Billy Sheehan

Billy Sheehan (born the March 19th 1953 with Buffalo (New York)) is a known Bassiste American for his work with Talas, Steve Vai, David Lee Roth, Mr. Big and Niacin.

Sheehan was crowned 5 times " Better bass player rock" by the readers of Guitar Player Magazine for its play of " bass player solo". The magazine compared its play with that of Eddie Van Halen with the guitar. Although an uncontested Master of the Tapping to two hand inter alia, it is also recognized like a truth good bass player rock'n'roll, fulfilling perfectly the traditional role of support within a group.

He has belonged to the Église of scientology for 35 years.

Beginnings

The first instrument of Billy Sheehan is a acoustic Guitare which it constantly borrows from his sister. The legend wants that Sheehan wanted a Electric guitar, but that his/her grandmother had said to him: " There will be no electric guitar in this house of my alive! ". She dies little of time after, and Billy buys its first electric guitar with a little the touched insurance life.

When Sheehan sees Tim Bogert group Vanilla Fudge using a Fender Precision Low, it converts with low.

Innovator with low electric

The first low one of Billy Sheehan is a Hagström BFR, which is quickly accompanied by a Precision low similar to that of Tim Bogert. After having acquired it, it removes the metal band from its Hagström. With the passing of years, it modifies its Low Precision heavily, adding a microphone close to the handle, as well as an additional support with the fixing of the handle, which Sheehan regards as their greater weakness. The additional microphone and the micro original have two exits jack separated on the low one, which allows a better control of the tone. Sheehan uses two different amplifiers thus, one with distortion to have solos with the sound " guitare" , and one with the clear sound for the microphone handle. It does not serve any more this low one, but it calls affectionately it " The épouse".

Billy Sheehan plays above regularly until the end of the years 1980, then uses low Yamaha Attitude which it created itself. They are based on its Low Precision, but comprise according to him a quantity of improvements, like multi-fixings of the handle, or the accessory called Hipshot D-tuner , which adapts on the cord of semi and allows réaccorder quickly the cord in D, then to raise it.

Musical influences

Sheehan has varied influences, of Bogert and Cliff Burton with Bach, but also Jimi Hendrix like influence first, perhaps because the first concert to which it assisted was a concert of Hendrix. He also says to have had the idea of the tapping with two hands after having seen Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top playing a note with his right index with a concert.

The years Catholic students

The first groups full-time of Billy Sheehan is Talas, a trio made up of Dave Constantino to the guitar and Paul Varga with the battery. The group plays a mixture of recoveries and compositions, and alternate all the three with the song.

Catholic students is one of the most popular groups of Buffalo during more than one decade, spreading themselves in all American North-East, and even with the Canada. In 1978, Talas leaves their first album éponyme, which includes/understands the regional hit " See Saw" . It is for this period that Sheehan composes its most known titles, like " Shy Boy" (re-recorded later with David Lee Roth), and the complex and frantic " Addicted to that Rush" (re-recorded later with Mr. Big).

The first national scene of Catholic students arrives in 1980, when they make the first part of 30 concerts of Van Halen. However, success is limited, and although their trademark is at the origin of the " To hate metal " and gains in popularity the following years, Talas remains unknown, because mainly of a poor management.

Seeking to carry out further Talas that the regional scenes, Billy reforms the group with another beater (Mark Miller), another guitarist (Mitch Perry), and a singer, Phil Naro, with which Billy already worked at the end of the years 1980 for its Side-project the " Billy Sheehan Band". Catholic students leaves one new album, Live Speed one Ice . After Mitch Perry leaves the group, it is replaced by Johnny Angel, which is their guitarist on the round of 1985/1986 for the first part of the concerts of Yngwie Malmsteen. There was a fourth recording, called " Lights, Camera, Action" , but it never exceeded the stage of demonstration because of the departure of Sheehan to find the group of David Lee Roth. Catholic students continues some time without Sheehan, engaging Jimmy Degrasso with the battery, Al Pitrelli with the guitar and Bruno Ravel with low, but the group already died.

Recent activity Catholic students

Billy recently joined together the original trio for some concerts here and there, like for CD live, " Yew We Only Knew Then".

After Catholic students

David Lee Roth engages Sheehan, the guitarist Steve Vai, and the beater Gregg Bissonette for the album Eat 'EM and Smile , its second after having left Van Halen. The recording comprises traditional the " Rose" Yankee; , and shows rhythmic qualities of Sheehan. After the album Skyscraper , Sheehan leaves the group to continue other opportunities. Steve Vai follows it shortly after.

In 1988, Billy Sheehan creates the group Mr. Big with Eric Martin with the song, Paul Gilbert with the guitar, and Pat Torpey with the battery. Mr. Big leaves enormous hits to the United States, like " Addicted to That Rush", of their first album éponyme, and the ballade " To Be With You" , on their second album Lean Into It , but are unable to renew the exploit later. However, the group is an immense success in Japan. The internal tensions lead at the beginning of Gilbert in 1997. It is replaced by Richie Kotzen, which remains until the separation of the group in 2002.

Billy Sheehan leaves then in round with E groups UFO , and joined Steve Vai for the round of the famous group G3. It is a regular member of the group of the rounds of Steve Vai, and also on much of its albums solo. In 1999, it takes part in the recording of the album largely recognized " Brotherhood" Japanese group B' Z, and exploits with them the round of 2002 " Green" , in front of a total public of 750.000 people.

In 2001, Billy leaves an album very awaited solo, Compression , then a second in 2005, Cosmic Troubadour . It there sings and plays of the guitar.

In 2002, Sheehan is invited by the group Planet X for the album MoonBabies , which carries out it to take part in the album solo Black Utopia of the clavierist of the group, Derek Sherinian in 2003.

One of the other projects of Sheehan is the trio jazz-rock'n'roll-fusion Niacin, with Dennis Chambers and John Novello.

Sheehan is also the author of popular educational books and vidéos, and gives courses and seminars to famous the Berklee College off Music.

It gives 3 concerts in 2006 for Amazing Journey: In Tribute to The Who with Mike Portnoy, Gary Cherone and Paul Gilbert.

Sheehan recently joined the bass players Jeff Berlin and Stu Hamm, as well as the guitarist Jude Gold and the beater John Mader for the round of BX3, a derivative of the G3 (group) which concentrates on the low one rather than on the guitar.

Discography

External bonds

  • Official site
  • Site of a fan
  • Interview of reference of Billy Sheehan

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