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Guitar World
Guitar World
Entertainment
Rich Davenport

“Eddie Van Halen said, ‘How do you guys do that with three guitars? I have a hard enough time with just myself!’” A salute to Freddie Salem, the guitar ace who delivered licks for Barbra Streisand, and Southern rock fire and brimstone with the Outlaws

ATLANTA, GA - AUGUST 17: Guitarist Freddie Salem of the southern rock band The Outlaws performs on opening night at The Agora Ballroom on August 17, 1978 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Tom Hill/Getty Images).

In September 2024, when former Outlaws guitarist Freddie Salem died at the age of 70, celebrity-chasing tabloids OK and People were among the least expected outlets to report the news – which would have raised a hearty laugh from Freddie himself.

Despite playing prestigious venues like Madison Square Garden, rubbing shoulders with the Rolling Stones, Eddie Van Halen, and Thin Lizzy, and a 50-year session career that included work with Barbara Streisand and on major movie soundtracks, there was no rock star pretentiousness or star-tripping about the man.

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