It used to be that when a young person was asked what he or she wanted to be when an adult, one would commonly hear "fireman," "policeman" or "doctor" in response.

With the recent pandemic of musically themed videogames spreading across the nation like wildfire, however, many children are now adding "rock star" to their "when-I-grow-up" lists.

More specifically, games such as "Rock Band" and "Guitar Hero" have introduced an entirely new generation of future rockers to music and musicianship, and in the eyes of paradigm blues-rock guitarist/composer Brian Kahanek — as well as other musicians throughout the world — that's one of the best things to happen in a long time.

Today, Kahanek, 38, along with his backing band featuring expert musicians Sam Daleo and Dustin Cunningham, is steadily becoming one of the biggest names in rock 'n' roll, and after the huge success of his instrumental track titled "Gemini," which is featured in the second installment of Harmonix Music System and Red Octane's "Guitar Hero" series, it seems that the sky is the only limit.

Born on an 80-acre farm in Columbus, Ohio, and reared in the rhythm 'n' boogie hotbed of San Antonio, Kahanek — who earned a bachelor's degree from the University of North Texas' College of Music — moved to Los Angeles in 1998, but was exposed to a wide variety of folk, country and blues from a tender age.

"Texas, I think, for the most part had the most do with (developing my musical style)," Kahanek said during a recent interview. "That's where I picked up the guitar."

As the story now goes, thanks to a close friend of his family's, a 10-year-old Kahanek was presented with an acoustic guitar purchased at Ruston's Western Wear store on the outskirts of San Antonio for $100. And while blues-inspired rock is the guitarist's obvious forte and passion, Kahanek admitted, "I was into heavy metal when I was in high school." However, he quickly countered, "I kinda got done with that once I heard (Jimi) Hendrix."

Kahanek's said his first appearance in the rock-album market came with the release of his 2004 debut, the 10-track "Real Life," which became an instant underground hit, but didn't catch the ear of the major-music market until the instrumental track "Gemini" was picked up by "Guitar Hero II." In turn, Kahanek said, "The success of that one song made 'Real Life' take off."

So how exactly did Kahanek manage to get his song featured as part of a hot-selling videogame? Well, in his own, words it was "dumb luck" and really a "right place, right time" scenario.

Shortly after the release of Real Life, Kahanek said, was conducting a guitar clinic for a international music exhibition, and fellow musician Marcus Henderson heard him playing "Gemini."

"Marcus asked for a copy of the disc, and three months later I got a phone call from (friend) Marcus Schefer," said Kahanek, who added that Schefer told him he was "getting the Willie Wonka golden ticket."

After the explosive success of the "Guitar Hero" series, Kahanek said he used the exposure of "Gemini" as a step up to the next level, having since signed on as an endorsee with Gibson guitars and having the guitar tablature for "Gemini," his first fully transcribed song, uploaded to Gibson's Web Site (www.Gibson.com) for a free download.

Additionally, the still-single Kahanek said he's used the newfound popularity he's generated from "Gemini" to release a brand-new album on his Sidewindermusic Records label, "Suicide King," a dozen-song disc that he describes as "much more alive and in-your-face." Moreover, he added, if the music contained on his newest independent CD "makes the hair on the back of your neck stand up," then he's done his job.

"Suicide King" features tight, rhythmic playing as well as crazy, off-the-wall soloing. But not all of the living legend's guitar work is based on full-blown, 100 miles-per-hour, "weedly deedly" guitar shredding. Instead, Kahanek conceded, that's merely "a symptom of youth" and that "the older you get, you realize that blowing your face off is cool, but what's next?"

Suicide King is also a much more lyrically developed album that Kahanek said may seem "darker" and more emotional, because it was written after the October 2004 death of his military-man father, a former forward air controller/Bronco pilot.

"As far as my dad and the CD, well, the name of the record is 'Suicide King' and what I wanted to get across is (that) most of us are our own worst enemies and that real happiness begins when we give ourselves a break and start believing that amazing things are possible," he explained. "Basically, you have believe it to see it ... (and that's) something my dad had started to grasp before he died.

"His combat experience in Vietnam, I think, left him pretty hopeless for much of his life since he saw the worst side of this world, much like our amazing service folks in Iraq and Afghanistan."

Kahanek takes listeners of "Suicide King" on a journey, from the disc's title track, which he describes as "the proverbial fall from grace via self-doubt" through to the album's final track, "Let It Go," that offers redemption.

"The music that I write reflects my life in real time," he conceded. "I don't want to sugarcoat it, (because) when I wrote this record I was going through a very rough time. But you know what? The sun is peaking its head and now it's time for some good stuff."

With "Suicide King" already having outsold "Real Life," his Gibson endorsements and with his level-headed business savvy, the future does indeed look brighter than ever for Kahanek, who sees his career's possibilities as endless and contemplates moving back to Texas, this time Austin, before too terribly long.

As far as advice for young fans looking to make it big and follow in his footsteps, Kahanek said, "You hope at some point someone recognizes you for what you do. ... Do it for the love of music and hope for the best. Stop trying to be famous, and be the best musician you can possibly be."

For more information on Kahanek, Gibson guitars, or Guitar Hero, visit www.briankahanek.com.