02/05/2025
Keith Scott is all that and more. Proud to release the never heard Zingo album on our label and for Keith to play on Renegade tracks too!
Keith Scott is the rock guitarist you didn’t know you needed to know—a guy whose riffs and solos have quietly shaped Bryan Adams’ sound for over 40 years without ever hogging the limelight. Born Keith Douglas Scott on July 20, 1954, in Vancouver, British Columbia, he grew up surrounded by music. His dad was into jazz piano, and there was always some kind of melody bouncing around the house. By 14, Keith had picked up an acoustic guitar, and a few years later, he scored a beat-up Stratocaster from the ’60s that he’s pretty much stuck with ever since.
You can hear the fingerprints of his heroes all over his playing—Hendrix, Clapton, Beck. That classic Strat tone, the way he bends notes just enough to make them weep a little—that’s all part of the DNA he absorbed listening to those guys. But make no mistake: Keith’s got his own voice on the guitar, one that’s melodic, tight, and razor-sharp when it needs to be.
Before Bryan Adams came into the picture, Keith was grinding it out on Vancouver’s club circuit, doing the kind of gigs that build calluses and character. He played in bands like Zingo and Bowser Moon, sometimes clocking in over 250 shows a year. It wasn’t glamorous, but it taught him how to play with grit and feel—skills that would serve him well when he joined up with Adams in 1976. They’ve been inseparable on stage and in the studio ever since.
His playing is on nearly every Adams record, but if you want a crash course in why Keith matters, go listen to the solo on “Native Son” from Into the Fire. It’s bluesy, haunting, and somehow catchy as hell without ever feeling showy. Bryan Adams even tweeted in 2019 that Keith is “the most underrated guitarist ever,” and it’s hard to argue with that. The guy’s been holding down the guitar slot in one of the most consistent rock acts of the past four decades—and doing it with style.
He’s not just a one-band man, either. Over the years, Keith’s played alongside the likes of Cher and Tina Turner, and while official credits with David Bowie are a little hazy, it wouldn’t be a shock if their paths crossed somewhere along the way. That’s just the kind of company he’s kept.
Keith’s style walks a fine line between bluesy soul and pure rock edge. His solos stick with you, not because they’re flashy, but because they’re melodic and feel-driven. His rhythm playing is airtight, and he’s got a vibrato that sounds more like a voice than a guitar. His go-to axe is still that old Strat—nicknamed “The Beast”—which he’s customized with a Seymour Duncan humbucker for extra bite. But he’s also been known to pull out a Goldtop Les Paul or a Gretsch when the song calls for it. His amp setup leans on Marshall Plexis and Vox AC-30s, with a Boss pedalboard and an Ibanez Tube Screamer for extra color. Nothing too crazy—just classic gear used right.
These days, Keith lives in the San Diego area with his family, but he’s still touring the world with Bryan Adams, still slinging those same riffs with the same quiet confidence. He’s the kind of player who doesn’t need to shout to be heard—and maybe that’s what makes him so easy to miss. But once you hear him, really hear him, it’s hard to imagine those songs without him.
📸: Pinterest - Jude Hannah
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/206673070378141470/
