Which successful lead guitarists were influenced by classic rock bands instead of blues music?
Most guitarists of the 60’s and 70’s started with blues (to varying degrees of commitment; some were purists, and some only faked it) I’d say the first wave of indie rock, which took more cues from the Velvet Underground than the blues was the beginning of the end of blues-based rock music. Nowadays, probably most indie guitarists never played blues.
