PRS Hollowbody Ex Orianthi

Orianthi
(1985)

Band: RSO
Main Guitar: PRS Signature
Must-listen track: According To You

Orianthi’s career began with a huge missed opportunity, as she was supposed to be Michael Jackson’s guitarist for his 2009 This Is It concert series. Despite the superstar’s death, the film released allowed fans to appreciate what could have been this final tour, featuring footage from rehearsals. Orianthi is clearly seen there, PRS in hand, shining on the ultimate guitar feat in Jackson’s discography: the solo from Beat It, originally recorded by Eddie Van Halen.

Following this global exposure, the young virtuoso took advantage to release her album Believe just a few months later. The album had actually been ready since 2007, and the publicity from This Is It was too huge not to time the release with this phenomenon. The album was a success, notably boosted by the duet with Steve Vai on the instrumental Highly Strung, which became a viral video.

In 2011, Orianthi became the first female musician to join the Alice Cooper Band, bringing a breath of fresh air to a group more accustomed to tattooed goths than blondes with hats. The legendary makeup-wearing singer appreciated this balance so much that when Orianthi left the band in 2014, Cooper replaced her with Nita Strauss, another shredder.

After this new departure, the Australian simultaneously pursued her solo career and session work, notably alongside Dave Stewart and Richie Sambora. Sambora liked their chemistry so much that they formed a band together, RSO. The project’s first album, Radio Free America, was released in 2018, marking yet another success in the musician’s impressive career.