About
My musical journey started in 1991 playing my first show with Assailant. Assailant would go on to win the Rock Wars at the Inferno in 1997. That led to the recording Tides of Fortune with Ron Pease at Aztek Records. Assailant went through several member changes over the course of many years. Later recording Episodes, a demo recording with minimal gear in my basement and Assailant's practice space. There are three songs wrote for Episodes that were never finished and not included. One was recorded but never got vocals. Another was complete without vocals, but only have a rough recording of. And another that needed some ironing out. Assailant would later disband. We have tried to get the band back together, but the Covid pandemic stopped those plans. The first song Assailant wrote was The Whispered Word. It was first recorded in 1992. It was recorded about three more times over the years. It was recorded for Tides of Fortune, but not included. Started to record it for Episodes but it was never completed.
For a small period I was in Assailant and a cover band called Lucid.
Later, filled in with a band named Killed by Grunge after a member got injured and could not perform. Was later asked to join the band, which I accepted. Band was renamed to 80 Proof. Started out as mainly a cover band. Later started to do originals. My only contribution to those were solos that were mostly improvised. Those originals were never recorded in a studio. We had the pressure of opening for several national acts. Jake E. Lee, LA Guns, Michael Angelo Batio, Fates Warning, Metal Church and Yngwie J. Malmsteen.
After the demise of 80 Proof, I joined Loudhouse. A fun cover band that covered the whole night with no openers. Briefly had a keyboard player this band. Only got to play a few shows with him in the band. One show at Courtyard, everything seemed to really click. The sound was right, the monitors were right. Probably the best I have ever felt about a show. Was looking forward to more. But that was not to be unfortunately. Also, have never seen or found any footage of this show.
Tried out for the cover band Saint Hellion and got the gig. A cover band that fills the whole night. Playing Rock, Metal, Grunge and other genres
How I got started playing guitar
Growing up we would go to visit some family in Chillicothe Ohio. One of my cousins Lonnie Crews, said he wanted to get a guitar and be like Angus Young. I thought that sounded like a great idea, even though at the time I don’t think I knew who Angus Young was. Lonnie was a little older than me and I kind of looked up to him. So, I started saving money to get a guitar. My mother knew I was looking to get a guitar. One day I came home from school, and there was a guitar she picked up at a garage sale. I took the money I had saved, went to the old Dayton Band on N Main street and bought a Roland Spirit 10 amp. Soon after started taking lessons there from David Taulbee. Next time I seen Lonnie I asked him if he got a guitar or how much he had saved for one or something similar. If I remember right, he said a dollar.
Lonnnie did eventfully get a guitar. I don't know the full story behind it. But his mother, my dear aunt Doris gave the guitar to me.
Lonnie Lee Crews passed away on January 14, 1995. May he Rest In peace. Thank you for the idea to pick up the guitar.
If you have questions, comments etc... You can contact me here.
