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Montrose was a California-based hard rock band. The band originally featured Ronnie Montrose on guitar and future solo artist and Van Halen frontman Sammy Hagar. Rounding out the original foursome were bassist Bill Church and drummer Denny Carmassi.

History[link]

Prior to forming the band Montrose, guitarist Ronnie Montrose had been a successful session musician, playing (along with future Montrose bassist Bill Church) on Van Morrison's Tupelo Honey album produced by Ted Templeman, and on albums by Beaver & Krause and Herbie Hancock. He was also a member of the Edgar Winter Group, playing on the hit singles Free Ride and Frankenstein from the best-selling album They Only Come Out at Night (1972).

The original Montrose lineup, consisting of Ronnie Montrose on guitar, Sammy Hagar (then known as Sam Hagar) on lead vocals, Bill Church on bass, and Denny Carmassi on drums, was formed in early 1973 after Ronnie Montrose decided to leave the Edgar Winter Group. Both Hagar and Carmassi had previously worked together and were recruited from local San Francisco-area cover bands, while Bill Church and Ronnie Montrose were acquainted from their session work with singer Van Morrison and producer Ted Templeman. This prior connection provided the band with access to Templeman who heard their demos and helped the newly formed group secure a deal with Warner Bros. The band, as yet officially unnamed and billed as ‘Ronnie Montrose and Friends’, made their public debut on April 21,1973 via a forty-five minute radio broadcast aired on KSAN FM’s Tom Donahue show. The broadcast, never officially released but in circulation as a bootleg recording, featured the band's complete ten song performance recorded at the Record Plant in Sausalito, consisting of their entire first album (excluding Space Station #5) as well as the unreleased tracks Roll Me Nice, You’re Out of Time, and Roll Over Beethoven.

Their debut, the Ted Templeman-produced Montrose, was released on Warner Bros in late 1973. Though the album was not a big seller upon its initial release, peaking at #133 on the U.S. Billboard chart, it proved to be an international sleeper hit which over a period of several decades has sold in excess of one million copies, attaining platinum status. Often cited as 'America's answer to Led Zeppelin', it is held to be highly influential amongst hard rock/heavy metal musicians including Iron Maiden and Van Halen, both of whom have recorded and/or performed cover versions of songs from the album. Montrose were initially managed and booked by Dee Anthony.

The first member to leave the original Montrose lineup was bassist Bill Church, who was replaced by Alan Fitzgerald for the band's second album, Paper Money (1974), also produced by Ted Templeman. Already disenchanted with what he perceived to be the one dimensionality and commercially-waning popularity of the group's hard rock/proto-metal sound, Ronnie Montrose insisted on changing the formula for Paper Money by broadening the stylistic, compositional, rhythmic, and sonic range of the band, and generally toning down the high-energy intensity and metallic crunch that defined the group's first album. Despite its significant stylistic departure from the band’s iconic debut, lukewarm response from critics, and mixed reactions from fans, Paper Money initially sold twice as many copies as Montrose and was the band’s highest-charting release, reaching #65 on Billboard’s Hot 100.

After building acrimony between guitarist-founder Ronnie Montrose and vocalist Sammy Hagar reached a peak during the band's 1974-75 European tour to promote Paper Money (as part of the Warner Bros Music Show package which also featured Tower of Power, Little Feat, and The Doobie Bros.), Hagar parted ways with the group in February 1975. He was replaced by Los Angeles-based vocalist Bob James. Seeking to further expand and change the band's sound, keyboardist Jim Alcivar was also drafted. The Paper Money rhythm section of drummer Denny Carmassi and bassist Alan Fitzgerald remained. The new quintet lineup of Montrose made their live debut in San Francisco at Winterland Ballroom on April 5, 1975. At this juncture the group parted ways with producer Ted Templeman. Montrose released two more albums, the Ronnie Montrose-produced Warner Brothers Presents... Montrose! (1975) and Jump On It (1976), produced by Jack Douglas, known for his work with Aerosmith. Both albums feature Bob James on vocals and Jim Alcivar on keyboards. On the Jump On It album, Alan Fitzgerald was replaced on bass by Randy Jo Hobbs, and the subsequent tour to promote the album saw the band performing as a four-piece without a bass player, utilizing Jim Alicivar for keyboard-bass.

Under the high-profile management of impresario and concert promoter Bill Graham, Montrose reached the peak of their commercial popularity during the Warner Bros Presents and Jump On It era from 1975 to 1977, which found the band adhering to a grueling tour schedule across America and Canada, performing predominantly in large arena and stadium venues sharing the bill with major artists that included The Rolling Stones, Kiss, Peter Frampton, Yes, Rush, The Eagles, Journey, and Aerosmith, as well as headlining their own shows in mid-size arenas. This period also netted Montrose their second highest chart position, with Warner Bros Presents reaching #79 on Billboard's Hot 100.

As the result of a near-fatal amphetamine overdose during his stint with the Edgar Winter Group, Ronnie Montrose observed a strong personal anti-drug/anti-alcohol stance during this period, exemplified by his insistence that all Montrose band members abide by a strict policy of drug and alcohol-free performances.

After the departure of vocalist Bob James following the band's performance at Winterland on December 31, 1976, Montrose imploded as a group and Ronnie Montrose resurfaced a year later with the solo instrumental album Open Fire, released in January 1978. During this period the guitarist also worked with jazz-fusion drummer Tony Williams. In 1979, along with Montrose holdovers Jim Alcivar and Alan Fitzgerald, drummer Skip Gillette, and Scottish vocalist Davey Pattison, Ronnie Montrose formed a new group in the progressive hard rock mould named Gamma. The band's debut, Gamma 1 was released in 1979. Their second release, Gamma 2 (1980), saw former Montrose drummer Denny Carmassi replacing Skip Gillette and bassist Glenn Letsch replacing Alan Fitzgerald, who went on to become a founding member (as keyboardist) of Night Ranger.

Sammy Hagar went on to build a successful post-Montrose solo career which, during its early phase, featured fellow former Montrose member Bill Church on bass and drummer Billy Carmasssi, younger brother of Montrose drummer Denny Carmassi. In July of 1985, Hagar joined Van Halen.

In 1987, Ronnie Montrose formed a new lineup of Montrose with singer Johnny Edwards and drummer James Kottak (both from the band Buster Brown), and bassist Glenn Letsch, who had replaced Fitzgerald in Gamma. This lineup of the band released one album, Mean (1987).

The original Montrose line-up with Sammy Hagar, Bill Church, Denny Carmassi, and Ronnie Montrose reunited on Sammy Hagar's Marching to Mars (1997) album, performing "Leaving the Warmth of the Womb," and also appeared together onstage during encores at several of Hagar's concerts in 2003 and 2005.

Ronnie Montrose performed off and on from 2002 until his death with a Montrose lineup that featured Keith St. John (endorsed by Sammy Hagar) and Randy Scoles on vocals, and a rotating cast of veteran hard rock players including Dan McNay and Sean McNabb on bass, and Mick Brown (Dokken), Bobby Blotzer (Ratt), Leonard Haze (Y&T), and Steve Brown on drums. Ronnie successfully battled prostate cancer from 2008 to 2010, and beginning in 2010 had become more musically active, playing regular gigs and doing interviews. A reunion of the original Montrose lineup was planned for a one-off performance at Sammy Hagar's Cabo Wabo nightclub in October of 2012. Following a bout with depression and an over-consumption of alcohol, Ronnie Montrose died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound on March 3, 2012.

Discography[link]

Albums[link]

• Montrose (1973) #133 US; #43 UK^[1]
• Paper Money (1974) #65 US
• Warner Brothers Presents... Montrose! (1975) #79 US
• Jump On It (1976) #118 US
• Mean (1987)
• The Very Best of Montrose (2000)

Singles[link]

• "Rock Candy"
• "I Got the Fire"
• "Bad Motor Scooter"
• "Make It Last"
• "Rock the Nation"
• "Space Station Number 5" / "Good Rockin' Tonight" #71 UK^[1]

References[link]

External links[link]

• Ronnie Montrose Webpage
• Sammy Hagar Discography

Montrose may refer to:

Places[link]

Scotland

• Montrose, Angus

Australia

• Montrose, Tasmania, a suburb of Hobart
• Montrose, Victoria, a suburb of Melbourne

Canada

• Montrose, British Columbia
• Montrose (Edmonton), neighborhood in Edmonton, Alberta
• Montrose No. 315, Saskatchewan, rural municipality in Saskatchewan, Canada
• Montrose, Nova Scotia

Republic of Ireland

• Montrose, Dublin, an area from where the national television station RTÉ broadcasts; use of the term "Montrose" often metonymically refers to RTÉ and not the area

United States of America

• Montrose, Alabama
• Montrose, Arkansas
• Montrose, California
• Montrose, Colorado
• Montrose, Georgia
• Montrose, Illinois
• Montrose, Iowa
• Montrose, Kansas
• Montrose (Clarksville, Maryland), on the list of RHPs in MD
• Montrose, Michigan
• Montrose Township, Michigan
• Montrose, Minnesota
• Montrose, Mississippi
• Montrose, Missouri
• Montrose (Holly Springs, Mississippi), a Mississippi Landmark
• Montrose, New York
• Montrose (Hillsborough, North Carolina), on the list of RHPs in NC
• Montrose-Ghent, Ohio
• Montrose, Ohio
• Montrose, Pennsylvania
• Montrose, South Dakota
• Montrose, Houston, a neighborhood in in Houston, Texas
• Montrose, Virginia
• Montrose (McKenney, Virginia), on the list of RHPs in VA
• Montrose, West Virginia
• Montrose, Wisconsin, a town
  • Montrose (community), Wisconsin, an unincorporated community

People[link]

• James Graham, 1st Marquess of Montrose (1612 - 1650), Scottish nobleman and soldier
• Lewis Montrose, English footballer
• Louis Montrose, American literary theorist and academic scholar
• Ronnie Montrose, American guitarist

CTA stations[link]

• Montrose (CTA Brown Line) on the Brown Line
• Montrose (CTA Blue Line) on the Blue Line

Other[link]

• Montrose (band), American hard rock/heavy metal band
  • Montrose (album), their self-titled debut album
• Montrose (horse), winner of the Kentucky Derby in 1887
• Montrose (song), traditional song recorded by (among others) Steeleye Span on Live at Last (Steeleye Span album)
• Montrose F.C., Scottish football team
• Château Montrose, French Bordeaux wine producer, archaically named simply Montrose
• Duke of Montrose, Scottish title
• HMS Montrose, ships of the United Kingdom's Royal Navy
• A Legend of Montrose, historical novel by Sir Walter Scott
• RAF Montrose

See also[link]

• Rosemont (disambiguation)
• Rosemount (disambiguation)

This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the same title. If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article.

This biographical article needs additional citations for verification. Please help by adding reliable sources. Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately, especially if potentially libelous or harmful. (October 2011)

Ronnie Montrose
Montrose in 1974
Background information
Birth name	Ronald Douglas Montrose
Born	(1947-11-29)November 29, 1947 San Francisco, California, US
Died	March 3, 2012(2012-03-03) (aged 64) Brisbane, California, US
Genres	Hard rock, heavy metal, instrumental rock, jazz fusion, blues rock
Occupations	Musician, songwriter, producer
Instruments	Guitar, mandolin, mandocello, bass guitar, koto, vocals
Years active	1969–2012
Associated acts	Montrose, Gamma, Edgar Winter Group, Van Morrison, Sawbuck
Notable instruments
Gibson Les Paul

Ronald Douglas "Ronnie" Montrose^[1] (November 29, 1947 – March 3, 2012) was an American rock guitarist who led a number of his own bands as well as performed and did session work 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, Marc Bonilla, Edgar Winter, and Johnny Winter.

Career[link]

Montrose was born in San Francisco, California.^[2] When he was a toddler, his parents moved back to his mother's home state of Colorado (his father was from Bertrand, Nebraska, and his mother was from Golden, Colorado). He spent most of his younger years in Colorado until he ran away at about 16 years old to pursue his musical career. He ultimately spent most of his life in the San Francisco Bay area.^[3] 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 producer David Rubinson arranged an audition with Van Morrison. Montrose got the job and played on Morrison's 1971 album Tupelo Honey.^[4] 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).^[5]

Montrose played briefly with Boz Scaggs and then joined the Edgar Winter Group in 1972, recording electric guitar, acoustic 12 string, and mandolin on Winter's third album release, They Only Come Out at Night (1972), which included the hit singles "Frankenstein" and "Free Ride".^[6] He then formed his own band, Montrose, in 1973, featuring Sammy Hagar on vocals. That incarnation of the band released two albums on Warner Bros. Records, Montrose (1973) and Paper Money (1974), 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 guitarist released two more Montrose band albums in the rock/vocal format (Warner Brothers Presents... Montrose! and Jump on It, featuring vocalist Bob James replacing Sammy Hagar), then shifted direction and under the name of 'Ronnie Montrose' released the guitar-instrumental solo album Open Fire before returning to the rock-vocal format and forming Gamma in 1979, initially releasing three albums under that name 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 (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, releasing another Montrose album entitled 'Mean' and Gamma put out a fourth album in 2000.

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 most recent tour, in late 2009, Montrose revealed that he had successfully fought prostate cancer over the last two years;^[7] however, the cancer returned soon after.

The coroner's report released on April 6, 2012 ruled his death a suicide by self-inflicted gunshot wound. He died on March 3, 2012.^[8] He was 64.

Discography[link]

Solo albums[link]

• Open Fire (1978)
• Territory (1986)
• The Speed Of Sound (1988)
• The Diva Station (1990)
• Mutatis Mutandis (1991)
• Music From Here (1994)
• Mr. Bones (1996)
• Roll Over And Play Live (1999)
• Bearings (1999)

With Montrose[link]

• Montrose (1973)
• Paper Money (1974)
• Warner Brothers Presents... Montrose! (1975)
• Jump On It (1976)
• Mean (1987)
• The Very Best of Montrose (2000)

With Gamma[link]

• Gamma 1 (1979)
• Gamma 2 (1980)
• Gamma 3 (1982)
• Gamma 4 (2000)
• The Best of Gamma (1992)

Session work[link]

• Van Morrison - Tupelo Honey (1971)
• 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"[1] & "Black Train" [2] with Jerry Garcia
• Boz Scaggs - Unreleased Muscle Shoals tapes (1971)
• Edgar Winter Group - They Only Come Out at Night (1972)
• 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"

Production[link]

• 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)

Personal life[link]

Ronnie was married to his wife and manager Leighsa Montrose, Ronnie had two children son Jesse and daughter Kira, and at the time of his death had five grandchildren.

Death[link]

On March 3, 2012, Ronnie Montrose took his own life. The San Mateo County Coroner’s Office released a report on April 6 that confirmed the guitarist died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Ronnie did not leave a suicide note.^[9]

Ronnie had a difficult life that led him to be very self-critical and may have contributed to his long-term alcoholism. The toxicology reported a blood-alcohol level of 0.31% (four times the legal limit in California) at the time of death. In early 2012, the deaths of his uncle and Lola (his beloved bulldog whose companionship helped him cope with his cancer recovery) contributed to depression.^[10]

On the morning of March 3, 2012 at 11:01 A.M., a series of text messages with his wife Leighsa preceded the suicide^[11]:

"...I have the .38 in my hand and am ready to go."

"I’m so sorry. Still have the gun in my hand. I’m going on that voyage. I love you beyond measure."

At this point Leighsa called Ronnie and asked him to come to her location. He agreed. After a few minutes, Leighsa decided to not wait and go to Ronnie, but noticed another text on her phone.

"I can’t. I’ve got the gun to my head."

Leighsa rushed home with her mother where they found Ronnie dead in his living room. He was pronounced dead at noon.^[12]

References[link]

External links[link]

• Ronnie Montrose's Official MySpace
• Ronnie Montrose Info Page
• Ronnie Montrose Biography
• Ronnie Montrose website

This biographical article needs additional citations for verification. Please help by adding reliable sources. Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately, especially if potentially libelous or harmful. (July 2010)

Frank Hannon[link]

Born October 3, 1966 in Sacramento, California, Hannon is best known as the guitarist, songwriter and a co-founder of the multi-platinum band TESLA, and is now established as a solo singer / songwriter with his album "GYPSY HIGHWAY". Drawing on his early childhood influences of American Folk artists such as Bob Dylan, John Denver, and Willie Nelson, Frank Hannon has showcased his lyrical, vocal, and "acoustic" storytelling song writing abilities on the self produced album. Apart from recent TESLA concerts, Frank Hannon has been performing solo "acoustic" shows, one in particular was the KGGO "Summer Jam" in Des Moines Iowa where he performed throughout the day in between artist such as John Waite, 38 special, and BTO in front of 10,000 fans singing by himself with an acoustic guitar, and recently performing with Aaron Lewis who is also known for such solo acoustic performances. Frank has recently formed the independent label RedHawk Records.

Biography[link]

Hannon started playing guitar and writing songs when he was 10 (1976). He joined/started the band Tesla at age 19 but had also played with and produced many artists. He uses guitars such as Gibsons preferably his '96 Cherry SG, ES 335, Les Paul Goldtops, Doubleneck 12/6 strings and acoustics and he uses a Dove, J50. Hannon later learned to play piano from his mother at a young age. He also played the B3 organ, Bass Guitar and Drums. As the years rolled when Tesla started he and other band mates met Jeff Keith on a local radio station.

He has recorded and performed with many musicians over the last 20 years. He formed the Frank Hannon Band with Robbie Furiosi, Joel Krueger, and Billy Raney. Others that he has played with include Dickey Betts, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Moe, Def Leppard, Roger Fisher, Gary Hoey, Steve Morse, Jeff Watson, Night Ranger, Eric Martin, Y&T, Jon Anthony, Jackyl, Skid Row, Scott West, Cortney Daugustine, Rogue, Pat Travers, and Kevin Hampton.

Hannon formed a band called Moon Dog Mane, who released one album in 1998.

In 2005 Hannon released his first solo effort Guitarz from Marz, released exclusively through his website frankhannon.com

Frank recently played at Coaches in Rocklin for the Wounded Warriors Project (a benefit fund raiser for wounded soldiers) on Dec 31, New Year's Eve of 2010-2011.

Discography[link]

Frank Hannon[link]

• Gypsy Highway (2010)
• 100 Proof Live!-Live At Constable Jack's (2010)
• Guitarz From Marz (2005)

Tesla[link]

• Mechanical Resonance (1986)
• The Great Radio Controversy (1989)
• Five Man Acoustical Jam (1990, live)
• Psychotic Supper (1991)
• Bust a Nut (1994)
• Times Makin' Changes - The Best of Tesla (1995, best of 1986-1994)
• 20th Century Masters - The Millennium Collection: The Best of Tesla (2001)
• Replugged Live (2001, 2-CD Live Set)
• Into the Now (2004)
• Standing Room Only (2005, Live)
• Real to Reel (2007)
• Real to Reel 2 (2007)
• Forever More (2008)

Moon Dog Mane[link]

• Turn It Up (1998)

References[link]

External links[link]

• Official web site
• Official Frank Hannon MySpace Page

Neal Schon
Background information
Born	(1954-02-27) February 27, 1954 (age 58) Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma, USA
Genres	Hard rock, instrumental rock, pop rock, progressive rock, glam metal, jazz fusion, smooth jazz
Occupations	Musician, songwriter
Instruments	Guitar, vocals
Years active	1969–present
Labels	Columbia, Higher Octave
Associated acts	Santana, Betty Davis, Journey, Schon & Hammer, HSAS, Hear 'n Aid, Michael Bolton, Jimmy Barnes, Bad English, Hardline, Paul Rodgers, Abraxas Pool, Planet Us, Soul SirkUS
Website	Official website
Notable instruments
Neal Schon Signature Les Paul

Neal George Joseph Schon (born February 27, 1954)^[1] is an American rock guitarist, songwriter, and vocalist best known for his work with the band Journey. He is the only member to have recorded on all of Journey's albums. He was also a member of the rock band Santana before forming Journey.

Early life and career[link]

Schon was born at Tinker AFB, Oklahoma,^[2] the son of Barbara and Matthew Schon.^[3] His father was an accomplished musician, arranger, composer and played and taught all reed instruments with emphasis on jazz tenor saxophone; his mother was a big band singer. Schon first picked up the guitar at the age of 5. A quick learner, he joined Santana as a teenage prodigy at the age of 15.^[4] He went to Aragon High School in San Mateo, but dropped out (with his parents' blessing) before graduating. Schon had famously been asked by Eric Clapton to join Derek and the Dominos, but since Santana called him first, he decided to join Santana for the album Santana III.^[5] Schon also played in Azteca before moving on in 1973 to form Journey, a group he continues to lead today.

Schon's guitar style has been described as soulful, taking inspiration from 1960s-era soul singers such as Aretha Franklin and Gladys Knight, and blending it with blues runs similar to B. B. King. He was influenced by guitarists such as Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix and Wes Montgomery.

In addition to his five solo albums and 14 studio albums with Journey, his work also includes: a pair of albums with keyboardist Jan Hammer, short-term collaborations with Sammy Hagar (HSAS and Planet Us) and Paul Rodgers, stints with Bad English (a supergroup that featured Journey’s Jonathan Cain and Deen Castronovo and Jonathan Cain's former Babys bandmates John Waite and Ricky Phillips) and Hardline (which also featured Deen Castronovo). Even as Journey’s latest lineup plays to a still-faithful body of fans, Schon has immersed himself in side projects such as Piranha Blues (1999) and "Black Soup Cracker" a funk outfit that features former Prince associates Rosie Gaines and Michael Bland, and more recently Soul SirkUS with Jeff Scott Soto.

Schon can be heard on other albums including three tracks on Michael Bolton's The Hunger, with the Schon sound most recognizable on "(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay". He also joined Larry Graham to play in an all-star band for cult funk artist and ex-wife of Miles Davis, Betty Davis. In addition, Schon (along with then Journey manager Herbie Herbert) also contributed to Lenny White's 1977 album "Big City", specifically the instrumental jam "And we meet again".

Guitars[link]

Schon's first guitar was an acoustic Stella, followed two years later by a Gibson ES-335 which was subsequently stolen and replaced with a '56 Les Paul Goldtop reissue that he used for many years.^[5][6] Schon currently endorses Gibson guitars, and has a limited edition signature Les Paul model entitled the "Neal Schon Signature Model Custom Les Paul", of which only 35 were made according to the Gibson Custom website, (80 according to Neal Schon's website.)^[5] He has previously employed Godin guitars on his 1995 solo album Beyond the Thunder, and more recently uses Paul Reed Smith guitars. In the late 1980s, Schon manufactured (through Jackson Guitars and later Larrivee) and played his own line of guitars. Simply named Schon, about 200 of the Jackson-produced models were made.^[7] A white Schon guitar can be clearly seen in the music video for the Journey song "Girl Can't Help It", as well as a gold version in the Journey videos for "I'll Be Alright Without You" and "Be Good to Yourself". A Gibson Les Paul Super Custom can be seen in the video for the Journey song "Anyway You Want It." Recently he has been seen using a Seven String Ibanez Universe, which was a gift from Steve Vai as documented in the liner notes of the Hardline - Double Eclipse album.^[8] On the song "Lights", he uses a Fender Stratocaster equipped with a Floyd Rose tremolo.

As of 2008, Schon currently prefers guitar pedals from Xotic, a Vox Satriani model and occasionally uses a Buddy Guy wah pedal.^[9]

Personal life[link]

Schon married three times and has five children; first born, Miles 23, Elizabeth 20, Sarah, 15, Aja 10 and Sophia 6.^[10] In a 2007 interview, Neal confirmed that he has had tinnitus for years stemming from excessive loud playing.^[11] Schon's father, Matthew Schon, was a jazz musician and composer who provided the arrangements on the Journey song "Mother, Father."

In September 2011, Schon publicly confirmed he was in a relationship with Michaele Salahi . The two said they had also dated years previously. The confirmation followed Michaele's brief disappearance, during which her husband, Tareq, reported to the authorities and press that he feared Michaele had been kidnapped. Michaele was found by Oregon law enforcement and she announced her voluntary presence in Schon's company. Tareq responded by filing for divorce from Michaele September 16.^[12][13][14]

In November 2011, Ava Fabian, former Playboy bunnie, filed a lawsuit against Schon, claiming he owed her more than $25,000 for their "express oral nonmarital relationship agreement," stating not that they were married, but "in a marriage-like relationship" from February 2010 to September 2011. The lawsuit claimed that Schon agreed to support Fabian during the relationship and, if it ended, provide additional support for "a period of time."^[15]

He then married Dina Gioeli, and had Sarah Schon. Dina's brother's Johnny Gioeli, and Joey Gioeli were in a band called Hardline with Neil. Dina and Neil then got a divorce a few years later.

Discography[link]

Solo[link]

• Late Nite (1989)
• Beyond the Thunder (1995)
• Electric World (1997)
• Piranha Blues (1998)
• Voice (2001)
• I on U (2005)
• The Calling (2012)

with Santana[link]

• Santana III (1971)
• Caravanserai (1972)

with Journey[link]

with Jan Hammer[link]

• Untold Passion (1981)
• Here to Stay (1982)

with HSAS[link]

• Through the Fire (1984)

with Bad English[link]

• Bad English (1989)
• Blacklash (1991)

with Hardline[link]

• Double Eclipse (1992)

with Paul Rodgers[link]

• Muddy Water Blues: A Tribute to Muddy Waters (1993)
• The Hendrix Set (1993)
• Now (1997)
• Paul Rodgers & Friends Live at Montreux 1994 (2011)

with Abraxas Pool[link]

• Abraxas Pool (1997)

with Soul SirkUS[link]

• World Play (2005)

Guest appearances[link]

• Betty Davis – Betty Davis (1973)
• Sammy Hagar - Danger Zone (1980)
• Silver Condor - Trouble at Home (1983)
• Hear 'n Aid - Stars (1985)
• Triumph - The Sport of Kings (1986)
• Joe Cocker - Cocker (1986)
• Gregg Rolie - Gringo (1987)
• Michael Bolton - The Hunger (1987)
• Jimmy Barnes - Freight Train Heart (1987)
• Various artists - Merry Axemas, Vol. 2: More Guitars for Christmas (1998)
• Trichromes - Trichromes (2002)
• Sammy Hagar - Cosmic Universal Fashion (2008)
• Lee Ritenour - Lee Ritenour's 6 String Theory (2010)

References[link]

External links[link]

• Neal Schon Official Site
• Neal Schon Official MySpace Site
• List of Authorized links from Neal's Official webpage
• Neal Schon Biography