Martin Barre - With Jethro Tull

With Jethro Tull

By the end of 1968, Jethro Tull's Ian Anderson was going through conflicts with his then blues guitarist Mick Abrahams. After having a brief stint with Earth (and future Black Sabbath) guitarist Tony Iommi, he auditioned and joined Jethro Tull briefly, appearing on the Rolling Stones "Rock and Roll Circus" TV special miming to "A Song for Jeffrey". Additionally David O'List of The Nice auditioned for the Jethro Tull lead guitarist slot without success. Barre came to audition for Anderson, but was so nervous that he barely played. For his second audition, Martin Barre didn't bring an amplifier or a guitar cord. Even so, Ian Anderson still approved Barre as Abrahams' permanent replacement. Today, Barre is the next longest-standing member in Jethro Tull next to Ian Anderson.

For four decades, Barre's career focused on Jethro Tull. His best-known guitar work includes "Aqualung", "Cross-Eyed Mary", and "Locomotive Breath".