Alex Guillen was born and raised in San Diego, California where he first learned guitar from his father at the age of 12. Growing up in a musical family, Alex listened to all kinds of music from Bach to the Beatles, to Miles Davis, and Jimi Hendrix. At age 16 he began taking formal guitar lessons from internationally acclaimed Flamenco guitarist Diego Corriente. Soon after, he began performing at private and corporate events, weddings, and live music venues in the San Diego area.