| Myles Kennedy | |
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Myles Richard Kennedy |
| Born | November 27, 1969 |
| Origin | Spokane, Washington, U.S. |
| Genres | Alternative metal, alternative rock, hard rock, jazz fusion (early), post-grunge |
| Occupations | Musician, songwriter, singer, actor |
| Instruments | Vocals, Guitar |
| Years active | 1990–2002, 2004–present |
| Labels | Epic Records (1997–2002) Wind-Up Records (2004–2006) Universal Republic Records (2007–present) |
| Associated acts | Alter Bridge The Mayfield Four Cosmic Dust |
| Website | Official |
| Notable instruments | |
| Paul Reed Smith Guitars Dean Guitars |
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Myles Richard Kennedy (born November 27, 1969) is an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist originally from Spokane, Washington. Kennedy, known for his wide vocal range, is a former guitar instructor in the Spokane area who has appeared as a guest of both live performances and recording sessions of numerous bands over the years. Since 2004, he has been the lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist for Alter Bridge, a United States hard rock band and the brainchild of then-former Creed guitarist Mark Tremonti. Before that, between 1993 and 1996, he provided lead vocals and played guitar for the jazz fusion band Citizen Swing; subsequently, he fronted the alternative rock band The Mayfield Four, who broke up in 2002. The most recent side project he has been working on is a solo album that should be out in early 2010.
Despite suffering from tinnitus, Kennedy claims he has "the standard amount of hearing loss for someone who has been doing it (singing) as long as [he has]" and continues to "keep it in check."[1]
Contents |
Music career
Early years: 1990-1993
Kennedy began his career in a local Spokane band called Bittersweet.
Early in his career, Kennedy played guitar for a jazz fusion group called Cosmic Dust. Kennedy's guitar-work with Cosmic Dust was very advanced; using his knowledge of jazz theory in conjunction with his advanced technical abilities, Kennedy created the sound of traditional jazz guitar coupled with a more fusion-rock tone. He was not only able to imply chord changes on the fly (a difficult technique used in jazz) but also shred with speed and precision. Shortly after the release of Cosmic Dust's only album, Journey, bassist Clip Anderson left the band to move to Seattle, to be replaced by Spokane bassist Dave Turner. Prior to this, Kennedy had been working on a new band that would be an outlet for his original material and they were in need of a bassist. Dave Turner joined Kennedy, guitarist Craig Johnson, trumpeteer Geoff Miller and drummer Mike Tschirgi to form Citizen Swing.
Citizen Swing: 1993-1996
Following his stint with Cosmic Dust, Kennedy provided vocals and played guitar for Citizen Swing. A MySpace page dedicated to the band provides full tracks of "Motor Mama" and "Can't Complain", two of the band's songs original songs (link). The band played their first gig in late 1993 at the Big Dipper, Spokane, WA and their last gig in June 1996. They released two albums entitled Cure Me With the Groove and Deep Down, respectively, the latter of which was self-funded and could only be bought at venues during the band's live performances.
Kennedy had been collaborating with the future members of The Mayfield Four since summer 1995, and with the departure of Citizen Swing's bassist in late 1995 to pursue family and other interests, the door was opened for Citizen Swing to wind down and The Mayfield Four to rise.
The Mayfield Four: 1996-2002
By August 1996, Kennedy had become the lead singer/lead guitarist of The Mayfield Four, a rock band formed in 1996 with childhood friends Zia Uddin, Marty Meisner, and Craig Johnson (also of Citizen Swing). The Mayfield Four enjoyed a lot of success opening for bands like Creed, Fuel, and many others. Due to undisclosed reasons, Craig Johnson was fired in 1999 and the band continued on as a threesome, with a substitute rhythm guitarist but unofficial band member (Alessandro Cortini), up through their final gig. They released 1 live EP and 2 full albums, Motion, Fallout, and Second Skin, respectively. Though popular, they never garnered enough exposure to break into the big time.
Alter Bridge: 2004-present
After The Mayfield Four officially split in 2002, Kennedy was asked by Slash to audition as lead singer of Velvet Revolver, but he declined the offer,[2] and two years later, he was called up by Creed guitarist Mark Tremonti asking to join a new band he was forming since Creed had recently broken up due to personal issues with singer Scott Stapp. Also composed of then-former Creed members Scott Phillips and Brian Marshall, the newly formed band Alter Bridge went on to release two albums, One Day Remains and Blackbird. The band, having recently concluded their Blackbird tour in late 2008, is currently in the process of writing songs for an upcoming third release (under the working title Alter Bridge III). A live DVD titled Live from Amsterdam was going to be released on September 29, but had issues with distribution.
Solo career: 2009-present
Kennedy has confirmed that he is working on a solo side project during an interview[3]. He said that the material is supposed to sound "dreamy." He also stated that he is "intentionally trying to make a record that isn't aggressive," and later added, "It's more singer/songwriter based. I will say it's going to be interesting." He later revealed that he has about 35 or so songs to choose from for the album and that he is currently working on the album. Meanwhile, Creed had embarked on their 2009 United States reunion tour in support of their upcoming album Full Circle.
Kennedy headlined Bofest 2009 on October 17, 2009[4], where he performed a variety of Alter Bridge and The Mayfield Four songs, as well as four covers ("Shooting Star" by Bad Company, "Sweet Child O' Mine" by Guns N' Roses, "Traveling Riverside Blues" by Robert Johnson, and Jeff Buckley's version of "Hallelujah", originally by Leonard Cohen). He did not perform any solo material, but stated that he is currently recording the album in Vancouver. He hopes it will be out in early 2010, digitally first and then on CD.
Led Zeppelin rumor
According to Twisted Sister frontman Dee Snider, Kennedy was back in late 2008 strongly rumored to have been selected as the touring vocalist for Led Zeppelin for their reunion tour[5], though this rumor was discontinued by Kennedy himself recently. Robert Plant had denied any speculation that he will be participating in the tour, and has mentioned that he will not tour again for another two years. Because of this, it was falsely rumored that Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones, and Jason Bonham had been supposedly rehearsing and possibly recording with Kennedy while trying to persuade Plant to join them. Regarding Page, Jones, and Bonham, Snider said:
| “ | They're saying [to Robert], "We're all rehearsed, we're ready to go. Here's a gazillion dollars on the table. If you don't do it, we're going out with this kid. And he can sing the shit out of Zeppelin." And they're gonna hope that Robert, at the last minute, will go, "Okay," and step in before having the lead singer of Alter Bridge out with John Paul Jones, Jimmy Page and Jason Bonham. | ” |
This had fueled speculation that Kennedy would be forming a new band with the members of Led Zeppelin, and regarding this, during an interview with Kerrang! magazine in 2008, Alter Bridge guitarist Mark Tremonti said:
| “ | If something like that were to happen it'd be a great opportunity and would definitely not be the end of Alter Bridge. Myles is a hard worker and as long as we can find the time to get into the studio next year as planned, we could keep flowing like nothing ever happened. Zeppelin are probably the greatest rock band of all time, so to have rumors about your singer singing with them isn't a bad thing! It's a positive thing for us, on an exposure level. So it could work out as a good thing for everybody! | ” |
In a more recent interview, Kennedy confirmed that he did in fact jam with the instrumental members of Led Zeppelin, but denied the rumor that he would be performing with or fronting them, saying, "I am not singing in Led Zeppelin or any offshoot of Led Zeppelin, but I did have a great opportunity and it was something that I'm very grateful for. But Alter Bridge will go on, and that's that."[6].
In addition, Jimmy Page's manager, Peter Mensch, has recently denied all of the Led Zeppelin reunion rumors by saying, "Led Zeppelin are over. If you didn't see them in 2007, you missed them. It's done. I can't be any clearer than that." When asked about which singers Page, Jones, and Bonham were rehearsing with, Mensch said, "They tried out a few singers, but no one worked out. That was it. The whole thing is completely over now. There are absolutely no plans for them to continue. Zero. Frankly, I wish everybody would stop talking about it."[7]
Other work
During his current stint with Alter Bridge, Kennedy appeared on Fozzy's 2005 album All That Remains as a guest vocalist on the song "Nameless Faceless", and also appears as a co-lead vocalist on the Sevendust song "Sorrow" from their 2008 album Chapter VII: Hope & Sorrow. His Alter Bridge band mate Mark Tremonti also appears on both the aforementoined albums, performing guitar solos on the song "Hope" from the Sevendust record and Fozzy's song "The Way I Am." Kennedy also appeared as a guest on Tremonti's guitar instructional DVD Mark Tremonti: The Sound & the Story, released in 2008, to which he, along with several other guest musicians including Michael Angelo Batio and Troy Stetina, contributed a lesson and gave an in-depth instruction on how to play his guitar solo on the title track to Alter Bridge's album Blackbird. However, his first guest appearance on an album was likely his appearance on the song "Breakthrough" by Big Wreck. He is also the former touring guitarist for the death/thrash metal band Sadus.
In November 2009, Kennedy recorded a song for Slash's solo album Slash & Friends. Slash stated on his Facebook page, "In the studio with Myles Kennedy, Steve Farrone & Chris Chaney, fuckin' rocking." Kennedy recorded vocals for the final track of Slash's album which will be released in early 2010.
Equipment
Guitars
- Paul Reed Smith Guitars (uses SC 245, SC 250, Modern Eagle, McCarty, and Hollowbody models. These are his primary guitars)
- Dean Guitars; a Resonator used for his live cover of Robert Johnson's "Traveling Riverside Blues."
- Taylor Guitars; Taylor is his acoustic guitar of choice.
Amplifiers
- Mesa Boogie (uses a Mark IV head. Uses exclusively Mesa Boogie cabinets)
- Diezel (A Herbert head. Kennedy has said this is his favorite amplifier and uses it for nearly all his distorted tones)
Effects
- Fulltone Clyde Wah pedal
- Line 6 DL4 Delay
- Line 6 Modulation Modeler
- Fulltone Deja Vibe Uni Vibe Clone
- Fulltone Octaver
- Boss Chromomatic Tuner
- TC Electronics Effects processor (for reverb only)
- Radial Switchbone
- More info about Kennedy' rig and guitars can be found at http://www.myles-kennedy.com
Acting career
In addition to playing the role of glam metal character "Thor" in the 2001 film Rock Star, Kennedy has appeared along with the rest of Alter Bridge in a short backstage segment on an August 29, 2005 episode of WWE Raw with WWE superstar Edge. He does, however, express a lack of interest in furthering his acting career.
Influences
Kennedy is influenced by a wide range of artists, including Led Zeppelin, Alice in Chains, Soundgarden, Robert Johnson, Chris Whitley, AC/DC, Guns N' Roses, U2, Radiohead, Lamb of God, Jeff Buckley, The Beatles, Marvin Gaye, and Stevie Wonder. His top five favorite albums are Appetite For Destruction by Guns N' Roses, Led Zeppelin's untitled fourth album, Highway to Hell by AC/DC, What's Going On by Marvin Gaye, and Jeff Buckley's Grace. Other albums he has highly praised include Transatlanticism by Death Cab for Cutie and Dirt Floor by Chris Whitley, among others.
He stated on Let There Be Rock Radio that his three favorite songs of all time are "The Rain Song" by Led Zeppelin, "Fake Plastic Trees" by Radiohead, and "Welcome to the Jungle" by Guns N' Roses.
Discography
Cosmic Dust
- (1991) Journey
Citizen Swing
- (1993) Cure Me With the Groove
- (1995) Deep Down
The Mayfield Four
- (1997) Motion (Sony Music)
- (1998) Fallout (Sony Music)
- (2001) Second Skin (Sony Music)
Alter Bridge
- (2004) One Day Remains (Wind-Up Records)
- (2007) Blackbird (Universal Republic Records)
- (2009) Live from Amsterdam (Universal Republic Records)
- (2010) Alter Bridge III (working title) (Universal Republic Records)
Solo
- (2010) Untitled
Filmography
- (2001) Rock Star
References
- Danton, Eric R. "Post-Creed pressure for Alter Bridge singer Myles Kennedy", Associated Press, February 9, 2005. Accessed January 29, 2006
http://www.mesaboogie.com/Reviews/CustTestimonials/2007-Bracewell-Roadster/Bracewell-Roadster.html http://www.deanguitars.com/myles_kennedy.php
External links
- Official website
- Alter Bridge website
- Myles Kennedy at MySpace
- Myles Kennedy at the Internet Movie Database
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