Meet Grace Bowers: The 17-Year-Old Guitarist Taking The Music Industry by Storm

Grace Bowers is a 17-year-old guitarist and band leader who’s leaving her mark on the industry one strum at a time. Many artists turn to songwriting as a creative outlet that allows them to freely express their emotions, stories, hopes, and dreams, and for Bowers, that solace is found in playing the guitar. 

How Did Grace Bowers Learn Guitar?

While growing up in the Bay Area, she developed a fascination for the sounds and energy of rock ‘n’ roll and decided to fuel her passion by learning to play the guitar through lessons and tutorials on YouTube. By the time she reached middle school, Bowers was carving out up to four hours every day to practice honing in on her craft.

Through her desire to learn more and more about the instrument, she discovered the work of famed guitarists like Mississippi John Hurt, Freddie King, T-Bone Walker and more, who each made a vital impact on her journey.

The love of music eventually brought Bowers and her family to Nashville, where she began building out a loyal fanbase by livestreaming her solo jam sessions on Reddit and posting her skills on Instagram. As a result, she started to achieve viral success and suddenly the opportunities to take her career to the next level began to pour in. 

What Kind Of Guitar Does Grace Bowers Play?

She landed a coveted Gibson endorsement at the age of 14 and from there was invited to play the Allman Family Revival at the legendary Ryman Auditorium. Grace Bowers’ name started to become a growing sensation around the industry as her talent spoke for itself and only continued to flourish.  

The young musician made her Newport Folk Festival debut in 2023 with three sets, including a tribute to John Prine, accompanying Margo Price and Valerie June, and delivering a solo instrumental showcase. Most recently, she garnered widespread recognition from her performance on Nashville’s Big Bash New Year’s Eve special on CBS in which she took the stage with Lainey Wilson and Jackson Dean and left a lasting impression on the crowd of 215,000.

“Starting 2024 off by playing to a record breaking crowd of 215,000 people with @laineywilson and @thejacksondean. I am beyond grateful for such an incredible opportunity, I’ll never forget it,” she wrote on Instagram at the time.

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A post shared by Grace Bowers (@grace__bowers)

Earning Recognition From Musical Greats

Bowers may have emerged quietly, but her guitar skills are speaking louder than ever with each performance. Between the epic riffs that reverberate through her guitar strings and her ability to tell an emotional story without the use of lyrics, it’s safe to say her skills far surpass many others in her age group.

Many well-known artists have also recognized her impressive guitar-playing ability as she has been sought-after by stars like Dolly Parton, Lainey Wilson, Devon Allman, Margo Price, Tyler Childers, Kingfish, Susan Tedeshi, and more. 

“Guitar is an extension of me and a way to communicate my feelings,” she shared in a statement. “It’s all about the feel, especially when I’m playing blues. I’m just trying to have my own voice on the guitar.”

“When you listen to me, I hope you hear the authenticity,” Bowers continued. “I’m never trying to imitate anybody else. I’m just trying to make the music I want to make.”  

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A post shared by Grace Bowers (@grace__bowers)

According to her official website, Bowers is currently preparing new music coming this Spring and an EP set to drop this summer. 

Fans got a glimpse into her creative process when she shared a photo of her and John Osborne of Brothers Osborne in the studio together cooking up the new tunes that will soon be unleashed to fans. 

Her caption read, “We had absolutely no fun making this record 😉 Cannot wait for yall to hear these songs🏄‍♀️.”

The future is bright for Grace Bowers.