Date of Birth10 September 1950, Lawrence, Massachusetts, USABirth NameAnthony Joseph PereiraNicknameJoe Freakin' PerryKing Of CoolToxic Twins (with Steven Tyler)Italian stalionHeight5' 9" (1.75 m)SpouseBillie Paulette Montgomery (21 September 1985 - present) 2 childrenElyssa Jerret (5 August 1975 - 1985) (divorced) 1 childTrade MarkGuitar riffsGibson Les PaulTriviaLead guitarist with Aerosmith.He met Billie in June of 1983 during the filming of his video "Black Velvet Pants" with the Joe Perry Project. He then married her at the Iao needle in Maui, Hawaii on September 21, 1985.Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2001 (as a member of Aerosmith).After leaving Aerosmith, started the Joe Perry Project, which released three albums with minimal commercial success. Was auditioning to be the guitarist for Alice Cooper when he and Brad Whitford decided to re-join Aerosmith in 1984.After years of drug-induced tension with his bandmates, most notably lead singer Steven Tyler, left Aerosmith in 1979 after a backstage incident in Cleveland where his first wife, Elyssa, poured milk on Tom Hamilton's wife, Terry.Sons: Adrian Perry (with Elyssa) Tony and Roman Perry (with Billie) Stepson Aaron Hirsch (from Billie's first marriage)Is of Portuguese/Italian descent. His father's family were Portuguese immigrants from the Island of Madeira and his mother's family came from Naples (Italy).Has a younger sister named Anne-Marie (born Dec. 1954).A long-time connisseur of spicy foods, he formulated his own brand of hot sauces called "Rock Your World," in habanero pepper ("The Boneyard") and peach mango ("Mango-Peach Tango") flavors. Both first appeared in 2005 after a year of development with Boston-based Ashley Foods, Inc.His first wife, Elyssa Jerret, is the daughter of jazz clarinetist Nick Jerret. Jerret had his own big band but also worked with Billie Holiday and Dizzie Gillespie.His sister-in-law, Diana "Dee" Minor, is pool player in the VNEA international Hall Of Fame and a top-ranking member of the WPBA for many years.Sons: Adrian Perry (with Elyssa) Tony and Roman Perry(with Billie) Stepson Aaron Hirsch (from Billie's first marriage)Joe's stepson, Aaron, is the CEO for his hot sauce brand, the Joe Perry's Rock Your World. Aaron, married to Becky, has a little son called Austin.Went to Wayland High School and performed with Aerosmith at the field house. There is a picture of Joe Perry and Steven Tyler on stage hanging in the field house.Plays guitar right-handed, but writes left-handed.From the Associated Press Aerosmith guitarist Joe Perry is putting down his ax while he goes under the knife.Perry canceled a solo show scheduled for April 5 in Niagara Falls, N.Y., so he can recover from knee surgery, spokeswoman Marcee Rondan said in a statement released Monday.Rondan said Perry has needed knee surgery for two years but put off the procedure so he wouldn’t miss any Aerosmith tour dates.The 57-year-old’s knee finally gave out early this month after a pair of performances with his two sons. That prompted his doctor to schedule the surgery for March 18.Along with Kiss' Ace Frehley, Aerosmith's Joe Perry was responsible for inspiring thousands of teenagers to pick up guitars and start rocking n' rolling in the 1970's and beyond. Born September 10, 1950 in Lawrence, MA, Perry got his first taste of rock n' roll at the ripe old age of 6, when neighbors turned him on to such early rock nuggets as "Rock Around the Clock," "Tutti Frutti," etc. Infatuated by the likes of The Beatles and The Rolling Stones in the 60's, Perry picked up the guitar during his teenaged years, and started jamming along with such British blues rockers as The Yardbirds (Having A Rave Up with the Yardbirds) and John Mayall (Bluesbreakers), which would serve as the basis for his tough n' rough blues licks that would later put Aerosmith over the top. Getting his chops together by playing with such bands as Flash, Just Us, Plastic Glass, and The Jam Band (during which he hooked up with future Aerosmith bassist Tom Hamilton), Perry crossed paths with New York City native Steven Tyler (then named Steven Tallarico) in 1969, when each of their bands would play at Sunapee, N.H.'s The Barn. Shortly thereafter, Aerosmith was formed - consisting of Perry on guitar, Tyler on vocals, Hamilton on bass, Joey Kramer on drums, and Ray Tabano on 2nd guitar (later replaced by Brad Whitford). Combining the blues grit of The Stones and The Yardbirds with the heavy riffing of Led Zeppelin, the band would issue their first album on Columbia in 1973, and by the late-70's, would be one of the world's biggest rock bands (on the strength of sold out tours and such classic albums as 75's Toys In the Attic and 76's Rocks). But Aerosmith's first reign at the top didn't last long. Hard drugs eventually weakened the band's camaraderie and blurred their original musical vision - leading to spats between Perry and Tyler. Frustrated with band, Perry left during the recording of 1979's Night in the Ruts, soon after forming his own band, The Joe Perry Project. The original line-up (consisting of Ralph Mormon on vocals, David Hull on bass, & Ronnie Stewart on drums, in addition to Perry), issued an inspired, woefully overlooked debut, Let the Music Do the Talking, 1 year later. Although the new band was promising, old habits were hard to break, as drugs ruined the band. Still, Perry soldiered on (facing bankruptcy at the time), issuing 2 more so-so albums with a revolving door of bandmembers. With Aerosmith's career sagging as well, Perry patched up his differences with Tyler, and reunited the classic Aero line-up by 1984. Drug abuse still ran rampant, resulting in their unfocused debut for Geffen, 85's Done With Mirrors. But a surprise hit with rappers RUN-DMC (a remake of Aerosmith's "Walk This Way") and the Aero-members finally kicking drugs and drink for good, led to an immediate resurgence in their popularity. By the late-80's, Aerosmith was on top of the rock world again, where Perry & co remained, issuing such hit albums as Permanent Vacation, Pump, and Get A Grip. ~ Greg Prato, All Music GuideWritten by Greg PratogearGuitars* Gibson Joe Perry Boneyard Les Paul's* Fender Stratocasters* Gibson ES-335 with Bigsby* Ampeg/Dan Armstrong Plexi Guitar (tuned to open A)* Guild 12-String Electric* Gretsch Black Falcon* Fender Reissue Telecaster* Ernie Ball/Music Man Silhouette 6 String Bass* Chandler Lap Steel* Gibson ES-335 (custom painted with his wife's face on body of guitar)* Gibson Firebird VII* Fender Telecaster w/B-Bender* Supro Ozark* Gibson Jeff Beck Les Paul Amplifiers* Marshall 50 Watt Plexi Head* Marshall Major 200 Watt Heads* Fender Tonemaster Head* Wizard 100 Watt Head* Marshall JMP-1 Preamp* Marshall 4x12 cabs* Vox 4x12 Cab* Orange 8x12 cab Effects and Accessories* Digitech Whammy Pedal* Dunlop DCR-1SR Rackmount Wah* Line 6 DL-4 Delay Modeler* Line 6 MM-4 Modulation Modeler* Klon Centaur* custom made Talk Box* Electro Harmonix Deluxe Memory Man* Chicago Iron Octavian* custom made Talk Box* Samson UR5-D Synth Wireless* Gibson Vintage Reissue .010-.046 Strings

Eric Johnson

Eric Johnson is on the short list of all-time guitar heroes, but his creative path has taken some interesting twists and turns. He has earned critical and commercial success, a Grammy, accolades from his peers and unabashed devotion from his fans. However, his story as a guitarist, vocalist, keyboardist, songwriter and producer is not a "typical" one. But this three-decade journey has led to his new 2005 Favored Nations studio album 'Bloom.''Bloom' features 16 new songs ranging the stylistic gamut, which has always been Johnson's approach on his solo albums. He is one of the precious few musicians to fully succeed artistically and commercially with this philosophy. The rock 'n' roll raveup "Summer Jam" fits comfortably alongside the bright Bob Dylan cover "My Back Pages," the hypnotic "Sea Secret," lyrically provocative "Sad Legacy" and the rollicking country jam "Tribute to Jerry Reed." His already-astonishing gifts as a songwriter and producer, in addition to his jaw-dropping guitar technique, have grown substantially on this album. 'Bloom' will appeal to Johnson's longtime fans while also bringing new ones into the fold.Johnson is a native of Austin, Texas, which is steeped in blues and country music. But Johnson's music reflects a broader range of influences in addition to blues and country, particularly pop, rock and jazz/fusion. His meticulously-produced albums are almost always equally divided between instrumentals and vocal songs showcasing all of his musical interests.By the time Johnson had reached his teens, he was making waves on the Austin scene. At 16, he was a member of a band called Mariani and by 21, he was part of Electromagnets, a jazz-rock band with an intense cult following.He recorded his first album, 'Seven Worlds,' between 1976 and 1978, but it was not released until 1998. Ark 21 issued the album with Johnson's blessing. A previous manager owned the rights to 'Seven Worlds.'Johnson's burgeoning reputation in the late 1970s and early 1980s led to session work with the likes of Cat Stevens, Carole King and Christopher Cross. In fact, he played on Cross' Grammy-sweeping, self-titled 1980 debut album.One of the most important breaks of Johnson's career was a 1984 appearance on the PBS television show 'Austin City Limits.' Reportedly, Prince saw Johnson's performance and recommended him to his label, Warner Bros. Records. The Warner subsidiary Reprise Records signed Johnson, and 'Tones' was released in 1986. Prince band members Wendy and Lisa even sang uncredited background vocals. The song "Zap" was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Rock Instrumental. Johnson had already earned considerable coverage from the guitar magazines at this point, and their chronicling of his career increased rapidly.Johnson's breakthrough into the mainstream occurred with 1990's Capitol release 'Ah Via Musicom.' The buoyant, cascading instrumental "Cliffs of Dover" enjoyed mountains of radio airplay across multiple formats. The platinum-selling album was nominated for a Grammy and "Cliffs of Dover" itself earned Johnson a Grammy for Best Rock Instrumental, topping fellow nominees the Allman Brothers Band, Danny Gatton, Rush and Yes. The smooth, supple instrumental "Trademark" is another highlight. 'Ah Via Musicom' gave Johnson the distinction of over being the first artist to have three instrumentals from one album reach the Top 10 in any format. He spent three years on the road promoting 'Ah Via Musicom' and then toured with B.B. King and contributed to albums by Chet Atkins and Dweezil Zappa.In 1996, Johnson returned with 'Venus Isle' on Capitol. Notable songs from it include "S.R.V." (a tribute to his friend, another Texas native and guitar legend, the late Stevie Ray Vaughan) and "Manhattan." This album illustrated Johnson's growth as a songwriter, producer, vocalist and, perhaps most surprisingly, keyboardist. He promoted the album with the massively successful, first-ever G3 tour, which also featured his friends and fellow guitar virtuosos Joe Satriani and Steve Vai. The live album and VHS home video 'G3 Live in Concert' followed in 1997; the DVD home video reissue came along three years later. The video has been certified platinum.One of Johnson's favorite side projects, apart from his own albums and guesting on other artists' albums, is the blues trio Alien Love Child. The group's 2000 album 'Live and Beyond' was Johnson's first project for Favored Nations, Vai's label. The song "Rain" was nominated for a Grammy for Best Pop Instrumental.2002 saw the release of 'Souvenir.' This popular collection of 12 previously-unreleased demos, outtakes and live recordings spanning his entire career is available only through www.ericjohnson.com or at his shows.Johnson went on to surprise his fans, yet again, with a solo acoustic tour in 2004 showcasing his acoustic guitar and piano skills. He was also honored by Martin Guitars with his own signature acoustic model. That summer, he was also invited by Eric Clapton to take part in the Crossroads Guitar Festival.A perennial favorite at the Austin Music Awards, Johnson and his band members won a variety of awards in March 2005 for the 2004-05 time period. Johnson won Austin Musician of the Year, Best Electric Guitarist and Best Acoustic Guitarist, as well as placing high in male vocalist, keyboardist and songwriting categories. Chris Maresh was named Best Bassist and Tommy Taylor earned Best Drummer honors.The release of 'Bloom' and the following tour will be the main highlights of 2005 for Johnson, but the year certainly kicked off on a high note. In January, he joined Fender at the NAMM trade show in Anaheim, California, to introduce his own new Fender Signature Series Stratocaster guitar.

Erick clapton

Real Name: Eric Patrick Clapton

Occupation: Musician, Guitarist

Date of Birth: March 30, 1945

Place of Birth: Ripley, England, U.K.

Sign: Sun in Aries, Moon in Scorpio

Education: Expelled from Kingston College of Art

Relations: Wife : Melia McEnery; Ex-wife: Pattie Boyd Harrison; Son: Conor (deceased);
Daughters : Ruth Patricia-Clapton (Born 11th Jan 1985); Julie Rose Clapton (Born 15th Jun 2001), Ella Mae Clapton (Born 14th Jan 2003), Sophie Clapton (Born 1st Feb 2005)



Eric reading the BeanoIN the late 1960s, one of the most prominent pieces of graffiti seen in London and New York was "Clapton is God." Thirty years later, the stalwart guitarist and singer continues to hold the initiated enthralled, and a fair share of his present-day fans weren't even born when those words of worship were emblazoned on public edifices. Clapton's meandering and groundbreaking musical career has been punctuated by extreme personal hardship and tragedy. Through the emotional truth of his music, he has sought refuge and release from the suffering of drug and alcohol addiction, personal relationships gone awry, and the deaths of several loved ones.

Eric Patrick Clapton was born on March 30, 1945, in his grandparent's house at 1, The Green, Ripley, Surrey, England. He was the illegitimate son of Patricia Molly Clapton and Edward Fryer, a Canadian soldier stationed in England. After W.W.II Fryer returned to his wife in Canada, Patricia left Eric in the custody of his grandparents, Rose and Jack Clapp. (The surname Clapton is from Rose's first husband, Reginald Cecil Clapton.) Patricia moved to Germany where she eventually married another Canadian soldier, Frank McDonald.

Young Ricky (that's what his grandparent's called him) was a quiet and polite child, an above average student with an aptitude for art. He was raised believing that his grandparents were his parents and his mother was his sister, to shield him the stigma that illegitimacy carried with it. The truth was eventually revealed to him, at the age of nine by his grandmother. Later, when Eric would visit his mother, they would still pretend to be brother and sister.

As an adolescent, Clapton glimpsed the future when he tuned in to a Jerry Lee Lewis appearance on British television. Lewis's explosive performance, coupled with young Eric's emerging love of the blues and American R&B, was powerful enough to ignite a desire to learn to play guitar. He commenced studies at the Kingston College of Art, but his intended career path in stained-glass design ended permanently when the blues-obsessed Clapton was expelled at seventeen for playing guitar in class. He took a job as a manual laborer and spent most of his free time playing the electric guitar he persuaded his grandparents to purchase for him. In time, Clapton joined a number of British blues bands, including the Roosters and Casey Jones, and eventually rose to prominence as a member of the Yardbirds, whose lineup would eventually include all three British guitar heroes of the sixties: Clapton, Jimmy Page, and Jeff Beck. The group became a sensation for their blues-tinged rock, as did the budding guitar virtuoso Clapton, who earned the nickname "Slowhand" because his forceful string-bending often resulted in broken guitar strings, which he would replace onstage while the crowd engaged in a slow hand-clapping.

Despite the popularity of the band's first two albums, Five Live Yardbirds and For Your Love, Clapton left in 1965, because he felt the band was veering away from its bluesy bent in favor of a more commercially viable pop focus. He joined John Mayell's Bluesbreakers almost immediately, and in the ferment of that band's purist blues sensibilities, his talent blossomed at an accelerated rate--he quickly became the defining musical force of the group. "Clapton is God" was the hue and cry of a fanatic following that propelled the band's Bluesbreakers album to No. 6 on the English pop charts. Clapton parted company with the Bluesbreakers in mid-1966 to form his own band, Cream, with bassist Jack Bruce and drummer Ginger Baker. With this lineup, Clapton sought "to start a revolution in musical thought . . . to change the world, to upset people, and to shock them." His vision was more than met as Cream quickly became the preeminent rock trio of the late sixties. On the strength of their first three albums (Fresh Cream, Disraeli Gears, and Wheels of Fire) and extensive touring, the band achieved a level of international fame approaching that of the Rolling Stones and the Beatles, and Clapton became even more almighty in the minds of his fans. In fact, the "Clapton is God" gospel contributed largely to Cream's disintegration--the band had always been a three-headed beast of warring egos, and their intense chemistry, exacerbated by the drug abuse of all three, inevitably led to a farewell tour in 1968 and the release of the Goodbye album in 1969. Early in 1969, Clapton united with Baker, bassist Rick Grech, and Traffic's Steve Winwood to record one album as Blind Faith, rock's first "supergroup." In support of their self-titled album, Blind Faith commenced a sold-out, twenty-four-city American tour, the stress of which resulted in the demise of the band less than a year after its inception.

Clapton kept busy for a time as an occasional guest player with Delaney & Bonnie, the husband-and-wife team that had been Blind Faith's opening act during their tour. A disappointing live album from that collaboration was released in 1970, as was Clapton's self-titled solo debut. That album featured three other musicians--bassist Carl Radle, keyboardist Bobby Whitlock, and drummer Jim Gordon--from Delaney's band, and yielded a modest pop hit with Clapton's version of J.J. Cale's "After Midnight." The collective proceeded to baptize themselves Derek and the Dominos, and commenced recording Clapton's landmark double album Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs, with the added contribution of slide guitarist Duane Allman. An anguished lament of unrequited love, "Layla" was inspired by a difficult love triangle between Clapton, his close friend George Harrison, and Harrison's wife Pattie (she and Clapton eventually married in 1979 and divorced in 1988). Unfortunately, personal struggles and career pressure on the guitarist led to a major heroin addiction. Derek and the Dominos crumbled during the course of an American tour and an aborted attempt to record a second album.

Clapton withdrew from the spotlight in the early seventies, wallowing in his addiction and then struggling to conquer it. Following the advice of the Who's Pete Townsend, he underwent a controversial but effective electro-acupuncture treatment and was fully rehabilitated. He rebounded creatively with a role in the film version of Townsend's rock opera, Tommy, and with a string of albums, including the reggae-influenced 461 Ocean Boulevard, which yielded a chart-topping single cover of Bob Marley's "I Shot the Sheriff." Some critics and fans were disappointed by Clapton's post-rehab efforts, feeling that he had abandoned his former guitar-heavy approach in favor of a more laid-back and vocal-conscious one.

Just One Night, Clapton's galvanizing 1980 live album, reminded devotees just exactly who their guitar hero was, but unfortunately, this period marked Clapton's critical slide into a serious drinking problem that eventually hospitalized him for a time in 1981. He experienced a creative resurgence after reining in his alcoholism, releasing a string of consistently successful albums--Another Ticket (1981), Money and Cigarettes (1983), Behind the Sun (1985), August (1986), Journeyman (1989)--and turning his personal life around. Though some say Clapton never regained the musical heights of his heroin days, his legend nevertheless continued to grow. That he was a paragon of rock became more than apparent when Polygram released a rich four-CD retrospective of his career, Crossroads, in 1988; the set scored Grammy awards for Best Historical Album and Best Liner Notes.Eric today!

In late 1990, the fates delivered Clapton a terrible blow when guitarist Stevie Ray Vaughan and Clapton road crew members Colin Smythe and Nigel Browne--all close friends of Clapton's--were killed in a helicopter crash. A few months later, he was dealt another cruel blow when Conor, his son by Italian model Lori Del Santo, fell forty-nine stories from Del Santo's Manhattan high-rise apartment to his death. Clapton channeled his shattering grief into writing the heart-wrenching 1992 Grammy-winning tribute to his son, "Tears in Heaven." (Clapton received a total of six Grammys that year for the single and for the album Unplugged.)

Click here to goto the "Unplugged" info page.

In 1994, he began once again to play traditional blues; the album, From the Cradle, marked a return to raw blues standards, and it hit with critics and fans. The fifty-one-year-old Clapton shows no signs of slowing down: in February of 1997 he picked up Record of the Year and Best Male Pop Vocal Performance Grammys for "Change the World," from the soundtrack of the John Travolta movie Phenomenon.

Click here to goto the "From The Cradle" info page

Already a double inductee into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame as a member of the Yardbirds and Cream, a third nod as a solo artist is an inevitable honor for the legendary guitarist. Until Clapton springs his next album on a waiting world, fans can content themselves with his latest side project, TDF. The band's techno-pedigreed 1997 release, Retail Therapy, represents a marked musical departure from Clapton's blues-rock roots, and he appears on the album with the correspondingly off-the-wall pseudonym "X-Sample."Click here to goto the "Riding With The King" info page

Next came the acclaimed Pilgrim, which captured the Grammy nomination for Best Pop Album in ‘98. In 1999 he won a Grammy for his performance on “The Calling” from Santana’s Supernatural. Clapton revisited the blues with friend and musical legend BB King in 2000’s Riding With The King, garnering the artist more platinum and a Grammy nomination in a career full of chartbusters and precious metal.

Click here to goto the "Reptile" info pageThe only triple inductee into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame (as a member of both The Yardbirds and Cream and as a solo artist), Eric Clapton continues to astonish and delight a vast spectrum of music lovers. It’s a legacy that continues with the release of Reptile, the latest journey in the lifelong musical odyssey of an authentic musical genius.

Joe Pass

Joe Pass (born Joseph Anthony Passalaqua, January 13, 1929, New Brunswick, New Jersey, USA, died May 23, 1994, Los Angeles, California, USA), was a jazz guitar player and virtuoso.

One of the greatest solo jazz artists of all time, Joe Pass ranks as one of the best guitar players of all time not only for his knowledge of the instrument and technical ability, but his ability to compose and improvise.

His early days were spent playing with bands fronted by greats such as Tony Pastor and Charlie Barnet, honing his guitar skills and learning the music business. Unfortunately, Pass picked up some bad habits from the other jazz musicians, and quickly fell victim to a long stint of drug abuse.

Most of the 1950s for Pass were spent in relative obscurity trying to support his drug habit. After his stay at a since discredited drug rehabilitation program, Synanon healing, Pass quickly proved himself as an undisputable genius on the guitar. He then spent the next 3 decades playing with all-time jazz greats such as vocal monster Ella Fitzgerald and often played with piano great Oscar Peterson, thanks to Norman Granz, the keen producer of Verve records.

Although Pass is often overlooked by the mainstream public, the jazz community embraces his genius and he is now recognized as one of the most influential and greatest all-time jazz guitar players. His solo album "Virtuoso" is a must-have for any serious jazz collector, and all his works will continue to gain notoriety as jazz moves into the 21st century.


Discography:

Solo album titles

Two For The Road
Joy Spring
Virtuoso #3
Tudo Bem!
What Is There To Say: Joe Pass Solo Guitar
Virtuoso
Resonance
Eximious
Northsea Lights
For Django
Unforgettable
Joe's Blues
CheckMate
Blues Dues-Live At Long Beach City College
Joe Pass In Hamburg
Guitar Virtuoso [Box]
Six-String Santa
At The Montreux Jazz Festival 1975
Nuages (Live At Yoshi's, Vol. 2)
Better Days
The Best Of Joe Pass
We'll Be Together Again
Duets
Ira, George, And Joe
Songs For Ellen
Joe Pass Quartet Live At Yoshi's
My Song
Chops
Virtuoso Live!
Virtuoso #4
Finally: Live In Stockholm
Best Of Joe Pass
Appassionato
I Remember Charlie Parker
Quadrant
Summer Nights
Montreux '77
Blues For Fred
One For My Baby
University Of Akron Concert
Portraits Of Duke Ellington
Virtuoso #2
Whitestone
Joe Pass almost didn't make it as a musician due to his early battle with drug addiction. But following a successful rehab at Synanon and a recording session with fellow recovered musicians entitled Sounds of Synanon, the guitarist was signed by Dick Bock to the Pacific Jazz label. Pass made several albums as a leader and sideman for Bock, though work started drying up in the late 1960s as rock dominated the music marketplace.

But it was when Joe Pass met impressario Norman Granz that the guitarist's career took off. Granz signed him to his new Pablo label in the early 1970s and recorded him extensively, as a soloist (especially the oustanding Virtuoso series), in duos, trios and as a part of many studio and concert jam sessions. By this time Pass had developed such a virtuoso technique on his instrument that he was considered the “Art Tatum of the guitar” by many critics. Pass especially excelled in his many recordings with piano great Oscar Peterson, as the two men were energized by the stimulation of playing with a fellow master, often at a ridiculous tempo.

Strangely, Joe Pass was rarely happy with his recordings, telling liner note writer Ken Dryden that “I always feel like I could have done better.” Following a single session as a leader for Telarc, Pass made one final CD with Roy Clark (of Hee Haw fame): Roy Clark & Joe Pass Play Hank Williams, though a number of previously unissued collections of his recordings would appear after his passing. Joe Pass died of liver cancer on May 23, 1994 in Los Angeles.

Bradford Phillip Delson

Bradford Phillip Delson (born December 1, 1977) is the guitarist of the rock/nu metal band Linkin Park. He was born in Agoura, California. Brad is Jewish. He is known for wearing large headphones onstage.

He graduated from Agoura high school in 1996 and in that year he formed Xero with Mike Shinoda. He moved to college in 1996 to 2000 and graduated from UCLA with a degree in Communications but didn't go to law school so he could pursue a career in the band.

Brad's first instrument was the trumpet. Brad and fellow bandmate bass guitarist Dave Farrell (aka Phoenix) were room-mates in college so they would go to practice together. He calls himself 'Big Bad Brad' and he signs his name 'BBB'. He is a big fan of MTV and Britney Spears. Brad's obsession is sleeping.

Before Xero, he used to be in a band called Relative Degree with fellow Linkin Park bandmate drummer Rob Bourdon. Relative Degree fell apart after just one show.

Brad used to colour his hair purple in high school and was once voted the Most Unique in his high school yearbook. He used to have a mullet either in high school or college.

Brad hasn't revealed yet the reason why he wears his headphones on stage although he did say this in a shoutweb interview: "I will say that it has something to do with the matrix. Not the movie, the actual matrix and being connected with it. Mr. Hahn (Linkin Park's DJ) has been rubbing off on me. I'm starting to integrate sci-fi humor into my schtick. It probably isn't too popular with a mass audience." "But I won't give him credit for the headphones. That's all mine."

Trade Mark

Big headphones he wears for concerts and music videos.

His afro.

Trivia

Is a guitarist for the rock band, Linkin Park.

Graduated from UCLA with a degree in Communications.

Attended the same high school as 'Heather Graham I' and Shane Stanley.

He was Dave Farrell's roommate in college.

He didn't go to law school so he could pursue a career in music.

Was voted Most Unique in his high school yearbook.

Has been friends with Mike Shinoda since middle school.

Has two younger brothers.

Originally from Agoura, California.

Along with Mike Shinoda, he is a founding member of Linkin Park.

Manages some of the business aspects of Linkin Park with his father, Donn Delson.

Worked as a bouncer at The Roxy.

Gear: Gear:

* Ibanez guitars
* PRS guitars
* Mesa Boogie Dual Rectifier heads
* Mesa Boogie cabinets
* D'Addario strings (10XL)
* Boss Pedal effects
* D'Addario cables
* Dunlop picks (.83)
* Shure wireless

Bio:

Guitarist Brad Delson is often credited as being the funniest and most spontaneous member of Linkin Park. His playful sarcasm and quick wit can put you in knots with laughter (just ask his high school colleagues, who voted him "Most Unique" in the senior yearbook). But while he does possess the title of a jokester, he's also capable of being a serious person.

Brad grew up in Agoura, California and was friends with Mike Shinoda throughout his childhood. They attended Agoura High School together and graduated in 1996. It was this year when Xero was formed by the two. They remained close friends as they went to seperate colleges. Brad attended UCLA, where he met his roommate Dave Farrell, a bassist with a local punk band called Tasty Snax. Brad recruited Farrell to join Hybrid Theory, who had recently changed from 'Xero'. The rest is history. He graduated in 2000 with a bachelor's degree in Communications and was planning to go to law school until Hybrid Theory got a record deal and blew up as the newly named Linkin Park in fall 2000.

Brad handles the business side of Linkin Park with his father, Donn Delson. The two created BandMerch amid concerns over the unauthorized usage of Linkin Park's image and name on products, citing they wanted fans to get first-class, high-quality products when they purchased merchandise with the band's name on it. The company soon branched out past the borders of Linkin Park, handling merchandising affairs for some of the music industry's biggest heavy-hitters.

Delson is also the A&R representative for Linkin Park's Machine Shop Records label, most noticeably as an advisor for Fort Minor's 'The Rising Tied' which was released in fall 2005 on the imprint.
"I love playing music with my friends. I'm really proud of the record we've made and the opportunity we have to play these songs all around the world. Much respect to all the people who have supported us and help us to make dis ting happen -- Booyakasha!" -BBB

http://www.lpassociation.com

Billie Joe Armstrong

FULL NAME : Billie Joe Armstrong
BIRTHDATE : born February 17, 1972
HOMETOWN : Rodeo, California, USA
EYE COLOR : Green
NATURAL HAIR COLOR : Reddish Brown
HEIGHT : 5'7
MARTIAL STATUS : Married Adrienne Nesser (July 2, 1994)
CHILDREN : Joseph Marciano; born in March of 1995, and Jakob Danger; born September of 1998.
FAMILY : Billie's father, Andy, died of cancer when he was 10 years old (September 1982). His mom, Ollie, raised him from then on. He has 5 older siblings (David, Allen, Marcy, Holly, and Anna).
INSTRUMENTS : Guitar, harmonica, mandolin, drums, piano, and most recently, the saxophone.
RECORD COMPANY : Billie and Adrienne have co-ownership of Adeline Records.
OTHER BANDS : Billie still plays with Pinhead Gunpowder. He has also played with The Influents, Corrupted Morals, Rancid, the Lookouts, Goodbye Harry, and Blatz.


Billie Joe Armstrong was brought into this world on February 17, 1972, the youngest of six children. His father, Andy, was a part time jazz musician and a truck driver for Safeway, while his mother was a waitress at a local restaurant named Rod's Hickory Pit. Billie started singing when he was just 5 years old. He would go around to hospitals and sing to the patients to make them feel better. Then he got to record his first song, "Look for Love" at a local recording company named Fiat Records. Billie got his first electric guitar, the infamous "Blue" (a Fernandez Stratocaster), when he was 11. Billie still uses Blue to this day and has several replicas of it. At the age of 10, Billie's father died of cancer to the esophagus which spread throughout his body. His mother continued to work at Rod's Hickory Pit (a barbecue joint owned by Richard and Alice Cotton) in Vallejo, California, to support herself and her six kids. Billie Joe and Mike later worked there as busboys. Two years after the death of his father, his mother remarried to a man that Billie and his siblings detested.


Billie was 10 when he met Mike Dirnt in the school cafeteria in 1982. During sleepovers at each other's houses, they played songs by old heavy metal warhorses such as Ozzy Osbourne, Def Leppard, and Van Halen. Other influences would be the "thrash and drang" of the Bay Area's alternative music culture percolating throughout the eighties. Clubs such as Mabuhay Gardens and Berkeley's 924 Gilman Street regularly showcased local groups like the Dead Kennedys and Buck Naked. He wrote his first song, "Why Do You Want Him", a song about his mother and his step father, when he was 14. At the age of 15, Billie, Mike, and a drummer named John formed a punk band and named themselves Sweet Children. Their first gig was actually at Rod's Hickory Pit. One day before his 18th birthday, and halfway through his senior year of high school, Billie dropped out of high school (Pinole Valley High School) to devote all his time to Sweet Children. He knew what he wanted to do -- play music, and school was just getting in the way. At this point, Billie had the nickname "Two Dollar Bill", referring to the price of the joints he sold.


In 1990, John left the band to attend college. Billie and Mike were faced with the task of finding a new drummer. They knew the perfect fit, Tre Cool, a Gilman Street vetran, who was then playing in the Lookouts. Later, Sweet Children was renamed Green Day. Before they knew it, they were traveling all over the country in an old bookmobile with Tre's dad at the wheel. They did all this with little money and staying at fan's houses. It was in Minneapolis in 1990 when Billie first laid eyes on his future wife, a girl named Adrienne Nesser. They dated awhile and then were married on July 2, 1994, a 5 minute ceremony. The day after their wedding, Adrienne found out she was pregnant. Their son, Joseph Marcicano Armstrong, was born in March of 1995. Three years later on September 12, 1998, another boy, Jakob Danger was added to the Armstrong family. Today, Billie, Adrienne, Joseph, and Jakob reside in Oakland, California.


The Cottons sold Rod's Hickory Pit in 1988. It eventually became a Korean karaoke joint and was torn down last year to make way for a strip mall. - Courtney Smith
Early life

Billie Joe Armstrong was born in and grew up in Rodeo, CA, the youngest of six. His father, Andy Armstrong,[citation needed] was a retired minor league baseball player and a jazz drummer, who worked as a bartender and truck driver for Safeway to support the family. He died of cancer on September 10, 1982 when Armstrong was 10. The song "Wake Me Up When September Ends", is a memorial to his father. His mother Ollie worked at Rod's Hickory Pit, where Armstrong and Mike Dirnt got their first gig during their early years.

Armstrong's interest in music started at a young age. He recorded a song titled "Look For Love" at the age of five on the Bay Area label "Fiat Records".[1] As a teenager he originally was into metal music, but got into punk after hearing the Sex Pistols song "Holidays in the Sun".[2] Armstrong has also cited The Replacements and Hüsker Dü, both from Minneapolis, as major influences. He attended, Hillcrest Elementary School, John Swett High School, and then Pinole Valley High School, dropping out on February 16, 1990, a day before his 18th birthday, to pursue his musical career.

[edit] Career

In 1987, Armstrong formed a band called "Sweet Children" with childhood friend Mike Dirnt at the age of 15. In the beginning, Dirnt and Armstrong were both on guitar, with another person on guitar, and a man called Sean Hughes on bass. After a few gigs and a demo recording (later featured at the end of Green Day's Oh Shit!) He and Mike Dirnt decided to join up with drummer Al Sobrante in 1988. At the same time Dirnt switched to bass and they became a 3-piece band. They changed their name to Green Day in April 1989, allegedly choosing the name for their fondness of marijuana.[3] That same year they recorded the EPs 39/Smooth, 1,000 Hours, and Slappy, later combined into the LP 1,039/Smoothed Out Slappy Hours, on Lookout! Records. Tré Cool eventually replaced Sobrante in late 1990 when he left Green Day in order to go to college. California Punk band Rancid's lead singer Tim Armstrong asked Armstrong to join Rancid, but he refused due to the progress with Green Day. Tré Cool made his debut on Green Day's second album, Kerplunk!. With their next album, Dookie, the band broke through into the mainstream, and have remained one of the most popular rock bands of the 1990s and 2000s with over 60 million records sold worldwide.[4]

Apart from working with Green Day, and side-band Pinhead Gunpowder, Armstrong has proved himself busy in the music world, collaborating with many artists over the years. He has co-written for The Go-Go's ("Unforgiven"), former Avengers singer Penelope Houston ("The Angel and The Jerk" and "New Day"), co-wrote a song with Rancid ("Radio"), sung backing vocals with Melissa Auf der Maur on Ryan Adams' "Do Miss America", where they acted as the backing band for Iggy Pop on his Skull Ring album ("Private Hell" and "Supermarket"). Armstrong has produced an album for The Riverdales, and is also rumored to be part of a side project, The Network. The Network released an album called Money Money 2020. Many Green Day fans who listened to the record remarked the similarity between the two bands.[citation needed] Money Money 2020 was released on Adeline Records, a record label co-owned by Armstrong.

[edit] Equipment

Armstrong received his first electric guitar, a Fernandes Stratocaster copy that he named "Blue", when he was eleven. Armstrong said he had surprised when his mother bought the guitar from Armstrong's teacher, because he knew their family could not readily afford it. He initially installed a Bill Lawrence pickup but later switched to the Duncan JB model. He toured with this guitar from the band's early days and into their first few major-label tours. "Blue" also appears in several of their music videos starting with "Longview", "Basket Case", " Brain Stew/Jaded", and appearing most recently in "Minority". Armstrong has made several replicas of this guitar and uses them at concerts. He also owns several Gibson SGs.

Today Armstrong mainly uses Gibson and Fender guitars. Twenty of his Gibson guitars are Les Paul Junior models from the mid- to late-1950s.[5] His Fender collection includes: Stratocaster, Jazzmaster, Telecaster, and his Fernandes, "Blue". He states that his favorite guitar is a 1956 Gibson Les Paul Junior he calls "Floyd". He bought this guitar in 2000 just before recording their album Warning.[6]

Armstrong also has his own line of Les Paul Junior guitars from Gibson. He also uses his signature line now in many of his tours today.

[edit] Personal life
Armstrong after his arrest in January 2003
Armstrong after his arrest in January 2003

In 1990, Armstrong met Adrienne Nesser, whom he married on July 2, 1994. The following day, Adrienne discovered she was pregnant. Their first child, Joseph 'Joey' Marciano Armstrong, was born on February 28, 1995. Their second child, Jakob Danger Armstrong, was born on September 12, 1998. Adrienne is the co-owner of Adeline Records, along with Armstrong.

Armstrong has identified himself as bisexual, saying in a 1995 interview with The Advocate, "I think I've always been bisexual. I mean, it's something that I've always been interested in. I think people are born bisexual, and it's just that our parents and society kind of veer us off into this feeling of 'Oh, I can't.' They say it's taboo. It's ingrained in our heads that it's bad, when it's not bad at all. It's a very beautiful thing."[7][8] Armstrong briefly went vegetarian but began eating meat again after experiencing substantial weight loss.However his favorite meal is vegetarian lasange.[9]

Armstrong was arrested in January 2003 for drunk driving after being pulled over by police for speeding. He received a breathalyzer reading of 0.18, more than twice the state's legal limit of 0.08.[10] In April 2007, Armstrong and his wife sent photos of their spring break working with Habitat For Humanity, as well as a diary to GreenDay.net.

Billie Joe Armstrong supports Barack Obama for the 2008 presidential election.[11]

Awards

* Grammy for Best Rock Album for American Idiot - February 2005
* Grammy for Record of the Year for "Boulevard of Broken Dreams" - February 2006
* Grammy for Best Alternative Music Performance for Dookie - February 1995
* Won MTV VMA Moonmen for Boulevard of Broken Dreams and 1 for American Idiot - August 2005
* Won ASCAP Honor Awards for Creative Voice and Song of the Year ("Boulevard of Broken Dreams") - May 2006
* Won MTV Europe Awards for Best Album and Best Rock Group - November 2005

Discography

Green Day

* 1,039/Smoothed Out Slappy Hours (1990) -- Lead Vocals, Guitar
* Kerplunk! (1992) -- Lead Vocals, Guitar, Drums on "Dominated Love Slave"
* Dookie (1994) -- Lead Vocals, Guitar, Percussion on "All By Myself (hidden track)"
* Insomniac (1995) -- Lead Vocals, Guitar
* Nimrod (1997) -- Lead Vocals, Guitar, Harmonica on "King for a Day"
* Warning (2000) -- Lead Vocals, mandolin, Guitar, Harmonica on "Minority"
* Shenanigans (2002) -- Lead Vocals, Guitar, Harmonica
* American Idiot (2004) -- Lead Vocals, Guitar, Harmonica

Pinhead Gunpowder

Vocals and Guitar on all

* Fahiza EP (1992)
* Jump Salty (1995)
* Carry The Banner (1995)
* Goodbye Ellston Avenue (1997)
* Shoot the Moon EP (1999)
* 8 Chords, 328 Words EP (2000)
* Compulsive Disclosure (2003)

The Network

* Money Money 2020 (2003) -- Lead Vocals, Guitar

Foxboro Hot Tubs

* Stop Drop and Roll (2008) -- Lead Vocals

Adelleda

* A Reasonable Explanation For Life (2008) -- Producer

Notes

1. ^ Record Mecca
2. ^ Armstrong, Billie Joe (2005). ""The Sex Pistols"". Rolling Stone.
3. ^ Metropolis - Music and Concerts: Green Day
4. ^ Myers, Ben. "Green Day: American Idiot and the New Punk Explosion" April, 2006.
5. ^ Gibson USA & Green Day present
6. ^ Gibson USA & Green Day present
7. ^ (January 24, 1995)"Coming Clean"
8. ^ Libertarian Celebrities - Advocates for Self-Government
9. ^ Billie Joe Armstrong Trivia - Billie Joe Armstrong Facts - Billie Joe Armstrong Notes
10. ^ TSG Mug Shot: Billie Joe Armstrong
11. ^ Artists Lend Voices to Obama Campaign : Rolling Stone

External links
Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to:
Billie Joe Armstrong
Wikimedia Commons has media related to:
Billie Joe Armstrong

* Green Day Official Website
* Green Day Idiot Club
* Billie Joe Biography, as well as information on his stint in Common Rider
* Billie Joe Armstrong at the Internet Movie Database
* Billie Joe Armstrong Signature Les Paul Junior