Who is Grace Bowers? The 19-year-old guitar prodigy, inspired by Slash and B.B. King, performed with Coldplay’s Chris Martin at the Grammys and was named ‘Nashville’s new guitar hero’ by Rolling Stone
Inspired by a video of Guns N’ Roses guitarist Slash, Bowers picked up the guitar at 9 – now she plays with the likes of Peter Frampton and The All-American Rejects, and hosts fundraising concerts
Surprisingly, Bowers had no idea she would be playing until just days before the ceremony. During a red carpet interview with Today, she explained, “Three days ago, I got a text from (musician) Jimmy Jam … and he’s like, ‘This artist needs a guitar player for a show.’ And I’m like, ‘I’m down for it but what show is it?’ And he responds with, ‘The Grammys.’” Referring to Martin, she added, “It’s insane, and he’s the nicest guy I’ve ever met, too. And just like hearing him play piano the way he does, it’s kind of magical.”
The Grammys was just one of several live performances Bowers has put on this year. In March she played with singer-songwriter Peter Frampton, in May she performed with The All-American Rejects at a Nashville house party, and she’s currently taking a break from a packed US touring schedule with her band The Hodge Podge.
This fast-rising guitar star was also awarded Variety’s Next Gen award at the annual Hitmakers event in Los Angeles in 2024. Here’s everything you need to know about her.
She began playing guitar at the age of nine
Born in California, Bowers was reportedly shy as a child and faced bullying in middle school, which prompted her parents to seek ways to help boost her confidence. Bowers attempted to pick up numerous hobbies, including sports, but nothing stuck. Around the age of nine, she came across a video of Slash from Guns N’ Roses – and later B.B. King’s solos on satellite radio – and was hooked. “I was bad at sports. The guitar looked cool,” she told Variety.
It was a relief to her parents, and her mum Lisa even offered to take guitar lessons with her daughter. “As a parent, you want your kid to find something they love doing. The guitar gave her a place where she felt like she belonged,” Lisa told Garden&Gun.