As one of the region’s most formidable guitarists, Gary has put his high-energy signature stamp on a lifetime of music. Hailing from the small town of Anderson, Missouri, he grew up on the fringe of the famed Rock and Roll highway, Route 66. Heavily influenced in his youth by guitar legends like Jimi Hendrix, Roy Buchannan, Johnny Winter, Alvin Lee and a host of others, Gary began to develop his own personal style in bands such as RoadWork in 1971, Insideout in 1976, and Solid Gold in 1977.

From 1978 to 1982, Gary performed with the Joplin’s regionally renowned Southern Fried, whose reputation is still evident today. Gary relocated to Ft. Smith, Arkansas, in 1982 where he formed a band called Kamikaze that played to rave reviews. He was then hired in 1986 by local favorites, David & the Immatures featuring current Cate Brothes saxman, David Renko and his family. The Immatures’ curtain-call performance in 1988 drew what is said to be the largest audience to ever see a local band in Ft. Smith. Next came Triple Threat from 1988 to 1990.

Triple Threat was a dynamic band by all accounts, but clearly the star shone brightest on Gary and his "take no prisoners approach to performance," says friend and colleague, Brian Crowne. It was during this time that Crowne and Hutchison began their decade-plus long collaboration.

"We performed together in Triple Threat with Safesax back in 1989 when I was just starting to come of age and I credit him with the energy level I perform with to this day. Gary has been a huge influence on my music from stage performance to the way I approach playing the sax."

When Triple Threat collapsed, Gary ventured out on his own with Gary & the Grinders based out of Ft. Smith. By this time, Gary had embedded his reputation as a world-class performer and folks from miles around would attend the shows just to see what the fuss was about. Gary would wow audiences with some of the best-known guitar tricks such as playing with his teeth, behind his head, setting guitars on fire, and dizzying twirls. Other tricks evolved to complement his performances such as playing with power drills, performing backward somersaults, and ripping strings off one-by-one.

Bill Fountain of the Delta Snake Daily Blues summed up Gary’s performance: “Hutchinson plays a guitar like Michelangelo paints a ceiling. Just when an ordinary player would run out of tricks, Hutchinson hits his second wind and throws out a coruscation of cacophonous chords that could make the hair on the back of your neck stand up. It's no accident that he is often referenced as the ‘Guitar Monster.’”

But this is only one dimension of a multi-dimensioned performer. Gary has impeccable tone and taste and can traverse all genres of music. Says Southwest Blues Magazine: “Hutchinson always makes any song a great listening experience. He is truly amazing. They don't call him the guitar monster for nothing, folks. Why Gary isn't in Blues Guitar Valhalla yet, I have no idea.”

In November of 1994, Gary responded to an opening in an up-and-coming band called Oreo Blue led by his old friend, Crowne.

"[Gary] immediately had a positive impact and has been a team player ever since," says Crowne. Gary has now been with the band going on nine years. A review by Linda Seubold of the Southwest Times Record, encapsulated Gary’s originality as it was developed by way of his predecessors: “Traces of Jimi Hendrix, Hutchison’s guitar idol, can be heard in the way the lead guitarist picks away at his strings, but his use of sustain and the way he phrases his solos with his fretting hand are all his own….”

Gary’s pursuit for constant improvement lends a perfect example to the multitude of students that Gary teaches from his studio at Sigler Music Center in downtown Ft. Smith. His reputation as a quality instructor led to the production of an instructional video.

In 2003, Gary will be celebrating his 50th birthday in February with the help of some monumental events. On February 6th, the Adelaide Ballroom in Ft. Smith will be playing host to a grand birthday bash featuring the legendary Cate Brothers, the Nace Brothers from Kansas City, and Gary’s band, Oreo Blue. On February 7th, the same lineup will travel to George’s Majestic Lounge in Fayetteville picking up a few special guests along the way. The ByPass in Joplin, Missouri, will host another bash on February 15th, featuring former Southern Fried members, Dick Collins, Danny Houston, John Hulette, and a who’s-who of musicians that have known and loved Gary throughout the years.

"He's one of the most phenomenal guitarists I've ever encountered," Crowne said. "Most people don't have a clue how versatile he is. Just one more rung up the ladder-from regional to national-Gary would be recognized as one of the truly great guitar players."

It is often said that the child remains in Gary Hutchison which contributes to his exuberance night after night on stage. To see the gleam in his eye when he hits the perfect note and the grin on his face after some blistering solo run down the fretboard, it is evident not only that the child remains, but also that his passion for making music is as strong as ever.

Like a child, Gary has collected literally thousands of guitar-related memorabilia to compliment is his actual guitar collection, which at last count was somewhere between 75 and 100. It’s not only the music that brings the sparkle to Gary’s eyes these days. He has a new 17-month-old baby, Macy, who is a daddy’s girl through and through. She has long fingers that might someday help her navigate the fretboard like her father. Gary has three other grown children and three grandchildren. He credits his wife, Camy, and mother, Bessie Mae, for giving him the freedom to pursue his musical dreams.