Please Rewind Talent Wall

Brad Whitford

Brad Whitford’s place on the Talent Wall comes through music rather than screen acting. Born in Winchester on February 23, 1952, the American guitarist and songwriter built his career through bands, side projects and a long-running role in Aerosmith. After graduating from Reading Memorial High School in Massachusetts in 1970, Whitford attended Berklee College of Music. By then, he had already played in several local groups, including Cymbals of Resistance, Teapot Dome and Earth, Inc., where he was a bassist. He later played guitar with Justin Thyme before joining Aerosmith in 1971 as the replacement for original guitarist Ray Tabano. The band went on to become one of the most successful groups of the 1970s. Whitford stepped away from Aerosmith in 1981 and teamed with singer Derek St. Holmes for Whitford/St. Holmes. Their self-titled album arrived that year, and the collaboration later returned for tours in 2015 and 2016, along with a second album, Reunion. Whitford also briefly toured with The Joe Perry Project before he and Joe Perry rejoined Aerosmith in 1984. His work beyond Aerosmith has remained varied. Whitford produced for Boston band the Neighborhoods, and in 2010 he joined the Experience Hendrix tour, performing alongside a large group of guitarists and musicians. In 2007, he and Perry were included in Guitar World’s book The 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time. Whitford joined The Joe Perry Project once more for a short tour in August and September 2025. There are no Please Rewind movies connected to Whitford yet, but his career offers a substantial musical story: one shaped by local bands, major success, departures, reunions and decades of collaboration.