Check out this video of the Edgar Winter group in 1973. The guitarist on the right playing the white SG is ripping it up but who is he? Hint, its not Rick Derringer. Rick joined the band after this guitarist left. He played with Edgar Winter for about a year. In fact he is credited with writing but not playing the guitar solo on the classic EWG song Free Ride, arguably one of the most played AOR songs of all time. Rick Derringer re-recorded the solo for the single release of that song. This mystery guitarist also went on to form the forgotten super group Bonaroo with members of the Doobie Brothers and the Steve Miller band in 1975. Bonaroo released one album.

Ok his name is Jerry Weems. He died a few years ago. This is the only clip of Bonaroo (below) I could find on the web. You can see him playing the same white SG (his hair is a bit longer here). He’s another example of an unknown rock soldier you never hear about. If you have some time google Jerry Weems and Bonaroo and you’ll find some very interesting stories about his tenure with the EWG. It makes me want to get a nice white Gibson SG…