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Agustin Barreto, a native of San Juan, PR, started playing electric bass at age 16 and soon discovered his gift and passion for music.
He developed quickly as a bassist playing in many local bands, including the popular "DEFENSA PROPIA", one of the first bands on the small island to play American Rock and Roll with a Spanish POV.
After a few years of "gigging around town" he landed several jobs playing on local TV shows. Amazed at how quickly doors were opening for him he decided to study music formally and thus become a professional musician.
In 1992 he enrolled in "LA UNIVERSIDAD INTERAMERICANA DE PUERTO RICO". As a college student he was a standout for his instrumental facility, knowledge of theory and professional discipline and soon started landing jobs as a studio bassist and musical director for many well-known Puerto Rican recording artists.
In 1999 he became the Musical Director and Bassists for the #1 late night talk show in Puerto Rico, "ANDA PAL CARA" and was quickly touted as one of the premier bassists of Puerto Rico. This new notoriety led to many prestigious jobs.
His high level of virtuosity and musicality led to endorsements by "S.I.T. STRINGS" , "AGUILAR AMP" and "RADIAL ENGINEERING".
Shortly after his arrival in Miami, in 2002, he was contracted to play bass on the original recording of "TRIBUTE TO AMERICA" which was designated by the U.S Congress as "THE HYMN OF THE NEW MILLENNIUM".
In 2010 he released a Fusion Jazz Album titled " Between My Walls" that sold thousands of copies was pre-nominated for a Latin Grammy and nominated for Paoli Award.
Barreto is currently working at the Univision Network in Miami as a Senior Music Composer and Sound Designer, where he has been honored with,1 National Emmy (Nomination), 9 Telly Awards, 9 Ascap Awards, 1 Gabriel Award and 1 Above & Beyond Award ( Univison Award)- Actor
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Mark White (born on July 7, 1962, in New York City) is the bass guitarist for Spin Doctors, an early 1990s rock band. He has collaborated to play alternative, funk and blues rock with many musical groups, including The Heavy Pets, The Robotix, Eight53, Free World Jazz Ensemble. As a songwriter and bass player, he is an active teacher in several high-profile rock and jazz schools. Mark White has also been an outspoken advocate for atheist rights.- Actor
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Dre DiMura is an American musician and actor, best known for his work as a guitarist and creator on TikTok. He began his professional career at age 14, performing at clubs and theaters in the New York metropolitan area. DiMura attended the Princeton School of Rock and played guitar in several local bands before relocating to Los Angeles in 2015 to pursue a career as a session musician. Shortly thereafter, DiMura was cast by director David Fincher in Living on Video (HBO), and appeared with Ciara and Iron Chef Alex Guarnaschelli in a two episode special of Nickelodeon sitcom, Nicky, Ricky, Dicky and Dawn. He was a touring member of Australian rock band Evol Walks beginning in 2015, and also toured with Palaye Royale. Between 2015-17, he released two EPs with blues-rock trio, Lunar Electric; the latter a visual concept album produced and directed by DiMura.
In 2019 he toured with Diamante, supporting bands like Breaking Benjamin, Three Days Grace and Chevelle on tour. Diamante released her sophomore album, "American Dream" in 2021, for which DiMura provided lead guitar. He was featured in Guitar World and Guitar Player magazines for his blindfolded cover of guitarist, Eric Johnson's instrumental composition, Cliffs of Dover. The guitarist's 2020 release, "Died in Dallas" (featuring Periphery frontman Spencer Sotelo) was also included in Guitar World's "Essential Guitar Tracks". He co-wrote and produced the song, "Invisible" with artist Alexa Villa, which was featured in the SHOWTIME limited series, "The Comey Rule" in late 2020. During the COVID-19 pandemic, DiMura began posting on TikTok, entering into several lucrative brand partnerships, and experiencing viral success as a creator.- Xander Demos is a rock and metal guitarist residing in Pittsburgh, PA. Signed to Rock 'n' Growl Records for digital distribution, his "Guitarcadia" CD was released worldwide in August 2012. The album was mixed and mastered by CJ Snare, lead singer of the band, Firehouse. Xander is also a member of James Rivera's Sabbath Judas Sabbath, has toured with Tim "Ripper" Owens and fronts his original band XDB. McNaught Guitars produced the first Xander Demos Signature Guitar in 2012 and he is currently endorsed by several companies that specialize in high-tech music gear such as Fractal Audio, Mission Engineering and Conklin Guitars.
- Born Lance Eric Etchells in Phoenix Arizona. Divorced in 2011 after step son Dustin James Feldhaus was killed in Afghanistan while serving in the Army's 101st Airbourne. Lance has toured playing bass since 2003 with the 80s Rock band Bang Tango and also is the bass player for Color of Chaos and Terashain.
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Jeff Senour - Screen Actors Guild Pilot, CTS Founder/Songwriter/Lead Vocals /Guitar. Jeff is an Airline/Movie Film Pilot, Father, Professional Singer/Songwriter, and Band Leader. Jeff's Hollywood aerial film credits include some of the biggest movie hits of our time: True Lies, Executive Decision, Hot Shots, Space Cowboys, and Silence of the Lambs. His love of music began early with the rock & roll classics of the 60's & 70's. Picking up a guitar at the age of 8, Jeff now writes & records his original compositions with the band he formed in 2002, CTS (Called To Serve). In 2009, Jeff created a new era for the award-winning CTS band with the introduction of the "Freedom Rock Experience." The band performs around the country with high school orchestras on stage inspiring the youth of America. From radio charts to awards, from aviation to music, Jeff believes in living your dreams and with hard work you can achieve anything you put your mind to.- Composer
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Born and raised in Morristown, NJ. Son of Eddie Ward, a well-known magician and Paula Moore, who had done some modeling. Steve was encouraged to act on stage at age 7. He also acted for local amateur filmmakers.
At age 19, Steve enlisted in the U.S. Navy. While not working on the flight decks of aircraft carriers, he worked with local community centers: Acting as a clown during special events or as a monster during Halloween events. In addition to acting, Steve did all his own makeup (after learning that wearing theatrical makeup was more practical and fun as opposed to wearing Halloween masks).
Having found a passion for singing, he also got involved in providing lead vocals for rock bands in the 1980s.
In the 1990s, after Steve was honorably discharged from the Navy, Steve pursued acting and got himself an agent in NYC. Unfortunately, he kept missing the agent's calls and was eventually dropped. Later, Steve networked on his own and was slated to play one of two male leads in a 'B' horror film... And like a few other projects that Steve was to be in, that one never saw the light of day: Most likely due to lack of funding.
After putting acting and singing aside for a while during the early millennium years, he decided to learn how to play guitar with the help of his close friend, Bobby McAdams, who had been Ace Frehley's guitar tech during rock band KISS's heyday. From there, Steve produced a few of his own music videos and became noticed by local filmmakers: Bruce Bertrand of Early Films and Nathan Waire (AKA Nathan Zen-Sapien) of Sapien Films among others.
Steve and his wife, Mindy, live in Wind Gap, Pennsylvania. He continues to create music independently as well as with other musicians while keeping his options open for other acting endeavors.- Desi was born in Brooklyn, NY and has been playing multiple keyboards, composing, and arranging for many years. Desi is the author, composer, and producer for The Tribulation Rock "Operalet". He also did the score for Under the Influence, a Magic City film. He also composes music for TV Commercials. He has a love for Theatrical, Classical and Progressive Rock music. He composes a wide range of material from pop to his Piano Concerto # 1 (Movements 1, 2 & 3).
He had the opportunity to study music with teachers like John Corrigan, recommended by the Julliard School of Music. He also studied piano and voice with Don Felice Alfino, master of over 13 instruments, who came from the Conservatory of Music in Italy. Due to his interest in performance, he also studied dance with Frank Hatchett and Frankie Anne at the Hines and Hatchett Studio on Broadway to enhance his understanding and connection to performance.
He has been a Music Director and Band Leader for many acts touring internationally and enjoyed sharing the stage with some national acts such as U2, Kid Rock, Cindy Lauper, Joan Jett, Joe Perry (Aerosmith) and Twisted Sister.
Desi owns and operates a digital studio for Desbee Enterprises, LLC. His background in music, composition, producing, and audio technology gives him a fertile landscape for his creations. - Actor
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Jay Dee Bentley is the bassist in the veteran punk rock band Bad Religion. He was born on June 6th, 1964 in Wichita, Kansas. Eventually Bentley and his family moved to the San Fernando Valley. It was there that he attended El Camino High, along with Greg Graffin and Brett Gurewitz (the two other forming members of Bad Religion).
In 1984 Jay Bentley left Bad Religion. He found a job as a machinist, making parts for airplanes and space shuttles. He left that job a short time after, realizing that he wished to be in a band once more. Greg Graffin asked Bentley to return to Bad Religion in 1986; Jay agreed to play one show, and has stayed with Bad Religion for twenty-one years.
Bentley resides in Southern California with his wife Natalia Fabia and their daughter. He has two sons, Miles and Hunter.- As of August, 2007
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Played guitar for Magazine, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Visage, Armoury Show and Public Image Ltd.. He has been credited as an inspiration by U2 and most of the world's biggest rock bands. The Red Hot Chili Peppers' John Frusciante recently said that he taught himself to play "learning all John McGeoch's stuff in Magazine and Siouxsie and the Banshees". In the mid-90s he worked on more dance-oriented material with Heaven 17's Glenn Gregory and a projected band, Pacific, with Spandau Ballet's John Keeble, came to nothing He qualified as a nurse in 1995, but had lately been writing music for television as subsequent generations of guitarists hailed him. Siouxsie Sioux once described McGeoch as "my favorite guitarist of all time". He is survived by his partner Sophie and daughter Emily.- Actor
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He is the keyboardist in the Swedish hard rock band Europe. Like many of the other Europe members he grew up in Stockholm suburb Upplands Väsby. He joined the band in 1984, taking vocalist Joey Tempest's place behind the keyboards.
Michaeli has co-written several Europe songs; the most famous song is the hit ballad "Carrie" from the album The Final Countdown. The song was co-written by Michaeli and Tempest, and was Europe's biggest hit in the USA, reaching the Top 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart .
During the break from Europe, Michaeli recorded and toured with bands like Brazen Abbot, Last Autumn's Dream and former Black Sabbath / Deep Purple vocalist Glenn Hughes.
Michaeli is divorced and currently living in Stockholm. He has three children, Marcus, Moa and Matilda.- Composer
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Max Polsky is a composer, songwriter, and performer who attended Berklee College of Music and graduated with a major in Film Composition.
Max specializes in the genres of classical film composing and songwriting for metal, rock, progressive rock, jazz, electronic, and funk. He has written music in all of those genres and has conducted orchestra and band performances for several film projects. Max also has written music for musical theater and dance performances.
Along with his composing and songwriting, Max is professional guitarist who regularly performs in multiple bands in various genres, including metal, pop, alternative rock, and progressive rock.
Max is very interested in working on film projects, both big and small, and would like to meet filmmakers and composers at all stages of their careers.- Actor
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In the words of Kurt Cobain " I'd rather be hated for who I am than loved for who I am not."
Michael Rubin was born in Whitestone, New York. His parents introduced him to music while in utero, listening to Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Zappa - the classics.
It was his grandfather who handed him his first guitar, the one Christmas gift that forever changed his life. Guitar Hero was fun to play but when he actually held a guitar he knew the game wouldn't be enough.
From that moment on his passion for the instrument began his journey into songwriting.
By the age of 10 Michael was attending classes at School of Rock. "I felt at home there," he recalls, "there were other kids just like me." It was School of Rock that introduced Michael to performing. The school had such a profound impact on him that he is now one of the top instructors/directors at three (3) New York area School of Rocks in which he is the co-owner. He is presently using his teaching skills to create an instructional video series in partnership with ESP Guitars, one of his musical instrument endorsers.
At the age of 13, Michael formed his band, The Inoculated Canaries. He was in his Science class when the instructor mentioned inoculating canaries during the bird flu. The band's first EP The Blue Laws was soon followed by their single "Don't Be Late" and an acoustic version of the song "Jericho". Their second EP, Trying Times was also followed by singles "Count Me Out", "Who Are You?", "The Lawyer's Wife", "Sneakers", "Donna" and "Hypocrite".
Michael describes the Canaries: "We want to take those raw human emotions that we all feel in the darkness of our minds and write songs about them. We're not here to be rich or famous, we're here to be great. To us, greatness means making music that is real, and the best, but always being original. Greatness is sometimes having to stick up your middle finger to authority, convention and even the person in the mirror.... Side effects may include crying, laughing, a sudden sense of existential dread and/or hearing loss."
Michael formed a second band, King Falcon. They released their debut single "Shake!, Shake! Shake!" early 2020. "We thought if you took characters from one tv show and made a spin-off that is what King Falcon would be." It's a bit more commercial and modern.
Signed to Mascot Records and Mascot Label Group they released "When the Party is Over" along with a fun holiday song "Dear Mrs. Claus". The self titled album King Falcon is scheduled to be released summer 2023.
During the Covid pandemic, Michael played Ace Frehley from Kiss in the film Spinning Gold to be released March 2023.
Both bands are actively writing, recording and performing.
Today, Michael is endorsed by ESP Guitars. Matt Masciandaro, president & CEO comments: "ESP works with many of rock's leading guitarists, and Michael's amazing technique, stylistic range, tone, and phrasing make him a welcome addition to our team." Tony Rauser, director of Artist Relations, adds: "We are happy to welcome Michael Rubin of King Falcon to the ESP artist family! Michael's unique and melodic playing style is showcased perfectly in his first ESP video lesson series."
Michael is also endorsed by Ernie Ball.- Composer
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WATT WHITE is an award-winning composer, singer, songwriter and producer, specializing in music for advertising/TV across multiple genres.
In 2022, the "A Song For Every CMO" campaign for Spotify Advertising won multiple CLIO awards-- including GOLD for Music--for Watt and his collaborators at FCB New York.
An experienced freelance composer, WATT also has 10 years combined experience as Creative Director for both MassiveMusic NY and Sticky Audio Labs in NYC.
He has written original songs, mnemonics and jingles for hundreds of advertising campaigns, and has scored TV shows including Discovery's MOONSHINERS, Nat Geo's LIVE FREE OR DIE, THE GREAT HUMAN RACE, and many more.
WATT's original 2017 Modern-Rock EP "EYE OF THE STORM" has garnered 100 Million Spotify streams and 125 Million YouTube views to date, and its' title track was the opening theme for the 2018 NHL Stanley Cup Playoff broadcasts.
WATT recently composed the brand theme music for the BALLY SPORTS NETWORK, which launched 4/1/21.
As a vocalist and performer, WATT has shared legendary stages with Tony-winners, Sung a WWE Superstar's theme song, and toured with Megadeth.
Watt has served as Musical Director for Tony Winning Broadway rock diva Lena Hall, and produced her debut release "Sin & Salvation - Live At The Carlyle", recorded during their 2 week run at the legendary NYC venue, as well as her 2020 studio album "The Villa Satori: Growing Up Haight Ashbury". They are currently working on an all-original Broadway-themed podcast for 2020.
As leader of NYC Punk-Metal band The SmashUp, he toured the US, Canada and UK with Megadeth, Deftones, and the full Vans Warped Tour, logging 30,000 road miles and earning fans nationwide as well as video play for his self-directed video "No Name" on MTV and FUSE.
He has run at least one mile every day since 2/21/94.
Specialties: Music composition, Production, Songwriting, Professional Vocalist, Voiceover- Composer
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Instrumental rock guitarist Steve Morse (b. 28 July 1954, Hamilton, Ohio, USA) took his primary influence, like so many others, from the Beatles. Expanding his listening to include prevalent rock bands such as the Yardbirds, Jimi Hendrix and Led Zeppelin, as well as a nascent interest in country music, Morse moved with his family to Georgia at the age of 13. There he was captivated by a live concert by classical guitarist Juan Mercadal, and he persuaded the artist to give him lessons. He went on to study with Mercadal at the University of Miami, while also assembling his first band, Dixie Dregs (aka the Dregs). Inspired by a campus performance from John McLaughlin's original Mahavishnu Quartet, he dedicated himself to exploring the conventions and frontiers of instrumental rock music. The Dregs, essentially a vehicle for these experiments, went on to record eight albums of bright, impressive fusion. Morse qualified as a pilot during this time, and flying remains his greatest passion outside of music. He formed the Steve Morse Band with the Dregs drummer Rod Morgenstein and bass player Jerry Peek. Their 1984 debut, The Introduction, continued to mine a particularly adept blend of instrumental rock fusion, with a guest role for guitarist Albert Lee. There was more of a vocal presence for Stand Up, which featured appearances from two other renowned guitarists, Eric Johnson and Peter Frampton. After a brief spell with Kansas Morse recorded his first "solo" collection, High Tension Wires, which also included a reunion of the original Dixie Dregs on the track "Leprechaun Promenade". By the advent of Southern Steel, the Steve Morse Band was a core team of Morse, his Dixie Dregs colleague Dave LaRue (bass), and Van Romaine (drums). In addition to his work with his own band, Morse recorded and toured with the re-formed Dixie Dregs throughout the 90s. The acclaim surrounding Morse has rarely died down throughout his career - Guitar Player magazine made him ineligible for their Best Overall Guitarist poll after he won it five times in succession. He has also collaborated with artists including Eddie Van Halen, Steve Howe and Lynyrd Skynyrd, and accepted an invitation to join Deep Purple for a spell in 1994. The Steve Morse Band's sixth album, Structural Damage, revealed an undiminished talent, and included the Celtic-influenced "Sacred Ground" and the cinematic "Dreamland". He now continues his career recording with Deep Purple as well as working on various solo projects. His latest album "Split Decision" was released in Feb 2002. The long awaited new studio album from Deep Purple is due to be released later that year.- Composer
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Joe Pignato is an award-winning composer and guitarist who has written music featured in a variety of multimedia projects. He began his musical journey by studying guitar and playing in local bands. In 2010 Joe got a chance to put his guitar skills to the test when he took the stage to jam with his hero, guitar legend Steve Vai. Ironically, a few months later Vai would choose Joe as a winner for the Guitar Center Private Session Guitar Competition. After some sound advice from Mr. Vai, Joe went on to study film score composition and orchestration and began his career as a visual media composer. Using contemporary composition techniques along with experience as a rock musician Joe writes in a diverse range of genres. His music has been used to underscore projects for clients such as as, Verizon, ABC, MTV, SyFy, Lifetime, USA Network, and many more.- Actor
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Blade's Grandfather, Herb Rogers, was a well-known theatre producer who produced over 500 large-scale professional Equity shows. His father, Scott Rogers is a successful acting coach for film and television and his mother, Jeanne Rogers (aka Jean Bardwell) is a New York actress and drama teacher, trained by legendary acting teacher Sanford Meisner.
Blade was watching professional theatre from backstage before he could talk and knew at a young age that he would somehow be involved in the business but he also wanted to do it on his own terms. Currently living in Hawaii, Blade had a lead role in the 2004 independent film "Paradise Dreams" at the Hawaii International Film Festival and he just finished shooting his guest staring role of Ian in the new TV series "Flight 29 Down" for NBC/Discovery Channel. He also enjoys more challenging roles like playing Mercutio in Shakespeare's "Romeo & Juliet", recently in Honolulu. He writes, directs and edits his own films which is beginning to make him known on the festival circuit.
Blade also eats, drinks, and breathes music. When he's not listening to it, he's playing it or writing it. He taught himself to play the guitar at age 11 and now plays guitar and sings in, not one but, two local rock bands. He also plays violin, ukulele, drums, and just about any other instrument he's ever picked up. He's won Gold and Silver Medals in State Wide Jiu-jitsu Tournaments and trains with World Renowned Jiu-jitsu Master Relson Gracie.- Actor
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Born in London on March 4, 1948, Chris Squire engaged in a highly musical childhood, including singing in St. Paul's distinguished youth choir. In 1968, he was introduced to aspiring tenor vocalist Jon Anderson in a London bar, "La Chasse". They soon found that they shared similar ideas of how music should sound. After getting a few other musicians to join, art rock band Yes was formed. Success for the band did not occur until 1971 and the release of 'The Yes Album', 'Fragile' and 'Close to the Edge'. Each of which featured Chris' innovative, complex bass riffs and tenor vocals. Squire has continued on in Yes full term, being the only member to appear on every Yes album. He made a solo album called 'Fish Out of Water' in 1975 at his home studio near Virginia Water, Surrey. Chris is married and has four daughters and a son. He lives in the USA with wife Scotty.- Producer
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James Gadon is an Italian-Canadian Writer, Producer, Musician and Filmmaker. He is a graduate of Bowdoin College where he majored in Psychology and played on the Men's Varsity Ice Hockey Team. James writes and produces music independently, with 'Sunrise in the Desert' and with Toronto rock band, 'The Hollowbodies'. James is the Creative Director of Route 84 Music Inc. and co-owner of 'Six Miles Productions Inc.' where he writes and produces for film and television.- Producer
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LA-based composer, studio owner, producer and multi-instrumentalist Pete Mills began his life's purpose pursuing music at the age of six. Pete has played in many bands, signed multiple record deals and toured worldwide, as well as spent many hours in the recording studio, honing his craft.
Pete has worked extensively in the genres of rock, punk, pop, country, hip-hop, darkwave and k-pop. Driven by his adaptive skillset, Pete crystallizes the vision of the artists and labels he works with. In addition to working at the Village Recorder, Warehouse Studio, Armoury Studio, and Kingsize Soundlabs to name a few, Pete has created his own recording room entitled The Audio Studio.
The Audio Studio client list: Sheryl Crow, Billy Sheehan, The Dickies, Bobby Brown, Darren King, Teddy Riley, Walter Lure, The Doors, William Shatner, Melissa Manchester, Carmine Appice, Mike Pinera, Robben Ford, Shuggie Otis, Soft Cell, Moving Units, Trisha Paytas, Jackie Cruz, Mumiy Troll, Arthur Brown, Sean "Diddy" Combs, Jasmine Kara, Bonnie Pointer, Tiffany and many more.
Pete has collaborated, produced, engineered and mixed alongside Dave "Rave" Ogilvie (Nine Inch Nails), Teddy Riley (Blackstreet), Douglas "Voli" Martung (J. Cole), GGGarth Richardson (Rage Against The Machine), Michael Patterson (Black Rebel Motorcycle Club), Adam Hamilton (L.A. Guns) and Robert Margouleff (DEVO). Production for record labels and movie companies include: Warner, Sony ATV, Cleopatra, BMG, Universal, Bad Boy, Geffen, Bulletproof, Mint, Guild of Canada, Movie Central and Canadian Film Council.
Notable accomplishments include: recording Sheryl Crow for William Shatner's album "Seeking Major Tom," playing bass on Russian rock band Mumiy Troll's album "Piratskie Kopii," remixing Soft Cell's "Tainted Love," remixing Sean "Diddy" Combs' "Come To Me," assisting engineering on the Chinese film "800", recording 13 k-pop tribute albums in one year, co-producing the hit "More Bounce In California" which inspired the SNL sketch featuring this song entitled "Slow Motion Hallway" starring Josh Brolin and recording MuteMath's drummer Darren King.
In addition to these collaborations with other artists and music professionals, Pete also composes and performs with his darkwave band, The Sweet Kill, which teems with unbridled gothic angst.- Music Artist
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Billy Moran is a composer, songwriter, and performer best known for his work as lead guitarist for the indie rock group Louden Swain. The group, fronted by Rob Benedict, perform as the house band for all of the official fan conventions for the TV series Supernatural which stars Jensen Ackles and Jared Padalecki.
Billy also wrote and arranged the music for several Louden Swain songs; Carpool Lane, Mrs. Vance, She Waits, Past Perfect, Fifteen, Honey Bee, This Is How, and Help You. The latter was placed on the soundtrack for the feature film "A Little Help" starring Jenna Fischer & Rob Benedict.
He has worked with acclaimed composer Jay Gruska to help track the heavy guitar riffs featured in the comedy series Kings Of Con.- Actor
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Tracii Guns (born Tracy Richard Irving Ulrich in Hollywood, California) is an iconic guitarist who has played with numerous well known bands and solo artists.
His signature guitar playing is reminiscent of early Aerosmith and Van Halen but in the last couple of decades he has added his own special flair creating the backbone for an unique and innovative sound, becoming one of the most influential guitarists to emerge out of the 80's Hollywood scene. His creative repertoire is also impressive as he is registered as a composer/songwriter on more than 135 titles.
His first real guitar influence was Jimmy Page. When he was six, he heard "Whole Lotta Love" on the radio in the backseat of his mom's car. He asked what that was, and his mom told him it was Jimmy Page from Led Zeppelin. He then knew what he wanted to do; he wanted to make that sound and he knew he was going to make a special impact in music.
Tracii's uncle (Ron Ulrich) played guitar and he was actually the one who taught him to play. That's where it all started from.
He put his first band together when he was 12 or 13 and played around. Tracii's first real important adventure in music was in 1983 when he formed L.A. Guns with singer Michael Jagosz, bass player Ole Beich and drummer Rob Gardner. When Jagosz had to leave the band soon after, Axl Rose of Hollywood Rose replaced him.
In 1985 Tracii formed a new band with Hollywood Rose frontman Axl Rose. They put the two band names together; Guns 'N' Roses was born, but they both finally went separate ways and Tracii rejoined L.A. Guns.
After some lineup changes, the band finally signed with Polygram Records in 1987 recording their first album titled "L.A. Guns". Over 1,000,000 copies were sold earning the band its first platinum album award. A compilation of the videos made for this first album also earned the band a gold video award.
In 1989 the band went into the studio to record their second album titled "Cocked and Loaded". They sold over 1,000,000 copies earning the band its second platinum record award. The video compilation of this second album earned the band a second gold video award.
Their third album "Hollywood Vampires" was released in 1991. Over 1,000,000 copies were sold earning the band its third platinum album award.
In 1993 Tracii participated in the supergroup Contraband with Michael Schenker (Scorpions, UFO), Bobby Blotzer (Ratt), Share Pedersen (Vixen) and Richard Black (Shark Island). The band released only one self-titled album in 1991.
Tracii Guns also recorded other studio albums with L.A. Guns followed by successful World Tours
In 1993 Tracii released his one and only solo record entitled "Killing Machine". The album was re-released in 1999 by Deadline Records. The album was published in Europe with a different title "All Eyes Are Watching".
In late 2002 Tracii decided to join Mötley Crüe bassist Nikki Sixx to create the project Brides of Destruction, signing on as lead guitarist. The new band embarked on a World Tour in 2004, releasing their first album titled "Here Come the Brides".
In 2005 the second album of the band was released with Scott Sorry replacing Nikki Sixx. It was called "Runaway Brides". After the album's supporting World Tour, Tracii decided to revive the most important band of his life: L.A. Guns.
There have been some lineup changes since then. The band has always been a work in progress without an end in sight continually touring, writing and recording a huge variety of rock and roll sounds. Some people believe that L.A. Guns may be the last true Rock and Roll band that hasn't had to rely on outside writers or the help of corporate funding to have continued success.
The current lineup in L.A. Guns is Tracii Guns (guitar), Danny Nordahl (bass), Chad Stewart (drums and percussion) and Jizzy Pearl (vocals), with whom Tracii recorded the album "Shrinking Violet" back in 1999.
They have now been recruited by Favored Nations (a major label owned by the virtuoso guitarist Steve Vai) and writing new music together in order to release a new studio album in the near future.- Actor
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Rickey Medlocke has been performing onstage since the age of three. His grandfather, well-known Delta blues musician Shorty Medlocke, brought the young Rickey along to perform with him every Saturday night on a local television program, "The Toby Dowdy Show". Rickey would play a miniature banjo Shorty had taught him to play. From ages 3-8 Rickey accompanied Shorty on the air and at live shows, and over the years his musical talents and natural abilities grew. By age 5 he had taught himself to play guitar and by age 8 he was playing drums in Shorty's band, at local dances and auditoriums. Over the years Rickey's love of music and performing pushed him to excel at playing other instruments--mandolin, dobro, keyboards and particularly the guitar. Rickey also has a melodic singing voice, and had taught himself how to sing and play guitar at the same time.
While in high school Rickey got the acting bug and performed in school productions of shows like "West Side Story," "Oklahoma" and "Brigadoon". When he graduated from high school there was a blossoming music scene in southern Florida, and Rickey couldn't resist its pull. He formed a band with his childhood friends and called it Blackfoot in honor of their Native American heritage. He had also grown up with members of another Jacksonville band, Lynyrd Skynyrd, and when Blackfoot's attempts to move to the north (New York and New Jersey) didn't seem to be successful, he called Skynyrd leader Ronnie Van Zant, who asked him to come play drums with the soon to be legendary band. Rickey wrote and sometimes sang with Skynyrd, but sitting behind a drum kit could never satisfy the energetic, charismatic performing personality of Rickey Medlocke. Eventually he decided to re-form Blackfoot, in which he sang and played lead guitar, in addition to writing or co-writing most of the band's songs. Blackfoot was a Southern band but also a hard rock band, and that helped them to stand ou. For the next several years Blackfoot toured the world incessantly.
Spurred on by hit singles like "Train Train", "Highway Song" and "Fly Away", Blackfoot has sold five million records throughout their career. In the early 1990s Rickey finally decided to break up the band he'd started and thought about pursuing his other career goals, including acting. However, Lynyrd Skynyrd founder Gary Rossington phoned Rickey and invited him to rejoin the band, this time in the pivotal role of lead guitarist and as one of the primary songwriters, and this was something Rickey could never turn down. Since his rejoining the band in 1996, Lynyrd Skynyrd has been enjoying a major resurrection, and to date the band has sold almost 40 million albums worldwide.
In 2000 Rickey saw the new millennium as time for some new challenges and decided that he wanted to pursue the acting career he'd always dreamed of. He began studying and reading for parts. William Shatner cast Rickey in his first role, in Groom Lake (2002). Since then he has appeared on TV, in another film that has yet to be released and in print ads and radio commercials.
In his spare time between all his work, Rickey is working on a book about his music career and on a solo album.- Composer
Brett W. McCoy is a multimedia composer and guitarist living in the Washington DC area. With wide experience in a variety of musical styles, studio and production techniques, he has forged a sound that is both ancient and modern.
Starting with traditional guitar lessons while in high school, he found himself drawn to the theory and composition side of his musical studies and immersed himself more deeply into writing music rather than just performing it.
Another early interest was using computers to create music, initially inspired after getting a DIY computer kit and learning how to create rudimentary machine code programs to generate musical sounds. Later on he delved into producing music with Amiga computers and moved on to using Windows and Linux systems.
Combining all of these endeavors is what has brought him to the present, using computers and related technology to produce music for visual media.
In addition, he has combined his passion for technology with pursuing studies in a wide variety of musical styles and genres, including rock, folk, heavy metal, medieval & Renaissance music, world music and symphonic film music.- Actor
- Music Department
- Soundtrack
Jesse Everett Hughes is an American singer, songwriter, and musician. He is best known as the frontman of the rock band Eagles of Death Metal, with whom he has recorded four studio albums and a live album. Eagles of Death Metal is an American rock band from Palm Desert, California, formed in 1998 by best friends Jesse Hughes and Josh Homme.