“I’ve never been very confident as a player. I’ve always felt like I had to work hard”: Alex Lifeson is one of the greatest guitarists of his time – but he says he’s often lacked faith in his skills

Alex Lifeson onstage at the Medlock-Krieger All-Star Concert, 2018.

Alex Lifeson might be ranked eighth in Guitar World’s 100 Greatest Guitarists of all Time, but it appears that amid all the laurels and decades of success with Rush, he was still not above self-doubt.

“I’ve never been very confident, to be honest with you, as a player,” he tells Guitar World. “I’ve always felt like I had to work hard, and maybe I didn’t appreciate that I have a natural talent for playing guitar.”