Musician Billy Sheehan: biography, creativity and interesting facts

Billy Sheehan approached the choice of the professional sphere with enthusiasm. When he first heard the live performance of the band Beatles and the screams of thousands of enthusiastic fans, he realized that he wanted such a job! Since then, he has not ceased to learn and practice. Now he is a world-famous rock musician, masterly master of bass guitar.

Billy Sheehan: biography

March 19, celebrates his birthday American bass player Shihan, in 1953, happy parents of his appearance. The native town of the musician is Bufalo, New York.

His parents did not share his son's musical interests, but that did not stop him from following his own path. The first instrument with which Billy Sheehan touched was a drum set. In his words, it turned out a rather interesting bit.

A group was rehearsing near Billy's house. To his room came the sound of a bass - long, powerful, low - the future rock musician seemed especially attractive. They inspired him to play the bass guitar.

The widely known part of the biography of Billy Sheehan concerns basically his creative path. The Japanese company published the book Ultimate Billy Sheehan. It contains a collection of photographs and interviews of the musician.

Billy Sheehan: rock musician

Shihan did not receive classical music education. He perfected technique, developed skills, playing in some, then in other amateur teams.

According to the musician, he usually improvises: "When I create, I first start playing, then some thoughts and ideas appear, and then the hands do something by themselves. And then it turns out that this is a three-fingered game."

In 1972, Billy Sheehan's work shifted from an amateur level 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.

April 25, 2001 was released a solo album by Billy Sheehan Compression. In the recording of the Chameleon track, Steve Wai, a former colleague of David Lee Roth's Band, took part. 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 Wai. Such a combination of circumstances contributed to one of them, namely David Lee Roth, offered to engage in joint creativity with two other musicians.

As a result, in 1985, a rock and roll band was formed called David Lee Roth's Band and the inimitable duet Wai-Sheehan was born: guitar and bass. They often synchronized complex bass lines together with guitar solos, for example, in compositions such as Shyboy and Elephant Gun.

During the time that Shihan was participating in the band, the band released a lot of 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 collect a new band. He invited a virtuoso, talented guitarist Paul Gilbert, drummer Pat Thorpey and vocalist Eric Martin. So there was a hard rock band called Mr. Big. Herbie Herbert was chosen as manager. By 1989, they signed a contract with Atlantic Records and released their debut album called Mr. Big.

The second album Lean Into It was released in 1991 and became a major commercial breakthrough. Compositions To be with you and Just Take my hart became hits, with the first of them occupying the top line of the top-charts in 15 countries of the world. Clips to these tracks did not leave the TV screens. Popularity Big continued to grow, especially in Japan and much of Asia.

In 1997, Paul Gilbert left the group. In his place came the guitarist Richie Kottsen. A little later, when Shihan started touring with Steve Vai, there was tension in relations with other members of the collective. Subsequently, this led to the disintegration of the group.

However, to the great joy of the fans Mr. Big, several times there was a temporary reunion of the original team members. The musicians made such decision after the performance on May 3, 2008 in Los Angeles in the Blues House, when Billy Sheehan, Richie Kotzen and Pat Thorpe joined the stage to Paul Gilbert.

In 2009, the reunion of the original composition was organized. 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 his support.

The Winery Dogs

In 2012, three already performed music artists - bassist Billy Sheehan, guitarist Richie Kotzen and drummer Mike Portnoy formed the band The Winery Dogs. This is a new American popular rock band. Its distinctive feature is that all the participants sing.

In translation into Russian, the name of the collective means "Wine Dogs". Once upon a time in America so called the dogs, which were planted to protect vineyards from wild animals. There is a certain symbolism in this. The band members say that they "guard the classical canons of rock music in the same way that those dogs kept vineyards."

In July 2013, the band released their debut album, The Winery Dogs. The second album, Hot Streak, was released in October 2015.

In 2014, the Dog Camp was set up by The Winery Dogs to provide inspirational, interactive communication, exchange of experience and ideas to musicians. In the program: concerts, master classes, seminars. Activities are held in a picturesque area in the year-round mountain resort of Full Moon Resort, located one and a half hours drive to the west of Woodstock, New York.

Cooperation with Yamaha Corporation

Yamaha is one of the most diversified companies in Japan, offering a wide range of products and services. His first acoustic guitar was released in 1942, his first solid guitar - in 1965 and his first bass guitar - in 1966.

In the 1980s, Yamaha Corporation opened a guitar factory in North Hollywood, California, which interacted with professional guitarists in the development of its products. Cooperation with Billy Sheehan began in 1984.

Model BB3000 was the first tool offered to him by the corporation in 1985. Bass was very good, but the discerning musician had ideas for improving it. Therefore, together with an engineer from Yamaha, they set about creating a new - Attitude. During a period of continued cooperation, 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 is honored with many honors and awards. According to the readers' polls, he was recognized as the best rock-bass guitar player 5 times in the Guitar Player magazines, repeatedly took the first lines of such ratings in Japan, Korea, Germany, Italy and other countries. In addition, for 14 consecutive years, he was in the lead in the most popular Japanese magazine Player Magazine with a musical theme. And on January 27, 1999, his prints and signature were saved in cement at Hollywood Rockwalk at Guitar Center.

Billy Sheehan is a versatile person: he takes part in designing bass guitars, plays them masterfully, sings, shares his knowledge and experience. In one of his interviews he said: "I would like to inspire people with my music just like the music of other performers inspires me." And now, for many years now, this is exactly what happens. Perhaps, for him it is the greatest reward.