Wikipedia:WikiProject Guitarists/Buckethead task force/Influences and themes

Music
In 1989 Buckethead has named Michael Jackson, his teacher Paul Gilbert, Louis Johnson, Joe Satriani, his friend Shawn Lane and Jennifer Batten as influences. Later he added Yngwie Malmsteen, Bootsy Collins, Angus Young, Django Reinhardt as well as his experiences with Bill Laswell, Bernie Worrell, John Zorn, and the Invisibl Skratch Piklz.

Basketball
Buckethead has made several references to Basketball over the years, most notably to Michael Jordan whom he dedicated two of his most popular songs, "Jumpman" off Monsters and Robots in 1999 and later "Jordan". He had a Jordan sticker on one of his early guitars and stated: "Jordan has all the money he could possibly need, but his drive to win is still the main thing." From 2006 on he wrote several tunes for LeBron James.

Disney

 * Buckethead Plays Disney

Horror movies
-> Saw II, Masters of Horror, Ghosts of Mars
 * Texas Chainsaw Massacre
 * Bill Moseley

Martial arts
-> Mortal Kombat
 * Bruce Lee
 * Enter the Dragon / Enter the Chicken
 * nunchuks