“I was broke. I only had $200 and we booked a gig. There was this guitar at a pawn shop that had been there for years...” How George Thorogood stumbled across the Gibson that became his go-to guitar – a week before his first gig with the Destroyers

George Thorogood performs onstage at the Marcus Ampitheater, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, July 1, 1988.

Best of 2025: Over the holiday season, GW is shining the spotlight on some of its biggest stories of the year.

George Thorogood’s knack for popularizing older songs by blues greats – coupled with his trademark brand of high-energy boogie blues – has made his music a radio mainstay for the past couple of decades or so.