Eugene Chadbourne (January 4, 1951 in Mount Vernon, New York) is an American composer, improvisor, guitarist and banjoist. He has also been a reviewer for the All Music Guide (AMG), and a contributor to Maximum RocknRoll.
Chadbourne started out playing rock and roll guitar, but quickly grew bored with the form’s conventions. He started studying other genres, including blues, country, bluegrass, free jazz, and noise - eventually synthesizing all those heterogeneous influences into a unique style of his own. He was also influenced early on by the experimental stylings of Captain Beefheart and the Mothers of Invention.
He is also known as the inventor of the electric rake. This instrument (some would hesitate to call it “musical”) is made by attaching a microphone or an electric guitar pickup to an ordinary lawn rake.
Chadbourne has worked with numerous artists including John Zorn, Fred Frith, Derek Bailey, Han Bennink, Carla Bley Band, Paul Lovens, Camper Van Beethoven, Jello Biafra, Aki Takase, Zu,and Jimmy Carl Black.
While in Canada in the 1970s, he produced and hosted a radio program on Radio Radio 104.5 Cable FM in Calgary, Alberta. His show was notorious for obscure and remarkable music. Radio Radio is now the last quasi-pirate station in Canada.
Chadbourne also fronted Shockabilly (1982-1985) with Mark Kramer (bass/organ) and David Licht (drums), releasing four eclectic albums.
Chadbourne currently resides in Greensboro, North Carolina.