“The record label hid my name in a very small font size behind the CD. It took a long time to find!” You may not know who played guitar on some of Avril Lavigne’s biggest hits. It was Corky James

Corky James and Avril Lavigne.

Corky James lent his licks to hit songs by Avril Lavigne, Liz Phair, Demi Lovato, Hillary Duff, and more, but his career began in the ‘80s, two decades before those records were released. “I took a long time to develop!” James tells Guitar World.

“I just kept plugging away, taking all gigs, money or not, morning, noon, or night. I drove all over LA, taking any session – even ones I probably wasn’t well-suited for.”