You.
Ghandi, Siddhartha Guatama, Buddah, Halle Sallasie, Jesus, Muhammad, the Dhali Lama, and any other self proclaimed diety so I could put them all in a cage match and let them sort things out that way.
I grew up listening to Bob Dylan, and Im pretty sure he pretty much raised me. But I guess that would make David Byrne and the Talking Heads my Godparents. I like classics like the Byrds and more modern classics like the whole CBGB scene (Velvet Underground, Iggy Pop, MC5, NY Dolls, Johnny Thunders, etc..) Then sometimes I like to think im a child of Generation X and listen to Dramarama and the Lemonheads and shit like that. You know, grungier shit. My first concert was either Third Eye Blind or The Black Crowes, I cant remember but I like to think it was the Black Crowes. String Cheese Incident, Yonder Mountain String Band and Widespread Panic got me through Highschool with some help from Wilco and Sun Volt and old Uncle Tupelo tapes. (Obvioulsy I can throw out the Dead Phish and Jerry Garcia and David Grisman but that should go without saying). Now Im diggin on grooves such as STS9, Lotus, Perpetual Groove, The Disco Biscuits, Thievery Corporation, Future Rock and generally stuff that will melt your brain. I'd also like to give a shout out to Murphy's Kids and 5th Generation because they're the people I know who are growing music for the future.
are you serious? Wolverine. Blikity Blikity BAM!
Also Sting. Sting would be another person who's a hero. The music that he's created over the years - I don't really listen to it. But the fact that he's making it, I respect that.