Karen Whitham Guitar/Harmonies

Style & Influences

Renowned Bay Area guitarist, Karen Whitham began her love affair with guitars when she was just a toddler. When her parents decided that a great way to entertain their young twins (Karen and Kenny) was to sing songs. They brought two acoustic classical guitars home and started their home lessons. Only, it was the twins who ended up playing the guitars. Karen’s true calling took shape when on her 16^th birthday Karen’s father surprised her with her very first electric guitar. Today, she arguably is the “best female guitarist in the Bay Area”.

At the age of 22, Karen joined her first band, Cat Tracks. Cat Tracks was a popular top 40 rock band in the Bay Area and it was a great experience for Karen. From Cat Tracks she went on to join vocalist, Dina LaPolt to form the all girl, Bay Area favorite Irresistible Impulse. Irresistible Impulse was wildly popular in the Bay Area. They also toured throughout the western states, performing the favorites “Fine line” and “This Wall” which gave Karen a taste of living on the road.

Karen’s wide range of style has been compared to U2’s The Edge to Jimmy Page, from ZZ Tops Billy Gibbons to the more earthy, Melissa Etheridge. Her heart and soul belongs to the guitar but she can also play keyboards, bass and violin. While she can play any rock song as if she wrote it herself, her passion is in writing the melodies and tunes to fit lyrics. She loves the “zen” she gets from working with talented lyricists and has the amazing ability to make lyrics come alive with her melodic music writing and her guitar hooks. She calls it “painting”.

Hometown: Danville, California

Style & Influences

Other Interests

www.rhythmwhitham.com