Happy Birthday JAMES "MUNKY" SHAFFER (video)

#munky #jamesshaffer #korn #rockfileradio

James Christian Shaffer (born June 6, 1970), also known as "Munky", is an American musician best known as co-founder and guitarist of the nu metal band Korn.

His nickname "Munky" is a reference to his feet which resemble monkey's hands when spread. He cites Steve Vai and 80s metal guitarists such as Eddie Van Halen and Randy Rhoads as his main influences.

Shaffer set up the side-project band Fear and the Nervous System in 2008 and is also the founder of Emotional Syphon Recordings, who have signed acts like Monster in the Machine and Droid.

Munky was ranked at No. 26 of Guitar World's 100 Greatest Heavy Metal Guitarists of All Time. Shaffer's work with Korn has resulted in over 35 million albums sold.

source: wikipedia

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Happy Birthday CRISTINA SCABBIA (video)

#cristinascabbia #lacunacoil #rockfileradio

Cristina Adriana Chiara Scabbia (born 6 June 1972) is an Italian singer, best known as one of the two vocalists in the Italian heavy metal band Lacuna Coil. She also writes an advice column in the popular rock magazine Revolver, alongside musician Vinnie Paul. Scabbia is featured in a Megadeth song, "À Tout le Monde (Set Me Free)". She is also the featured artist in the Apocalyptica song "S.O.S. (Anything But Love)" and another version of the Alter Bridge song "Watch Over You". Scabbia has said that the biggest compliment that a fan could pay her would be to remark on her vocal abilities. Scabbia has a contralto vocal range and her highest note ever hit is claimed to be an A7.

In 1991, Scabbia began singing professionally as a touring musician for other bands and providing backing vocals. Later that year, she met the male vocalist Andrea Ferro and bass player Marco Coti Zelati of Lacuna Coil in Milan's Midnight club. At the time, the band was named Ethereal, and Scabbia was first employed only as a session singer. She was employed to record backup vocals for the choruses of songs on their demo tape, but the band members liked the way the male and female vocals sounded together, and asked her to be a permanent member. After several changes in the band's line-up, the members were reduced to Ferro, Coti Zelati and Scabbia. The members recorded a two track demo in May 1996, and were soon signed by the German branch of Century Media, eventually joining with the American branch of the label. Once signed, the band changed their name to Lacuna Coil after learning that a Greek band signed to Century Media had already claimed the name Ethereal. Adding new band members, Lacuna Coil began to tour, releasing their first album in 1997.

source: wikipedia

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Happy Birthday STEVE VAI (video)

#stevevai #rockfileradio
Steven Siro Vai (born June 6, 1960) is an American guitarist, songwriter and producer of Italian origin who has sold over 15 million albums. After starting his career as a music transcriptionist for Frank Zappa, Vai recorded and toured in Zappa's band for two years, from 1980 to 1982. He began a solo career in 1983, has released eight solo albums and won three Grammy Awards. He has also recorded and toured with Public Image Ltd., Alcatrazz, David Lee Roth and Whitesnake. Vai has been a regular touring member of the G3 Concert Tour which began in 1995. In 1999 Vai started his own record label Favored Nations, intending to showcase as he describes, "...artists that have attained the highest performance level on their chosen instruments."

After listening to Jimmy Page's solo on Led Zeppelin's Heartbreaker, Vai began playing guitar in 1973, at the age of 13. In 1974, he took guitar lessons from guitarist Joe Satriani and played in local bands, one of which was called "The Steve Vais". He was influenced by guitarists including Jimmy Page, Jeff Beck, Ritchie Blackmore, Brian May, Jimi Hendrix, Glen Buxton, and jazz fusion guitarist Allan Holdsworth. Vai attended Berklee College of Music, afterwards recording a promotional piece for them in which he spoke about auditioning for Frank Zappa at age 20.

source: wikipedia

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Happy Birthday NICKO MCBRAIN (video)

#nickomcbrain #ironmaiden #rockfileradio
Michael Henry "Nicko" McBrain (born 5 June 1952 in Hackney, London) is an English musician, best known as the drummer of the British heavy metal band Iron Maiden, which he joined in 1982.

Having played in small pub bands from the age of 14, upon leaving school McBrain paid his bills with session work before he joined a variety of artists, such as Streetwalkers, Pat Travers, and the French political band, Trust. He joined Iron Maiden in time to debut on their fourth album, Piece of Mind (1983), and has remained with them since, contributing to a total of twelve studio releases.

McBrain's drumming has been an important element of Iron Maiden's sound from 1983's Piece of Mind onwards, with guitarist Adrian Smith remarking that, "he always had the chops and the technique, but in Maiden he really exploded, to the point where a lot of stuff we did after he joined was then founded on his playing, all those busy patterns he does, displaying tremendous technique." As described in detail on the band's 2004 The Early Days documentary, Piece of Mind's opening track, "Where Eagles Dare", famously displays McBrain's ability to use the single drum pedal very quickly, plus his rapid tom fills.

He is often considered among the best and most influential heavy metal/hard rock drummers of all time. In the 2008 Live After Death DVD, Steve Gadd, McBrain's then drum technician, comments that, on the World Slavery Tour, drummers such as Tommy Lee would refer to McBrain as an 'octopus' after witnessing the way in which his stamina gives him the ability to use all of his large signature drum kit in concert.

source: wikipedia

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Happy Birthday PATRICK DALHEIMER (video)

#patrickdalheimer #live #thegraciousfew #rockfileradio
Patrick "Pat" Dalheimer (born May 30, 1971 in York, Pennsylvania) is the bassist for the bands Live and The Gracious Few. Live have sold over 20 million records, including the 8x platinum album Throwing Copper.

Pat is a founding member of the band Live and has appeared on all their albums to date. He met his future Live band mates at middle school in York, Pennsylvania. When vocalist Ed Kowalczyk left the band in 2009, Dahlheimer formed the band The Gracious Few along with Chad Taylor and Chad Gracey of Live and Kevin Martin and Sean Hennesy from the band Candlebox. They released their debut album The Gracious Few in 2010. In 2011, Live announced their intention to record new material and Chris Shinn was brought in as the new lead singer in 2012.

source: wikipedia

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