Joe Bonamassa must have lived a hardscrabble existence on the south side of Chicago in a past life. How else to explain the brilliance of this young blues-master who started playing at age seven and was sharing stages with the likes of BB King and Danny Gatton by the time he was 12?

"Since I can remember, my life was always about the blues," says Bonamassa, a guy so friendly and likable that it's hard to imagine him ever having a down day. "Other kids were into what they were into. Me? I was all about the guitar and learning how to be a bluesman. I found my passion early and never looked back…"

Listen: Joe Bonamassa talks blues power