Greatest Bassists
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Les Claypool was born on 29 September 1963 in Richmond, California, USA. He is an actor and composer, known for Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey (1991), Pig Hunt (2008) and Zack and Miri Make a Porno (2008). He has been married to Cheney since 1995. They have two children.Primus- Music Artist
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Sir Paul McCartney is a key figure in contemporary culture as a singer, composer, poet, writer, artist, humanitarian, entrepreneur, and holder of more than 3 thousand copyrights. He is in the "Guinness Book of World Records" for most records sold, most #1s (shared), most covered song, "Yesterday," largest paid audience for a solo concert (350,000+ people, in 1989, in Brazil). He is considered one of the most successful entertainers of all time.
He was born James Paul McCartney on June 18, 1942, in Liverpool General Hospital, where his mother, Mary Patricia (Mohin), was a medical nurse and midwife. His father, James "Jim" McCartney, was a cotton salesman and a pianist leading the Jim Mac's Jazz Band in Liverpool. He has Irish and English ancestry. Young McCartney was raised non-denominational. He studied music and art, and had a happy childhood with one younger brother, Michael. At age 11, he was one of only four students who passed the 11+ exam, known as "the scholarship" in Liverpool, and gained a place at Liverpool Institute for Boys. There he studied from 1953 to 1960, earning A level in English and Art.
At the age of 14, Paul McCartney was traumatized by his mother's sudden death from breast cancer. Shortly afterward, he wrote his first song. In July 1957 he met John Lennon during their performances at a local church fête (festival). McCartney impressed Lennon with his mastery of guitar and singing in a variety of styles. He soon joined Lennon's band, The Quarrymen, and eventually became founding member of The Beatles, with the addition of George Harrison and Pete Best. After a few gigs in Hamburg, Germany, the band returned to Liverpool and played regular gigs at the Cavern during 1961.
In November 1961, they invited Brian Epstein to be their manager, making a written agreement in January 1962. At that time McCartney and Harrison were under 21, so the paper wasn't technically legal, albeit it did not matter to them. What mattered was their genuine trust in Epstein. He improved their image, secured them a record deal with EMI, and replaced drummer Best with Ringo Starr. With a little help from Brian Epstein and George Martin, The Beatles consolidated their talents and mutual stimulation into beautiful teamwork, launching the most successful career in the history of entertainment.
The Beatles contributed to music, film, literature, art, and fashion, made a continuous impact on entertainment, popular culture and the lifestyle of several generations. Music became their ticket to ride around the world. Beatlemania never really ended since its initiation; it became a movable feast in many hearts and minds, a sweet memory of youth, when all you need is love and a little help from a friend to be happy. Their songs and images carrying powerful ideas of love, peace, help, and imagination evoked creativity and liberation that outperformed the rusty Soviet propaganda and contributed to breaking walls in the minds of millions, thus making impact on human history.
All four members of The Beatles were charismatic and individually talented artists, they sparked each other from the beginning. Paul McCartney had the privilege of a better musical education, having studied classical piano and guitar in his childhood. He progressed as a lead vocalist and multi-instrumentalist, as well as a singer-songwriter. In addition to singing and songwriting, Paul McCartney played bass guitar, acoustic and electric guitars, piano and keyboards, as well as over 40 other musical instruments.
McCartney wrote more popular hits for the Beatles than other members of the band. His songs Yesterday, Let It Be, Hey Jude, Blackbird, All My Loving, Eleanor Rigby, Birthday, I Saw Her Standing There, I Will, Get Back, Carry That Weight, P.S. I Love You, Things We Said Today, "Hello, Goodbye," Two of Us, Why Don't We Do It in the Road?, Helter Skelter, Honey Pie, When I'm 64, Lady Madonna, She's a Woman, Maxwell's Silver Hammer, "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da," Mother Nature's Son, Long And Winding Road, Rocky Raccoon, Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, The Fool on the Hill, You Never Give Me Your Money, Your Mother Should Know, The End, Yellow Submarine, and many others are among the Beatles' best hits. Yesterday is considered the most covered song in history with over three thousand versions of it recorded by various artists across the universe.
Since he was a teenager, McCartney honored the agreement that was offered by John Lennon in 1957, about the 50/50 authorship of every song written by either one of them. However, both were teenagers, and technically, being under 21, their oral agreement had no legal power. Still, almost 200 songs by The Beatles are formally credited to both names, regardless of the fact that most of the songs were written individually. The songwriting partnership of John Lennon and Paul McCartney was really working until the mid-60s, when they collaborated in many of their early songs. Their jamming on a piano together led to creation of their first best-selling hit 'I Want to Hold Your Hand' in 1963.
In total, The Beatles created over 240 songs, they recorded many singles and albums, made several films and TV shows. Thousands of memorable pictures popularized their image. In their evolution from beginners to the leaders of entertainment, they learned from many world cultures, absorbed from various styles, and created their own. McCartney's own range of interests spanned from classical music and English folk ballads to Indian raga and other Oriental cultures, and later expanded into psychedelic experiments and classical-sounding compositions. His creative search has been covering a range of styles from jazz and rock to symphonies and choral music, and to cosmopolitan cross-cultural and cross-genre compositions.
Epstein's 1967 death hurt all four members of The Beatles, as they lost their creative manager. Evolution of each member's creativity and musicianship also led to individual career ambitions, however, their legacy as The Beatles remained the main driving force in their individual careers ever since. McCartney and The Beatles made impact on human history, because their influence has been liberating for generations of nowhere men living in misery beyond the Iron Curtain.
Something in their songs and images appealed to everybody who wanted to become free as a bird. Their songs carrying powerful ideas of real love, peace, help, imagination and freedom evoked creativity and contributed to breaking chains and walls in the minds of millions. The Beatles expressed themselves in beautiful and liberating words of love, happiness, freedom, and revolution, and carried those messages to people across the universe. Their songs and images helped many freedom-loving people to come together for revolutions in Prague and Warsaw, Beijing and Bucharest, Berlin and Moscow. The Beatles has been an inspiration for those who take the long and winding road to freedom.
McCartney was 28 when he started his solo career, and formed his new band, Wings. His first solo album, "McCartney," was a #1 hit and spawned the evergreen ballad "Maybe I'm Amazed", yet critical reaction was mixed. He continued to release music with Wings, that eventually became one of the most commercially successful groups of the 70s. "Band on the Run" won two Grammy Awards and remained the Wings' most lauded work. The 1977 release "Mull of Kintyre" stayed at #1 in the UK for nine weeks, and was highest selling single in the UK for seven years. In 1978 McCartney's theme "Rockestra" won him another Grammy Award. In 1979, together with Elvis Costello, he organized Concerts for the People of Kampuchea. In 1979, McCartney released his solo album "Wonderful Christmastime" which remained popular ever since.
In 1980 McCartney was arrested in Tokyo, Japan, for marijuana possession, and after a ten-day stint in jail, he was released to a media firestorm. He retreated into seclusion after the arrest, and was comforted by his wife Linda. Yet he had another traumatic experience when his ex-band-mate, John Lennon, was shot dead by a crazed fan near his home in New York City on December 8, 1980. McCartney did not play any live concerts for some time because he was nervous that he would be "the next" to be murdered.
After almost a year of absence from the music scene, McCartney returned in 1982 with the album "Tug of War," which was well received by public and enjoyed great critical acclaim. He continued a successful career as a solo artist, collaborated with wife Linda McCartney, and writers such as Elvis Costello. During the 80s, McCartney released such hits as 'No More Lonely Nights' and his first compilation, "All the Best." In 1989, he started his first concert tour since the John Lennon's murder.
In 1994, the three surviving members of The Beatles, McCartney, Harrison, and Starr, reunited and produced Lennon's previously unknown song "Free as a Bird." It was preserved by Yoko Ono on a tape recording made by Lennon in 1977. The song was re-arranged and re-mixed by George Martin at the Abbey Road Studios with the voices of three surviving members. The Beatles Anthology TV documentary series was watched by 420 million people in 1995.
During the 1990s McCartney concentrated on composing classical works for the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Society, such as "The Liverpool Oratorio" involving a choir and symphony, and "A Leaf" solo-piano project, both released in 1995. That same year he was working on a new pop album, "Flaming Pie," when his wife Linda was diagnosed with breast cancer, and caring for his wife during her illness meant only sporadic public appearances during that time. The album was released in 1997 to both critical and commercial success, debuting at #2 on both the UK and US pop charts. That same year he was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II as Sir Paul McCartney for his services to music.
In April 1998, Linda McCartney, his beloved wife of almost 30 years, mother of their four children, and his steady partner in music, died of breast cancer. McCartney suffered from a severe depression and undergone medical treatment. He spent much of the next year away from the public eye, emerging only to campaign on behalf of his late wife for animal rights and vegetarian causes.
He eventually returned to the studio, releasing an album of rock n'roll covers in 1999. "Run Devil Run" made both Entertainment Weekly and USA Today's year-end top ten lists. McCartney also slowly returned to the public spotlight with the release of his another classical album, "Working Classical" in November 1999, in recording by the London Symphony Orchestra. His 2000 release "A Garland for Linda" was a choral tribute album, which raised funds to aid cancer survivors.
In 2000 he was invited by Heather Mills, a disabled ex-model, to her 32nd birthday. McCartney wrote songs dedicated to her, he and Mills developed a romantic relationship and became engaged in 2001. However, the year brought him a cascade of traumatic experiences. On September 11, 2001, Paul McCartney was sitting on a plane in New York when the World Trade Center tragedy occurred in front of his eyes, and he was able to witness the events from his seat. Yet there was another sadness, as his former band-mate George Harrison died of cancer in November, 2001.
Recuperating from the stressful year, McCartney received the 2002 Academy Award nomination for the title song to the movie Vanilla Sky (2001), and also went on his first concert tour in several years. In June, 2002, Sir Paul McCartney and Heather Mills married in a castle in Monaghan, Ireland. Their daughter, Beatrice Milly McCartney, was born in October 2003. Four years later, the high profile marriage ended in divorce, after a widely publicized litigation. "Whenever you're going through difficult times, I'm at the moment, it's really cool to be able to escape into music" says Paul McCartney.
In 2003 Paul McCartney rocked the Red Square in Moscow with his show "Back in USSR" which was attended by his former opponents from the former Soviet KGB, including the Russian president Vladimir Putin himself, who invited McCartney to be the guest of honor in the Kremlin. In 2004 Paul McCartney received a birthday present from the Russian president. In June 2004, he and Heather Mills-McCartney stayed as special guests at suburban Royal Palaces of Russian Tsars in St. Petersburg, Russia. There he staged a spectacular show near the Tsar's Winter Palace in St. Petersburg where the Communist Revolution took place, just imagine.
In 2005 the Entertainment magazine poll named The Beatles the most iconic entertainers of the 20th Century. In 2006, the guitar on which Paul McCartney played his first chords and impressed John Lennon, was sold at an auction for over $600,000.
On June 18, 2006, Paul McCartney celebrated his 64th birthday, as in his song "when I'm Sixty-Four." McCartney's celebrity status, made it a cultural milestone for a generation of those born in the baby-boom era who grew up with the music of The Beatles during the 1960s. The prophetic message in the song has been intertwined with McCartney's personal life and his career.
In 2007 McCartney left his longtime label, EMI, and signed with Los Angeles based Hear Music. He learned to play mandolin to create a refreshing feeling for his latest album "Memory Almost Full," then appeared in Apple Computer's commercial for iPod+iTunes to promote the album. In June 2007 McCartney appeared together with Ringo Starr, Yoko Ono, Olivia Harrison and Guy Laliberté in a live broadcast from the "Revolution" Lounge at the Mirage Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas.
His 3-DVD set "The McCartney Years" with over 40 music videos and hours of Historic Live Performances was released in November 2007. His classical album "Ecco Cor Meum" (aka.. Behold My Heart), recorded with the Academy of St. Martin of the Fields and the boys of King's college Choir, was voted Classical Album of the Year in 2007. That same year, Paul McCartney began dating Nancy Shevell. The couple married in 2011, in London. Sir Paul's "On the Run Tour" once again took him flying across world from July through December 2011 giving sold out concerts in the USA, Canada, UK, United Arab Emirates, Italy, France, Germany, Sweden, Finland and Russia.
In July 2012, Paul McCartney rocked the opening ceremony of the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. He delivered a live performance of The Beatles's timeless hit "Hey Jude" and engaged the crowd of people from all over the world to join his band in a sing along finale. The show was seen by a live audience of close to 80000 people at the Olympic Park Stadium in addition to an estimated TV audience of two billion people worldwide.
On the long and winding road of his life and career, Sir Paul McCartney has been a highly respected entertainer and internationally regarded public figure.The Beatles- Composer
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Clifford Lee Burton was born on February 10, 1962 in Castro Valley, California, to Janet (Morgen) and Ray Herbert Burton. He had two siblings. His mother was from a German Jewish family, and his father was of British Isles descent.
As a youngster, Clifford always liked music, listening to genres such as blues, classical, country and jazz, and he even liked the works of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. He loved all kinds of music, and when he attended college he became educated in music theory. At the age of six he learned to play his first instrument, the piano. When he became a teenager he learned to play the bass guitar and took lessons from September 1978 to January 1980. He had played in several bands before he joined a band that would later go on to become one of the most popular and successful bands of all time.
In 1982 he played at the Whiskey A-Go-Go in Los Angeles and was spotted by James Hetfield and Lars Ulrich, who were forming a heavy metal band and were searching for a new bassist with creativity. The two had gone to the Whiskey A-Go-Go at the recommendation of Brian Slagel of Metal Blade Records. Hetfield and Ulrich were greatly impressed with Burton's bass playing and asked him to join their band, Metallica. At first Burton didn't want to join Metallica, but agreed to join if the band was willing to relocate to San Francisco, which they did. Burton went on to perform on the band's first three albums ("Kill 'Em All", "Ride The Lightning" and "Master of Puppets"), which all became hits, and with these three albums he instantly became a favorite musician amongst many music fans, with his impressive bass playing, powerful stage presence and very opinionated and honest personality. Things were looking bright for Burton but, sadly, his life was cut tragically short in 1986. After Metallica had finished touring with Ozzy Osbourne in 1985 they began touring in 1986. On the morning of September 27 the bus the band was touring in was driving from Stockholm, Sweden, to Copenhagen, Denmark, to perform some more gigs, and it went into a slide on some icy roads. Burton was thrown out of the bus' window and the bus fell on its side and crushed him. His Metallica bandmates were devastated over Burton's death, as were the band's fans. Burton was a powerful force in Metallica and his loss is seen by many as one of the most tragic losses in the history of music, which it is, because Burton was extremely talented and helped to contribute to some of Metallica's most successful songs. Not only that, but his live performances were also very powerful and he was very friendly and down-to-earth, very honest and opinionated and always willing to express his thoughts and feelings.
Metallica paid tribute to Burton by releasing the home video _Cliff 'Em All (1987) (V)_ and by using several unused riffs and a poem of his on their song "To Live Is To Die", which appeared on their acclaimed 1988 album "...And Justice For All". Burton may be gone, but he'll never be forgotten, and he will always be remembered by both Metallica and their fans, as well as music fans in general, and his contributions to the music industry are some of the finest that were made.Metallica- Composer
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John Paul Jones was born on 3 January 1946 in Sidcup, Kent, England, UK. He is a composer and actor, known for The Song Remains the Same (1976), The Adam Project (2022) and Small Soldiers (1998). He has been married to Maureen Jones since 1967. They have three children.Led Zeppelin- Actor
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John Entwistle was born on 9 October 1944 in Chiswick, London, England, UK. He was an actor and composer, known for Tommy (1975), Quadrophenia (1979) and Sister Midnight (1974). He was married to Maxene Harlow and Alison Wise. He died on 27 June 2002 in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA.The Who- Actor
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Geezer Butler was born on 17 July 1949 in Birmingham, England, UK. He is an actor and composer, known for Iron Man (2008), Suicide Squad (2016) and Almost Famous (2000). He is married to Gloria Butler.Black Sabbath- Music Artist
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Michael Peter Balzary was born on the sixteenth of October 1962, in Melbourne, Australia. When he was four, his parents divorced and Michael, his sister Karen and his mother Patricia headed for New York; they didn't stay long and soon ended up in L.A. (in 1972), where his step-father, a jazz musician named Walter Urban Jr., intended to start a career. Flea would often sit in on weekly jam sessions with his stepfather and the constant flow of musicians who trucked through. High school was not always an easy road for young Michael. He was a misfit because of his unusual musical taste. While most of the kids were into disco and dance music, Flea preferred jazz artists like Miles Davis and Dizzy Gillespie. Flea's first musical instrument was the drums, but soon he also began playing the trumpet. After school he would race home to listen to his Gillespie records and play along with his idol. He counts as his greatest childhood memory the time his mother got him back-stage to meet Gillespie after one of his concerts. He also played with the Los Angeles Junior Philarmonic Orchestra. Influenced by some of his friends from school who shared the same passion for music - among them, Jack Irons and Hillel Slovak, who would later play in the Red Hot Chili Peppers with him - his musical interests then diversified: he discovered funk music, and Jimi Hendrix became his new idol. At the end of 1977, he met Anthony Kiedis. For some reason, Michael was holding a young schoolmate named Tony Sherr in a headlock, when Kiedis, who was Tony's best friend at the time, came to rescue him; they almost had a fight. After this meeting, they soon became aware they were made to be friends, and have been inseparable since. The two became known for their mischievous antics, which often got them into trouble. This is also when he gained the nickname Flea, while he was joking with some friends about calling each other a cartoon name. Around 1979, due to Flea's obvious musical talent, he was sought out as a recruit for a band formed by his school-mates, Anthym, with Jack Irons (drums), Hillel Slovak (guitar) and Alain Johannes (vocals and guitar) as members. Flea picked up the bass, which he had never played before, and became so good that within a few months he had forged his very own style, which later would make him one of the most famous and talented bass players in the world. After a shaky start the band got a few club gigs but no major breaks. Anthony Kiedis, who was always there to support them, became the presenter of their shows which he opened with a few jokes or improvised poems of his own. In 1982, Flea joined the L.A. punk band Fear. He also landed a small role in the Penelope Spheeris film Suburbia (1984). John Lydon of PIL asked Flea to join his band when he left Fear in 1984, but Flea instead decided to rejoin his friends. With Kiedis, Slovak and Irons, they started another band together, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, which soon earned a good reputation in the Los Angeles underground music scene. Flea was married in 1985 to Loesha Zeviar, whose first name he got tattooed above his left nipple - close to his heart. They have since divorced, but still share daughter Clara, born on September 16, 1988. Clara sometimes goes on the road with her dad, and has done artwork for the Chili Peppers' t-shirts and promotional material. In 2001, along with friends Pete Weiss and Keith Barry, Flea founded the Silverlake Conservatory Of Music, an organization whose aim is to provide affordable music lessons to everyone and to encourage children's musical education.Red Hot Chili Peppers- Composer
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Geddy Lee is best known as the vocalist, bassist, and keyboard player for the rock group Rush, which also features drummer Neil Peart and guitarist Alex Lifeson. Rush is the most successful Canadian music group in history, and is the third most prolific seller of consecutive (American) Gold and Platinum Records and videos, behind only the Beatles and the Rolling Stones. Lee's spectacular bass-playing ability has earned him a reputation similar to that of his bandmates. All three share the distinction of being among the most highly influential virtuosos in their crafts. Geddy Lee is a natural overachiever when it comes to the production and performance of his music. He is equally well known for his wizard-like bass-playing ability as he his for his magical juggling of bass, singing, playing keyboards, and triggering his own pre-recorded accompaniments during live performances, all while maintaining his trademark enthusiasm as Rush's "frontman". Geddy has, in the past carried the dubious distinction of a hard-rocking, if somewhat unnatural, high-pitched singing voice. This has matured over the course of Geddy's career into a voice that is more widely accepted outside of Rush's original core hard-rock following, and shines most especially on recent Rush albums such as 2002's "Vapor Trails", and Geddy's polished 2000 solo album, "My Favorite Headache". After their longest break from recording and touring, A highly successful 2002 tour brought Rush back to the United States, Canada, and Mexico, to the great anticipation of fans. Rush ended their 2002 tour with their first-ever shows in Brazil, where they played to 125,000 fans in three nights. The final performance of the 2002 tour was captured on DVD as Rush in Rio (2003), which was certified double-platinum within weeks of its release. Geddy is the son of Polish parents who were survivors of the Nazi concentration camps. In addition to his composing, arranging, and performing duties for Rush, Geddy has produced albums for various other bands, including Rocket Science.Rush- Actor
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Founder of heavy metal band Iron Maiden. Steve grew up in the East End of London, his father was a truck driver, and his mother raised Steve and his three sisters, as well as having various part time jobs. Started Iron Maiden in 1975, but didn't release any album until 1980, after numerous line-up changes. The first album was released on the 11th April and debuted in the British charts at number four.- Composer
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Jack Bruce was born on 14 May 1943 in Bishopbriggs, Lanarkshire, Scotland, UK. He was a composer and actor, known for True Lies (1994), Backdraft (1991) and Road House (1989). He was married to Margrit Seyffer and Janet Godfrey. He died on 25 October 2014 in Bures, Suffolk, England, UK.Cream- Actor
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Duff McKagan was born on 5 February 1964 in Seattle, Washington, USA. He is an actor and composer, known for Hulk (2003), The Italian Job (2003) and Fantastic Four (2005). He has been married to Susan Holmes-McKagan since 28 August 1999. They have two children. He was previously married to Linda Johnson and Amanda (Mandy) Brixx.Guns N' Roses- Actor
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Frank Ferranna II was born to Frank and Deana Ferranno. When Nikki was in his thirties, he found out that he had a sister with down syndrome. She was older than him. The day before he was to meet her for the first time, she passed away. His father left him and his mother soon after he was born. He was often swapped between his mother and his grandparents and moved numerous times to numerous places. His mother was well known for her long list of boyfriends which even included Richard Pryor. He went to seven schools within 11 years. He moved out of his mother's home, living in the streets and sold drugs until he was kicked out. He went to live with his grandparents in Idaho and then to Los Angeles, California. He formed Mötley Crüe in 1981 with Tommy Lee, Mick Mars, and Vince Neil, after being in several bands, but just after "London". Changed his name to Nikki Sixx legally before joining Crüe. In December of 1987, Nikki was pronounced clinically dead due to an overdose. After the incident, Mötley Crüe went into rehab. Nikki married Brandi Brandt in 1989. They had 3 children, Gunner Nicholas (b. 1991), Storm Brieanne (b. 1994) and Dekker Nilsson (b. 1995). They divorced in November 1996. One month after the divorce, Nikki married Donna D'Errico in December 1996 and they had Frankie-Jean Mary (b. 2001). Nikki and Donna briefly separated in 2001 and reconciled months later.Motley Crue- Actor
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Born in London on March 4, 1948, Chris Squire engaged in a highly musical childhood, including singing in St. Paul's distinguished youth choir. In 1968, he was introduced to aspiring tenor vocalist Jon Anderson in a London bar, "La Chasse". They soon found that they shared similar ideas of how music should sound. After getting a few other musicians to join, art rock band Yes was formed. Success for the band did not occur until 1971 and the release of 'The Yes Album', 'Fragile' and 'Close to the Edge'. Each of which featured Chris' innovative, complex bass riffs and tenor vocals. Squire has continued on in Yes full term, being the only member to appear on every Yes album. He made a solo album called 'Fish Out of Water' in 1975 at his home studio near Virginia Water, Surrey. Chris is married and has four daughters and a son. He lives in the USA with wife Scotty.- Composer
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Greg Lake was born on 10 November 1947 in Poole, Dorset, England, UK. He was a composer and actor, known for Children of Men (2006), Power Rangers (2017) and MacGruber (2010). He was married to Regina Bottcher. He died on 7 December 2016 in London, England, UK.- Music Department
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Wyman was born in Lewisham, Kent, on 24th October 1936. When he was a child he started to play the organ with his father. His first real job was when he did his national service in the RAF Regiment. When he came back to England he got married and had a kid called Steven. Bill then took up a job as a carpenter and was in the meantime teaching himself bass guitar.
In late 1962 he auditioned to be the bassist for the Rolling Stones and was duly chosen. The original line up consisted of Mick Jagger (vocals, harmonica), Keith Richards (guitar, vocals), Bill Wyman (bass), Charlie Watts (drums) and Brian Jones (guitar). The Stones released their first album in 1964 titled "The Rolling Stones". This album was the first of many successful ones. Through the 60s the Stones released singles like "Satisfaction" (1965), Let's Spend the night together (1967), Sympathy for the Devil (1968) and "Honky Tonk Woman" (1969). Even though Bill, together with Charlie, was more in the background of the group he still enjoyed himself, as he would have years of success to come. Even though he had had the breakup of his first marriage he still managed to twang away on his bass. In 1969 Brian Jones left the group and shortly afterwards he died in mysterious circumstances and was replaced by Mick Taylor. In 1970 the Stones were in debt. They had got no money from Decca for recording the album "Let it Bleed" and the money they should have had for touring wasn't coming in either. After Mick Jagger finished his performance in "Performance", (1970) they recorded Brown Sugar and immediately signed to a new record company. Throughout the rest of the 70s the Stones made endless hits and live performances. The tunes most known from then are "Brown Sugar" (1971), "Angie" (1973), "It's only rock 'n roll" (1974) and "Respectable" (1978).
In the meantime, Bill was making his own music. He released his debut solo album "Stone Alone" in 1976. Even though the album was not a great success it was admired by critics. The 80s, though, were to come and that was to be a funny time for Bill. The Stones released "Emotional Rescue" in 1980 but Bill was recording a solo album and he released what was to be his most popular single "Je suis un rock star" which was released in 1981. The same year the Stones released "Tattoo you" and they went on a major world tour to promote it. After this things were not going well for the five Stones. In 1983 the Stones recorded and released "Undercover" which was a success but things inside the group was not a success. Mick and Keith were arguing about what musical direction the group should go. Bill's second marriage had broken up. In the autumn of 1984, Mick Jagger recorded his first solo album "She's the boss" which Keith didn't approve of. In 1985 the Stones recorded "Dirty Work" which was released the following year and Bill recorded an album for his own band "Willie and the poor boys". At the end of the year Ian Stewart, known as the "Sixth Stone", died and the band was deeply moved.
When "Dirty Work" was released Bill, Keith, Ron and Charlie wanted to tour to promote the album but Mick said "No way Jose". This led to a Stones break-up and everybody in the band in turn falling out with Mick. Bill didn't do much until 1989 when the Stones got back together to recorded and tour behind "Steel Wheels". The tour was a success but it was to be Bill's last as in 1992 he announced that he was leaving the Stones and he left the following year. Keith did everything to stop him but no avail.
Since then he has been playing bass in "Bill Wyman's Rhythm Kings" which are a popular live attraction and have released about 4 albums so far. It is not known whether Bill will join the Stones for a couple of concerts on the 40th Anniversary world tour, but you never know.The Rolling Stones- Actor
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John Deacon was born on 19 August 1951 in Leicester, Leicestershire, England, UK. He is an actor and composer, known for Flash Gordon (1980), Moulin Rouge! (2001) and Grosse Pointe Blank (1997). He has been married to Veronica Tetzlaff since 18 January 1975. They have six children.Queen- Music Department
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Noel Redding was born on 25 December 1945 in Folkestone, Kent, England, UK. He was an actor and assistant director, known for The Last Experience, Monterey Pop (1968) and WCW/NWO SuperBrawl VIII (1998). He was married to Susanne Fowsby. He died on 13 May 2003 in Clonakilty, County Cork, Ireland.Jimi Hendrix Experience- Soundtrack
Berry Oakley was born on 4 April 1948 in Chicago, Illinois, USA. He died on 11 November 1972 in Macon, Georgia, USA.- Actor
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Tom Hamilton was born on 31 December 1951 in Colorado Springs, Colorado, USA. He is an actor and composer, known for Armageddon (1998), Spenser Confidential (2020) and Hit and Run (2012). He has been married to Terry Cohen since January 1975. They have two children.Aerosmith- Leon Wilkeson was born on 2 April 1952 in Jacksonville, Florida, USA. He was married to Evelyn Susan Abner, Ronda Rose Britton, Sherrie Lynn Rigby and Rena Wolfe. He died on 27 July 2001 in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, USA.
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Jason Newsted was born on 4 March 1963 in Battle Creek, Michigan, USA. He is an actor and composer, known for Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day (2014), Metallica: Some Kind of Monster (2004) and Man at Arms (2013). He has been married to Nicole Leigh Smith since October 2012. He was previously married to Judy Newsted.Metallica- Actor
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Robert Trujillo was born on 23 October 1964 in Santa Monica, California, USA. He is an actor and composer, known for Encino Man (1992), Jungle Cruise (2021) and Savages (2012). He is married to Chloe. They have two children.Metallica- Music Department
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Bernard Edwards was born on 31 October 1952 in Greenville, North Carolina, USA. He was a composer and actor, known for Super 8 (2011), Commando (1985) and Taxi (2004). He died on 18 April 1996 in Tokyo, Japan.- Actor
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Paul Simonon was born on 15 December 1955 in Brixton, London, England, UK. He is an actor, known for 500 Days of Summer (2009), RocknRolla (2008) and Iron Man 2 (2010).- Soundtrack
James Jamerson is an American bass player. He was the uncredited bassist on most of the Motown Records hits in the 1960s and early 1970s (Motown did not list session musician credits on their releases until 1971), and is now regarded as one of the most influential bass players in modern music history. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2000. As a session musician he played on twenty-three Billboard Hot 100 number one hits, as well as fifty-six R&B number one hits.- Music Department
- Sound Department
- Soundtrack
John Porter is known for Out of Bounds (1986) and Which Side Are You on Billy Bragg? (1988).- Composer
- Soundtrack
Jaco Pastorius was born on 1 December 1951 in Norristown, Pennsylvania, USA. He was a composer, known for American Playhouse (1980), Chuck Brown: We Got This (2010) and Jaco Pastorius: Live and Outrageous (2007). He was married to Ingrid Muller and Tracy. He died on 21 September 1987 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, USA.- Soundtrack
Victor Wooten was born on 11 September 1964 in Hampton, Virginia, USA.- Actor
- Director
- Composer
Shavo was born in Armenia in 1974. He has been in System of a Down, since the early 90s. He plays the bass. He made his film debut in Zoolander (2001). He and System of a Down have been touring on Ozzfest more than twice and recorded hugely innovative and platinum selling records "Toxicity" in 2001 and "Mezmerize" in 2005- Music Artist
- Music Department
- Composer
Roger Waters was born on 6 September 1943 in Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, England, UK. He is a music artist and composer, known for Pink Floyd: The Wall (1982), The Squid and the Whale (2005) and The Big Boss (1971). He was previously married to Laurie Durning, Pricilla Phillips, Carolyn Christie and Judy Trim.Pink Floyd