Roth may refer to:

Places[link]

• Roth (district), in Bavaria
  • Roth, Bavaria, capital of that district
• Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany:
  • Roth an der Our, in the district Bitburg-Prüm
  • Roth bei Prüm, in the district Bitburg-Prüm
  • Roth, Altenkirchen, in the district of Altenkirchen
  • Roth, Bad Kreuznach, in the district of Bad Kreuznach
  • Roth, Rhein-Hunsrück, in the district Rhein-Hunsrück
  • Roth, Rhein-Lahn, in the district Rhein-Lahn-Kreis
• Roth, Moselle, a village in the commune of Hambach, Moselle, France

People[link]

• Roth (surname)
• Roth, formal botanical abbreviation for Albrecht Wilhelm Roth (1757–1834), German physician and botanist
• Gabrielle Roth, pioneer of 5Rhythms dance

Fictional characters[link]

• Cooper Roth, Marvel Comics superhero
• Hyman Roth, fictional character in the film The Godfather Part II

Other uses[link]

• Challenge Roth, a long distance triathlon race
• Daniel Roth (watchmakers), watch making company
• Roth IRA or Roth 401(k), tax advantaged retirement savings accounts in the U.S.
• Roth festival or रोठ in Hindi is a special Thick bread/festival of Jains in India

Acronyms[link]

• Realms of the Haunting, computer game

See also[link]

• Rothe

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.

To comply with Wikipedia's lead section guidelines, the introduction of this article may need to be rewritten. Please discuss this issue on the talk page and read the layout guide to make sure the section will be inclusive of all essential details. (April 2012)

Asher Roth
Background information
Birth name	Asher Paul Roth
Born	(1985-08-11) August 11, 1985 (age 26)
Origin	Morrisville, Pennsylvania, US
Genres	Hip hop
Occupations	Rapper
Years active	2005-present
Labels	Schoolboy, SRC, Def Jam
Associated acts	Nottz Raw, All City Chess Club
Website	asherrothmusic.com

Asher Paul Roth (born August 11, 1985) is an American rapper from Morrisville, Pennsylvania. Roth is signed to Schoolboy Records, SRC, and Def Jam.

Early life[link]

Asher Roth was born and raised in Morrisville, Pennsylvania, a small town about 20 miles northeast of Philadelphia.^[1][2] His mother, Elizabeth (née McConnell), is a yoga instructor, and his father, David Roth, is the executive director of a design firm.^[3][4][5][6] His mother has Scottish ancestry and his paternal grandfather was Jewish.^[7][8] Roth does not consider himself Jewish, although his name often leads people to believe he is.^[9] He attended Pennsbury High School. Growing up, Roth was exposed to little hip hop in his family, with his parents preferring "The Temptations, Earth, Wind & Fire ... Bruce Springsteen and Dire Straits."^[10] According to Roth:

The first CD I ever bought was Dave Matthews Band's Crash ...That is how suburban I am...I finally got into hip hop in '98 when I heard the Annie sample with Jay-Z....When I wrote my 'A Milli' freestyle, that was me listening to 10 years of hip hop and not relating to it at all. Like, Damn I don’t sell coke. Damn, I don’t have cars or 25-inch rims. I don't have guns. I finally got to a point where I had the confidence to do this thing myself, and I was making music for me. And it turns out, a lot of people feel the same way I do.^[11]

Asher has also stated that:

Hip-hop has always been very influential in the ‘burbs, [but] it’s just a matter of where we could relate to it. You find a lot of kids that are really confused. You look at them and they’re dressed out of character. They don’t look right. I figured out, I don’t have to dress this way, but I can still love hip-hop.^[12]

After graduating high school, Roth entered West Chester University and became an Elementary Education major, while continuing to record verses over other people's beats. During sophomore year, Roth posted some of his verses on his MySpace page and sent a Friend Request to Scooter Braun, an Atlanta-based promoter and former VP of Marketing for Jermaine Dupri's So So Def. One week after speaking to Braun, Roth flew down to Atlanta and was immediately signed by Braun, who subsequently became his manager.^[10]

Asher Roth cites Jay-Z and Eminem among his influences in hip hop, mostly by Jay-Z's "Hard Knock Life".^[13]

Roth's lyrics characteristically center around what have been called "middle-class minutiae, some also consider them to be a joke."^[11] Roth's song "I Love College" is about partying after a visit to Penn State, but includes fatuous lyrics such as "I can get pizza a dollar a slice"^[11] that have been identified as "far from threatening".

Music career[link]

After linking up with Braun, Roth moved to Atlanta to pursue a hip-hop career full-time. As industry buzz grew, Roth was courted by a number of labels, including SRC, Def Jam, Warner Bros. Records and Atlantic Records.^[14] Roth would eventually sign a joint venture between Braun's Schoolboy Music and Steve Rifkind, chairman of SRC/Universal Records. On June 13, 2008, Roth put out his first professional release, the Don Cannon and DJ Drama-helmed The Greenhouse Effect mixtape, via the Internet. This resulted in Roth being the second white rapper to be featured on Drama and Cannon’s Gangsta Grillz series.

[edit] 2009: Asleep in the Bread Aisle

Roth started recording a full album in late 2008. It was completed in 2009. The first single was "I Love College" which received many hits across North America. His second single was "Lark on my Go-Kart". After the two singles were released, Roth's studio album Asleep in the Bread Aisle was released on April 20, 2009. He supported his album with a nationwide tour with B.o.B. and Kid Cudi. Asher also joined Blink-182 in the second half of their reunion tour in the fall of 2009.

Roth was featured on the cover of XXL magazine’s annual Top 10 Freshmen: Hip-Hop’s Class ’09 issue.

[edit] 2010-present: The Rawth EP and Is This Too Orange?

After finishing touring in 2009 and releasing a second mixtape, Seared Foie Gras with Quince and Cranberry,^[15] Roth began working on his second studio album. From his friend Boyder's YouTube page, he has been seen working with producers Pharrell Williams and Nottz Raw. While working with Nottz, the two of them decided to collaborate on a project together, due to having a number of records rejected by the label due to sampling & copyright issues.^[16] The end result was an eight track EP, solely produced by Nottz, entitled The Rawth EP. The EP, which features appearances from Colin Munroe, D.A. (of Chester French), Rhymefest and Kardinal Offishall, was released December 27, 2010.^[17] Roth released and promoted "G.R.I.N.D (Get Ready It's a New Day)", the first single off of his upcoming second album, by traveling to different radio stations around the country. Roth revealed four tracks on his upcoming album in a XXL article. One features Game, one is produced by Swizz Beatz and another is titled "Run it Back".^[10] On May 25, it was announced that Roth's second studio album would no longer be called The Spaghetti Tree.^[18] His song with Akon titled "Last Man Standing" is featured on the soundtrack for the videogame Madden NFL 12. In an interview with Rikki Martinez of Power 106 he announced he will be releasing a mixtape titled Pabst & Jazz and revealed the title of his upcoming second album, Is This Too Orange?.^[19] On November 11th, 2011 he released the first offering off Pabst & Jazz, a song titled "Common Knowledge". In November 2011, Roth signed to Def Jam Recordings after several years been signed to SRC Records.

Personal life[link]

Asher Roth is open about his use of cannabis. As stated in an interview conducted and filmed by DJ Vlad, Roth stated his views about the legalization of marijuana and the use of cigarettes:

Cigarettes don't do anything for you except kill you ... I honestly don't believe [marijuana] is the gateway drug, because I use it and I've never done anything else ... I'm trying to be open about my "pot smoking" ...^[20]

Discography[link]

Studio albums[link]

• Asleep in the Bread Aisle (2009)
• Is This Too Orange? (2012)

Mixtapes[link]

• The GreenHouse Effect (2008)
• Seared Foie Gras with Quince and Cranberry (2010)
• Pabst & Jazz (2011)

EPs[link]

• Just Listen (2005)
• The Rawth EP (With Nottz) (2010)

Awards[link]

• MTV Video Music Awards
  • Best New Artist ("I Love College") [Nominated]
  • Best Hip Hop Video ("I Love College") [Nominated]

References[link]

External links[link]

• Official website
• Office page at Facebook

For Martin Roth, Director of the V&A see Director of the Victoria and Albert Museum

Professor Sir Martin Roth FRS^[1] (6 November 1917, Budapest - 26 September 2006, Cambridge) was a British psychiatrist.^[2]

He was Professor of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, 1977–85, then Professor Emeritus, and was a Fellow of Trinity College, Cambridge from 1977. He was one of the pioneers in developing Psychogeriatrics as a subspecialty.

References[link]

David Lee Roth
David Lee Roth, 2008
Background information
Also known as	Diamond Dave
Born	(1954-10-10) October 10, 1954 (age 57) Bloomington, Indiana, United States
Genres	Hard rock, heavy metal
Occupations	Musician, songwriter, paramedic, producer, author, disc jockey
Instruments	Vocals, guitar, harmonica, synthesizer
Years active	1969–present
Labels	Warner Bros., Interscope, Magna Carta, CMH
Associated acts	The David Lee Roth Band, Van Halen
Website	www.davidleeroth.com

David Lee Roth (born October 10, 1954)^[1] is an American rock vocalist, songwriter, actor, author, and former radio personality. Roth is one of few vocalists with a larger than 4 octave range in full voice (from G1 to G♯5).^[2]

Roth is best known as the original and current lead singer of the Southern California-based hard rock outfit Van Halen. After departing Van Halen in 1985 Roth first enjoyed a successful career as a solo artist, which originated while still a member of that band and yielded several RIAA-certified Gold and Platinum records.^[3] After more than two decades apart, Roth rejoined Van Halen in 2006 for a North American tour that became the most successful in the band's history^[4] and one of the highest grossing of that year.^[5] Roth has remained the lead singer of Van Halen since his 2006 return and has recently completed recording new material with the band for their first album together since 1984.^[6]

Early life[link]

Roth was born on October 10, 1954, in Bloomington, Indiana. He is the son of ophthalmologist Nathan Roth and Sibyl Roth and the brother of Allison and Lisa Roth. Dr. Nathan Roth was a renowned eye surgeon, who made millions via his practice and in real estate. Dr. Roth was even featured on the TV show, "Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous", in 1984. On that program, Dr. Roth claims that he was Van Halen's first manager helping the group obtain gigs in the early days. Nathan owned a 14,000-square-foot home in Pasadena named "Rothwood" and a chateau named "Bradbury". He was a writer, an actor, and a surgeon.

David's paternal and maternal grandparents emigrated from Azores Islands, Portugal, and Russia to New Castle, Indiana. David is half-Jewish on his Father's side.^[7] He was raised in the Jewish religion. Many members of his family were surgeons: Roth has an uncle, Dave, who is a neurosurgeon; an uncle, Marty, who is an orthopedic surgeon; and a grandfather who was a surgeon.^[8] Roth's uncle, Manny Roth, is an influential New York City nightclub owner and entertainment entrepreneur who built and owned the New York establishment Cafe Wha? in the early 1960s, where the likes of Bob Dylan and Jimi Hendrix were performing and hanging out. Seven-year-old David Lee got his first taste of, and desire for, show business from the inside by hanging out at Cafe Wha?, as mentioned in his book "Crazy from the Heat" numerous times. His uncle would be one of David's first guests on his short-lived radio show on New York's 92.3 Free-FM.

After living in both Bloomington, Indiana, and Swampscott, Massachusetts, Roth moved to Pasadena, California, in his teens. Roth stated he bounced around a number of schools and spent three years going to a psychiatrist. He eventually attended a ranch for troubled teens where he cared for a horse to build a sense of responsibility.^[9] He was educated at The Webb Schools in Claremont, California and John Muir High School in Pasadena. He later attended Pasadena City College where he met the Van Halen brothers, Eddie and Alex, although he did not graduate. During this period, Roth worked as a hospital orderly.^[8]

With Van Halen: 1972–1985, 1996, 2001[link]

By the time Roth was in his late teens, he was singing solo as well as with a group called the Red Ball Jets. Another Los Angeles area group, Mammoth (featuring Alex Van Halen on drums and Edward Van Halen singing and playing lead guitar), occasionally rented the Red Ball Jets' PA system. Roth would eventually be invited to join Mammoth as lead singer, an invitation he quickly accepted. In 1974, the band was informed that another act was already using the name Mammoth, and, at Roth's urging, they opted to rename themselves Van Halen.^[10]

Performing both original songs and established tunes, Van Halen eventually gained local success, becoming a regular feature at the Starwood Club, the West Coast's portal to fame. It was during their four-month stint there that they were first discovered. In 1976, Gene Simmons took note of the band (in particular Eddie Van Halen, who Simmons secretly hoped to recruit for his own band, KISS) and assisted them in producing their first demo tape.^[11] Although featuring many of the songs that would be included on their future debut album, the tape did little to garner them any major label attention at the time. In early 1977, Warner Brothers' Ted Templeman came to the Starwood, heard the group, and immediately signed them to a contract with his label.^[10] During this period Roth's stage persona was heavily influenced by that of Black Oak Arkansas vocalist Jim "Dandy" Mangrum.

Released in 1978, the band's first album, Van Halen, earned the band significant national attention. The album was a smashing success, with more than twelve million copies sold, and the original Van Halen went on to release five more successful albums over the next seven years. Roth is often credited with promoting Van Halen's image as the quintessential rock band, one devoted to a lifestyle described by David Fricke in Rolling Stone as "a nonstop booze-and-babes party train." Despite this wild image, Roth earned applause for his abilities as a lyricist and singer. Roth's clever lyrics worked in harmony with the music composed by Edward Van Halen to create the band's trademark tunes, tunes that helped transform Van Halen, in Fricke's words, into "the monster rock action squad that ruled the charts and the airwaves for seven years."^[10]

In early 1985, while still a member of Van Halen, Roth released "Crazy From the Heat", a popular solo EP of off-beat standards. Singles for "California Girls" and "Just a Gigolo/I Ain't Got Nobody" succeeded largely due to their innovative music videos (produced by Jerry Kramer and co-produced by Glenn Goodwin and Bobby Diebold), which featured ridiculous characters created by Roth and his Creative Chief Director, Pete Angelus, who'd previously directed Van Halen's Roth-era videos.

On April 1, 1985, Roth and Van Halen parted ways. In his 1998 autobiography, Crazy From the Heat, Roth characterized Van Halen's music just before his 1985 departure as "morose". Roth wished to record an album quickly, tour, and then shoot a movie, (for which he hoped Van Halen would record the soundtrack. The film, entitled Crazy From The Heat, was budgeted at $20 million by CBS Studios; however, the project folded after the consolidation of CBS Studios.) ^[10]

In June 1996, Roth reunited with Van Halen for a brief time and to great public fanfare. He recorded two new songs for Van Halen's Best of Vol. 1 album, "Can't Get This Stuff No More" and "Me Wise Magic." After an infamous appearance on September 5, 1996, at the MTV Video Music Awards during which Roth and Eddie Van Halen reportedly threatened each other,^[12] Roth was passed over for Van Halen's new lead vocalist job in favor of Gary Cherone. In 2012, Cherone confirmed the longtime rumor that he had already been chosen as Van Halen's new singer long before the MTV incident, connoting that Van Halen used Roth to create public interest in the Best Of Vol. 1 hits collection.^[13] '"Me Wise Magic," Van Halen's virtuosic display of psychedlia-influenced rock with Roth on vocals became a #1 Billboard Mainstream Rock hit in 1996.

In 2001, rumors swirled that Roth and the members of Van Halen had recorded several new songs together and were in the process of attempting yet another reunion. Roth later confirmed this, but nothing became of the music. A box set was also rumored, but never materialized. Instead, Warner Bros. issued remastered versions of all six early Van Halen studio albums.

Solo career: 1985–2003[link]

In late 1985, Roth assembled a backing band, consisting of guitar virtuoso Steve Vai, bassist Billy Sheehan, and drummer Gregg Bissonette. With veteran Van Halen producer Ted Templeman handling the production, Roth released his debut full-length solo album, Eat 'Em and Smile in July 1986. The album saw Roth return to hard rock music, and met with huge commercial and critical success, charting at #4 on the Billboard Top 200.^[14]

In January 1988, Roth released Skyscraper, a more experimental recording featuring the hit single "Just Like Paradise." Skyscraper was co-produced by Roth and Steve Vai and was certified Platinum (1 million in sales). At the time of its release, Skyscraper peaked at #6 on the Billboard album chart. Soon after Skyscraper's release, Billy Sheehan left Roth's band due to musical differences.^[15] He was replaced in time for the album's support tour with bassist Matt Bissonette.^[16] The tour was a major production featuring, at various points, Roth surfing above the audience on a surfboard suspended on wires, and in a boxing ring. Both parts of the stage show were featured in the "Just Like Paradise" music video.^[17] The show also featured the band in a calypso segment playing Caribbean steel drums and in an unplugged segment where the band performed acoustic covers of some rock and roll classics.^[18]

Following the tour for Skyscraper, Steve Vai left the band to pursue a solo career and record and tour with Whitesnake. Roth replaced him with guitar virtuoso Jason Becker to record his third solo LP, A Little Ain't Enough. A more mainstream hard rock album produced by Bob Rock, A Little Ain't Enough achieved RIAA gold status. Shortly before the support tour for the album, Becker was diagnosed with Lou Gehrig's disease, which rendered him unable to perform. Roth replaced Becker with guitarist Joe Holmes for the tour. The emergence of grunge had altered musical tastes at the time and the tour did not do as well financially as its predecessors, marking the last solo arena tour for Roth.

In April 1993, Roth was arrested in New York City's Washington Square Park for buying what he described as "$10 worth of Jamaican bunk reefer" from an undercover police officer. The arrest made headlines^[19] and became a late-night television punch-line. When asked by Howard Stern whether the bust was a publicity stunt, Roth said, "Howard, in New York City this small of a bust is a $35 traffic citation. It literally says 'Buick, Chevy, Other'. Your dog poops on the sidewalk, it's $50. If I was looking for publicity, I would have pooped on the sidewalk."

In March 1994, Roth released Your Filthy Little Mouth, a more musically-eclectic album produced by Nile Rodgers.^[20] The album failed to achieve positive critical or commercial success, proving to be Roth's first solo effort not to reach Gold or Platinum status. The support tour found Roth playing considerably smaller venues than where he had played previously. Although out of print for over ten years prior, Your Filthy Little Mouth saw a remastered re-release in 2007.

In 1995, Roth returned with an adult lounge act, performing largely in Las Vegas casinos, with a brass band that featured Nile Rodgers, Edgar Winter, and members of the Miami Sound Machine. It also featured several exotic dancers, who in Roth's words were "so sweet, I bet they shit sugar!"^[21]

By the late 1990s, Roth trained as an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) and worked as one for some time.^[22] He occasionally told stories about his experiences as an EMT on his radio show.

In 1997, Roth wrote a well-received memoir, entitled Crazy From the Heat, which landed on The New York Times Bestseller's List. The 359-page book was whittled down from over 1,200 pages of monologues, which were recorded and transcribed by a Princeton University graduate who followed Roth around for almost a year. The book received mostly positive critical reaction and spent time on the New York Times Bestseller list.

In 1998, Roth released a final album of self-penned solo material entitled DLR Band. The album featured a popular song, "Slam Dunk," which, like a majority of the album, was co-written by rising guitar hero and longtime David Lee Roth fan, John 5. The album was considered a return to form for Roth by critics.

In 2002, The "Song for Song: The Heavyweight Champions of Rock and Roll Tour" paired Roth with his musical nemesis Sammy Hagar, and proceeded to revive the careers of both former Van Halen frontmen. Despite the monetary success and publicity generated by the tour, Roth's future with Van Halen seemed uncertain. "Yankee Rose" appeared in the 2002 videogame Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, playing on rock station V-Rock, while generally, Roth became more visible than he'd been in years, e.g. appearing on commercials for MTV with Justin Timberlake.

In 2003, Roth released his final solo album called Diamond Dave, which included one last self-penned John 5 collaboration.

In 2004, Roth appeared on the very popular TV series The Sopranos as a poker-playing guest of Tony Soprano. Regarding this, Roth was quoted on his website as saying, "Mom says I'm going to look like Lee Marvin in 10 years whether I'm in movies or not, so I might as well get after it!"

On July 4 2004, Roth performed with the world renowned Boston Pops Orchestra at Boston's annual Pops Goes the Fourth celebration. The performance was witnessed by over 100,000 people live in Boston, and by millions more on U.S. television.

The David Lee Roth Show: 2005[link]

David Lee Roth was tapped to replace his friend, Howard Stern, on terrestrial radio, following Stern's decision to align himself with SIRIUS Satellite radio. Roth's show lasted for four months, and ended in a lawsuit. During the course of David Lee Roth's radio show, he maintained a relationship with Howard Stern News Department reporter Steve Langford. Roth and Langford met frequently after shows, with Langford bringing tape back to Howard of Roth's complaints towards WXRK's management. Issues included Roth's firing, the missing podcast, and his show being cut off early. Langford and Roth met last on Roth's final day, April 21, 2006, Roth performed the Rolling Stones song "You Can't Always Get What You Want" for Howard and discussed an impending lawsuit against CBS.

Return to Van Halen: 2007–present[link]

On January 24, 2007, after much anticipation, Billboard.com reported that David Lee Roth would rejoin Van Halen for a 40-date arena and amphitheater tour in Summer 2007.^[23] This report, among many others, was confirmed with an official press release posted on the official Van Halen website on Feb. 2, 2007.

On Feb. 2, 2007 The Official Van Halen Web Site released information that David Lee Roth had rejoined the band along with current members Alex, Eddie, along with Eddie and Valerie Bertinelli's teenage son, Wolfgang Van Halen. Michael Anthony, Van Halen's original bass player, played the summer 2004 tour with Sammy Hagar under a 'hired gun' contract. On March 8 the official Van Halen website posted a letter from Eddie Van Halen stating that Ed was entering rehab and that the tour with Roth had been indefinitely postponed.

In March 2007 five members of Van Halen, the four original members and Sammy Hagar were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The Van Halen brothers did not attend due to Eddie's condition. Roth was to perform with the band Velvet Revolver; however, conflict with the band caused his part to be canceled. Roth subsequently did not attend the induction, leaving only Michael Anthony and Sammy Hagar to represent Van Halen. Both Anthony and Hagar thanked Roth publicly for his contribution to the band during the awards acceptance. David Lee Roth did not attend the ceremony and the event was considered yet another public embarrassment for the band.^[24]

The conflict was rumored to be based on song selection. Roth wanted to perform "Jump", the band's highest charting song, but Velvet Revolver would only agree to play "Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love" or "You Really Got Me". When it was finally agreed upon that Paul Shaffer would perform "Jump", Roth claimed that there was no longer enough time to rehearse and opted not to attend the ceremony.

On G4's show Code Monkeys, Dave is shown giving an inspirational speech to keep the others from taking up jobs at Bellecovision and asks "Would David Lee Roth leave Van Halen?" The show takes place in the 1980s.

On August 13, 2007, 6 months after the initial reunion tour was postponed, it was finally confirmed by Van Halen with Roth at a press conference in Los Angeles that they would start the tour back up again and schedule it starting in September 2007. At that conference, Eddie Van Halen stated that he and Roth were "like brothers" now. Calling Van Halen a "real band", both Edward and Roth spoke of the possibility of further worldwide touring and a new album in mind for the future.

On June 5, 2008, Van Halen announced that the 2007–2008 tour with Roth grossed more than $93 million, a record for the rock band. Van Halen played to nearly one million people during 74 arena shows throughout the United States and Canada, beginning September 27, 2007 in Charlotte, N.C. and wrapping June 3, 2008 in Quebec City, QC for the 400th anniversary of the city.

In December 2011, Van Halen announced a 2012 tour with David Lee Roth.^[25]

The new Roth-fronted Van Halen album A Different Kind of Truth was released on February 7, 2012. A tour commenced in February 2012.

Solo band members[link]

Guitars[link]

• Brian Young and Toshi Hiketa (2006)
• Toshi Hiketa (2003–2005)
• Brian Young (2002–2003)
• Bart Walsh (1999, 2001)
• Mike Hartman and John Lowery (1998)
• Steve Hunter (1997)
• Terry Kilgore (1994)
• Terry Kilgore and Rocket Ritchotte (1993–1994)
• Joe Holmes and Steve Hunter (1991–1992)
• Jason Becker and Steve Hunter (1990–1991)
• Steve Vai (1985–1989)
• Peter Lewis (1990–1991)
• Electric Moccasin

Bass[link]

• Todd Jensen (1990–1991, 1999–2000, 2004–2006)
• James LoMenzo (2001–2004)
• B'urbon Bob (1998)
• John Regan (1994)
• James Hunting (1993–1994)
• Matt Bissonette (1988–1990)
• Billy Sheehan (1985–1988)

Drums[link]

• Jimmy DeGrasso (2006)
• Ray Luzier (1997–2000, 2001–2005)
• Ron Wikso (1993–1994)
• Gregg Bissonette (1985–1992)

Keyboards[link]

• Marcus Margand II (2000–2001)
• Patrick Howard I (1998–1999)
• Richard Hilton (1994–1995)
• Brett Tuggle (1988–1994, 1997)
• Jesse Harms (1986)

Discography[link]

Albums with Van Halen

• Van Halen (1978)
• Van Halen II (1979)
• Women and Children First (1980)
• Fair Warning (1981)
• Diver Down (1982)
• 1984 (1984)
• A Different Kind of Truth (2012)

Studio albums/EPs

• Crazy from the Heat EP (1985)
• Eat 'Em and Smile (1986)
• Sonrisa Salvaje (1986) Spanish version of Eat 'Em and Smile
• Skyscraper (1988)
• A Little Ain't Enough (1991)
• Your Filthy Little Mouth (1994)
• DLR Band (1998)
• Diamond Dave (2003)

Other appearances

• Strummin' with the Devil: The Southern Side of Van Halen – vocals on "Jump" and "Jamie's Cryin'" (2006)

References[link]

Bibliography[link]

• David Lee Roth (1997). Crazy From the Heat. ISBN 0-7868-6339-0

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: David Lee Roth

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: David Lee Roth

• Official website
• David Lee Roth Army
• Official Van Halen website
• Van Halen News Desk

Ulrich Roth
Background information
Also known as	Uli Jon Roth
Born	(1954-12-18) 18 December 1954 (age 57) Düsseldorf, West Germany
Genres	Heavy metal, neo-classical metal, hard rock, psychedelic rock
Instruments	Guitar, vocals
Years active	1968–present
Labels	SPV
Associated acts	Scorpions, Dawn Road, Electric Sun, Sky of Avalon, G3
Website	www.ulijonroth.com/sky/main.htm
Notable instruments
Custom "Sky Guitar" Fender Stratocaster

Ulrich Roth (born 18 December 1954), more commonly known as Uli Jon Roth, is a German guitarist and one of the earliest contributors to the neo-classical metal genre. He is also the founder of Sky Academy and inventor of the Sky Guitar. He is the older brother of fellow guitarist and artist Zeno Roth.

Career[link]

In the early 1970s, Roth formed a band called Dawn Road. In 1973, guitarist Michael Schenker left the Scorpions to join UFO, which then disbanded. The two remaining Scorpions members, Rudolf Schenker and Klaus Meine merged with the four members of Dawn Road, (Uli Jon Roth, Achim Kirschning, Francis Buchholz, Jürgen Rosenthal) using the name Scorpions as they were more well known than Dawn Road.^[1]

During his tenure as lead guitarist, main songwriter and occasional lead singer for the Scorpions, the band released four studio albums between 1974 and 1977. In 1978, the Scorpions released the live album Tokyo Tapes, which was recorded in Japan and sold nearly one million copies and went gold in several countries. However, Roth had left the band before the album’s release.

Roth formed his own band named Electric Sun which released three albums. The first, Earthquake (1979), was dedicated to the spirit of Jimi Hendrix. A second album released two years later, Fire Wind (1981), was dedicated to Anwar el-Sadat (the assassinated President of Egypt who had tried to make peace in the Middle East), and featured a song called "Enola Gay" about the atomic bombing of Japan.

In 1985, Roth released his third and final Electric Sun album, Beyond the Astral Skies, dedicated to Martin Luther King and to Roth's fans.

After Electric Sun, Roth entered a new phase of creative work, composing four symphonies and two concertos, and sometimes performing with symphony orchestras throughout Europe. Roth used the name ‘Uli Jon Roth’ for all subsequent album releases and concert appearances.

The G3 European tour of 1998 featured Roth playing with Joe Satriani and Michael Schenker. The tour show at London Wembley Arena also featured a jam with Brian May.

Roth played at the outdoor rock festival at Castle Donington in 2001 (also featuring original Scorpions lead guitarist Michael Schenker on the bill), and this was filmed and subsequently released on DVD.

Roth appeared in concert with the Scorpions onstage at the Wacken Open Air Festival in 2006 along with two other former members of the band. Billed as “A Night To Remember, A Journey Through Time”, the Scorpions played four songs from the Roth era, most of which they hadn’t played live since Roth had left in 1978. The concert was filmed and released on DVD.^[2]

Although this was meant to be a ‘one night only’ special event, its success meant that the format was repeated on several tours afterwards.

On 2 June 2007 at the Rock am Ring festival in Germany, Roth joined The Smashing Pumpkins on stage for their epic closing song "Gossamer". He made another appearance with the Pumpkins upon their return to Germany on 26 February 2008.

In 2007, Roth had begun working on a new full-length studio album, which was to be released the following year. The title of the album would be "Under A Dark Sky" and was going to be the first official release in the long-awaited series of Symphonic Legends - a cycle of music written by Uli for his all-encompassing Sky of Avalon project.

Roth first debuted songs from "Under A Dark Sky" on 18 July 2008 in his headline set at the G-TARanaki Guitar Festival in New Zealand, Roth's debut concert in the country. In the week previous Roth had taken his "Sky Academy" tuition classes to regional Taranaki towns in Waitara, Inglewood and Opunake with guests Vernon Reid and Gilby Clarke.

"Under A Dark Sky" was released in Japan on 20 August 2008 via Marquee records. The European and USA releases followed a month later on 20 September 2008 on the SPV record label.

Sky guitars[link]

In the 1980s, Roth commissioned construction of custom guitars with additional frets from master luthier Andreas Demetriou. Andreas developed the concept adding many unique specifications. Uli Jon Roth has had five of these "Sky" guitars handcrafted by the British luthier. To be able to emulate the high notes of a violin, all of the Sky Guitars contain extra frets. The first Sky Guitar (used on the album Beyond the Astral Skies) has 30 frets. Later versions of the Sky Guitar overcame the problem of the higher register frets becoming too narrow by widening the frets by whole steps for the highest notes. In an April 2001 Guitar Player Magazine interview, Roth reports that the guitars are either fretless above the 30th fret or have whole step fret spacing above the 27th fret, with 35 effective (half step) frets. All of the Sky guitars with frets have extensive fretboard scalloping as is favored by Swedish guitarist Yngwie Malmsteen (who was influenced greatly by Roth) and many neoclassical metal guitarists. The Sky guitar's pickups are custom 4-coil humbuckers made by John Oram, with one guitar having an Oram pickup hidden under the 24th fret.^[3] The guitars named 'Mighty Wing' and 'Destiny' have 7 strings and the others have 6 strings. The 7th string is a low B.^[4] Roth preferred amplifier is currently the Framus Dragon, and he uses a stalk mounted Vibesware guitar resonator (sustainer) to introduce infinite sustain during solos^[5] both live, and on the song "Benediction" from "Under a Dark Sky".

In 2011, Dean Guitars released Custom Sky Guitars commissioned by Roth himself, after a few years contacting Roth in order to create Sky Guitars and market the instrument. Only 25 pieces available for each models (6 & 7 strings available). Each guitar was personally inspected, approved and even named by Roth himself.

Playing style[link]

In Roth's early days with Scorpions, his soloing style was based primarily on the blues scale, occasionally incorporating notes from other modes. However, by the time the band recorded the Virgin Killer album, he began incorporating more advanced compositional elements from European classical music, such as pedal tone sequences and intricate arpeggios. Beginning with Electric Sun, the classical influence began to dominate his playing style, notable in songs like "Cast Away Your Chains" and "Still So Many Lives Away". His style eventually became a fusion of blues-based rock with European classical sensibilities. Roth employs major and minor pentatonic, the blues scale, phrygian, harmonic minor, diminished, and the whole tone scale, notably in his famous "Sails Of Charon" solo.

Personal life[link]

Roth was romantically involved with artist Monika Dannemann who had previously been Jimi Hendrix's girlfriend when he died. Roth and Danneman collaborated on various songs including "We'll Burn the Sky" from the Scorpions’ Taken by Force album in 1977.

Danneman also painted the album sleeves for all three of the releases by Electric Sun.

In 1996 Monika Dannemann was convicted of breaking a British High Court order not to repeat allegations that Kathy Etchingham was an "inveterate liar" for accusing her of playing a role in Jimi Hendrix's death. Etchingham asked the judge to jail Dannemann but she was released. Two days later Monika Dannemann was found dead in a fume-filled Mercedes-Benz near her cottage in Seaford, East Sussex, aged 50. Her death was ruled a suicide,^[6] but Roth publicly stated his opinion that her death had been the result of foul play. Roth dedicated later works to the memory of Dannemann.

Influence[link]

Roth has been on the covers of many guitar magazines and has influenced many notable guitar players, including Marty Friedman, Yngwie Malmsteen, Kirk Hammett, Joe Stump,^[7] Gus G,^[8] Andy DiGelsomina,^[9] Michael Romeo,^[10] James Byrd,^[11] Alex Masi, Michael Amott, Chris Amott, as well as both Michael Denner and Hank Shermann of Mercyful Fate^[12].

Releases[link]

Discography[link]

With Scorpions

• Fly to the Rainbow (1974) - Guitar, vocals
• In Trance (1975) - Guitar, vocals
• Virgin Killer (1976) - Guitar, vocals
• Taken by Force (1977) - Guitar, vocals
• Tokyo Tapes (live recording, 1978) - Guitar, vocals

With Electric Sun

• Earthquake (1979) - Guitar, vocals
• Fire Wind (1981) - Guitar, vocals
• Beyond the Astral Skies (1985) - Lead/harmony vocals, guitar, keyboard, bass

Solo and classical works (released)

• 1991 - Aquila Suite - 12 Arpeggio Concert Etudes for Solo Piano
• 1996 - Sky of Avalon - Prologue to the Symphonic Legends (with Sky Orchestra)
• 2000 - Transcendental Sky Guitar Vol. I & II
• 2003 - Metamorphosis of Vivaldi's Four Seasons (with Sky Orchestra)
• 2008 - Under A Dark Sky (Sky of Avalon)

Solo and classical works (unreleased)

• 1987 - Sky Concerto
• 1992 - Europa ex Favilla (symphony)
• 1994 - Hiroshima de Profundis (symphony)
• 1996/97/98 - Requiem for an Angel (dedicated to the memory of Monika Dannemann)

Videography[link]

• 2000 - The Electric Sun Years Vol. I & II (in the Historical Performances series)
• 2002 - Legends Of Rock: Live At Castle Donington
• 2006 - Scorpions Reunion at Wacken Festival in Germany

Notable public appearances[link]

• 1991 - Live TV Concert at E-Werk, Cologne "The Spirit of Jimi Hendrix" with Jack Bruce, Simon Phillips, Randy Hansen, John Wetton, Michael Flexig,^[13] Zeno and others
• 1993 - Symphonic Rock For Europe - 3 hour concert with Brussels Symphony Orchestra and choir, performing Roth's first symphony "Europa Ex Favilla" and other pieces. The show featured 4 Rock singers: John Parr, Tommy Heart, Michael Flexig, Peter Goalby. Broadcast by German TV.
• 1998 - G3 Concert Tour in Europe with Joe Satriani and Michael Schenker (jam with Brian May at London Wembley Arena)
• 1998 - G3 Concert at Monsters of Rock - Turin, Italy
• 2000 - October. Performance of Vivaldi's Four Seasons and Transcendental Sky Guitar (with Detmold Chamber Orchestra)
• 2001 - First Japanese Roth tour since 1978. (May)
• 2001 - Legends of Rock Concert at Castle Donington. Played with Jack Bruce, UFO, Michael Schenker. (June 23)
• 2002 - Legends of Rock Tour of 13 UK venues with Frank Marino, Jack Bruce, Glenn Hughes
• 2004 - First US tour (19 dates) since 1985. Co-head-lining with Michael Schenker. (August–September)
• 2004 - Jamming onstage with Deep Purple at Cardiff International Arena
• 2005 - Scorpions reunion with Roth in France. (September)
• 2006 - Jamming with Deep Purple at Max Schmeling Halle, Berlin
• 2006 - First U.S.A. tour as headliner since 1985
• 2006 - Three Sky Academy Concerts at UCLA Los Angeles - Roth taught his approach to the guitar and to music. "Uli Jon Roth and Friends" concerts were part of the Academy. Roth performed with guests including Jeff Scott Soto, Chris Impellitteri, Joe Stump, Graham Bonnett, Robby Krieger and many others
• 2006 - Scorpions Reunion at Wacken Festival in Germany (July)
• 2007 - With The Smashing Pumpkins at the two Rock am Ring and Rock im Park festivals performing their 28-minute epic song Gossamer
• 2007 - With Scorpions at Paris, Nantes, Dijon, Rouen - France. (May)
• 2007 - With Scorpions at Sweden Rock Festival. (9 June)
• 2007 - With Scorpions at Karaiskaki Stadium in Athens - Joe Cocker as support (18 June)
• 2007 - With Scorpions, London, Manchester. (July)
• 2007 - Two Sky Academy Concerts and seminar at the Hollywood MI - with Paul Gilbert, Robby Krieger, Johnny Hiland and others. (August)
• 2008 - With Smashing Pumpkins (Billy Corgan) at Hamburg Colour Line Arena (February)
• 2008 - Sky academy New Zealand at the G-TARanaki Guitar Festival - UJR appears with his new band Sky Of Avalon (special guests: Gilby Clarke, Vernon Reid, Alex Skolnik)
• 2008 - With Avantasia (Tobias Sammet) at Wacken Open Air Festival. (1 August)
• 2008 - With Sky of Avalon in North America. (September–October)
• 2008 - With Scorpions, London, Manchester, Newcastle, Glasgow, Southampton and Wolverhampton, Strasbourg. (October 2008)
• 2008 - With Sky of Avalon in Japan. (November)
• 2010 - Uli John Roth jams with Guns N' Roses guitarist Slash, bass player Tony Franklin and drummer Brent Fitz on the "Midnight Session" of the 2010 Gtaranaki Festival in New Plymouth, New Zealand, on August 15. Uli John and Slash play at least three songs together: "Little Wing", "Communication Breakdown" and "Sunshine of Your Love".
• 2011 - Uli John Roth plays two sets on the 70,000 Tons of Metal floating heavy metal festival with an impressive line-up of 41 other bands. (January 2011)
• 2012 - Uli Jon Roth jam and concert NAMM Show 2012 promoting Dean Sky Guitars and Blackstar Amplification.
• 2012 - Uli Jon Roth World Tour including 16 dates in the USA, playing Seattle for the first time with "Little Wing" and "All Along the Watchtower" as encores. Plus one show in Toronto, Canada and Sky Academy seminars in several cities.

References[link]

External links[link]

• Uli Jon Roth Announces 2008 Sky Academy Seminars, 15 February 2008.
• The Official Uli Jon Roth Website
• Edenwaith Uli Jon Roth Website
• Authorized Uli Jon Roth Website
• Sky Academy Website
• The Official Uli Jon Roth Website News
• An Interview With Uli Jon Roth

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