Billy Sheehan approached the choice of professional sphere with enthusiasm. When he first heard the live performance of the Beatles group and the squeals of thousands of enthusiastic fans, he realized that he wanted such a job! Since then, he has not stopped learning and practicing. Now he is a world famous rock musician who masterfully owns a bass guitar.
Billy Sheehan: biography
March 19, American bass player Sheehan celebrates his birthday, in 1953 he made his parents happy with his birth. Hometown musician - Buffalo, New York.
Parents did not share the son’s musical passions, but this did not prevent him from going his own way. The first instrument that Billy Sheehan came in contact with was a drum kit. According to him, a rather interesting bit was obtained.
Once, a group rehearsed near Billy’s house. Sounds of bass came to his room - long, powerful, low - which seemed to the future rock musician especially attractive. It was they who inspired him to play the bass.
The well-known part of the biography of Billy Sheehan concerns mainly his career. The Japanese company has released the book Ultimate Billy Sheehan. It contains a collection of photographs and interviews with the musician.
Billy Sheehan: rock musician
Sheehan did not receive a classical music education. He honed his technique, developed his skill, playing in one or the other amateur teams.
According to the musician, he usually improvises: “When I create, at first I just start to play. Then some thoughts, ideas appear, and then my hands do something on their own. And then it turns out that this is a three-finger game.”
In 1972, Billy Sheehan's work moved from an amateur to a professional level. He founded the Talas group, which became very popular. Since its breakup, the musician has participated in various bands such as David Lee Roth's Band, Mr. Big, Niacin, G3.
On April 25, 2001, Billy Sheehan's Compression solo album was released. Steve Wai, a former David Lee Roth's Band colleague, took part in the recording of the Chameleon track. And in 2012, the bass player joined the new rock band The Winery Dogs.
David Lee Roth's Band
Almost at the same time, three different musical groups - Talas, Van Halen and Alcatrazz - left three talented guys: Billy Sheehan, David Lee Roth and Steve Wye. Such a combination of circumstances contributed to the fact that one of them, namely David Lee Roth, offered to engage in joint work for two other musicians.
As a result, in 1985 a rock'n'roll band was formed under the name David Lee Roth's Band and the inimitable Wai-Shihen duo was born: guitar and bass. They often synchronized complex bass lines with guitar solos, for example, in compositions such as Shyboy and Elephant Gun.
During the time that Sheehan took part in the group, the group released many popular songs and albums, two of which received not even gold, but platinum status - Eat'Em and Smile and Skyscraper. In 1988, he left this project and began to engage in a new one.
Mr. Big
In 1988, with the support of Mike Varney from Shrapnel Records, Billy Sheehan began to assemble a new team. He invited the virtuoso, talented guitarist Paul Gilbert, drummer Pat Torpy and vocalist Eric Martin. So there was a hard rock band Mr. Big Herb Herbert was chosen as the manager. By 1989, they signed to Atlantic Records and released their debut album, Mr. Big
The second Lean Into It album was released in 1991 and became a major commercial breakthrough. The compositions To be with you and Just Take my hart became hits, and the first of them occupied the top line of the top charts in 15 countries of the world. Clips on these tracks did not leave TV screens. The popularity of Mr. Big continued to grow, especially in Japan and much of Asia.
In 1997, Paul Gilbert left the band. In his place came guitarist Richie Kotzen. A little later, when Sheehan began touring with Steve Wye, tension arose in relations with other members of the collective. Subsequently, this led to the breakup of the group.
However, much to the delight of Mr. fans Big, several times there was a temporary reunion of the original team members. The musicians made this decision after a performance on May 3, 2008 in the Los Angeles House of Blues, when Billy Sheehan, Ritchie Kotzen and Pat Torpy joined on the stage to Paul Gilbert.
In 2009, a reunion of the original Mr. Big Thus, the musicians celebrated the 20th anniversary of the debut album. The team conducted a tour in several countries. In September 2010, they recorded the seventh album, and in 2011 toured in support of it.
The winery dogs
In 2012, three already performed music artists - bassist Billy Sheehan, guitarist Richie Kotzen and drummer Mike Portnoy formed The Winery Dogs. This is the new American popular rock band. Its distinctive feature is that all participants sing.
Translated into Russian, the name of the collective means "Wine Dogs". Once upon a time in America, the so-called dogs that were brought to protect the vineyards from wild animals. There is a certain symbolism in this. Band members say they "protect the classic canons of rock music just like those dogs kept vineyards."
In July 2013, the musicians released their debut album, The Winery Dogs. Their second album, Hot Streak, was released in October 2015.
In 2014, the Dog Camp was founded by The Winery Dogs to provide musicians with inspirational, interactive communication, and the exchange of experiences and ideas. In the program: concerts, master classes, seminars. Events take place in a scenic setting on the Full Moon Resort, a year-round mountain resort located an hour and a half west of Woodstock, New York.
Collaboration with Yamaha
Yamaha is one of the most diversified companies in Japan, offering a wide range of products and services. The company released its first acoustic guitar in 1942, its first solid body guitar in 1965, and its first bass guitar in 1966.
In the 1980s, Yamaha opened a guitar factory in North Hollywood, California, which collaborated with professional guitarists to develop their products. Collaboration with Billy Sheehan began in 1984.
The BB3000 was the first tool the corporation proposed to him in 1985. The bass was very good, but the discerning musician had ideas for improving it. Therefore, together with a Yamaha engineer, they set about creating a new one - Attitude. During a long collaboration, Billy Sheehan participated in the development of the famous name series Attitude II / III and model BB714BS.
Recognition and awards of an outstanding bass player
Billy Sheehan has been honored with many honors and awards. According to readers' polls, he was recognized as the best rock bass player 5 times in Guitar Player magazines, and repeatedly occupied the first lines of such ratings in Japan, Korea, Germany, Italy and other countries. In addition, for 14 years in a row he was the leader in the most popular Japanese music magazine Player Magazine. And on January 27, 1999, his fingerprints and signature were stored in cement at the Hollywood Rockwalk at Guitar Center.
Billy Sheehan is a versatile person: takes part in the design of bass guitars, masterfully plays them, sings, shares his knowledge and experience. In one of his interviews, he said: "I would like to inspire people with my music, just as the music of other artists inspires me." And for many years, this is exactly what has been happening. Perhaps for him this is the biggest reward.