Bassists - Page 98

Rob Grill, bassist and singer for the 60’s rock group The Grass Roots, has passed away at the age of 67 after suffering a stroke. Grill joined Grass Roots in 1967 after Kenny Fukomoto was drafted into the Army. Grill ended up sticking with the group, picking up singing duties in addition the laying down the low end. During it’s...

Former AC/DC bassist Mark Evans has written an autobiography including stories about his days in the band. Dirty Deeds: My Life Inside/Outside of AC/DC, set for an October release, will be the first book written by an insider about the band’s classic years with singer Bon Scott. Evans uses the opportunity to recount stories of the people around him at...

Faith No More bassist Billy Gould has teamed up with Korn’s James “Munky” Shaffer to form the supergroup side project Fear and the Nervous System. The band, which also includes Repeater vocalist Steve Krolikowski, Bad Religion drummer Brooks Wackerman, guitarist Leopold Ross and keyboardist Zach Baird, has a sound blend of rock and metal styles that they describe as “harkening...

Meet Emily Madison (aka “Goldilocks”), a bassist from Kansas City, MO and our player in the spotlight for July 5, 2011. Bio: I grew up in Lincoln, NE, always loved music of any kind as my parents and older brothers were very into music from Motown, to Classical, Jazz and Punk and anything else. I started playing piano and violin...

HeadCat, featuring Motorhead frontman Lemmy Kilmister, Stray Cats drummer Slim Jim Phantom and guitarist Danny B. Harvey, has released a new album entitled Walk the Walk… Talk the Talk. The 12-track album includes rockabilly and blues classics that the group explains is “how Rock and Roll is supposed to sound.” The rockabilly supergroup formed after each of the members contributed...

Bass amp innovator and former Ampeg Vice President Jess Oliver has passed away at the age of 85. Among his many contributions to the bass world was the Ampeg B-15, a portable flip-top design that revolutionized bass amplification. Born Oliver Jespersen in 1926, Oliver was drafted into World War II in 1944 and played bass in the Army band after...

Former Static-X bassist Tony Campos has joined the ranks of the metal outfit Soulfly, replacing Bobby Burns. Burns, who was in the band for seven years, left last July. Though the group had been performing with a fill-in, Campos will be the permanent bassist, with his first Soulfly show will be on July 31 at the Lokerse festival in Lokeren,...

Meet Kent Beatty, a bassist from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and our player in the spotlight for June 28, 2011. Bio: Upcoming bassist Kent Beatty has been on his way to the forefront of modern bass playing since he started at age 12. Influenced by such legends as Flea, Les Claypool, Victor Wooten, and Stuart Zender, his style has caused audiences...

Level 42 bassist Mark King is auctioning off some of his memorabilia and gear to benefit the Beaulieu House, a respite care center that helps children and young people with severe learning and physical disabilities. Among the items is King’s 30th anniversary Ashdown MK500 head and the first Status KingBass he took on tour, which was featured on the 2001...

Charlie Haden has been named as a recipient of the Lifetime Honors award from the National Endowments for the Arts, a recognition they describe as the “nation’s highest honor in the fold and traditional arts.” Haden started playing bass on his family’s folk and country radio show and eventually became a jazz legend, performing with Keith Jarrett, Ornette Coleman and...

The members of Los Angeles-based Heavy Metal band Five Finger Death Punch have announced their newest member to be bassist Chris Kael. Kael will be filling the gap left by Matt Snell, who was released from the band in December for unspecified reasons. The band, which is nearing completion on their third studio album and follow up to 2009’s War...

In a recent interview with Rolling Stone, The Strokes bassist Nikolai Fraiture revealed the the band is back to working on a new album, just two months after releasing Angles. The band’s last effort came after a nearly five year hiatus, during which time each member worked on other projects. This newest creativity has the same spark as came with...