name	Hagar
birth date	c. 2000 BCE
birth place	Egypt
death place	Desert of Paran
children	Ishmael }}

Hagar (, "Stranger"; ''Agar''; ; ; Hājar), according to the Abrahamic faiths, was the second wife of Abraham, () and the mother of his first son, Ishmael. Her story is recorded in the Book of Genesis, mentioned in Hadith, and alluded to in the Qur'an. Hagar's son, Ishmael, is the patriarch of the Ishmaelites.

Hagar in Genesis

''This is a summary of the account of Hagar from ''

Hagar and Abram

Hagar was an Egyptian handmaiden of Sarai, the first wife of Abram, who served her mistress less than ten years since coming out of Egypt. Hagar was offered, by her mistress, to Abram to be as a second “wife”. Sarai presented this offering to her husband because she had been barren for so long and sought a way to fulfill God's promise, especially since they were getting older. ()

When Hagar realized that she was pregnant, she began to despise her mistress. Sarai sensed her slave's attitude which caused her to suffer greatly. Sarai then consulted her husband about the matter who gave her permission to do with Hagar as she saw fit. Sarah dealt with her harshly, which resulted in Hagar fleeing from Abram’s settlement. ()

Hagar fled into the desert on her way to Shur. En route, an angel of Yahweh appeared to Hagar at the well of a spring. He instructed her to return to Sarai her mistress, so that she may bear a child who "shall be a wild donkey of a man, his hand against everyone and everyone's hand against him, and he shall dwell over against all his kinsmen." Then she was told to call her son: Ishmael. Afterward, Hagar referred to God as "El-roi," meaning that she had gone on living after God saw her. From that day, the well was called Beer-lahai-roi. She then did as she was instructed by returning to Abram in order to have her child. When Abram was eighty-six years of age, Hagar gave birth to his firstborn son named Ishmael. ()

Hagar freed

When Isaac was born to Sarah (Sarai), the relationship between Hagar and her mistress had come to a climax. At a celebration after Isaac was weaned, Sarah found the teenaged Ishmael mocking her son. She was so upset by it that she demanded from her husband, who was now referred to as Abraham, to send Hagar and her son away. She declared that Ishmael would not share in Isaac's inheritance. Abraham was greatly distressed by his wife's words and sought the advice of his God. Yahweh told Abraham not to be distressed but to do as his wife commanded because not only would Isaac carry the Abrahamic line, but also a nation would come from the line of Ishmael as well. ()

Early the next morning, Abraham brought Hagar and Ishmael out together. He released Hagar and her son from being slaves of their household. Hagar would now be a free woman, and Ishmael a free man as a teenager. Under Mesopotamian law, their freedom absolved them from laying claim to any inheritance that Abraham and Sarah had. Abraham gave Hagar bread and water for a journey into the wilderness of Beersheba. She and her son wandered aimlessly until the bottle of water was completely consumed. In a moment of despair, she burst in tears. Her son then called to God and upon hearing him, an angel of Yahweh confirmed to Hagar that her son would become a great nation. A well of water (known in Islamic tradition as the Zamzam Well) then appeared so that it saved their lives. Hagar found her son a wife from her native home in the land of Egypt and they settled in the Desert of Paran. ()

World views

Rabbinical commentary

Rabbinical commentators asserted that Hagar was "Pharaoh's daughter". The midrash Genesis Rabbah states it was when Sarah was in Pharaoh's harem that he gave her his daughter Hagar as slave, saying: "It is better that my daughter should be a slave in the house of such a woman than mistress in another house"; Abimelech acted likewise (16:2). Sarah treated Hagar well, and induced women who came to visit her to visit Hagar also. However Hagar, when pregnant by Abraham, began to act superciliously toward Sarah, provoking the latter to treat her harshly, to impose heavy work upon her, and even to strike her (ib. 16:9).

Some Jewish commentators identify Hagar with Keturah, the woman Abraham married after the death of Sarah, stating that Abraham sought her out after Sarah's death. It is suggested that Keturah was Hagar's personal name, and that "Hagar" was a descriptive label meaning "stranger". This interpretation is discussed in the Midrash and is supported by Rashi, Gur Aryeh, Keli Yakar, and Obadiah of Bertinoro. Rashi (Rabbi Shlomo Itzhaki) argues that "Keturah" was a name given to Hagar because her deeds were as beautiful as incense (hence: ''ketores''), and/or that she remained chaste from the time she was separated from Abraham—''keturah'' [ קְטוּרָה ''Q'turah'' ] derives from Aramaic word for ''restrained''. The contrary view (that Keturah was someone other than Hagar) is advocated by Rashbam, Abraham ibn Ezra, Radak, and Ramban. They were listed as two different people in the genealogies of 1 Chronicles.

===Hagar in Islamic traditions=== Hājar (Arabic: هاجر), is the Arabic name used to identify the wife of the Islamic prophet Ibrāhīm (Abraham) and the mother of the prophet Ismā'īl (Ishmael). Though not mentioned by name in the Qur'an, she is referenced and alluded to via the story of her husband. She is a revered woman in the Islamic faith.

According to Muslim belief, she was the Egyptian handmaiden of Abraham's first wife Sara (Sarah). She eventually settled in the Desert of Paran with her son Ishmael. Hagar is honoured as an especially important matriarch of monotheism, as it was through Ishmael that the prophet Muhammad would come.

Neither Sarah nor Hagar are mentioned by name in the Qur'an, but the story is traditionally understood to be referred to in a line from Abraham's prayer in Sura Ibrahim (14:37): "I have settled some of my family in a barren valley near your Sacred House". While Hagar is not named, the reader lives Hagar's predicament indirectly through the eyes of Abraham. She is also frequently mentioned in the books of hadiths.

According to Qisas Al-Anbiya, an Islamic collection of tales about the prophets, Hagar was the daughter of the King of Maghreb, a descendant of the Islamic prophet Salih. Her father was killed by Pharaoh Dhu l-'arsh and she was captured and taken as slave. Later, because of her royal blood, she was made mistress of the female slaves and given access to all of Pharaoh's wealth. Upon conversion to Abraham's faith, the Pharaoh gave Hagar to Sarah who gave her to Abraham. In this account, the name "Hagar" (called ''Hajar'' in Arabic) comes from ''Ha ajruka'' (Arabic for "here is your recompense").

According to another Islamic tradition, Hagar was the daughter of the Egyptian king, who gifted her to Abraham as a wife, thinking Sarah was his sister. According to Ibn Abbas, Ishmael's birth to Hagar caused strife between her and Sarah, who was still barren. Abraham brought Hagar and their son to a land called Paran-aram or (Faran in Arabic) [in latter days it is the land surrounding Mecca]. The objective of this journey was to "resettle" rather than "expel" Hagar. Abraham left Hagar and son Ishmael under a tree and provided them with water. Hagar, learning that God had ordered Abraham to leave her in the desert of Paran, respected his decision. Muslims believe that God ordered Abraham to leave Hagar in order to test his obedience to God's commands.

However, soon Hagar ran out of water, and baby Ishmael began to die. Hagar, according to Islamic tradition, panicked and ran between two nearby hills, Al-Safa and Al-Marwah repeatedly in search for water. After her seventh run, Ishmael hitting the ground with his heel and causing a miraculous well to spring out of the ground. This is called Zamzam Well today and is located a few meters by the Kaaba in Mecca.

The incident of her running between the Al-Safa and Al-Marwah hills is remembered by Muslims when they perform their pilgrimage (Hajj) at Mecca. Part of the pilgrimage is to run seven times between the hills, in commemoration of Hagar's courage and to symbolize the celebration of motherhood in Islam as well as the leadership of women. To complete the task, some Muslims also drink from the Zamzam Well and take some of the water back home from pilgrimage in memory of Hagar.

Christian view

Christian commentary on Hagar begins with Paul the Apostle's Epistle to the Galatians, which asserts that the story of Hagar is a complex allegory: :For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid, the other by a freewoman. But he who was of the bondwoman was born after the flesh; but he of the freewoman was by promise. Which things are an allegory: for these are the two covenants; the one her children. But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all. ()

Paul has been interpreted by some to be saying that Mount Sinai was also called "Agar", and that it was named after Hagar. He links the laws of the Torah, given on Mount Sinai, to the bondage of the Israelite people, implying that it was signified by Hagar's condition as a bondswoman, while the "free" heavenly Jerusalem is signified by Sarah and her child.

Saint Augustine developed this view, by saying that Hagar symbolised the earthly "city", or sinful condition of humanity: "In the earthly city (symbolised by Hagar)...we find two things, its own obvious presence and the symbolic presence of the heavenly city. New citizens are begotten to the earthly city by nature vitiated by sin but to the heavenly city by grace freeing nature from sin." (City of God 15:2) This view was developed by medieval theologians such as Thomas Aquinas and John Wycliffe. The latter compared the children of Sarah to the redeemed, and those of Hagar to the unredeemed, who are "carnal by nature and mere exiles".

Paul's view was also used to link Hagar to Judaism, on the basis that the bondswoman Hagar represented bondage to the "old law", which the Christian dispensation had supplanted. In this respect Jews were seen – spiritually speaking – as descendants of Hagar, not Sarah. The equation of Jews with descendants of Hagar was also used to justify the subordination of Jews in medieval Christian kingdoms, and even their expulsion, on the model of the subjection and expulsion of Hagar.

Arts and literature

Many artists have painted scenes from the story of Hagar and Ismael in the desert, including Pieter Lastman, Gustave Doré, Frederick Goodall and James Eckford Lauder.

William Shakespeare refers to Hagar in ''The Merchant of Venice'' Act II Scene 4 line 40 when Shylock says "What says that fool of Hagar's offspring, ha?". This line refers to the character Launcelot, who Shylock is insulting by comparing him to the outcast Ishmael. It also reverses the conventional Christian interpretation by portraying the Christian character as the outcast.

Hagar's destitution and desperation are used as an excuse for criminality by characters in the work of Daniel Defoe, such as Moll Flanders, and the conventional view of Hagar as the mother of outcasts is repeated in Samuel Taylor Coleridge's play ''Zapolya'', whose heroine is assured that she is "no Hagar's offspring; thou art the rightful heir to an appointed king."

In the nineteenth century a more sympathetic portrayal became prominent, especially in America. Edmonia Lewis, the early African American and Native American sculptor, made Hagar the subject of one of her most well-known works. She said it was inspired by "strong sympathy for all women who have struggled and suffered". In novels and poems Hagar herself, or characters named Hagar, were depicted as unjustly suffering exiles. These include the long dramatic poem ''Hagar'' by Eliza Jane Poitevent Nicholson (pen name Pearl Rivers), president of the Women's National Press Association; ''Hagar in the Wilderness'' by Nathaniel Parker Willis, the highest-paid magazine writer of his day; and ''Hagar's Farewell'' by Augusta Moore. In 1913 this was joined by the overtly feminist novel ''Hagar'', by the American Southern socialist and suffragist Mary Johnston's.

A similarly sympathetic view prevails in more recent literature. The novel ''The Stone Angel'' by Margaret Laurence has a protagonist named Hagar married to a man named Bram, whose life story loosely imitates that of the biblical Hagar. A character named Hagar is prominently featured in Toni Morrison's novel ''Song of Solomon'', which features numerous Biblical themes and allusions. Hagar is mentioned briefly in Salman Rushdie's controversial novel ''The Satanic Verses'', where Mecca is replaced with 'Jahilia', a desert village built on sand and served by Hagar's spring. Hagar is held up as a role model in Margaret Atwood's ''The Handmaid's Tale'', a dystopian novel which centres around the women whose duty it is to produce children for their masters, assuming the place of their wives. In the recent book of nonfiction, ''The Woman Who Named God: Abraham's Dilemma and the Birth of Three Faiths'', by Charlotte Gordon provides an account of Hagar's life from the perspectives of the three monotheistic religions, Islam, Judaism, and Christianity.

Hagar in contemporary politics

Israel

The story of Hagar's expulsion to the desert has acquired some political connotations in modern Israel, being taken up as a symbol of the Palestinian Nakba, being depicted as such by some Israeli writers and artists.

It was also the subject of a famous debate on the floor of the Knesset between two women parliamentarians – Shulamit Aloni, founder of Meretz (Civil Rights Movement) and Geula Cohen of Tehiya (National Awakening Party) – who argued about the right interpretation which the Bible in general and Hagar's story in particular should be given in curriculum of Israeli schools.

Since the 1970s the custom has arisen of giving the name "Hagar" to newborn female babies. The giving of this name is often taken as a controversial political act, marking the parents as being left-leaning and supporters of reconciliation with the Palestinians and Arab World, and is frowned upon by many, including nationalists and the religious. The connotations of the name were represented by the founding of the Israeli journal ''Hagar: Studies in Culture, Polity and Identities'' in 2000.

African-Americans

Several black American feminists have written about Hagar, comparing her story to those of slaves in American history. Wilma Bailey, in an article entitled "Hagar: A Model for an Anabaptist Feminist", refers to her as a "maidservant" and "slave". She sees Hagar as a model of "power, skills, strength and drive". In the article "A Mistress, A Maid, and No Mercy", Renita Weems argues that the relationship between Sarah and Hagar exhibits "ethnic prejudice exacerbated by economic and social exploitation". According to Susanne Scholz,

Assisted reproduction

Hagar bearing a child for an infertile woman is an example of what we now call surrogacy or contractual gestation. Critics of this and other assisted reproductive technologies have used Hagar in their analysis. As early as 1988, Anna Goldman-Amirav in ''Reproductive and Genetic Engineering'' wrote of Hagar within "the Biblical 'battle of the wombs' [which] lay the foundation for the view of women, fertility, and sexuality in the patriarchal society". Margaret Atwood's ''Handmaid's Tale'', as mentioned in a previous section, takes this feminist analysis into a futuristic dystopia.

See also

Abram and Hagar

Abraham and Ishmael

Jewish tradition

Parashat Lekh Lekha

Parashat Vayera

References

Category:Torah people Category:Arabic culture Category:Arab history Category:Slaves Category:Concubines Category:Fertile Crescent Category:Abraham Category:Angelic visionaries Category:Book of Genesis Category:Muslim views of biblical figures Category:Islam and women

ar:هاجر az:Hacər ca:Agar cs:Hagar da:Hagar (Bibelen) de:Hagar el:Άγαρ es:Agar eo:Hagar fa:هاجر fr:Agar (Bible) ko:하갈 id:Hagar it:Agar (Bibbia) he:הגר hu:Hágár ml:ഹാജറ ms:Siti Hajar isteri Nabi Ibrahim nl:Hagar ja:ハガル no:Hagar pl:Hagar (postać biblijna) pt:Agar (Bíblia) ro:Hagar ru:Агарь fi:Haagar sv:Hagar tr:Hacer uk:Агар (наложниця Авраама) ur:ہاجرہ wo:Ajara zh:夏甲

name	Eddie Van Halen
landscape	Yes
background	non_vocal_instrumentalist
birth name	Edward Lodewijk Van Halen
alias	EVH
born	January 26, 1955 Nijmegen, Netherlands
instrument	Guitar, keyboards, vocals, bass, drums
genre	Hard rock, heavy metal, speed metal, neo-classical metal
occupation	Musician, songwriter, producer
years active	1967–present
label	Warner Bros.
associated acts	Van Halen, Michael Jackson, Derek Sherinian, Steve Vai, Brian May
website	www.van-halen.com
notable instruments	"''Frankenstrat''"Ernie Ball Music Man EVH modelPeavey EVH WolfgangKramer 5150Ibanez "Shark" DestroyerSteinberger GL 2TCharvel EVH "Bumblebee" }}

Edward Lodewijk "Eddie" Van Halen (born January 26, 1955) is a Dutch-born Dutch/American guitarist, keyboardist, songwriter and producer, best known as the lead guitarist and co-founder of the hard rock band Van Halen, inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Eddie Van Halen is commonly known for his innovative performing and recording styles in blues-based rock, tapping, intense solos and high frequency feedback; he is also known for energetic and acrobatic stage performances. ''The All Music Guide'' has described him as "Second to only Jimi Hendrix...undoubtedly one of the most influential, original, and talented rock guitarists of the 20th century.". He is ranked 70th on the Rolling Stone list of Top 100 guitarists.

Early life and career

Born in Nijmegen, The Netherlands, Edward Lodewijk van Halen is a son of clarinetist, saxophonist and pianist father Jan van Halen and mother Eugenia. Eugenia van Halen was originally from Indonesia which was a former Dutch colony. Eugenia was half Dutch and half Indonesian. Edward's middle name was derived from composer Ludwig van Beethoven. (Lodewijk is the Dutch version of Ludwig.) Edward continued this naming tradition by naming his son Wolfgang Van Halen after composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. In February 1962, at the age of seven, Edward moved with his family to the United States, settling in Pasadena, California.

Van Halen learned to play the piano as a child. His older brother Alex also played the piano. However, playing the piano did not prove to be challenging or interesting to him — he once said in an interview, "Who wants to sit in front of the piano? That's boring." Consequently, while Alex began playing the guitar, Eddie bought a drum kit and began practicing. He would practice for hours day after day. After Eddie heard Alex's performance of the The Surfaris' drum solo in the song "Wipe Out", he grew annoyed that his brother had overtaken his ability and decided to switch and begin learning how to play the electric guitar.

He has stated that he would often walk around at home with his guitar strapped on and unplugged, practicing. He claims that he would sit in his room for hours with the door locked as a teen, practicing the guitar.

Van Halen notes the importance of supergroup Cream, holding their improvisation in high regard, considering 'I'm so Glad' on 'Goodbye Cream' to be mind-blowing. He once claimed that he had learned almost all of Eric Clapton's solos in the band Cream "note for note". Eddie has stated: "I've always said Eric Clapton was my main influence, but [Jimmy] Page was actually more the way I am, in a reckless-abandon kind of way."

Formation of ''Van Halen''

Van Halen, originally called "Genesis" with bass player Mark Stone, changed their name to "Mammoth" when they discovered there was already a band (from England) with the name "Genesis". The band consisted of Eddie Van Halen on guitar and vocals, his brother, Alex on drums, and bassist Mark Stone. They had no P.A. system of their own, so they rented one from David Lee Roth — a service for which he charged $10 a night. Eddie quickly became frustrated singing lead vocals, and decided they could save money by letting Roth into the band., Michael Anthony replaced Mark Stone on bass. They opted to change the name of the band because David Lee Roth suggested that the last name of the two brothers "sounded cool." At one point the group considered calling themselves 'Rat Salade', before deciding on Van Halen. The band originally began playing cover material, ranging from pop to disco, before settling on original material.

In 1976 Rodney Bingenheimer took Gene Simmons to see one of Van Halen's shows. Gene Simmons then produced a Van Halen demo tape with recording beginning at the Village Recorder studios in Los Angeles and finished with overdubs at the Electric Lady Studios in New York. In mid 1977, Van Halen was offered a recording contract with Warner Bros. Records. After recording a set of demos, they recorded their first album "Van Halen" in mid September to early October 1977, which was released on February 10, 1978.

Tension with David Lee Roth

Van Halen released a total of six albums with vocalist David Lee Roth: ''Van Halen'' (1978), ''Van Halen II'' (1979), ''Women and Children First'' (1980), ''Fair Warning'' (1981), ''Diver Down'' (1982), and ''1984'' (1984); however, the band had trouble working together as a cohesive unit; according to Gene Simmons' book ''Kiss and Make-Up'', Eddie Van Halen approached Simmons in 1982 about possibly joining Kiss, replacing Ace Frehley. According to Simmons, Eddie did so chiefly due to his personality conflicts with Roth.

Simmons and Alex persuaded Eddie to remain in Van Halen, while Kiss decided to replace Frehley with Vinnie Vincent, and shortly afterwards the band released the album ''1984''; which yielded the band's first #1 hit, "Jump". Other singles released from the album also sold well, particularly "Hot for Teacher", the video for which featured a skimpily dressed model playing the part of a female elementary school teacher and school-age boys portraying younger versions of the band members. The album peaked at #2 on the Billboard charts, behind ''Thriller'' by Michael Jackson, on which Eddie also played.

Jimmy Page said at the time: "For my money, Eddie Van Halen was the first significant new kid on the block. Very dazzling".

In 1982 Eddie was invited by producer Quincy Jones to contribute the guitar solo for Michael Jackson's new recording for ''Thriller'', "Beat It". Van Halen improvised and integrated for the recording the familiar Van Halen-styled guitar solo bridge in the new song. Part of rock lore, credit for his work on the noteworthy track would be sufficient and Van Halen declined the payment he was offered for his performance.

Addition of Sammy Hagar

With the arrival of former Montrose singer Sammy Hagar in July 1985, the band's sound changed somewhat to adapt to the strengths of the new vocalist, as Eddie's keyboard playing became a permanent fixture, heard in songs such as "Dreams" and "Love Walks In". Even on the more rocking, guitar-driven songs, Eddie's performances became looser, less aggressive, and some said more thoughtful, while others said more commercial. The change in sound and pace prompted many fans, both positively and negatively, to refer to the band as "Van Hagar." However, tensions within the band again arose over identity and artist direction, and Hagar, like Roth earlier, departed in June 1996. Hagar left behind him a portfolio of 4 studio albums with the band (''5150, OU812, For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge'', and ''Balance'') as well as one live album (''Live: Right Here, Right Now'').

Even though some fans of the original Van halen were upset over both the separation of Roth and the hiring of Hagar, the band achieved something never attained by the original line-up, a #1 record. With Hagar, all four studio releases reached #1 on the Billboard charts. "For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge" also earned the 1992 Grammy Award for Best Best Hard Rock Performance with Vocal.

Career after Hagar's departure

Following Hagar's departure, the group briefly reunited with original singer David Lee Roth and released Best of Volume I, a greatest hits package, in October 1996. Two new songs were recorded for the album, with the single "Me Wise Magic" reaching #1 on the mainstream rock chart ("Can't Get This Stuff No More" was the other new single). However, previous disagreements resurfaced and the reunion did not last, as Roth left in September 1996, after the MTV Video Music Awards.

Addition of Gary Cherone

The band auditioned many prospective replacements for Hagar, finally settling on Gary Cherone, former front man for Extreme, a band also represented by Van Halen's manager. Cherone predicted that the new line-up would last 'ten years', however the ''Van Halen III'' album was poorly received.. The band completed a world tour touting their new single "Without You" and did go back in the studio to start on a second record. However, Cherone soon had an amicable departure, and without a lead singer, Van Halen went on hiatus.

Reunion with Hagar

In 2004, Van Halen returned with Hagar as their lead singer. A greatest hits package, ''The Best of Both Worlds'', was released to coincide with the band's reunion tour. The album included three new tracks recorded with Hagar ("Up For Breakfast", "It's About Time", & "Learning to See").

The band toured the U.S., covering 80 cities. The tour earned $55 million.

Reunion with Roth

On February 2, 2007, it was officially announced on the band's website that David Lee Roth would rejoin Van Halen for their summer tour. The excitement regarding the tour waned when on February 20, 2007, reports surfaced that the tour was indefinitely postponed. A previously planned compilation of Roth era Van Halen hits was likewise shelved. However, after six months and a stint in rehabilitation for Eddie, it was finally confirmed by the band on August 13 at a press conference in Los Angeles that they would do a tour with the new lineup from late 2007-mid 2008 across North America, with further worldwide touring and a new album proposed to follow later on.

Persistent rumors had long indicated the Van Halen brothers were in talks with Roth to rejoin the band for a tour and/or new material.

Van Halen's then 15-year old son Wolfgang was to play bass in Van Halen in the fall (replacing Michael Anthony), Van Halen claimed his son's presence would have a positive effect on the band:

1999 onwards

Suffering from lingering injuries from past high-risk acrobatic stage antics and crashes, Eddie Van Halen underwent hip replacement surgery in November 1999, after his chronic avascular necrosis, which he was diagnosed with in 1995, became unbearable.

In April 2001, Eddie confirmed that since May 2000, that he had been undergoing treatment for tongue cancer. The subsequent surgery removed roughly a third of his tongue. He would be declared cancer-free in May 2002.

Since the 2004 tour, Eddie Van Halen has largely disappeared from the public eye, with the exception of occasional appearances such as the 14th annual Elton John Academy Awards party, and a performance at a Kenny Chesney concert.

In December 2004, Eddie attended "Dimebag" Darrell Lance Abbott's funeral, and donated the black and yellow guitar featured on the ''Van Halen II'' album inlay, stating that it was always a favorite of Dimebag's. The guitar was put in Darrell's Kiss Kasket, and he was buried with it.

On December 5, 2005, Eddie's wife, Valerie Bertinelli, filed for divorce in Los Angeles Superior Court, after four years of separation.

On March 8, 2007, Van Halen announced on the official band website that Eddie was entering rehabilitation for unspecified reasons. However, both Sammy Hagar and Michael Anthony have made statements indicating that Ed's personality had changed due to alcohol abuse. Hagar, Anthony and David Lee Roth have repeatedly stated their support and well wishes towards Ed's recovery since the announcement.

Van Halen emerged from rehabilitation and appeared publicly as an honorary official during the April 21, 2007 NASCAR event at Phoenix International Raceway. He also unveiled a new Fender Stratocaster with a paint-job made for the NASCAR races before the ceremony.

In 2007, Eddie was honored in the Xbox 360 version of ''Guitar Hero II''. A player receives the "Eddie Van Halen" achievement for hitting 500 or more notes in succession.

Van Halen toured the U.S. and Canada (Eddie, Alex, Wolfgang, and Roth) from Sept. 2007 until summer 2008. On October 6, 2008, it was reported that Eddie Van Halen proposed to his girlfriend Janie Liszewski, an actress and stuntwoman who became Van Halen's publicist in 2007. He proposed to her while vacationing in Hawaii. The two married on June 27, 2009 at his Studio City estate, with his son and ex-wife Valerie in attendance. The rocker's brother, Alex Van Halen, officiated the ceremony, while his son served as best man.

On January 1, 2011, Eddie attended Valerie Bertinelli's wedding, along with his son Wolfgang.

In mid-January 2011, he attended the winter NAMM Show to present his new Wolfgang guitars, sharing the Fender booth with other fellow guitar player Yngwie Malmsteen

Guitar playing technique

Eddie van Halen's approach to the guitar involves several distinctive components. Although he did not invent it, his use of two-handed tapping, natural and artificial harmonics, vibrato, and tremolo picking, combined with his rhythmic sensibility and melodic approach, have influenced an entire generation of guitarists. The solo in "Eruption" was voted #2 on ''Guitar World'' magazine's readers poll of the 100 Greatest Guitar Solos.

Tapping

The instrumental "Eruption" showcased a solo technique called tapping, utilizing both left and right hands on the guitar neck.

Although Van Halen popularized tapping, he did not, despite popular belief, invent the tapping technique. The tapping technique in Blues and rock was being picked up by various guitarists in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s. Duane Allman, Frank Zappa and Ace Frehley, tapped with a pick in the early 1970s. Steve Hackett used tapping to play Bach like keyboard passages on the guitar in the early 1970s. Larry Carlton also had a tapped note at the end of his solo on the song Kid Charlemagne.

Brian May also used the tapping technique, which he picked up in America in the early 1970s, on songs such as It's Late from the ''News Of The World'' album. From a January 1983 Guitar Player Brian May interview,

George Lynch has said in an interview that he and Eddie saw Harvey Mandel tap at the Starwood Club in the 1970s. From a March 2009 Metal Den George Lynch interview,

Ritchie Blackmore has said in an interview that he and Jimi Hendrix saw Harvey Mandel tap at a nightclub in the late 1960s. From a February 1991 Guitar World Ritchie Blackmore interview,

Early Van Halen stage photographs, and demo and bootleg recordings from 1976 and before, do not indicate Eddie using any tapping techniques. Eddie's comments about how he came across the tapping technique vary from interview to interview. This is one interview excerpt,

Eddie also employs tapping harmonics. He holds the pick between his thumb and middle finger, which leaves his index finger free for tapping and also makes for easy transitions between picking and tapping. In support of his two-handed tapping techniques, Van Halen also holds a patent for a flip-out support device which attaches to the rear of the electric guitar. This device enables the user to play the guitar in a manner similar to the piano by orienting the face of the guitar upward instead of forward.

Tone

Van Halen (a self described "tone chaser") achieved his distinctive tone, known as the "Brown sound", by using the EVH "Frankenstrat" guitar, a stock 100-watt Marshall amp, a Variac (to lower the voltage of the amp to change the tone) and effects such as an Echoplex, an MXR Phase 90, an MXR Flanger and EQs. Van Halen constructed his now legendary Frankenstrat guitar using a Charvel factory "2nd" body and neck (cost $50), a single vintage Gibson PAF humbucker pickup (sealed in paraffin wax to reduce microphonic feedback), a pre-CBS Fender tremolo bridge (later to be a Floyd Rose bridge) and a single volume control with a knob labeled "tone". Eddie has used a variety of pickups including Gibson PAF's, 1970s Mighty Mites, DiMarzios and Ibanez Super 70s. Eddie was using Mighty Mite pickups in 1977 club photos, just prior to the recording of the first Van Halen album. Mighty Mite pickups were OEM pickups made by Seymour Duncan and were copies of DiMarzio Super Distortion pickups and can be identified by their lack of bobbin holes. Seymour Duncan started advertising pickup rewinding services In late 1977/early 1978 and apparently rewound a Gibson PAF for Eddie around the early 1978 period.

The now famous single pickup, single volume knob guitar configuration was the chosen platform due to Van Halen's lack of knowledge in electronic circuitry, primitive wire soldering skills, and his disappointment in not finding an adequate, durable bridge and neck pick-up combination on his own. Upon installing the humbucking pickup he did not know how to wire it into the guitar circuit, so he wired the simplest working circuit to get it to function.

His later guitars include various Kramer models from his period of endorsing that company (most notably the Kramer "5150", from which Kramer in its Gibson-owned days based their Kramer 1984 design, an unofficial artist signature model) and three signature models: the Ernie Ball/ Music Man Edward van Halen Model (Which continues as the Ernie Ball Axis), the Peavey EVH Wolfgang (which has been succeeded by a similar guitar called the HP Special), and the Charvel EVH Art Series, on which Eddie does the striping before they are painted by Charvel.

In an interview he gave to ''Guitar World'' magazine in July, 1985, Van Halen states that his "brown sound" is "basically a tone, a feeling that I'm always working at ... It comes from the person." He continues, "If the person doesn't even know what that type of tone I'm talking about is, they can't really work towards it, can they?"

Tuning

Though rarely discussed, one of the most distinctive aspects of Van Halen's sound was Eddie's tuning of the guitar. Before Van Halen, most distorted, metal-oriented rock consciously avoided the use of the major third interval in guitar chords, creating the signature power chord of the genre. When ran through a distorted amplifier, the rapid beating of the major third on a conventionally tuned guitar is distracting and somewhat dissonant.

Eddie tuned to "Hendrix's tuning" which is flat E, the open G and B reaches a justly intonated, beatless third. This consonant third was almost unheard of in distorted-guitar rock and allowed Van Halen to use major chords in a way that mixed classic hard rock power with "happy" pop. The effect is pronounced on songs such as "Runnin' With the Devil", "Unchained", and "Where Have All the Good Times Gone?".

With the B string flat, chords in some positions on the guitar have more justly intonated thirds, but in other positions the flat B string creates out-of-tune intervals. As Eddie once remarked to ''Guitar Player'':

Volume swells

Eddie used a volume technique in the instrumental "Cathedral". He hammered notes on the fretboard with one hand while rolling the volume knob with the other. This altered the attack and decay of the notes so they mimicked the sound of keyboards. This "volume swells" sound (also known as "violining", because of the way it sounds) was originally popularized by 1970s progressive rock bands like Genesis (Steve Hackett), Focus (Jan Akkerman), Yes and Rush (while Ritchie Blackmore performed this technique a lot live) but was usually performed with a volume pedal, at a slower pace. "Cathedral" also employs an electronic delay, with the delay set at 400 ms and the delayed note set at the same amplitude as the original note. Most of the composition's notes come from hammering on the notes of a major 5th string barre chord (ascending and then descending) and replicating this pattern up and down the neck of the guitar. The end result of this technique made the composition sound as if it is being played on a church/cathedral organ.

Equipment

Guitars

Eddie van Halen built his guitar (Black and White) by hand, using an imperfect body and a neck bought from Wayne Charvel's guitar shop. The body and neck were constructed by Lynn Ellsworth of Boogie Bodies guitars, whose parts were being sold by Wayne Charvel at the time. Eddie installed a humbucker in the bridge position essentially creating a Fat Strat. In 1979, Eddie began to play a black, rear loaded Charvel with yellow stripes. This was later replicated by Charvel along with the black and white striped model and the red white and black model (EVH Art Series Guitars). He also used a stock unmodified Ibanez Destroyer on a lot of the tracks on Van Halens first album such as You Really Got Me and Runnin' With the Devil and a modified Ibanez Destroyer nickname by Van Halen as "The Shark" on some tracks on Van Halens second album and a borrowed unmodified Ibanez Destroyer (owned by Chris Holmes from W.A.S.P.) on some tracks on the Women and Children First album.

Also, in 1979 Eddie's original guitar was repainted with Frankenstein artwork. Eddie also changed the neck, removed part of the pick guard and eventually installed a Floyd Rose vibrato unit. The guitar is known both as a "frankenstrat" and as ''the'' "frankenstrat." Fender reissued the guitar in relic form in 2007, the limited run selling at a guitar. However, a "new" (non-reliced) Frankenstrat is currently available through the Charvel company, but has been discontinued, for significantly less, the first time Van Halen has consented to the commercial release of a guitar with his signature graphics on it.

In 1983, Eddie began to use a brand new Kramer guitar with artwork similar to its predecessor and with a hockey-stick or "banana" headstock, which came to be known as the "5150." This guitar was rear-loaded (no pick guard), had a Floyd Rose vibrato unit and a neck that was later electronically mapped in order for it to be copied on the later Music Man and Peavey signature models. This guitar was last used on the track "Judgment Day" on the ''For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge'' album. Various versions of it can be seen in the music videos for "Panama", "Hot for Teacher", "When It's Love", "Feels So Good" and the concert video, ''Live Without a Net.'' The guitar itself was a variant of a Kramer Pacer, although not a model that was technically available at the time.

It was painted with Krylon paints by Van Halen and used through the OU812 tour, after which it was "retired." However, Eddie did break out the guitar for use on the 2004 reunion tour, although the neck had finally failed and had apparently been replaced. A copy of this guitar was available (although not with Van Halen's permission) through the current manufacturer of Kramer's, Music Yo, a subsidiary of the Gibson company, sadly Gibson ended the Music Yo business and Kramer is just known as a "Gibson Sister Company". However, when it was commercially available the copy didn't feature the custom graphics, as the "Frankenstein" graphics are trademarked by Edward Van Halen.

Eddie has used a Steinberger GL-2T guitar with TransTrem on several songs, including "Get Up" and "Summer Nights" (from ''5150''). It was custom painted with the "Frankenstein" graphics. He has also used kramer and peavey model guitars fitted with the Steinberger TransTrem unit.

In the early 1990s, Ernie Ball produced an EVH signature "Music Man" guitar, and Eddie used this on ''For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge'' and ''Balance'' albums. This guitar is still commercially available under the "Axis" name, and retains all of the original features of the Edward Van Halen model. Although rumours abound of a personal falling-out between Edward and the Ernie Ball company's Sterling Ball, the official reason for the cessation of the commercial relationship was that Edward was upset that Ernie Ball could not produce enough of this guitar to meet demand.

Eddie named his line of Peavey signature ''Wolfgang guitars'' after his son, Wolfgang. The guitar itself was similar to the previous Axis line, but with a slightly altered shape and many additional options available in Peavey's much larger custom shop. These guitars included a device called a "D-Tuna" which enabled a guitarist to tune the low E string down to D with a slight turn of a knob attached to the end of the bridge.

In 2003, at the NAMM show, the relationship between Peavey and Eddie began to strain. Peavey constructed a glass enclosed stage for Eddie in which to play for VIP's at 2 p.m. Eddie arrived late, shocking fans there with his disheveled appearance, as he immediately went upstairs and initially refused to play. After an hour of negotiations, Eddie came down while fans, who had lined up for hours prior to the appearance, roared with approval. Eddie ended up spending his short time on stage, talking about Wolfgang guitar production and his promise to take a keen interest in quality control. Eddie left, having only played a few notes and small riffs, much to the dissatisfaction of the fans and Peavey. The end came in 2004, when Peavey company parted ways with Van Halen, reportedly because Eddie launched an on-line sale of hand patterned (by Edward) Charvel guitars, sold by the name of the "EVH Art Series Guitars", while he was still contractually obligated to Peavey. The guitars sold for large sums on eBay, and were essentially replicas of his famous "Frankenstrat" guitars, played by Van Halen mainly during the David Lee Roth era of the band. Eddie also launched Frankenstein replicas as noted above, which are the only Van Halen guitars currently endorsed by Eddie.

Most recently Eddie has collaborated with Fender guitars to produce a replica of the Frankenstrat. Eddie and Chip Ellis of the Fender Custom Shop teamed up to produce a guitar priced at each. Also, Eddie has collaborated with Fender to launch his own EVH brand of guitars, amps, and musical instrument equipment, starting with his new EVH Brand 5150 III amplifier. Eddie now uses prototypes of his new EVH Brand Wolfgang, which is an updated version Eddie's Peavey Wolfgangs but with new pickups, knobs, a thinner but very elaborate quilted maple top to allow the basswood the dominant tone, providing more tonal resonance but with a balanced high sustain. Also, the new Wolfgang is equipped with an Original Floyd Rose. In addition, the new guitar has a slightly altered headstock. This is because this was Ed and Hartley Peavey's original design for the headstock, which Eddie had patented without the scoop on final version of the Peavey Wolfgang. He has been seen with three new Wolfgang guitars, first a sunburst one, then a black one which he stated he liked less than the sunburst one and now he uses a white one, the best sounding one out of the three prototypes according to Ed.

The EVH Wolfgang was planned for initial sale to the public in early 2009, and is now commercially available to purchase.

In 2011 Eddie Van Halen donated his guitar, the Frankenstein 2, to the National Museum of American History of the Smithsonian Institution.

Amplifiers

Eddie's main amplifier in the early years was a 100 watt Marshall amplifier that had a 12301 serial number, which dates it to the 1967-1968 transitional period at Marshall when the circuit of the 100 watt Marshall 1959 changed gradually from the "Bass" circuit to the "SuperLead" circuit. Eddie's main Marshall's original circuit had a 820 ohm/0.68 uf resistor/capacitor pair on the cathode of Valve(Tube) 1 and the same on the cathode of Valve(Tube) 2. Eddie's main Marshall had a white knob installed at the back of his Marshall head, as seen in the 1978 world tour Japanese leg photos and the Van Halen II studio photos from late 1978. Photos of Eddie's main Marshall in the 1990s show that the white knob had been removed.

For Van Halen I, a single Celestion speaker cabinet was used and a variac set to around 90 volts was also used on Eddie's main 100 watt Marshall head, mainly to lower the amplifier's volume. The volume control and all other controls on his Marshall head were set to maximum or 10. Eddie's Van Halen I recorded guitar tracks were re-amped by using the Sunset Sound studios live reverb room. The first Montrose album was recorded in this way by Ted Templeman and Donn Landee who also produced and engineered the Van Halen I album. Van Halen I was recorded in Studio 1 at Sunset Sound and Van Halen II was recorded in Studio 2 at Sunset Sound.

From the mid 1980s, Eddie has used a real time re-amping or Master/Slave slaving amplifier setup that was originally designed by Bob Bradshaw and was published in the September 1986 issue of Guitar World Magazine, with the first amplifier being a Tube Amplifier and the second amplifier being a H&H; MOSFET solid state power amplifier. Between 1993 and 2004 Eddie was sponsored by Peavey Electronics to use their 5150 Amplifiers, which he had a part in designing. Following the ending of this relationship, Peavey renamed the amplifier as the "Peavey 6505", with slightly updated styling but original circuitry. Eddie is now sponsored by Fender and has debuted his new amp called the 5150 III. The 5150 III features three channels with their own independent controls, a four-button foot-switch and his famous striped design on the head. In 2011 there will be a inexpensive 5150 III, 60 watt, 2 speaker, combo amp and 50 watt miniature head in production.

Floyd Rose system

A crucial component of Van Halen's personal style is his use of the Floyd Rose Locking Tremolo, released in 1977. Early tremolo bars allowed the guitarist to impart a vibrato to a chord or single string via movement of the bar with the picking hand, but the slackening of the strings when the bar was heavily depressed could lead to detuning. The addition of the locking bolts at the nut and bridge kept the strings taut and allowed for drastic depression of the tremolo bar to create effects such as the dive bomb. Van Halen went on to collaborate with Floyd Rose on improvements to Rose's device.

Van Halen also pioneered the mainstream use of the TransTrem system on the Steinberger line of guitars on "5150", most notably on the songs "Summer Nights" and on "Me Wise Magic" off of "Best of Volume I" where the song goes through several key changes while retaining the same chord voicings. The TransTrem system allows for the effect of an instant "capo", increasing the pitch of all strings by up to a minor third or lowering the pitch by as much as a perfect fourth.

Intellectual property

Edward Van Halen is owner of . The main claim is for a supporting member on the back of a stringed instrument allowing the musician to play and/or fret the instrument in new ways.

Solo work

Eddie van Halen has appeared on several projects outside of his eponymous band.

Eddie van Halen was invited by Quincy Jones to play guitar on the song ''Beat It'', from Michael Jackson's 1982 album, ''Thriller''. Steve Lukather of Toto played the main guitar riff and rhythm, while Eddie played an improvised guitar solo.

In 1983, Eddie collaborated with Queen guitarist Brian May on the Star Fleet Project, a three-track EP consisting of a rock styled rendition of the theme to the popular anime children's show, a May penned track (''Let Me Out''), and an improvised blues track (''Blues Breaker'').

In 1984, Eddie recorded several instrumentals for a movie called The Wild Life. Some of those recordings used ideas that showed up later in Van Halen songs such as "A.F.U. (Naturally Wired)" and "Right Now." However, only "Donut City" was included on the soundtrack album, which was released on vinyl and cassette, and never made it to CD format.

Also in 1984, he provided the score for the 1984 television film, The Seduction of Gina.

He played bass on Sammy Hagar's 1987 solo album ''I Never Said Goodbye''.

Also in February 1987, he appeared on Saturday Night Live as a guest musician with G. E. Smith and the Saturday Night Live Band when Valerie Bertinelli hosted the show. About twenty seconds into the performance, G. E. Smith could be seen telling Eddie, "Go faster!" Eddie van Halen also appeared in one sketch with Valerie Bertinelli on that evening's show, which actually featured the Robert Cray Band as its scheduled musical guest.

In 1989 he played bass on the opening track, (Twist the Knife) from Steve Lukather's debut album, as well as giving the guitar part which was taken from an outtake from the 5150 album titled "I Want Some Action". The main riff was also later used by Eddie Van Halen in the 3 album for "Dirty Water Dog".

In 1993, he co-wrote and played a song with Black Sabbath members, Tony Martin, Tony Iommi and Geezer Butler called "Evil Eye" on Cross Purposes album, but he wasn't credited due to record company restrictions.

He has also done soundtrack work for movies such as ''Over The Top'' (''Winner Takes It All'', a collaboration with Sammy Hagar), ''Twister'' (the instrumental ''Respect The Wind''), ''The Wild Life'' (one song was reused in the movie ''Back to the Future'', and ''Lethal Weapon 4'' (The track ''Fire In The Hole'' from Van Halen III)

In the 1998 he performed guitar solos for the Roger Waters song "Lost Boys Calling" from the film "The Legend of 1900."

He has recorded with Dweezil Zappa, Jeff Porcaro, and Thomas Dolby.

In July 2006, Eddie Van Halen recorded two new instrumental tracks (''Rise'' and ''Catherine'') which debuted in an unusual format: in a pornographic feature entitled "Sacred Sin" directed by a friend of the guitarist, well known adult director Michael Ninn. These tracks have since surfaced on the internet. Eddie also composed some minor uncredited piano interludes in the feature.

In 2009 Eddie guest-starred as himself in an episode of Two and a Half Men where he played his guitar in a mens room.

In 2010 Eddie Van Halen appeared on Lopez Tonight and gave George Lopez one of his Wolfgang Guitars.

References

External links

Official Van Halen Website

Category:American heavy metal guitarists Category:American rock keyboardists Category:Cancer survivors Category:American people of Dutch descent Category:American musicians of Indonesian descent Category:Lead guitarists Category:Pasadena City College alumni Halen, Eddie Category:People of Javanese descent Category:Van Halen members Category:Dutch rock guitarists Category:1955 births Category:Living people Category:Dutch heavy metal guitarists Category:Indo people Category:Dutch emigrants to the United States

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name	Jimmy Kimmel
birth name	James Christian Kimmel
birth date	November 13, 1967
birth place	Brooklyn, New York, USA
medium	Radio, television, film
nationality	American
active	1989–present
genre	Observational comedy,Current events, Insult comedy
subject	American culture, Everyday life, Celebrities
influences	David Letterman, Howard Stern
spouse	Gina Kimmel (1988–2003) (divorced); 2 children
domesticpartner	Sarah Silverman (2002–2007; 2008–2009) Molly McNearney (2009–present)
notable work	Creator and Host of ''Jimmy Kimmel Live!'' (ABC) Creator and Co-Host of ''The Man Show''co-host of ''Win Ben Stein's Money'' (Comedy Central)co-host of ''Crank Yankers''

}} James Christian "Jimmy" Kimmel (born November 13, 1967) is an American stand-up comedian, actor, voice artist, television host, and comedian.. He is the host of ''Jimmy Kimmel Live!'', a late-night talk show that airs on ABC. Prior to that, Kimmel was best known as the co-host of Comedy Central's ''The Man Show'' and ''Win Ben Stein's Money''. Kimmel is also a television producer, having produced shows such as ''Crank Yankers'', ''Sports Show with Norm Macdonald'', and ''The Andy Milonakis Show''.

Early life

Kimmel was born in the Mill Basin neighborhood of the New York City borough of Brooklyn, the eldest of three children of Joann (née Iacono), a homemaker, and James Kimmel, an IBM executive. He is Roman Catholic and, as a child, served as an altar boy. Kimmel is of German and Irish descent on his father’s side and Italian descent on his mother’s side. His uncle, Frank Potenza, appeared on ''Jimmy Kimmel Live!'' as a regular from 2003 until his death in 2011.

The family moved to Las Vegas, Nevada, when he was nine years old. He graduated from Ed W. Clark High School and then attended University of Nevada, Las Vegas for one year before attending Arizona State University for two years without completing a degree.

Career

Radio career

Kimmel began working in the radio industry while in high school, hosting a Sunday night interview show on UNLV's college station KUNV. While attending Arizona State University, he became a popular caller to the KZZP-FM afternoon show hosted by radio personalities Mike Elliott and Kent Voss in Phoenix, Arizona. In 1989, Kimmel landed his first paying job alongside Voss as morning drive co-host of ''The Me and Him Show'' at KZOK-FM in Seattle, Washington. Ten months later, Kimmel and Voss were fired by KZOK (for reasons unknown) and were fired again a year later at WRBQ-FM in Tampa, Florida. Kimmel went from Tampa to host his own show at KCMJ in Palm Springs, California, where Kimmel convinced a young Carson Daly to drop out of college and become his intern. After a morning stint at KRQQ In Tucson, Arizona, Kimmel landed at KROQ-FM in Los Angeles, California. He spent five years as "Jimmy The Sports Guy" for the Kevin and Bean morning show. During this time he met and befriended a struggling comedian named Adam Carolla.

Comedy Central

Kimmel began his television career as the comedic counterpart to Ben Stein on the game show ''Win Ben Stein's Money'', which began airing on Comedy Central in 1997. His quick wit and loutish everyman personality were counterpoints to Stein's monotone performing style and patrician demeanor. The combination earned the pair an Emmy award for Best Game Show Host.

In 1999, during his time with ''Win Ben Stein's Money'', Kimmel was also co-host with Adam Carolla and co-creator (with Daniel Kellison) of Comedy Central's ''The Man Show''. Kimmel permanently left ''Win Ben Stein's Money'' in 2001, replaced by comedian Nancy Pimental, who was eventually replaced by Kimmel's cousin Sal Iacono. ''The Man Show'''s success allowed Kimmel, Carolla and Kellison to create and produce, under the banner Jackhole Industries, ''Crank Yankers'' for Comedy Central (on which Kimmel plays the characters "Elmer Higgins", "Terrence Catheter", "The Nudge", "Karl Malone" and himself), and later ''The Andy Milonakis Show'' for MTV2. Kimmel also produced and co-wrote the feature film ''Windy City Heat'', which won the Comedia Award for Best Film at the Montreal Comedy Festival.

''Jimmy Kimmel Live!''

In January 2003, Kimmel permanently left ''The Man Show'' to host his own late-night talk show, ''Jimmy Kimmel Live!'' on ABC. ''Jimmy Kimmel Live'' was briefly also broadcast on Irish digital TV channel 3e. In the April 2007 issue of Stuffmagazine.com, Kimmel was named the "biggest badass on TV". Kimmel said it was an honor but clearly a mistake.

Since the show's second season, it has not actually been broadcast live. This is due to an incident during the 2004 NBA Finals in Detroit, when Kimmel appeared on ABC's halftime show to make an on-air plug for his show. He suggested that if the Detroit Pistons defeated the Los Angeles Lakers, "they're gonna burn the city of Detroit down ... and it's not worth it." Officials with Detroit's ABC affiliate, WXYZ-TV, immediately announced that night's show would not air on the station. Hours later, ABC officials pulled that night's show from the entire network. Kimmel later apologized. The incident led ABC officials to force Kimmel to tape his show an hour before it airs in most of the country to check for offending content.

Kimmel usually ends his show with, "My apologies to Matt Damon, we ran out of time." When Matt Damon did actually appear on the show to be interviewed, he walked in and sat down only to be told just a few seconds later by Kimmel, "Sorry, but once again we are completely out of time." Damon seemed to become angry.

In February 2008 Kimmel showed a mock music video with a panoply of stars called, "I'm Fucking Ben Affleck", as "revenge" after his then-girlfriend Sarah Silverman and Matt Damon recorded a similar video, "I'm Fucking Matt Damon". Silverman's video originally aired on ''Jimmy Kimmel Live!'', and became an "instant YouTube sensation." Kimmel's "revenge" video featured himself, Ben Affleck, and a large lineup of stars, particularly in scenes spoofing the 1985 "We Are the World" video: Brad Pitt, Don Cheadle, Cameron Diaz, Robin Williams, Harrison Ford, Dominic Monaghan, Benji Madden and Joel Madden from Good Charlotte, Lance Bass, Macy Gray, Josh Groban, Huey Lewis, Perry Farrell, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Pete Wentz, Meat Loaf, Rebecca Romijn, Christina Applegate, Dom Joly, Mike Shinoda, Lauren Conrad and Joan Jett, among others. After this Jimmy's sidekick, Guillermo, appeared in a spoof of The Bourne Ultimatum, which starred Damon. He was then chased down by Damon as Matt cursed about Kimmel being behind all this. Guillermo also stopped Damon on the red carpet one time and before he could finish the interview he said, "Sorry we are out of time." The most recent encounter was titled "The Handsome Men's Club" which featured Kimmel, along with other "Handsome Men" including Matthew McConaughey, Rob Lowe, Lenny Kravitz, and many more, speaking about being handsome and all the jobs that come with it. At the end of the skit Kimmel has a door slammed in his face by none other than Matt Damon, stating that they had run out of time and then Damon continues with a sinister laugh.

As a tradition, celebrities voted off ''Dancing with the Stars'' appear on ''Jimmy Kimmel Live!'', causing Kimmel to describe himself as "the three-headed dog the stars must pass on their way to No-Dancing Hell". In the 2008 season of his show, Kimmel started another tradition of ceremonially burning the dancers' shoes after they were voted off ''DWTS''.

Other television work

In Spring 1996, Kimmel appeared as "Jimmy the Fox Guy" in promos on the Fox network.

Kimmel's other television work included being the on-air football prognosticator for ''Fox NFL Sunday'' for four years. He has had numerous appearances on other talk shows including, but not limited to, ''Live with Regis and Kelly'', ''The Howard Stern Show'', ''The Ellen DeGeneres Show'', and ''The Late Show with David Letterman''. Kimmel has appeared on ''The Late Show'' five times, most recently on April 21, 2008. Kimmel served as roastmaster for the New York Friars' Club Roast of Hugh Hefner and Comedy Central Roasts of ''Pamela Anderson''. He has appeared on ABC's Dancing with the Stars, along with his parking lot security guard Guillermo.

In August 2006, ABC announced that Jimmy Kimmel would be the host of their new game show ''Set for Life''. The show debuted on July 20, 2007. On April 6, 2007, Kimmel filled in for Larry King on ''Larry King Live''. That particular show was about the paparazzi and Kimmel reproached Emily Gould, an editor from Gawker.com, about the web site's alleged stalking of celebrities. On July 8, 2007, Kimmel managed the National League in the 2007 Taco Bell All-Star Legends and Celebrity Softball Game in San Francisco. He played in the game in 2004 and 2006 (Houston and Pittsburgh). On July 11, 2007, Kimmel along with basketball player LeBron James, hosted the 2007 ''ESPY Awards''. The show aired on ESPN on July 15, 2007. Kimmel hosted the American Music Awards on ABC four times, in 2004, 2006, 2007, and 2008.

Kimmel guest hosted ''Live with Regis and Kelly'' during the week of October 22, 2007 – October 26, 2007, commuting every day between New York and Los Angeles. In the process, he broke the Guinness Book of World Records for the longest distance () travelled in one work week.

Kimmel has performed in several animated films, often voicing dogs. His voice appeared in ''Garfield'' and ''Road Trip'', and he portrayed Death's Dog in the ''Family Guy'' episode "Mr. Saturday Knight"; ''Family Guy'' creator Seth McFarlane later presented Kimmel with a figurine of his character on ''Jimmy Kimmel Live!''. Kimmel also did voice work for ''Robot Chicken''. Kimmel's cousin "Sal" (Sal Iacono) has accepted and won a wrestling match with WWE superstar Santino Marella. On January 14, 2010, in the midst of the 2010 Tonight Show host and time slot conflict, Kimmel was the special guest of Jay Leno on ''The Jay Leno Show'''s "10 at 10" segment. Kimmel derided Leno in front of a live studio audience for taking back the 11:35 pm time slot from Conan O'Brien, and repeatedly insulted Leno. He ended the segment with a plea that Leno "leave our shows alone," as Kimmel and O'Brien had "kids" while Leno only had "cars".

Kimmel also made a brief appearance in the TV commercial "There's A Soldier In All Of Us" promoting the 2010 video game ''Call of Duty: Black Ops'', along with Kobe Bryant. He is seen taking cover from bullets, then firing an RPG-7 with the words ''PROUD N00b'' on it, with the aftershock from the weapon sending him tumbling backwards.

Personal life

Kimmel and his then fiancée, Gina, married in June 1988. They have two children, Katie (born 1991) and Kevin (born 1993). Katie Kimmel is an art student in Chicago. The marriage ended in separation in early 2002. Kimmel then dated comedian Sarah Silverman for five years, splitting with her in March 2009. He started dating current girlfriend, Molly McNearney, in October 2009. McNearney is also a co-head writer for ''Jimmy Kimmel Live''.

Kimmel plays the bass clarinet. He got a chance to showcase his talent during a July 20, 2008, concert in Costa Mesa, California, featuring the Mighty Mighty Bosstones, when he took the stage and played bass clarinet on their hit song "The Impression That I Get."

Kimmel has spoken publicly of being a narcoleptic.

Kimmel co-founded the annual LA Feast of San Gennaro, which celebrates Italian culture through entertainment, music and cuisine. The festival also honors outstanding members of the Los Angeles community and raises funds to aid needy children and families in the city. He hosted Los Angeles' eighth annual feast of San Gennaro from September 28 to 30, 2009. Kimmel served as Master of Ceremonies for the National Italian American Foundation's 34th Anniversary Gala in Washington, D.C., on October 24, 2009.

He resides across the street from actor John Krasinski (known for his role as Jim Halpert on ''The Office'') and his wife, actress Emily Blunt.

Awards

References

External links

ABC Jimmy Kimmel Live website

JimmyKimmel.Net

Jimmy Kimmel appears on Michael Eisner's talkshow on CNBC

Jimmy Kimmel interview

Appearance on HGTV's ''Designer's Challenge''

Jimmy is Maxim's #2 Dudeliest Dude 2007

Category:1967 births Category:Actors from New York City Category:American comedians Category:American film actors Category:American game show hosts Category:American radio personalities Category:American television actors Category:American television producers Category:American television writers Category:American television talk show hosts Category:American people of German descent Category:American people of Italian descent Category:American people of Irish descent Category:Living people Category:People from Brooklyn Category:Radio personalities from the Las Vegas metropolitan area Category:University of Nevada, Las Vegas alumni

ar:جيمي كاميل de:Jimmy Kimmel fi:Jimmy Kimmel fr:Jimmy Kimmel he:ג'ימי קימל id:Jimmy Kimmel it:Jimmy Kimmel no:Jimmy Kimmel pl:Jimmy Kimmel pt:Jimmy Kimmel ru:Киммел, Джимми simple:Jimmy Kimmel th:จิมมี คิมเมล

name	Ronnie Montrose
background	solo_singer
birth date	November 29, 1947
origin	Denver, Colorado, United States
instrument	Guitar, mandolin, mandocello, bass, koto
genre	Hard rock, heavy metal, instrumental rock, jazz fusion, blues-rock
occupation	Musician, songwriter, producer
years active	1969–present
associated acts	Montrose, Gamma, Edgar Winter Group, Van Morrison, Sawbuck
notable instruments	Gibson Les Paul }}

Ronnie Montrose, (born November 29, 1947 in San Francisco, California) is a rock guitarist who has headed his own bands as well as performing with a variety of musicians, including Sammy Hagar, Herbie Hancock, Van Morrison, The Beau Brummels, Boz Scaggs, Beaver & Krause, Gary Wright, Tony Williams, The Neville Brothers, Dan Hartman and the Edgar Winter and Johnny Winter brothers.

Career

In 1969, he started out in a band called Sawbuck with Bill Church. Montrose had been in the process of recording what would have been his first album with Sawbuck when David Rubinson, the producer, arranged an audition with Van Morrison. Montrose got the job and played on Morrison's 1971 album ''Tupelo Honey''. He also played on the song "Listen to the Lion", which was recorded during the ''Tupelo Honey'' sessions but released on Morrison's next album. ''Saint Dominic's Preview'' (1972).

He then joined the Edgar Winter Group before forming his own band, Montrose in 1973, featuring Sammy Hagar on vocals. That incarnation of the band put out two albums on Warner Bros. Records, ''Montrose'' and ''Paper Money'', before Hagar left to pursue a solo career. Although the liner notes for the CD edition of ''Paper Money'' said that Ronnie was offered to play lead guitar for Mott the Hoople when he left the Edgar Winter Group, Ronnie says that it never happened and was just a rumor. He also added his guitar work to Gary Wright's song, "Power of Love" off the 1975 album, ''The Dream Weaver''.

The guitar virtuoso continued to put out albums as "Montrose" (''Warner Brothers Presents... Montrose!'' and ''Jump on It'') or "Ronnie Montrose" (''Open Fire'') until he formed Gamma in 1979, initially putting out three albums using that moniker with Davey Pattison singing.

In 1983 he played lead guitar on the song "(She Is A) Telepath" from Paul Kantner's album ''Planet Earth Rock and Roll Orchestra'' although he wasn't a member of the original PERRO.

In 1985 he joined Seattle's Rail (band) (winners of MTV's first Basement Tapes video competition) for several months. He was looking for a new band and one of Rail's guitarists, Rick Knotts, had recently left. Billed as Rail featuring Ronnie Montrose or Ronnie & Rail, they played a set of half Rail favorites and half Montrose songs ("Rock Candy," "Rock the Nation," "Matriarch," and Gamma's remake of Thunderclap Newman's "Something in the Air"). At the end of the tour, there was an amicable split.

He continued to record through the 1980s and 1990s, and Gamma put out a fourth album in 2005.

Ronnie Montrose appeared on Sammy Hagar's ''Marching To Mars'' along with original Montrose members Bill Church and Denny Carmassi on the song "Leaving The Warmth Of The Womb." The original Montrose lineup also reformed to play as a special guest at several Sammy Hagar concerts in summer 2004 and 2005. Ronnie Montrose has also performed regularly from 2002 to present with a Montrose lineup featuring Keith St. John on lead vocals and a rotating cast of veteran hard rock players on bass and drums.

On his latest tour in late 2009, Montrose revealed that he had successfully fought prostate cancer over the last 2 years.

Discography - main albums

Van Morrison - ''Tupelo Honey'' (1971)

Edgar Winter Group - ''They Only Come Out at Night'' (1972)

Montrose - ''Montrose'' (1973)

Montrose - ''Paper Money'' (1974)

Montrose - ''Warner Brothers Presents... Montrose!'' (1975)

Montrose - ''Jump On It'' (1976)

Ronnie Montrose - ''Open Fire'' (1978)

Gamma - ''Gamma 1'' (1979)

Gamma - ''Gamma 2'' (1980)

Gamma - ''Gamma 3'' (1982)

Ronnie Montrose - ''Territory'' (1986)

Montrose - ''Mean'' (1987)

Ronnie Montrose - ''The Speed Of Sound'' (1988)

Ronnie Montrose - ''The Diva Station'' (1990)

Ronnie Montrose - ''Mutatis Mutandis'' (1991)

Ronnie Montrose - ''Music From Here'' (1994)

Ronnie Montrose - ''Mr. Bones'' (1996)

Ronnie Montrose - ''Roll Over And Play Live'' (1999)

Ronnie Montrose - ''Bearings'' (1999)

Gamma - ''Gamma 4'' (2000)

Discography - session work

Herbie Hancock - ''Mwandishi'' (1971) "Ostinato (Suite For Angela)"

Beaver & Krause - ''Gandharva'' (1971) "Saga Of The Blue Beaver"

Kendall Kardt - ''Buddy Bolden'' (unreleased solo LP 1971) "Buddy Bolden" & "Black Train" with Jerry Garcia

Boz Scaggs - Unreleased Muscle Shoals tapes (1971)

Sawbuck - ''Sawbuck'' (1972) "Believe" and "Lovin' Man"

Van Morrison - ''Saint Dominic's Preview'' (1972) "Listen to the Lion"

Van Morrison - ''The Philosopher's Stone'' (1971/1972) "Ordinary People" & "Wonderful Remark" [compilation released 1999]

Kathi McDonald - ''Insane Asylum'' (1973) "(Love Is Like A) Heat Wave", "Heartbreak Hotel" & "If You Need Me"

Gary Wright - ''The Dream Weaver'' (1975) "Power Of Love"

The Beau Brummels - ''The Beau Brummels'' (1975) "Down To The Bottom"

Dan Hartman - ''Images'' (1976) "The Party's In The Back Room" & "High Sign"

Tony Williams - ''The Joy of Flying'' (1978) "Open Fire"

Nicolette Larson - ''In the Nick of Time'' (1979) "Just In The Nick Of Time"

Lauren Wood - ''Lauren Wood'' (1979) "Dirty Work" (Steely Dan cover)

Jamie Sheriff - ''No Heroes'' (1980) "Soldier"

Paul Kantner - ''Planet Earth Rock and Roll Orchestra'' (1983) "(She Is A) Telepath"

The Neville Brothers - ''Uptown'' (1987) "Whatever It Takes"

Various Artists - ''Guitar Speak'' (1988) "Blood Alley 152"

Various Artists - ''Born To Ski'' soundtrack (1991) "Born To Ski"

Marc Bonilla - ''EE Ticket'' (1991) "Razorback"

Marc Bonilla - ''American Matador'' (1993) "I Am The Walrus" (instrumental cover)

Anti-m - ''Positively Negative'' (1995) "Security", "Television", "Lonely" and "Iniki"

Edgar Winter - ''The Real Deal'' (1996) "Eye Of The Storm"

Sammy Hagar - ''Marching To Mars (1997) "Leaving the Warmth of the Womb"

CJ Hutchins - ''Out Of These Hands'' (1998) "Cannonball" (bass), "Cross-Leg", "Rock Me To Sleep", "Out Of These Hands", "What Went Wrong" (bass) & "Circus Song"

David Culiner - ''Implode'' (1999) "Human Shield"

Bruce Turgon - ''Outside Looking In'' (2005) "Outside Looking In"

Various Artists - ''The Songs Of Pink Floyd'' (2002) & ''Back Against the Wall'' (2005) "Another Brick in the Wall (Pt. 2)"

Various Artists - ''Secondhand Smoke - A Tribute to Frank Marino'' (2005) "Try for Freedom"

Kevin Crider - ''Signatures'' (2006) "Stratosphere"

Discography - compilation

Gamma - ''The Best of Gamma'' (1992)

Montrose - ''The Very Best of Montrose'' (2000)

Discography - production

Mitchell Froom - ''Key of Cool'' (1984)

Jeff Berlin/Vox Humana - ''Champion'' (1985) Background vocals

Wrath - ''Nothing to Fear'' (1987)

Heathen - ''Breaking the Silence'' (1987)

CJ Hutchins - ''Out Of These Hands'' (1998) Guitar, bass

Y&T; - ''Unearthed, Vol. 2'' (2005) Composer

Jerry Jennings - ''Shortcut to the Center'' (2006)

Notes

External links

Ronnie Montrose's Official MySpace

Ronnie Montrose Info Page

Ronnie Montrose Biography

Sammy Hagar Discography

Category:1947 births Category:Living people Category:American rock guitarists Category:American heavy metal guitarists Category:Lead guitarists Category:Montrose members

es:Ronnie Montrose fr:Ronnie Montrose it:Ronnie Montrose pt:Ronnie Montrose fi:Ronnie Montrose sv:Ronnie Montrose uk:Ронні Монтроз

name	Nikki Sixx
background	solo_singer
birth name	Frank Carlton Serafino Feranna, Jr.
birth date	December 11, 1958
origin	San Jose, California, U.S.
instrument	Bass, vocals, piano, keyboards, guitar
genre	Heavy metal, hard rock, glam metal, alternative rock
occupation	Musician, songwriter, author, fashion designer, radio host, photographer, record producer
years active	1978–present
label	Eleven Seven, Elektra, Mötley, Sanctuary, Leathür, Warner Music Group, Beyond
associated acts	Mötley Crüe, Sixx:A.M., Brides of Destruction, 58, London, Sister
website
notable instruments	Gibson ThunderbirdGibson Signature Blackbird }}

Nikki Sixx (born Frank Carlton Serafino Feranna, Jr. on December 11, 1958) is an American musician, songwriter, author, fashion designer, radio host, and photographer, best known as the co-founder, bassist, and lead lyricist of the band Mötley Crüe. Prior to forming Mötley Crüe, Sixx was a member of Sister before going on to form London with his Sister band mate Lizzie Grey. In 2000 he formed side project group 58 with Dave Darling, Steve Gibb and Bucket Baker issuing one album, titled ''Diet for a New America'', the same year while in 2002 he formed the hard rock supergroup Brides of Destruction with L.A. Guns guitarist Tracii Guns. Formed in 2006, initially to record an audio accompaniment to Sixx's autobiography ''The Heroin Diaries: A Year in the Life of a Shattered Rock Star'', his side band Sixx:A.M. features songwriter and producer and vocalist James Michael and guitarist DJ Ashba. Drowning Pool, Saliva and The Last Vegas among others.

Sixx launched the clothing line "Royal Underground" in 2006 with Kelly Gray, formerly the co-president and house model of St. John. Initially the label concentrated on men's clothing before expanding into women's while in 2010, Premiere Radio Networks launched nationally syndicated rock/alternative music radio programs "Sixx Sense" and "The Side Show Countdown" with both hosted by Sixx and co-hosted by Kerri Kasem.

Early life

Nikki Sixx was born Frank Carlton Serafino Feranna, Jr. on December 11, 1958 in San Jose, California. He is of Italian-American ancestry on his father's side. Sixx was partially raised by his single mother, Deana Richards, and by his grandparents after his father left the family. Nikki later moved in with his grandparents after his mother abandoned him. Sixx relocated several times while living with his grandparents.

While living in Jerome, Idaho, Sixx became a teenage vandal, breaking into neighbors' homes, shoplifting, and being expelled from school for selling drugs. His grandparents sent him to live with his mother, who had moved to Seattle. He lived there for a short time, and learned how to play the bass guitar having bought his first instrument with money gained from selling a prior guitar he had stolen.

He changed his name to "Nikki Sixx", he said, because of

Career

Early career, Sister, London (1975–1980)

At the age of 17, he moved to Los Angeles and began various jobs such as working at a liquor store and selling vacuums over the phone while he auditioned for bands. He eventually joined the group Sister, led by Blackie Lawless, after answering an ad in the Recycler for a bass player. Soon after recording a demo, Sixx was fired from Sister along with bandmate Lizzie Grey.

Sixx and Grey formed the group London soon afterwards, in 1978. During this time, he legally changed his name to Nikki Sixx. After a number of lineup changes, London added former Mott the Hoople singer Nigel Benjamin to the group recording a 16-track demo in Burbank. After the departure of Benjamin, along with the failure to find a replacement, Sixx departed London. The group would go on to feature Sixx's former Sister band mate Blackie Lawless (later of W.A.S.P.), Izzy Stradlin (then of Hollywood Rose, later of Guns N' Roses) and drummer Fred Coury (later of Cinderella).

In 2000, a number of the London demos recorded with Sixx were included on ''London Daze'' by Spiders & Snakes, led by former London guitarist Lizzie Grey.

Mötley Crüe (1981–present)

In 1981, Sixx founded Mötley Crüe with drummer Tommy Lee, later being joined by guitarist Mick Mars through an ad in the local newspaper he was reading, then by singer Vince Neil with whom Tommy had attended high school. The band decided to self-record their debut album, ''Too Fast for Love'', which was subsequently released in November 1981 on the band's own Leathür Records label. After signing with Elektra Records they re-released the album. The band then went on to record and release ''Shout at the Devil'', raising the band to national fame. They issued two more albums, ''Theatre of Pain'' in 1985 and ''Girls, Girls, Girls'' in 1987, followed by ''Dr. Feelgood'' in September 1989.

Unlike his bandmates, Nikki Sixx became addicted to heroin. Nikki Sixx, from ''The Heroin Diaries'': "Alcohol, acid, cocaine... they were just affairs. When I met heroin it was true love." He estimates he overdosed "about half a dozen times".

On the night of December 23, 1987, Sixx was declared dead for two minutes after a heroin overdose, only to be revived by paramedics with two adrenaline shots to the heart (this incident was the inspiration for the song "Kickstart My Heart"). In an interview, Sixx states that after he was declared dead, the ambulance arrived and one of the paramedics in the ambulance was a Mötley Crüe fan. "Apparently, the paramedic took one look at me and said, 'No one's gonna die in my ambulance.'" He also recalled having an out of body experience while being revived. When Nikki came to in the hospital, he ripped the tubes out of his nose and escaped into the parking lot where two girl fans gave him a ride home wearing just a pair of leather pants. At the time, Nikki's near death experience did not do much to change his ways. Not long after returning home, he shot up in his bathroom and passed out until the next morning, where he found the needle he had used the night before still dangling from his arm. On an earlier trip to London, Sixx overdosed at a dealer's house and the dealer apparently tried to beat the life back into him with a bat. Afterward, the dealer dumped Sixx into a nearby dumpster. Sixx recounted the incident in ''The Heroin Diaries: A Year in the Life of a Shattered Rock Star'', saying, "I had overdosed in London exactly a year earlier: Valentine's Day 1986. We had played the Hammersmith Odeon".

This incident was the inspiration behind the lyric "Valentine's in London, found me in the trash" from the Mötley Crüe song "Dancing on Glass".

Soon after his overdose, he and his bandmates went into rehab. In 1989, the band produced their most successful record, ''Dr. Feelgood'', with producer Bob Rock. The album stayed on the charts for 114 weeks after its release. After releasing the compilation album ''Decade of Decadence'', that included a new version of "Home Sweet Home", in 1991, Neil departed the group and was replaced by John Corabi formerly of The Scream. They released one self titled album with Corabi, in 1994, before firing him and releasing ''Generation Swine'' with Neil returning as lead vocalist. In 1999, Tommy Lee left the group and formed Methods of Mayhem. He was replaced by former Ozzy Osbourne drummer Randy Castillo. The group remastered and reissued all of their studio albums as well as releasing a new album titled ''New Tattoo'' in 2000. Due to Castillo's illness, former Hole drummer Samantha Maloney filled in for Castillo for the subsequent tour. The group went on hiatus soon after before reuniting in 2004, during which Sixx declared himself sober. A 2001 autobiography entitled ''The Dirt'' packaged the band as "the world's most notorious rock band". The book made the top ten on ''The New York Times'' Best Seller list and spent ten weeks there.

In 2006 Mötley Crüe completed a reunion tour featuring all four original members and embarked on a co-headlining tour with Aerosmith, called "The Route of All Evil".

In April 2008, the band announced the first ''Crüe Fest'', a summer tour, that featured Sixx's side project Sixx:A.M., Buckcherry, Papa Roach and Trapt. On June 24, 2008, Mötley Crüe released their ninth studio album, ''Saints of Los Angeles'', with Sixx credited as either writer or co-writer on all tracks. The second Crüe Fest, ''Crüe Fest 2'', commenced a year after the first and featured Charm City Devils, Drowning Pool, Godsmack, and Theory of a Deadman, in addition to Mötley Crüe themselves.

Sixx is controversial for an October 30, 1997 incident at Greensboro Coliseum in which during a Mötley Crüe concert he goaded the audience to physically attack a security guard for repeatedly punching a female fan. In May 2001, Sixx addressed the issue and claimed he had apologized to the victim of the incident.

Sixx wrote most of Mötley Crüe's material, including tracks such as "Live Wire", "Home Sweet Home", "Girls, Girls, Girls", "Kickstart My Heart", "Wild Side" and "Dr. Feelgood". In the 1990s, all four members began contributing to the material on the albums.

58 (2000)

In 2000, Sixx formed the internet based side project 58 with producer Dave Darling, guitarist Steve Gibb (formerly of Black Label Society and Crowbar) and drummer Bucket Baker. They released one single, titled "Piece of Candy", and their debut album, ''Diet for a New America'', also in 2000 through Sixx's Americoma label and Beyond Records. The group did not tour and was described by Sixx as "strictly an artistic thing."

Brides of Destruction (2002–2004)

Brides of Destruction were formed by Sixx and Tracii Guns in Los Angeles 2002 initially with the name Cockstar after Mötley Crüe went on hiatus and Guns left L.A. Guns. Sixx also invited former Beautiful Creatures guitarist DJ Ashba to join the group however he declined to focus on his solo band, ASHBA. Ashba would eventually join Sixx in Sixx:A.M..

After a few lineup changes, that included Sixx's former Mötley Crüe band mate John Corabi, keyboardist Adam Hamilton and drummer Kris Kohls of Adema, the group was composed of Sixx, Guns, singer London LeGrand and drummer Scot Coogan formerly of Ednaswap and Annetenna.

They were advised by radio programmers that the name Cockstar would not be announced on air. They briefly adopted the moniker Motordog before settling on Brides of Destruction.

They entered the studio with producer Stevo Bruno to begin recording what would become ''Here Come the Brides''. The Brides played their first show opening for Mudvayne and Taproot on November 14, 2002 at the Ventura Theatre in California.

After signing a deal with Sanctuary Records, the group released ''Here Come the Brides'' in 2004, with the album debuting at number 92 on the Billboard 200 selling over 13,000 copies. A tour of the US, Europe, including an appearance at Download Festival in the United Kingdom, and Australia followed.

On October 25, 2004 it was announced that the group were to go on hiatus while Sixx reunited with Mötley Crüe for a reunion tour. The group continued without Sixx, however, with Guns adding former Amen bassist Scott Sorry to the group as Sixx's replacement.

The second Brides of Destruction album, titled ''Runaway Brides'', released in 2005 featured three songs co-wrote by Sixx during the ''Here Come the Brides'' sessions.

Sixx:A.M. (2006–present)

Sixx formed the group Sixx:A.M. in 2006, initially to record an audio accompaniment to his autobiography ''The Heroin Diaries: A Year in the Life of a Shattered Rock Star'', They recorded and released ''The Heroin Diaries Soundtrack'' in August 2007 through Eleven Seven. peaking at number 2 on the Mainstream Rock Tracks.

The band made their live debut at Crash Mansion on July 16, 2007. They performed five songs from the album, with former Beautiful Creatures drummer Glen Sobel filling in on drums. On April 15, 2008, Sixx:A.M. announced they would be touring as part of Mötley Crüe's ''Crüe Fest''. The tour began on July 1, 2008, in West Palm Beach, Florida. During Crüe Fest, Papa Roach drummer Tony Palermo served as a touring drummer for the band. A deluxe tour edition of ''The Heroin Diaries Soundtrack'' was released on November 25, 2008, which included a bonus live EP entitled ''Live Is Beautiful'' which features recorded performances from the band's summer tour.

In April 2009, both Sixx and Michael confirmed that the band were in the studio, recording new material. Sixx added that the new material is "''inspiring. it feels like we may have topped ourselves on this album coming up, and can't wait for you to hear what it sounds like.''" In 2010, the group continued recording the album with plans to release it by the late 2010/early 2011 with the group bringing in Paul R. Brown to shoot the video for the album's first single. During an interview in July, Sixx stated that the album was almost finished.

With the release of 'Lies of the Beautiful People' in April 2011, Sixx took to a feud with Facebook. Having posted stills from his photography book 'This Is Gonna Hurt: Music, Photography and Life, Through the Distorted Lens of Nikki Sixx' on Facebook, the social network deemed a shot portraying a porn star to contravene the site's rules on pornography, and deleted it. Dissatisfied with the ruling, Sixx encouraged fans to replace their profile pictures with a similar shot of the same female performer. When over 250,000 did so, the act resulted in a number of fans having their Facebook accounts deleted. Sixx's criticism of Facebook centered around his consideration of the original photograph being art - and should therefore have been judged by different standards of decency.

Other work

In 1989, Sixx was a featured guest artist on the album ''Fire and Gasoline'' by Steve Jones, formerly of the Sex Pistols. Sixx co-wrote and performed on the song, "We're No Saints".

In 1991, Sixx played bass on "Feed My Frankenstein" on Alice Cooper's ''Hey Stoopid'' album. Sixx also co-wrote the track "Die For You", along with Cooper and Mötley Crüe guitarist Mick Mars (who plays guitar on the song).

In 2002, Sixx played on Butch Walkers first solo album "Left of Self Centered"

In 2005 Sixx collaborated with the Norwegian singer Marion Raven on two songs, "Heads Will Roll" and "Surfing the Sun", for Raven's debut album, ''Here I Am''. A new version of "Heads Will Roll" appeared on Raven's 2006 EP ''Heads Will Roll'' and on her 2007 U.S. debut album, ''Set Me Free''.

In 2006, he was one of the songwriters for Meat Loaf's long-awaited album, ''Bat Out of Hell III: The Monster Is Loose''.

In September 2007, Sixx released a book titled ''The Heroin Diaries: A Year in the Life of a Shattered Rock Star'', a collection of his journal entries from 1986 and 1987 (when his heroin addiction was at its most dangerous). Written with British journalist Ian Gittins, it also presents the present-day viewpoints of his bandmates, friends, ex-lovers, caretakers, business associates and family as they respond to specific passages. The book debuted at number 7 on ''The New York Times Best Seller list''.

Along with Big & Rich (John Rich and Big Kenny Alphin), and James Otto, Sixx co-wrote the song "Ain't Gonna Stop" for Otto's 2008 ''Sunset Man'' CD on Warner Bros/Raybaw Records.

In September 2011, Sixx is scheduled to appear on the live streaming video site backBEAT

Equipment

Signature basses

Nikki Sixx is most often seen playing Gibson Thunderbird basses. Between 2000 and 2003 Gibson produced the Nikki Sixx Signature Blackbird. The Gibson Blackbird was for all intents and purposes a standard Thunderbird bass, but with a satin black finish, Iron Crosses on the fretboard instead of dots, an Iron Cross behind the classic Thunderbird logo, and Nikki Sixx's 'opti-grab' (a metal loop installed behind the bridge for hooking the little finger onto while playing). What also made this bass interesting was the lack of volume or tone controls, being replaced by a single on/off switch. Although subtle, this helped give this Blackbird more tone and a higher output. This model was discontinued in 2003, but has recently been put back in production as the Epiphone Nikki Sixx Blackbird. Cosmetically the Epiphone Blackbird is identical to the Gibson original, but with a bolt-on single ply neck, solid mahogany body, different pickups and lower grade parts and manufacturing. The Epiphone model still kept the 'opti-grab,' designed and made first by his bass technician Tim Luzzi, and single on/off switch of the Gibson original.

In 2008, Gibson announced a 'limited run' new Nikki Sixx signature bass. Like the original it features a neck through design made of mahogany and walnut, with maple 'wings' to form the body. Unlike the original 'Blackbird' bass, a clear 'satin black cherry' finish is given to the instrument, with red 'slash' X's on the 3rd, 5th, 7th and 12th frets. A mirror pickguard is also applied, with a red signature and two X's (6 x's on the whole bass) is also a new addition. Unlike the Gibson Blackbird, the new signature featured volume and tone controls, the 'opti-grab', and an on/off switch.

Other basses

His inspiration to use the Gibson Thunderbird came from Pete "Overend" Watts of Mott the Hoople and John Entwistle of The Who. His first Gibson Thunderbird was a white 1976 model. He would light it on fire with pyro gel during early Mötley Crüe shows, (when they were still a club band) and it finally just disintegrated. He used Fender Precision basses and Rickenbacker basses before he had his first Thunderbird.

Early on, he was sponsored by B.C. Rich, and used Mockingbird & Warlock basses. He used Hamer Firebird basses during the tour for ''Theatre of Pain'', in either plain black or plain white, while some of them had finishes that suited his stage outfits. After that he used Spector basses during ''Girls, Girls, Girls'' and ''Dr. Feelgood''. These Spector basses were shaped like Thunderbirds and usually commonly called Spectorbirds. Sixx owned at least eight Spectorbirds. All eight had an opti-grab, designed and made by Tim Luzzi, 1 volume knob, P & J pickups, 24 frets and Spector bass "Crown" inlays. He used four during the tour for ''Girls, Girls, Girls'', two black ones and one with a 101 Dalmatians finish, all of which had the Gibson Thunderbird Non-Reverse body type. One of the black basses had a large skull painting covering most of the body. He also used one in a buckeye burl finish with the reverse body style. It had an orange Harley-Davidson Crüe sticker where the Thunderbird logo usually is. These all had black hardware. For ''Dr. Feelgood '' he used five Spectorbirds, two in sunburst and one in a natural finish. He also used a white one with a Non-Reverse style body, covered in small black stickers and a sticker saying Dancing On Glass. He also used a plain black Spectorbird with a reversed body style, which he smashed at the Make A Difference Foundation Moscow Music Peace Festival in Moscow.

During the 1990s, Sixx started using 12-string basses made in Japan by the Hiroshigi Kids Guitar Company. He owns at least five: a black one with red lettering and white binding, a black one with gold binding, a black one with white lettering and white binding, a red one with "Helter Skelter" written on it, and a green one. The red and green ones have dragon inlays on the body. He also used four- and five-string Epiphone Non-Reverse Thunderbirds for the ''Generation Swine'' tour and would usually smash one after his bass solo. He has also used Ernie Ball Music Man StingRay 5 basses, most notably while on tour with Brides of Destruction and the two newly recorded songs for the 1998 Mötley Crüe album, ''Greatest Hits''.

He also has used Fender Precision Basses, particularly when smashing basses at the end of a set. They are usually black Squier Precision Basses with white pickguards. He previously used Ampeg amplifiers, but has switched to Basson amplifiers. While recording ''The Heroin Diaries Soundtrack'', he used a 1959 Fender Precision which was amplified through a 1964 Fender Bassman.

Personal life

Family and relationships

In the early 80's Sixx dated guitarist Lita Ford. They lived together for a short while.

From December 1986 to September 1987, Sixx dated singer/actress/model Vanity. They had a rocky and drug-oriented relationship, which is chronicled in Sixx's book ''The Heroin Diaries: A Year in the Life of a Shattered Rock Star''. During this time, Vanity would tell the press that they were engaged, while Sixx would always deny her claim.

From May 1989 to November 1996, Sixx was married to ''Playboy'' Playmate Brandi Brandt; they have three children: Gunner Nicholas Sixx (b. January 25, 1991), Storm Brieann Sixx (b. April 14, 1994), and Decker Nilsson Sixx (b. May 23, 1995).

One month after the divorce from Brandt, Sixx married another ''Playboy'' Playmate, actress Donna D'Errico. Sixx and D'Errico have one daughter, Frankie-Jean Mary (b. January 2, 2001). D'Errico has a son, Rhyan, from a previous relationship. They separated shortly after their daughter's birth, and reconciled months later when Sixx completed rehab. They separated again on April 27, 2006 and divorced in June 2007, with D'Errico claiming irreconcilable differences.

Sixx dated tattoo artist Kat Von D from 2008 to 2010. A few months after their breakup Sixx and Von D were spotted back together. Sixx was featured on an episode of Von D's reality television show ''LA Ink'' in 2008, in which Von D gave him a tattoo of Mick Mars, lead guitarist of Mötley Crüe. On August 25, 2010, Sixx issued a statement that their relationship had dissolved. It was reported on October 19, 2010 that Nikki and Kat had gotten back together. On October 27, 2010 Kat Von D confirmed to USA Today that indeed she and West Coast Choppers owner Jesse James were still an item, debunking original reports that she and Sixx had reconciled. On November 4, 2010 Sixx was spotted at the Call Of Duty: Black Ops Launch Party in Santa Monica, California with model Courtney Bingham.

Radio shows

Launched on February 8, 2010, ''Sixx Sense with Nikki Sixx'' broadcasts Monday through Friday from 7 p.m. to midnight local time on rock/alternative music stations. Each night, host Nikki Sixx will discuss music and lifestyle topics as he gives listeners a backstage look at the world and mind of a rock star. Joined by co-host Kerri Kasem, Sixx will provide his unique perspective and attitude as the duo welcomes celebrity guests, recording artists and fascinating characters from all walks of life. All this and more will be coupled with radio station playlists.

''The Side Show with Nikki Sixx'' is a two-hour original weekend program. Airing Saturday or Sunday between 6 a.m. and midnight local time, Nikki Sixx and co-host Kerri Kasem will air top-charting songs, showcase new and emerging artists, and welcome guests from the worlds of music and entertainment.

Running Wild in the Night

With the formation of Sixx:A.M. and the release of ''The Heroin Diaries'', Nikki Sixx teamed up with an already existing charity known as the Covenant House and created his own branch called Running Wild in the Night. In addition to partially funding the services the Covenant House provides on its own, Sixx’s division also provides a creative arts and music program, allowing the beneficiaries of this program to discover an answer to their problems that is better than drugs. Sixx has negotiated with people in his industry to provide the program with musical instruments and software. Sixx has arguably prevented thousands of potential drug users and rehabilitated teenage addicts from continuing to dabble in the world of drugs, as the Covenant House helped almost 78,000 youth at risk last year.

A portion of the profits from Sixx:A.M.’s album ''The Heroin Diaries Soundtrack'' and his autobiography, ''The Heroin Diaries: A Year in the Life of a Shattered Rock Star'' is donated to help the Covenant House. Sixx also continues to auction off personal items to fund Running Wild in the Night. As of April 2009, he had raised over $100,000. In addition to monetary contributions, Sixx has made personal and emotional ones. George Lozano, the director of Covenant House California, said that Sixx is "passionate about the cause; he can relate to the youth in our program and they can relate to him. He’s a great role model for these kids."

Discography

!Title ! rowspan=7 rowspan=3 Americoma/Bertelsmann Music Group2004 in music2007 in music

Release !! Label !! Band
''Too Fast for Love''	1981 in music>1981	Elektra Records	Elektra ||rowspan=8>Mötley Crüe
''Shout at the Devil''	1983 in music>1983
''Theatre of Pain''	1985 in music>1985
''Girls, Girls, Girls (Mötley Crüe album)	Girls, Girls, Girls''	1987 in music>1987
''Dr. Feelgood (album)	Dr. Feelgood''	1989 in music>1989
''Mötley Crüe (album)	Mötley Crüe''	1994 in music>1994
''Generation Swine''	1997 in music>1997
''New Tattoo''	2000 in music	2000 |>Mötley
''London Daze''
''Diet for a New America (album)	Diet for a New America''	Beyond || 58
''Here Come the Brides (album)	Here Come the Brides''	2004 ||	Sanctuary Records Group>Sanctuary	Brides of Destruction
''The Heroin Diaries Soundtrack''	2007 ||rowspan=3	Eleven Seven |>Sixx:A.M.
''Saints of Los Angeles''	2008 in music>2008
''This Is Gonna Hurt''	2011 in music>2011

Production and songwriting credits

!Year	!Album title	!Band	!Record label	!Credits
1988		Lita Ford		Co-writer "Falling in and Out of Love"
1989	''Fire and Gasoline''			Co-writer "We're No Saints...."
1990	''Hey Stoopid''	Alice Cooper		Co-writer "Die for You"
2002	''Back into Your System''			Co-writer "Rest in Pieces"
2003	''Couldn't Have Said It Better''	Meat Loaf
2004	''ForThemAsses''			Co-writer "Horny"
2005		Marion Raven		Co-writer "Heads Will Roll" and "Surfing the Sun"
2005	''Runaway Brides''	Brides of Destruction		Co-writer "Criminal", "This Time Around" and "Blown Away"
2006	''Bat Out of Hell III: The Monster Is Loose''	Meat Loaf
2007		Marion Raven	[[Eleven Seven Music	Co-writer "Set Me Free" and "Heads Will Roll"
2007		[[Drowning Pool">Virgin Records	Co-writer "The Monster Is Loose"
2007		Marion Raven	[[Eleven Seven Music	Co-writer "Set Me Free" and "Heads Will Roll"
2007		[[Drowning Pool	Eleven Seven	Co-writer and producer on "Reason I'm Alive"
2008	''Sunset Man''	James Otto	Warner Bros.	Co-writer "Ain't Gonna Stop"
2009	''Whatever Gets You Off''	The Last Vegas	Eleven Seven	Co-writer and producer on "I'm Bad", "Apologize" and "Cherry Red"
2010	''Tattoos & Tequila''	Vince Neil	Eleven Seven	Co-writer "Another Bad Day"

References

External links

Official Sixx:A.M. website

Official Cruefest 2009 Tour website

Official Sixx Sense website

Category:1958 births Category:American fashion designers Category:American heavy metal bass guitarists Category:American memoirists Category:American musicians of Italian descent Category:Glam metal musicians Category:Living people Category:Mötley Crüe members Category:Musicians from California Category:People from San Jose, California Category:People self-identifying as substance abusers Category:Sixx:A.M. members Category:Songwriters from California

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