Don Alder (Spinal Chord)

Name: Don Alder
Born: 1956 (Williams Lake, British Columbia, Canada)

Profile: He is a Canadian acoustic fingerstyle guitarist with a passion that has quickly earned him a reputation as Vancouver's 'best kept little secret'. Alder is a world-class fingerstyle guitarist that has let to multiple endorsement deals with major manufacturers and a collaboration with Greenfield guitars to produce a signature acoustic guitar- the "Don Alder G4" model.

History: At the age of 14, young Alder was ill for few months which kept him out of school. His mother gave him his first guitar to help him stayed at home and rest, he learned the intro of 'Satisfaction' and then put the guitar to rest.

At some point, when Alder saw the movie 'Woodstock' he was totally blown away by Alvin Lee and the very cool instrumental piece played by Jimi Hendrix at the end of the movie. He then began playing electric guitar (a Simpson Sears electric deluxe) for some time until he met a guy that knew how to fingerpick, and taught him the basics. His first gig was at school with a loud band called "Arsus Myth".

In 1985, Alder put his music career on hold to assist his lifelong friend, Rick Hansen, with his quest to create awareness for the potential of people with disabilities and to generate funds for spinal cord research. The World Tour, inspired millions of people throughout the 34 countries visited and raised 26 million dollars. Today, Alder still works with Rick in a vital role at the Rick Hansen Man in Motion Foundation, and says he got involved with the Foundation to 'help make a difference' in improving the quality of life of others and now continues to do so with his music.

In the early 90's, Alder was mostly playing guitar as a hobby and was heavily involved in Wheelchair Sports. The World Tour developed Alder's wheelchair tech skills which he continued to hone post Tour. This evolved to the point where he was chosen to represent Canada as the Equipment Manager/Wheelchair Tech for the Canadian Paralympic Team in Atlanta in 1996 and Sydney Australia, 2000. During that time he met Sam Sullivan and Dave Symington, both quadriplegics from accidents. Sam and Dave both musicians, founded the Vancouver Adapted Music Society. Alder became the guitarist for the society's, performance band "Spinal Chord". They released a CD title 'Why Be Normal' which received national airplay, and released the video 'Mary'.

Alder has won various awards in first place such as; International Fingerstyle Championships Winfield, Kansas (2007), Vancouver Folk Slam (2004), Vancouver Guitar Show "Shred Contest" (2004) and Best 30-second Guitar Solo Contest - Acidplanet.com (2005) and many more.

Today, Alder continues to play to Canadian, American, European, and Asian audiences, sharing stages with Grand Master Acousticians such as Peter Finger, Jacques Stotzem, Bob Evans, Andy Mckee, and Masa Sumide, John Parr, Ellen McElwaine, Cassius Khan. He has also performed at festivals as a headliner which included artists such as Don Ross, Pierre Bensusan, Del Vazeau, Ric Emmet, Dave Martone.

Influences: Jimi Hendrix, Alvin Lee, Brian May (Queen), Wishbone Ash, Bruce Cockburn, Frank Zappa, Uriah Heep and "Black Sabbath"

Axology: Greenfield Don Alder - G4 signature model, Custom Warmoth Strat, Music Man Albert Lee model, Godin guitar, Fender Stratocaster 1979 and Yamaha guitars

Signature song(s): A Little Charm - Don Alder (Don Alder - Cool Compilation)

Link(s):

http://www.donalder.com/ (Official website)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-vocEYP0NsI

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JJi-W2p1iEQ

"Alder can make a single instrument sound like a 4 piece band. The Guy's like the acoustic Hendrix" - Picque News Magazine

Daisy Berkowitz (Marilyn Manson/3TG)

Name: Scott Mitchell Putesky
Born: 28th April, 1968 (Los Angeles, California, USA)

Profile: He is better known by his stage name Daisy Berkowitz, a professional musician and was the guitarist of industrial metal band "Marilyn Manson" before moving on to "Three Ton Gate" (3TG) and "Stuck on Evil". His stage name is formed from the names Daisy Duke and David Berkowitz.

History: Putesky's first musical instruments were the flute and the snare drum, and in 6th grade he joined the school's chorus, for which he apparently had a talent. His early loves were drawing and Sci-Fi movies (mainly Star Wars). His first record was the Star Wars soundtrack, and the influence that it had on him can be seen in much of his original artwork, which consists of aliens and spaceships.

In the late 70's, when he was in his early teenage years, he found admiration for artists such as David Bowie and "Talking Heads", influences that are apparent in his later work. In 1980, Putesky's discovery of MTV after his moving to Fort Lauderdale, gave him the inspiration to save up to buy a small Casio keyboard. He taught himself to play, and later, in 8th grade, took guitar lessons. Influenced by his early favorites, which lead to his development of an odd personal style sometimes described as a fusion between blues and grunge.

Putesky's first band was "The Flying Eggbeaters", with drummer Tom Wolf and bassist Jim Neuman. This gave him the experience needed to later go on to other bands, such as "Blue China" and "Ear Wacks". In 1988, after being given a small 4-track recorder by his parents, he bought a bass guitar and a drumkit to record his music with a full ensemble, at this period, he met with Brian Warner (future frontman of "Marilyn Manson") at a local party and the two instantly bonded.

Putesky, who had at this point not thought to advance his lyrical ability, began to meet up with Warner and brainstorm after his admission of wanting to start a band as a creative outlet for his poetry-writing abilities. Dual input from both parties gave the band its darkly psychedelic style, and as early as 1989, they began to record on Putesky's 4-track songs that would seven years later become known as 'Cake and Sodomy' and 'Dogma'. They quickly assembled a band with Warner's schoolmate Brian Tutunick (aka Olivia Newton Bundy) and Perry Pandrea (aka Zsa Zsa Speck). The band played its first show at Churchills, Miami and was known as "Marilyn Manson & the Spooky Kids".

In the early 90's, the band quickly built a cult following, playing at clubs and later opening for several national acts such as "Danzig". In 1992, "Marilyn Manson & the Spooky Kids" played their last show and renaming themselves to a shorter "Marilyn Manson". Though the band built up a strong local fanbase throughout these years, it was not until their 1995 release 'Smells Like Children' that they caught the ear of the world with the darkly gothic cover of Eurythmics' 'Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)'.

After opening for "Danzig", having two headlining tours, the band headed back to the studio to begin work on their new album 'Antichrist Superstar'. At this point, creative differences between Warner and Putesky reached their peak. Putesky left "Marilyn Manson", abandoning the Daisy Berkowitz moniker in favor of his own initials, SMP, and began recording demos for his first solo project, "Three Ton Gate".

In 1997, the album was released, written entirely by Putesky using the name Scott Mitchell (his first and middle name), and featured gothic vocalist Tyreah James. In 1998, Putesky joined up with longtime "Marilyn Manson" collaborators "Jack Off Jill", replacing departing member guitarist Ho Ho Spade and playing live on their 1999 West Coast tour. His first recorded work with the band was the EP 'Covetous Creature'. By early 1999, Putesky was no longer a member of "Jack Off Jill", by most accounts, he simply lost interest in the band and he kicked around several solo and collaborative projects.

He also re-established the "Rednecks on Drugs" project with fellow musician Rich Penny, eventually, "Rednecks on Drugs" metamorphosed into "Stuck on Evil", essentially a hard-rock band with gothic and early Rock 'N Roll influences. In 2001, the band recorded a 10-song full-length album, 'Suntanic', produced by Putesky. However, following the September, 11 (911) attacks, and the subsequent condemnation of 'evildoers' by President Bush, the band decided to drop the word 'evil' from its name, reverting to the original name of "Three Ton Gate", and Putesky recorded the album 'Lose Your Mind' in 2003.

Influences: David Bowie, "The Cure", "U2", "Talking Heads" and Star Wars (soundtrack)

Axology: Yamaha RGX 612-S

Signature song(s): Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This) - Marilyn Manson (Smells Like Children, 1995)

Link(s):

http://www.myspace.com/threetongatemusic (Three Ton Gate's Official Myspace)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m6VojYGrnpg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S0CliSpoCPQ

Carlos Santana

Name: Carlos Augusto Alves Santana
Born: 20th July, 1947 (Autlán de Navarro, Jalisco, Mexico)

Profile: He is a Mexican rock guitarist. He became famous in the late 60's and early 70's with his band, "Santana", which pioneered rock, salsa and jazz fusion. The band's sound featured his melodic, blues-based guitar lines set against Latin rhythms featuring percussion instruments such as timbales and congas not generally heard in rock music.

History: His father was a mariachi violinist, and young Santana learned to play the violin at age 5 and the guitar at age 8. In 1965, he met with Javier Bátiz, a famous guitarist from Tijuana, Mexico, and was said to have been Santana's guitar teacher who taught him to play a different style of guitar soloing. After learning Batiz's techniques, Santana would make them his own as well.

From Tijuana, he then moved to San Francisco, where he got the chance to see his idols, most notably BB King, performing live. He was also introduced to a variety of new musical influences, including jazz and folk music. After several years busking for spare change, Santana decided to become a full-time musician, and in 1966, he formed the "Santana Blues Band", with fellow street musicians, bassist David Brown and keyboardist Gregg Rolie.

With their highly original blend of Latin-infused rock, jazz, blues, salsa, and African rhythms, the band (which quickly became known simply as Santana) gained an immediate following on the San Francisco strip club. The band's early success, capped off by a memorable performance at Woodstock in 1969, led to a recording contract with Columbia Records, then run by Clive Davis.

Santana was signed by CBS Records and went into the studio to record their first album, simply titled 'Santana' and became a huge hit, reaching #4 on the US album charts, and the catchy single 'Evil Ways' reached #9 on the Billboard Hot 100. In 1970, the group reached its early commercial peak with their second album, 'Abraxas', which reached #1 on the album charts and went on to sell over four million copies.

In 1972, Santana became a huge fan of the pioneering fusion band "The Mahavishnu Orchestra" and its guitarist John McLaughlin. A year later, Santana and McLaughlin recorded an album together, 'Love, Devotion, Surrender' with members of "Santana" and "The Mahavishnu Orchestra".

In 1983, Santana paid tribute to his early rock roots by doing the film score to 'La Bamba', which was based on the tragically short life of Rock & Roll legend Ritchie Valens. Although Santana and his band had concentrated on trying to produce albums with commercial appeal during the 80's, changing tastes in popular culture began to reflect in the band's sagging record sales. But, Santana retained a great deal of respect in both jazz and rock circles, when Prince and guitarist Kirk Hammett (Metallica) citing him as an influence.

In 1991, Santana made a guest appearance on Ottmar Liebert's solo album 'Para Ti', and on a cover of his own song, 'Samba Pa Ti'. Though, Santana's record sales in the 90's were very low. Toward the end of the decade, he was without a contract. However, Clive Davis, who had worked with Santana previously, signed him and encouraged him to record a star-studded album with mostly younger artists. The result was 1999's album 'Supernatural'. The single 'Smooth' which featured Rob Thomas (Matchbox 20), spent 12 weeks at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and eventually sold over 15 million copies in the US.

Until now, Carlos Santana is still active and busy touring the world with his work in the music industry, he has spent more then 3 decades of his life as a musician and worked with so many artist along the way. In 2003, Santana was named 15th on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the '100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time'.

Influences: BB. King, John Lee Hooker, Jimi Hendrix, Ritchie Valens, John McLaughlin and Mike Bloomfield

Axology: Gibson SG guitars, Yamaha SG 175B, PRS guitar - Santana signature series, Alvarez Yairi CY127CE nylon strings and Mesa/Boogie amplifiers

Signature song(s): Black Magic Woman - Santana (Abraxas, 1970) and Smooth - Santana (Supernatural, 1999)

Link(s):

http://www.santana.com/ (Official website)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f-y2LUh-9AA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C9ZRS0F5t34

Hardee (The Seeds)

Name: Mohammad Shuhardi Mat Salleh
Born: 8th May, 1978 (Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei)

Profile: He is a Bruneian musician, composer, a talented guitarist and the co-author of 'Master Class Fingers - Guitar Finger Workouts' book. He is a self taught guitarist, notably known for his acoustic guitar works in the famous duo-group "The Seeds". A person who appreciates all genres of music from classical songs, folk songs, Jazz and his love in arts. He is also a fan of collecting action-figures and love animals (mainly reptiles).

History: His love in music aroused after the influence of his cousins, which made his interest bloom in guitar but he did not take it seriously due to lack of instruments and guidance. At the age of 14, his grandfather bought him a used Vision electric guitar with a Marshall amplifier; it was his first electric guitar. He got bored with the electric guitar and stop playing for 12 months. After that period of time, he bought his first acoustic guitar (an Aria Pro) with his own earnings.

In 1996, after watching live stage performance in high school, he was determined to take guitar seriously, and learned the art of finger style, slapping, tapping and percussion just at the age of 18. In 2004, he met a fellow Filipino musician named Ronee Miclat aka Rosli (he was a former music teacher at Yamaha Music School in Philippines), Ronee was responsible in guiding Hardee's path in his music career.

While under Ronee's music guidance, Hardee was given an assignment to form his own band and ended meeting with a local songwriter Eswandee Salim, who later told him, that vocalist Dillah Othman was vacant and also looking to form a new band. At that time, there was an upcoming songwriting contest for '2006 Father's Day'. With chemistry for the both of them (Hardee and Dillah) they formed "Dil & Hardee" and entered the contest with the song 'Mahkota Hati', composed by Eswandee.

In 2006, they changed their name to "The Seeds" and released their EP album 'Rahsia Hati' which made them famous in the local music scene and East Malaysia. Another song from the album 'Kau Tetap Milikku' was fully arranged by Hardee. With these songs, "The Seeds" had received various of awards including 'Best Duo-group' and 'Song of the Year 2007'. In 2007, "The Seeds" was officially an ambassador for 'Brunei Darussalam National Association of the Blind (BDNAB)' and 'Kau Tetap Milikku' was the #1 song for Kristal FM 'Top 300 songs'.

In 2008, "The Seeds" decided to experiment with new sounds and new environment for the upcoming album, with the help of a new composer named I-Sam (who composed 'Cerita Aku dan Dia'), the single 'Cerita Aku dan Dia' burst to the charts at #1 for 11 weeks. In this album Hardee have started to composed a few songs. This album sold couple of thousand copies with high demands from local music stores and won them 'Best Duo-group' for the second time and was nominated for 'Best song of the Year 2008'.

Early in 2009, "The Seeds" went on hiatus, after Hardee went on to experiment more sounds and seeking a way to express himself with his own music, he managed to collaborate with a young and talented Chinese singer named Peipei, and formed a side-project band named "Hardee & Peipei" which released an English song 'Perfect' and a Malay song 'Cinta Kita' and went for a tour. Due to this commitments, Hardee was unable to attend any interviews and performances with vocalist Dillah for "The Seeds". In between those time, Hardee was also in the process of publishing his first guitar book entitle 'Master Class Fingers - Guitar Finger Workouts' with the help of his fellow friend Jun Cesar, the book took half a year to finish and was sold thousands of copies.

Recently, Hardee is compiling new materials and composing some new songs for their upcoming "The Seeds" new album, and he is looking forward to publish a new book - this upcoming book will focus mainly in guitar techniques and compilations of songs from local folk songs to international songs. He also hopes that one day, he could bring local music scene to an international success.

Influences: Brian McKnight, Tuck Andress, Metallica, MYMP, Bryan Adams, Tommy Emmanuel and Jason Mraz

Axology: Crafter CT125/n acoustic guitar, Ovation guitars (model Idea and 1778tx elite), Takamine egs-430sc, Taylor 314ce and Yamaha ntx700 acoustic guitar

Signature song(s): Biarlah Tetap Rahsia - The Seeds (Rahsia Hati, 2008) and Perfect - Hardee & Peipei (2009)

Link(s):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xnJqfnWwGf4&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lQxkl1Cx05o

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ycEGoo9aHKE

Buckethead (Praxis/Guns 'N Roses)

Name: Unknown (he is also known as Death Cube K, Big B, The Boy and Bucky)
Born: 1969

Profile: He is an American musician, songwriter and virtuoso. He has released 29 studio albums, 4 special releases, 1 EP album and performed on over 50 more by other artists. His music spans such diverse areas as progressive metal, thrash metal, funk, electronica, jazz, bluegrass and avant-garde music.

History: He began playing at the age of 12, and took it seriously a year later. His playing began improving with lessons from various teachers including Pebber Brown, Johnny Fortune, Max McGuire and Paul Gilbert. He then began making demo recordings of his playing styles.

In 1988, 'Guitar Player' magazine's editor, Jas Obrecht was impressed with his demo, and encouraged him to make the most of his talent, and in 1989 a song called 'Sowee' composed by Buckethead got honorable mention by local guitarist.

In 1992, Buckethead, with bassist/producer Bill Laswell formed the supergroup "Praxis". Their first album, 'Transmutation (Mutatis Mutandis)' was well-received. The project was Bill Laswell's concept, and has since involved other guests such as Serj Tankian (System of a Down), among many others. In 1994, Buckethead released two albums, the first was 'Dreamatorium' under the name of Death Cube K (an anagram of 'Buckethead'), and the second was 'Giant Robot', which features many guest appearances by artists such as Iggy Pop and Bill Moseley.

It was 'Monster and Robots' album - a collaboration with Les Claypool (Primus), which made Buckethead known to the music world and currently the best-selling album of his career. This album includes the song 'The Ballad of Buckethead', for which his first music video was made.

In 2000-2004, Buckethead achieved a higher public profile as lead guitarist for "Guns N' Roses". He recorded the often delayed album 'Chinese Democracy' with the band and appeared live on stage in 2001-2002. Despite being a member of "GNR", Buckethead released his sixth studio album, called 'Somewhere Over the Slaughterhouse' in 2001.

When performing, Buckethead used to wear a KFC bucket on his head, emblazoned with an orange bumper sticker that read 'FUNERAL' in capital black block letters, and an expressionless plain white costume mask. He also incorporates nunchaku, robot dancing, and toy trading into his stage performances.

Influences: Michael Jackson, Paul Gilbert (Racer X), Shawn Lane, Yngwie Malmsteen, Bootsy Collins, Eddie Hazel, Randy Rhoads and Angus Young (AC/DC)

Axology: Gibson Buckethead Signature Les Paul, Custom built ESP MV guitar, Ibanez X-Series Flying V, Ibanez X Series Rocket Roll II, Takamine Acoustic, Yamaha AES920, Custom built Jackson Y2KV, Heartfield Talon II model (by Fender), Digitech Whammy II and Peavey 5150 amplifiers

Signature song(s): Mighty Morphin Power Rangers' Theme

Link(s):

http://bucketheadland.com (Official website)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S-woe3SCAaA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8akmP6Sjv2o

Although a multi-instrumentalist, Buckethead is best known for his electric guitar playing. He has been voted number 8 on a list in 'GuitarOne' magazine of the 'Top 20 Greatest Guitar Shredders of All Time'.

Tony Rombola (Godsmack/Another Animal)

Name: Tony Rombola
Born: 24th November, 1964 (Norwood, Massachusetts, USA)

Profile: He is a American musician who has been the lead guitarist for the hard rock band "Godsmack" since the mid 90's. Rombola has been cited as 'an extraordinaire' by 'Guitar World magazine', and is cited to be the only guitarist to keep an 'original soloing style' during the nu-metal period, earning him the respect of the guitar industry. He's also one of the most influential guitarists of the last decade and a guitarist for the side-project band "Another Animal".

History: He is a self-taught guitarist. He first picked up a guitar at age 11. According to his father, the first song he learned was a song by "Black Sabbath". The first introduction to rock music he encountered was the albums 'Led Zeppelin III', '2112' and 'We Sold Our Soul for Rock & Roll'. He also never took guitar lessons, he learned everything he knows from guitar magazines.

His first guitar was an Gibson SG copy, before moving to custom Gibson Les Pauls that he enjoys now. Early in the 90's, he played cover bands, funk, rock, classic rock, and metal, before meeting up with "Godsmack" vocalist Sully Erna and bassist Robbie Merrill while Rombola was playing the local circuit with some band playing covers of "Alice in Chains" and "Rage Against the Machine". They knew they needed someone with Rombola's skill to reach the success they have with "Godsmack".

In 1997, they recorded an EP which later became their self-titled debut album in 1998. Which went on to sell over 5 million copies in just a couple of years. The song 'Keep Away' was inducted into the top 100 greatest rock songs labeled under 'Guitar legends'. Recently, Rombola worked with Brain Coombes (Tristan Park) and Rocking Horse Studio, on the 'Prospect Hill Album'.

Influences: Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin

Axology: McNaught Guitars, Gibson Les Paul guitars, Ovation Balladeer 6751-CCB, Takamine Acoustic guitars, Yahama acoustic, Splawn Amplifiers (Splawn QR and Nitro) and Boss NS-2

Signature song(s): Keep Away - Godsmack (Godsmack, 1998), Trippin' - Godsmack (Awake, 2000) and I Stand Alone - Godsmack (Faceless, 2003)

Link(s):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U19Cin5DPZA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m9vH0hfRAiE

Billy Sheehan (Talas/Mr. Big)

Name: William Sheehan
Born: 19th March, 1953 (Buffalo, New York, USA)

Profile: He is an American bassist known for his work with "Talas", Steve Vai, David Lee Roth, "Mr. Big" and "Niacin". Sheehan has won the "Best Rock Bass Player" readers' poll from Guitar Player Magazine 5 times for his "lead bass" playing style. Sheehan's repertoire includes the use of chording, two-handed tapping, right hand "three finger picking" technique and controlled feedback. However, Sheehan is also noted as a steady "true" bassist, fulfilling the traditional supportive role of the electric bass in the rock rhythm section.

History: Sheehan's first instrument was an acoustic guitar that he borrowed incessantly from his sister, he bought his first electric guitar soon after. However, when he saw Tim Bogert (Vanilla Fudge) using a Fender Precision bass with a maple fingerboard, he switched to the bass.

Billy Sheehan's first electric bass was a Hagström FB, which was soon sistered by a Precision bass similar to Tim Bogert's. After acquiring the Precision bass, he removed the frets from the Hagström. Over the years, he heavily modified the Precision bass as well, adding a neck pickup and additional support for the bolt-on neck, which Sheehan considers its greatest weakness. The neck pickup was added for what he referred to as "super deep low end" modelled after Paul Samwell-Smith (Yardbirds). The Gibson EB-0 type pickup in the neck and the original split Precision bass pickup each have their own separate output jacks on the bass itself, allowing for control of the tone via the bass. Sheehan also uses two amps to achieve his signature tone, one with full distortion and notch filtering to sound more guitar-like for solos, and one super clean for the low end of the neck pickup. This bass has been retired, but he affectionately refers to it as "The Wife".

Sheehan’s first full-time gigs came with "Talas", they played a mixture of cover songs and original material. They remained one of Buffalo’s most popular local bands for over a decade. Sheehan also played with a band called "Light Years" in the late 70's, though he eventually went back to "Talas" and played in a show that saw him acquainted with guitarist Michael Schenker, who would help him land a job touring with band "UFO" in 1983.

After the tour, Sheehan went on to play with metal band "Thrasher", though his involvement with them didn’t last. Eventually Sheehan was brought on board with David Lee Roth, as a guitarist for his second solo album. Sheehan helped with the album but left soon after, and by 1988 Sheehan and Paul Gilbert (Racer X) formed a new band called "Mr. Big".

Mr. Big met with some initial success, hitting hard with hits the likes of "Addicted to that Rush" and "To Be With You". After "Mr. Big" was disbanded, Sheehan continued to bop around with various bands until he debuted solo in 2001 with 'Compression'. A second solo album, 'Cosmic Troubadour', was released in 2005. Currently, he is doing clinics and workshops all around the globe with fellow virtuoso bassist, Dionald Tubang.

Influences: Tim Bogert (Vanilla Fudge), Johann Sebastian Bach, Jimi Hendrix and Billy Gibbons (ZZ Top)

Axology: Fender P-Bass, Yamaha Attitude series, Epiphone Rivoli EB232, Taylor AB3 and Alvarez Artist Acoustic Bass 4070BK

Signature song(s): See Saw (Talas), Shy Boy (David Lee Roth) and To Be With You (Mr. Big)

Link(s):

http://www.billysheehan.com (Official website)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e9bG8hwZ9Bo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5omFFeLEXFE

Tommy Bolin (Zephyr/Deep Purple)

Name: Thomas Richard Bolin
Born/Died: 1st August, 1951 (Sioux City, Iowa) - 4th December, 1976

Profile: He was an American-born guitarist who played with Zephyr (from 1969 to 1971), The James Gang (from 1973 through 1974), Deep Purple (from 1975 to 1976) and his solo work.

History: Tommy interest in music began when he used to watched a TV show called "Caravan of Stars" where he saw Elvis, Johnny Cash and Carl Perkins, he then knew he wanted to be a musician just like them. He started by playing drums for 2 years, keyboards then electric guitar.

He began playing in bands around Sioux City as a youth before moving to Colorado, in his late teens. He had played in a various bands such as "American Standard" and "Ethereal Zephyr". When record companies became interested, the name was shortened to "Zephyr".

In 1972 Tommy, at the age of 20, formed the fusion jazz-rock-blues band "Energy". While the band never released an album during his lifetime, several recordings have been released posthumously. A year after that, he joined "The James Gang" and had 2 records with them, after the band's tour in Miami, Tommy wanted out of the band and went on to do session work for numerous rock bands and also with a number of jazz artists.

In 1974, Tommy signed with Nemperor records to do a solo album, where he decided to do his own vocals as well. During the recording of this album, he was contacted to replace Ritchie Blackmore in "Deep Purple".

In the start of 1975 Tommy contributed some studio guitar assistance to Canadian band "Moxy" during the recording of their debut album, later with the released of his first solo album in the same year. He then toured with "Deep Purple" in 1975 - 1976, after "Deep Purple" disbanded in March, 1976, Tommy was back on the road with his solo band and planning a second solo album. However, his final show, in which he opened for Jeff Beck, in Miami, encored with a rendition of "Post Toastee."

Influences: Django Reinhardt, Carl Perkins, Jimi Hendrix, Albert King and the "Rolling Stones".

Axology: Fender 1963 Stratocaster, Fender Stratocaster with Telecaster headstock, Ibanez Explorer and Yamaha Acoustic guitar

Link(s):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BjjoKCWIXiA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vsRkBokQH2E