KEITH SCOTT

From "Cuts Like a Knife" to "Summer of '69," the Canadian guitar great discusses the gear and solos that have fueled Bryan Adams' music for more than 40 years 

- Joe Bosso

FOR MORE THAN 40 years, Keith Scott has served as Bryan Adams’ lead guitarist, which means he’s performed a cav alcade of ginormous smash hit songs — there’s “Cuts Like a Knife,” “Run to You,” “Summer of ’69,” “It’s Only Love,” “(Everything I Do) I Do It for You,” “One Night Love Affair” and tons more — thousands of times. “I couldn’t guess at the actual number of times we’ve played some of those songs,” he says, then adds with a laugh,

“It’s a lot, I know that.” Even so, the Canadian-born picker maintains that each night on stage feels fresh. “It’s interesting. Back when I was playing clubs, we’d do cover songs,” he says. “After a while, I’d get bored playing the same songs over and over, and I’d want to move on. With Bryan, though, it’s different. For one thing, if a song is popular, the fans end up singing it, and that’s so exciting. But it’s also true that each night presents a new set of challenges.

There’s always things you can’t control, so you always play your best, as if you’re performing a song for the first time. The songs deserve it, as do the fans.”