Gary Cherone
Born	July 26, 1961 (1961-07-26) (age 46) Malden, Massachusetts
Alias(es)	Gary Francis Caine Cherone
Genre(s)	Rock Hard Rock Heavy Metal
Affiliation(s)	Extreme Van Halen Tribe of Judah hurtsmile
Years active	1979 - present

Gary Cherone (b. Gary Francis Caine Cherone, July 26, 1961, Malden, Massachusetts) is an American rock vocalist and recording artist. He is best known for his contributions to the hard rock bands Extreme and Van Halen. In recent years he has released solo recordings. is the 207th day of the year (208th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1961 (MCMLXI) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Location in Massachusetts Coordinates: Country United States State Massachusetts County Middlesex County Settled 1640 Incorporated 1649 Government  - Type Mayor-council city  - Mayor Richard C. Howard Area  - City  5. ... Official language(s) English Capital Boston Largest city Boston Area  Ranked 44th  - Total 10,555 sq mi (27,360 km²)  - Width 183 miles (295 km)  - Length 113 miles (182 km)  - % water 13. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... For other uses, see Rock music (disambiguation). ... Hard rock is a variation of rock and roll music which has its earliest roots in mid-1960s garage and psychedelic rock. ... Heavy metals, in chemistry, are chemical elements of a particular range of atomic weights. ... See also Extreme value, Extreme sports, Extremophile Extreme was an American funk metal / hair metal / hard rock band which achieved popularity in the late 1980s and early 1990s. ... This article or section may contain excessive or improper use of copyrighted images and/or audio files. ... Tribe of Judah is Gary Cherones post-Van Halen band featuring several former members of Extreme. ... is the 207th day of the year (208th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1961 (MCMLXI) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Location in Massachusetts Coordinates: Country United States State Massachusetts County Middlesex County Settled 1640 Incorporated 1649 Government  - Type Mayor-council city  - Mayor Richard C. Howard Area  - City  5. ... Hard rock is a variation of rock and roll music which has its earliest roots in mid-1960s garage and psychedelic rock. ... Extreme was an American Hard rock band that achieved popularity in the late 1980s and early 1990s. ... This article or section may contain excessive or improper use of copyrighted images and/or audio files. ...

Early years

Cherone grew up near Boston, Massachusetts as the third of five brothers and the younger of fraternal twin Greg Cherone. Raised in a middle-class Catholic family, Cherone was quiet, creative, and athletic. As a youth he dreamed of a career as a basketball player until he suffered a serious knee injury. Nickname: Location in Massachusetts, USA Coordinates: , Country United States State Massachusetts County Suffolk County Settled 1630 Incorporated (city) 1822 Government  - Governor Deval Patrick (D) Area  - City  89. ...

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 and performed locally. In 1981 they changed the band's name to The Dream and recorded a six-song independent vinyl E.P. This article includes a list of works cited or a list of external links, but its sources remain unclear because it lacks in-text citations. ... This article needs additional references or sources for verification. ... Stephen Victor Tallarico (born March 26, 1948 in Yonkers, New York), better known as Steven Tyler (and often nicknamed The Demon of Screamin) is an American musician and songwriter. ... This article is about the band Aerosmith. ... Queen are an English rock band formed in 1970 in London by Brian May, Freddie Mercury and Roger Taylor, with John Deacon joining the following year. ... Freddie Mercury (born Farrokh Bulsara; 5 September 1946 – 24 November 1991) was a British musician, best known as the lead singer of the English rock band Queen. ... Paul Geary was once the drummer for the band Extreme. ... Mathew McKay (born June 10, 1986 in Portland, Oregon, USA) is an Australian football (soccer) player who plays as a left midfielder. ...

A few years later, Cherone and The Dream appeared on the early MTV program Basement Tapes, a show in which the viewing audience "voted" (via 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] MTV (Music Television) is an American cable television network based in New York City. ...

With Extreme

In 1985, Cherone and Geary met guitarist Nuno Bettencourt and bassist Pat Badger in an altercation over a dressing room, but the rivals soon became collaborators and shortly after the combined foursome took the name Extreme, and began writing their own material. By the late 1980s, the group had attracted a large regional following; in 1987, the band signed with A&M Records, which released their self-titled debut album in 1989. This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Pat Badger (born Patrick John Badger, on 22 July 1967, in Boston, Massachusetts) is a bassist who has been in the bands Extreme, Daemon, In The Pink, Super Trans Atlantic, and Tribe Of Judah. ... Extreme was an American Hard rock band that achieved popularity in the late 1980s and early 1990s. ... A&M Records is an American record label, owned and operated by Universal Music Group. ...

Over 250 thousand sales of the band's debut album were justified a second, and in 1990 the band recorded the critically-acclaimed Extreme II: Pornograffiti, a fiery mix of hard rock, funk, and pop propelled by Bettencourt's extraordinary guitar playing. The album's lyrical content, mostly written by Cherone, was loosely based on the concept of a fictional young boy named "Francis" and his observations of a decadent, corrupt, and misogynistic society. Pornograffiti (also titled as Extreme II: Pornograffiti) is an album by Extreme. ...

Although well received by the rock press, initial sales and chart success for the album were sluggish until A&M released the acoustic ballad "More Than Words" in the early spring of 1991. The song was picked up by mainstream radio and became a huge smash, reaching #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 that summer. Extreme II: Pornograffiti was eventually certified quadruple platinum and remains a notable entry in the genre. More Than Words is a song originally performed by the rock band Extreme. ... The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. ... Pornograffiti (also titled as Extreme II: Pornograffiti) is an album by Extreme. ... The description Gold Album is applied to recorded music albums that have sold a minimum number of copies (in the US, currently 500,000 sales). ... Hard rock is a variation of rock and roll music which has its earliest roots in mid-1960s garage and psychedelic rock. ...

Cherone's career came full circle in April 1992 when he performed Hammer to Fall onstage with the three surviving members of Queen in The Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert at Wembley Stadium. Later that year, Extreme released III Sides To Every Story, an ambitious concept album for which the band toured heavily in support. Hammer to Fall is a 1984 hard-rock song written by Brian May and performed by the British rock group Queen with Freddie Mercury on lead vocal. ... Queen are an English rock band formed in 1970 in London by Brian May, Freddie Mercury and Roger Taylor, with John Deacon joining the following year. ... Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert poster The Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert for AIDS Awareness was an open air concert held on Easter Monday, April 20, 1992 at Londons Wembley Stadium, televised live worldwide. ... Wembley Stadium was a football stadium located in Wembley, London. ... III Sides To Every Story was the third album released by Boston funk-metal band Extreme. ...

As the decade progressed, the sudden popularity of grunge music brought about a sea change in the pop music industry, causing a massive decline in the popularity of bands who were perceived as having an over-produced look and/or sound. In response, Extreme's 1995 recording, Waiting for the Punchline, was a stripped-down and cynical 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 almost immediately afterward. Grunge (sometimes referred to as the Seattle Sound) is a genre of alternative rock inspired by hardcore punk, heavy metal, and indie rock. ... Waiting for the Punchline was the fourth and final album by Extreme. ...

With Van Halen

In the fall of 1996, after a falling out with vocalist Sammy Hagar and an attempted reconciliation with founding vocalist David Lee Roth, arena rock superstars Van Halen found themselves without a singer and called on Cherone (who shared the band's management) for an audition. Guitarist Eddie Van Halen liked Cherone's work ethic and soon named Cherone as the band's third (and as the guitarist would often comment, "final" ) vocalist. Cherone took up residence in Van Halen's guest house and spent the next year writing and recording a studio album. Released on March 17, 1998, Van Halen III was an eclectic and diverse set that marked a departure from Van Halen's straightforward rock sound. Samuel Roy Hagar (born October 13, 1947 in Monterey, California, USA), better known as Sammy Hagar (aka The Red Rocker), is a U.S. rock guitarist, singer, composer and former member of Van Halen, and of the early 70s rock band Montrose. ... David Lee Roth (sometimes referred to as Diamond Dave) (born 10 October 1954, in Bloomington, Indiana) is an American rock vocalist, songwriter, actor, author, and former radio personality, best known for his work with the band Van Halen. ... This article or section may contain excessive or improper use of copyrighted images and/or audio files. ... Edward Van Halen (born Edward Lodewijk van Halen on January 26, 1955[1] in Nijmegen, Netherlands), is a guitarist, keyboardist, songwriter and producer most famous for being leader and a co-founder of the hard rock band, Van Halen. ... Van Halen III is the eleventh studio album by American hard rock band Van Halen, released in 1998. ...

Neither the album nor the supporting tour performed to expectations (III was the first album in the band's career to not achieve at least double platinum status).^[2] In November 1999, after spending the year attempting to record III's follow-up, the band issued a press release announcing Cherone's amicable departure. Since then, Cherone has remained on good terms with his former bandmates, and has gone on record numerous times with his thoughts on why the collaboration didn't particularly work.^[3][4] Van Halen III is the eleventh studio album by American hard rock band Van Halen, released in 1998. ... Van Halen III is the eleventh studio album by American hard rock band Van Halen, released in 1998. ...

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." This album was primarily recorded at Sanctum Sound Studio, featuring studio co-owner Leo Mellace on electric guitar. Tribe of Judah is Gary Cherones post-Van Halen band featuring several former members of Extreme. ...

Cherone also had a brief stint in the band Mr. Big.

In 2005, Gary released a four song sampler CD, Need I Say More. This album was recorded, written and produced by Steve Catizone and Leo Mellace of Sanctum Sound Studio in Boston.

In May 2006, Gary sang in three shows as part of Amazing Journey, a tribute to The Who created by 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. This article needs additional references or sources for verification. ... Dream Theater is an American progressive metal band comprised of James LaBrie, John Petrucci, Mike Portnoy, John Myung, and Jordan Rudess. ... Michael Stephen Mike Portnoy (born April 20, 1967) is an American drummer primarily known for his work with the progressive metal band Dream Theater. ... Paul Brandon Gilbert (November 6, 1966) is a guitarist best known for his work with Racer X and Mr. ... Billy Sheehan Billy Sheehan (born March 19, 1953 in Buffalo, New York,) is a U.S. bass guitarist known for his work with Talas, Steve Vai, David Lee Roth, Mr. ... This article needs additional references or sources for verification. ...

Later that year, Van Halen was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Cherone's two-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 bassist Michael Anthony thanked Cherone for his contributions. This article or section may contain excessive or improper use of copyrighted images and/or audio files. ... The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame at sunset. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ...

Trivia

• Cherone is an outspoken opponent of abortion. In 1999 and 2001, Cherone wrote "open letters" to Eddie Vedder of Pearl Jam challenging Vedder's pro-choice views, but did not receive a response to either.^[5]
• In 2006, Cherone and the original members of Extreme reunited in Boston for a few live performances (See photo).

Eddie Vedder (born Edward Louis Severson III on December 23, 1964) is the lead singer and one of three guitar players for the rock band Pearl Jam. ... Pearl Jam is an American rock band that formed in Seattle, Washington in 1990. ... Extreme was an American Hard rock band that achieved popularity in the late 1980s and early 1990s. ...

References

• Gary Cherone Biography at Starpulse.com
• Gary Cherone at AllMusic
• Chilvers, C.J. (1999) The Van Halen Encyclopedia. Malpractice Publishing, Oak Lawn, IL. ISBN 0-9667539-0-9

Notes

1. ^ Chilvers, C.J. (1999) "The Dream." The Van Halen Encyclopedia. Malpractice Publishing, Oak Lawn, IL. ISBN 0-9667539-0-9
2. ^ George-Warren, Holly et.al. (2001). The Rolling Stone Encyclopedia of Rock and Roll. "Van Halen." Third Edition. Fireside Publishing, 1163 p. ISBN 0-7432-0120-5
3. ^ Classic Rock Revisited-Gary Cherone Interview - retrieved on July 16, 2006
4. ^ "Gary Cherone's Extreme Viewpoint." Kay Handley. The Phoenix. June 30,2006 - retrieved on July 17, 2006
5. ^ Remarks on the Cherone-Vedder Controversy at Libertarians For Life - Retrieved on July 16, 2006

External links

• hurtsmile : Gary Cherone's latest musical project
• Gary Cherone's MySpace Music website
• Official Gary Cherone website
• Artist Direct page for Gary Cherone
• Official Van Halen website