Gary Hoey

Gary Hoey 可說是新一代的美國吉他英雄，1963 年 8 月 23 日他出生于美國麻賽秋瑟州 (Mass.)，七歲開始學(xué)習吉他，高中時期為了搖滾樂的夢想放棄學(xué)業(yè)，游走全美各地的酒吧中，將自己所有的時間用于玩團和彈吉他，并前往東岸知名音樂學(xué)府-百克里音樂學(xué)院(Berklee)取經(jīng)。'80 年代初期曾短暫擔任 Ozzy Osbourne 客座吉他手，之后定居搖滾圣城-洛杉磯，與貝斯手 Rudy Sarzo (Quiet Riot、Whitesnake) 合組 Heavy Bones，'90 年代初期在西岸著名音樂學(xué)院MI擔任GIT首席客座講師，他以和藹可親、平易近人的教學(xué)方式贏得釵h學(xué)生的敬重，在課堂時 Gary 毫不保留的將他所學(xué)傳授給每個學(xué)員，甚至把學(xué)生們當成自己的朋友。在舞臺上他彷佛是魔術(shù)師，一把 21 格的 Fender Stratocaster 在他手上，可以當成二十四格琴使用，彈奏出千變?nèi)f化的旋律，當今吉他界，無論是技巧或是實力，Gary 可說是頂尖的人物。
1990 年個人處女作 "Get A Grip" 發(fā)表，精湛的技巧彈出優(yōu)美的音符。1993年第二張作品 "Animal Instinct"，重新詮釋荷蘭前衛(wèi)搖滾前輩 Focus 名曲 "Hocus Pocus" 。1994為電影 "The Endless Summer II" 編寫原聲帶配樂。1996年第三張作品 "Bug Alley" 發(fā)表，將 Santana 名曲 "Black Magic Woman" 改編的別有一番風味。1998 年現(xiàn)場演出專輯 "Hocus Pocus Live"，展現(xiàn)他驚人的即興奶O，吉他鬼才 Jimi Hendrix 的 "Red House"、搖滾名曲 "Wipe Out"，都被改編的更勝一籌。1999 年第五張專輯 "Money"，重演 Pink Floyed 名曲 "Money"，讓人津津樂道。 "Ho! Ho! Hoey 1、2、3、Best、Complete" 這幾張用吉他改編數(shù)十首古典名曲的耶誕專輯，為年終佳節(jié)添增不少歡樂的氣氛。2004 年初發(fā)表的最新作品 "Wake Up Call" 內(nèi)含 15 首樂曲，融合重金屬、搖滾、藍調(diào)等風格，速彈、點弦、游戲桿、掃弦各種高超技巧，在他靈巧活的十根手指下完美無暇的呈現(xiàn)出，Gray 的吉他奶O可說是到了爐火純青的境界。
身為 Fender 吉他形象代言人，每年一月在洛杉磯舉行的國際樂器大展 NAMM Show，Gary 固定受邀擔任 Fender 現(xiàn)場示范演出大將，展現(xiàn)驚人的琴技，話說21世紀吉他英雄榜，大師 Gary Hoey 絕對是榜上的不二人選。
Just as alternative rock was signaling the death knell for many of the "guitar shredders' of the late '80s, a few instrumentalists were able to sneak in under the radar, such as Gary Hoey -- who attracted some attention via his 1993 debut, Animal Instinct. Hailing from Boston, MA, Hoey was first a music fan before picking up the guitar -- following such renowned rock bands that hailed from the area (Aerosmith, J. Geils Band, Boston, etc.). It wasn't long after that Hoey decided to give the guitar a try, initially inspired by the usual guitar greats (especially Jimi Hendrix, whom he dug initially because of his "cool clothes"). Hoey was not entirely self-taught, however, as he would often hang around outside of Boston's renowned Berkelee School of Music, make friends, and then offer to pay them for lessons. Sensing that he should devote all of his time to music, Hoey dropped out of high school and began playing Boston's local clubs, making ends meet by teaching guitar to others.
Hoey's big break appeared to come his way in 1982, when Ozzy Osbourne began looking for a replacement for his recently deceased guitarist, Randy Rhoads. Despite a series of auditions (including Hoey being asked to fly out to Los Angeles), Hoey failed to land the gig, but in the process, he decided to relocate permanently to the West Coast. Packing up all his belongings into a U-Haul, Hoey arrived with $17,000 in his pocket (saved from his playing and teaching gigs). Years later, Hoey eventually came to the attention of manager Dave Kaplan, who helped get the guitarist's career moving forward. Although it wasn't the best of times to launch a career for a "guitar hero" in 1993 (with Nirvana and Pearl Jam being all the rage), Hoey did just that and, surprisingly, scored a sizeable MTV/radio hit with his cover of the early-'70s prog rock gem "Hocus Pocus" by the Netherlands-based group Focus. The album it was taken from, the aforementioned Animal Instinct, also featured contributions from a few notable names of '80s hard rock -- bassist Tony Franklin (ex-Firm), keyboardist Claude Schnell (ex-Dio), and drummer Frankie Banali (ex-Quiet Riot).
Hoey never managed to scale the same heights commercially, but it didn't prevent him from carving a niche for himself, as his albums got progressively more surf-based and rootsy. A friendship with surf guitar great Dick Dale soon blossomed, with Dale going as far as declaring Hoey as one of his all-time favorite players, alongside the likes of Eric Clapton, B.B. King, and Andrés Segovia (in Guitar Player magazine), which led to the two working together. The two talented guitarists went toe to toe on a remake of "Miserlou" (titled "Miserlou '97") for the 1997 benefit album M.O.M., Vol. 2: Music for Our Mother Ocean, which also saw Hoey produce and play on another track for the collection, "V-12 Cadillac," by a then still unknown Jewel.
Hoey continues to issue solo albums on a regular basis (including a series of Christmas-themed releases), as well as being a regular guest on several nationally syndicated radio shows (Mancow, Mark & Brian, etc.). He also has worked with various musical instrument and electronics companies creating his own signature gear for retail. In 2006, Hoey released American Made on Surfdog Records.
by Greg Prato