaughlin astounded audiences around the world with his complex and rhythmic music. At the height of his international recording and touring career, Billy was diagnosed with Focal Dystonia, a mysterious and yet-to-be-cured neuromuscular disorder that rendered him unable to play his own music.

Despite every effort to combat his condition, soon Billy’s career was over.But the long deafening silence was broken when Billy began a historic comeback.

He was doing the unthinkable – relearning his songs one note at a time with his opposite hand…

https://vimeo.com/677291408

(Timestamps are for audio version of the podcast.)

• 01:30 Welcome Billy!
• 02:37 Billy tells how he became a guitarplayer
• 06:32 The First Guitar and the drummer is your best friend
• 13:18 “Invisible Skills” – the beauty of the unflashy side of guitarplaying
• 15:35 Billy’s time in college and finding a good fitting teacher
• 22:22 Focal dystonia – How it started to compromise Billys playing
• 28:40 Starting to relearn the instrument with the other hand
• 30:20 Music – Bill plays his composition “Back from the Brink”
• 33:05 Billy talks about right and lefthand playing – and not praciticing too much
• 39:01 Livesetup, Action, Effects and Equipment
• 46:36 How amplifiers for acoustic guitar can rescue your expirience on stage
• 54:37 Billy talks about his new project “The Church of the Lost Souls”
• 57:00 Billy’s advice for every guitarplayer!
• 1:01:04 Ending credits & podcast contact info
• 1:04:05 Bill plays his composition “Helms Place”

Billy’s Links:

• Billy’s Website: https://www.billymclaughlin.com/
• Youtube
• Facebook
• Twitter
• Instagram
• Apple Music
• Spotify

https://youtu.be/yKbcPmmEmr4

Billy McLaughlin plays “Helm’s Place”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=al035bHF51Q

Billy plays “Hold on To Forever”

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