Gary Cherone
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Gary Cherone | |
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Background information | |
Born | Malden, Massachusetts, U.S. | July 26, 1961
Genres | |
Occupation(s) |
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Years active | 1975–present |
Labels | A&M |
Member of | |
Formerly of |
Gary Francis Caine Cherone (/ʃəˈroʊn/ shə-ROHN; born July 26, 1961) is an American rock singer and songwriter. Cherone is known for his work as the lead vocalist of the Boston rock group Extreme and Van Halen. He has also released solo recordings. In 2007, he reunited with Extreme.
Early life
Cherone grew up in Malden, Massachusetts and attended Malden High School. He is the third of five brothers and the younger fraternal twin of Greg Cherone.
In his teenage years, Cherone turned to singing in local bands and was heavily influenced by the reigning rock frontmen of the day, most notably Roger Daltrey of The Who, Steven Tyler of Aerosmith, and Queen's Freddie Mercury. In 1979 Cherone and drummer friend Paul Geary along with guitarist Matt McKay, formed a hard-rock band called Adrenalin, which performed locally. In 1981, they changed the band's name to The Dream and recorded a six-song independent vinyl EP.
A few years later, Cherone and The Dream appeared in a music video produced by David Horgan, on the early MTV program, Basement Tapes, a show in which the viewing audience "voted" (via a toll-free telephone number) for one of two competing amateur music videos submitted by unsigned artists. The Dream's video for "Mutha, Don't Wanna Go to School Today", won their contest, beating a then-unknown Henry Lee Summer by just 1% of the total vote.[1]
Career
With Extreme
In 1985, Cherone and Geary met guitarist
Although well received by the rock world in the press, initial sales and chart success for the album were sluggish until A&M released the acoustic ballad "
Cherone's career came full circle in April 1992 when he performed "
Extreme's 1995 recording, Waiting for the Punchline, was a stripped-down affair that was only modestly successful. After the supporting tour, Bettencourt became dissatisfied and left the group to launch a solo career. Extreme officially folded soon afterward.
With Van Halen
In 1996, rock band Van Halen had a falling out with their second lead singer, Sammy Hagar, who had been with the band since 1985. After a failed reunion attempt with original lead vocalist David Lee Roth, who had been with Van Halen from 1974 to 1985, Van Halen was once again without a lead vocalist. At the urging of Van Halen's manager, Ray Danniels (who also managed Extreme), Cherone was called for an audition. Guitarist Eddie Van Halen liked Cherone's lyrics, as well as his work ethic, and in November 1996 Cherone became Van Halen's third lead vocalist. That year, Cherone took up residence in Eddie's guest house and spent the next year writing and recording a new studio album.
Released on March 17, 1998, Van Halen III debuted at No. 4 on the Billboard 200 album chart, selling 197,000 copies in its first week then 500,000 by summer (RIAA gold certified in the United States) and over 700,000 copies as of 2011.[2] The album featured an eclectic and diverse set of songs, marking a departure from the straightforward arena rock that Van Halen had played with Hagar and contrasting with the tongue-in-cheek bombast that originally attracted Van Halen fans to Roth. Van Halen III's songs were often longer and more lyrically intricate than earlier Van Halen material, giving it a progressive influence. The album only produced a sole No. 1 Billboard Mainstream Rock hit in Without You.[3]
By most band standards the album would be considered an unmitigated commercial success but by Van Halen's standards it was considered a flop. Neither the album nor the supporting tour performed to financial expectations, and Van Halen III was the first album by the band to not achieve at least double platinum status. However, the tour was well received by fans.[4] Cherone was afraid that he would be rejected by the Van Halen fan base and urged his bandmates to not limit the set list to songs recorded with their current lead vocalist, as they had done when Hagar joined the group. As a result, the tour included many songs that Van Halen had not played since Roth's departure in 1984.[5] Unlike the band's 2004 and 2007–08 tours, Van Halen toured outside of North America in 1998, playing dates in Japan, Europe and for the first time, Australia and New Zealand. One date in Australia was filmed and aired on MTV.
Plans progressed for a follow-up album, rumoured to be called Love Again, to be released at the end of 1999. Releasing a new studio album only a year after the previous one had not been done by Van Halen since 1982, when the band released
Years later, when reflecting on his time in the band, Cherone stated "I was one of the three singers in the mighty Van Halen. You can't take that away from me."[9]
Post-Van Halen
After his departure from Van Halen, Cherone returned to Boston and put together a new project, Tribe of Judah. The band played several shows in the Boston area and released a CD on Spitfire Records entitled Exit Elvis.
He has on occasion guested with Sammy Hagar and Michael Anthony during their The Other Half performances, and Nuno Bettencourt's recent projects, as well as with the Boston Rock Opera.
In February 2003, just one week after
In 2005, Cherone released a four-song sampler CD, Need I Say More, that was written and produced by Steve Catizone and Leo Mellace. This album was recorded by Jeff Yurek at Sanctum Sound in Boston, Massachusetts, and mixed by Carl Nappa in New York City. Musicians including Dave DiCenso (drums), Baron Browne (bass) and Steve Hunt (keyboards) are also featured on the record.
In May 2006, Cherone sang in three shows as part of Amazing Journey, a tribute to The Who created by ex-Dream Theater drummer Mike Portnoy, featuring Paul Gilbert on guitar and Billy Sheehan on bass. Not long after, Gary and his brother Markus Cherone created their own tribute to The Who, Slip Kid. Presently the band continues to perform regularly in the Greater Boston area.
Later that year, Van Halen was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Cherone's three-year stint with the group did not establish him as a band member eligible for induction. However, at the televised induction ceremony, the group's former bassist Michael Anthony thanked Cherone for his contributions.
Back to Extreme
Since 2004 Extreme have re-united with Cherone on several occasions for "one off" shows in their home town and in New England, but in November 2007 they announced plans to do another world tour along with a new album.
The album Saudades de Rock was released in August 2008.
In 2016, the band released
In 2023, the band released their sixth studio album, called Six.
SlipKid
Cherone has toured with SlipKid, a tribute to The Who. Cherone's former Extreme bandmate, Paul Mangone, is the bassist, and his brother, Markus Cherone, is the guitarist.
Hurtsmile
Cherone has formed a new band with his brother Markus on guitar, Joe Pessia on bass/mandolin and Dana Spellman on drums. They have released a self-titled debut album in early 2011 and have toured to promote it.
Their follow-up album, "Retro Grenade", was released in 2014.
The Joe Perry Project
In 2022, Cherone was enlisted by Aerosmith guitarist Joe Perry to sing in The Joe Perry Project, which led to shows performed that year and in 2023. Thus far, Cherone has not recorded with the band.
Personal life
Cherone is very private about his personal life.
Cherone is
Discography
Solo
- Need I Say More (2005) (EP)
- "Perfect World" (2003) (Single)
With Extreme
- Extreme (1989)
- Extreme II: Pornograffitti (1990)
- III Sides to Every Story (1992)
- Waiting for the Punchline (1995)
- Saudades de Rock (2008)
- Six (2023)
With Van Halen
- Van Halen III (1998)
With Tribe of Judah
- Exit Elvis (2002)
With Hurtsmile
- Hurtsmile (2011)
- Retrogrenade (2014)
References
- ISBN 0-9667539-0-9
- ^ "Van Halen lights up Henson Studios with an hour of rock". Los Angeles Times. February 1, 2012. Retrieved August 10, 2018.
- Rovi Corporation. Retrieved September 25, 2013.
- ISBN 0-7432-0120-5
- ^ Greene, Andy (February 10, 2012). "Gary Cherone Reflects on his Three-Year Stint In Van Halen". Rolling Stone. Retrieved August 30, 2023.
- ^ Uhelszki, Jaan (November 5, 1999). "Gary Cherone Out of Van Halen". Rolling Stone. Retrieved August 10, 2018.
- ^ Classic Rock Revisited-Gary Cherone Interview, archived from the original on April 6, 2005, retrieved July 16, 2006
- ^ "Gary Cherone's Extreme Viewpoint". Kay Handley. The Phoenix. June 30, 2006 – retrieved on July 17, 2006 Archived November 16, 2006, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Andy Greene (February 10, 2012). "Gary Cherone Reflects on his Three-Year Stint in Van Halen". Rolling Stone. Retrieved December 20, 2017.
- ^ "Extreme – Biography | Billboard". Billboard. Retrieved February 1, 2017.
- ^ Carl E. Olsen, “My two favorite pro-life rock songs,” The Catholic World Report, January 22, 2013, https://www.catholicworldreport.com/2013/01/22/my-two-favorite-pro-life-rock-songs/.
- ^ "Former Van Halen Singer Puts Fresh Spin on Kanye West Just in Time For Easter Sunday". Newsweek. Retrieved July 22, 2023.
- ^ Gary Cherone (@garycherone), "Atheism would seem a more plausible faith if it wasn't for its first of many miraculous claims: something from nothing #Faitheism," Twitter, March 5, 2014, 9:35pm, https://twitter.com/garycherone/status/441431784643772416?lang=en.
- ^ “Life, Rights, and Rock 'n' Roll Gary Cherone Asks Eddie Vedder Some Questions,” Libertarians For Life, accessed July 22, 2023, https://l4l.org/gary/index.html#first.
- ^ "Gary Cherone on the O'Reilly Factor". YouTube.
- General sources
- Chilvers, C.J. (1999) The Van Halen Encyclopedia. Malpractice Publishing, Oak Lawn, IL. ISBN 0-9667539-0-9
External links
- Official Extreme website
- Gary Cherone at Artistdirect
- Gary Cherone at Allmusic
- Gary Cherone Biography at Starpulse.com Archived June 26, 2006, at the Wayback Machine