American blues rock guitarist, singer and songwriter Joe Bonamassa was born on May 8, 1977, in New Hartford, New York. Encouraged by his father, Bonamassa started playing guitar at the age of 4. At 11, Bonamassa was mentored and trained by Danny Gatton. When he was 12-years-old, he started a band called Smokin' Joe Bonamassa. In 1989, Bonamassa opened for B.B. King at approximately 20 shows. Before he reached 18-years-old, Bonamassa was playing in a band called Bloodline. Bonamassa's debut studio album, "A New Day Yesterday," was released in 2000. Between 2002 and 2006, Bonamassa had three studio albums hit No. 1 on the Billboard Blues charts. Bonamassa's live album, "Beacon Theatre: Live from New York," was released in 2012. Over the summer of 2013, Bonamassa performed four shows. In May 2015, Bonamassa won a Blues Music Award in the Instrumentalist - Guitar category. On June 27, 2018, Bonamassa premiered at the Grand Ole Opry. On June 11, 2021, Joe Bonamassa released the live album and film, "Now Serving: Royal Tea Live from the Ryman."