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Biography
For|other musicians of that name|Chris Holmes (disambiguation)!Chris Holmesmultiple issues| autobiography = May 2009| story = May 2009| refimprove = May 2009Infobox musical artist| name = Chris Holmes|image_size =| birth_name = Christopher John Holmes| birth_date = Birth date and age|1958|06|23|birth_place = Glendale, California , United States | background = non_vocal_instrumentalist| genre = Heavy metal music|Heavy metal | occupation = Musician , songwriter | instrument = Guitar , Keyboard instrument|keyboards , Singer|backing vocals | years_active = 1978–present| associated_acts = Sister (band)|Sister , W.A.S.P. , Psycho Squad, Animal, Big Ball Stars, L.A. Guns , Where Angels Suffer Christopher John Holmes is a musician who was born June 23, 1958 in Glendale, California and grew up in La Cañada Flintridge, California|La Canada, California . Together with Blackie Lawless and Randy Piper , he was one the founding members of the heavy metal band W.A.S.P.
Career
Chris Holmes is a heavy metal music|heavy metal guitarist and songwriter who started his musical career in the Pasadena, California area in the late 1970s and early 1980s. He is best known as the lead guitarist of heavy-metal band W.A.S.P. . Prior to meeting Blackie Lawless and Randy Piper , and joining W.A.S.P., Holmes played guitar with L.A. bands Buster Savage, LAX, and Slave. Holmes was a member of W.A.S.P. first from 1983 to 1990, and again from 1996 to 2001.
W.A.S.P.
Holmes joined W.A.S.P. in 1983, and remained with the group until 1990. In 1996 Holmes rejoined W.A.S.P., and remained lead guitarist until 2001. Holmes has not played with W.A.S.P. since.
"The Metal Years" Interview
While still with W.A.S.P., Holmes participated in the filming of the rock documentary, The Decline of Western Civilization Part II: The Metal Years .1 This "rockumentary" included interviews with members of Motörhead, Aerosmith, Poison, Kiss, Megadeth, London, Faster Pussycat and others discussing their lifestyle and the metal scene in late 1980s Los Angeles.2 Holmes is infamous for his contribution to the 1988 documentary, during which he was interviewed while floating in a swimming pool, fully clothed and visibly intoxicated. This interview stood out in stark contrast to the more light-hearted and humorous interviews conducted by director Penelope Spheeris , which mostly portrayed rockers as good-natured, though often dimwitted or deluded, party animals. During the interview, Holmes smiled drunkenly at the camera, deeming himself "a full-blown alcoholic" and "a piece of crap" despite his band's success, and punctuated his remarks by guzzling from three bottles of vodka. At the end of the interview, Holmes upends a full bottle of Smirnoff over his head as he rolls out of his inflatable chair and into the water. Holmes' mother, Sandy, is also present during the interview, sitting at poolside, trying to ignore her son's taunts.
Personal life
Holmes has been married twice. First to Kaylen Rodgers in the late 1980s, then briefly to Lita Ford in the early 1990s. http://www.sleazeroxx.com/bands/fordlita/litaford.shtml
Randy Piper’s Animal
Holmes was contacted by friend and former bandmate Randy Piper to join Piper's new project, Animal . Holmes quickly relocated to Ohio to prepare for Animal's upcoming "900 lb Steam" tour. The tour was considered successful, and after its conclusion, Animal (with Holmes) recorded tracks for a new album.
After Animal
After Holmes returned to Los Angeles in late 2003, he began working with several Southern California-based metal groups, producing and contributing guitar tracks. In 2007, Holmes was involved with the filming of a Randy Rhoads documentary directed by Peter M. Margolis, which has yet to be released. Holmes appears briefly in a 2009 episode of ''VH1's Rock Docs'', "Do It For The Band: The Women of Sunset Strip." In the Summer of 2009 Holmes released Secret Society's "Death by Misadventure."
W.A.S.P
In 2010, he joined http://www.whereangelssuffer.com/ Where Angels Suffer (W.A.S) with Randy Piper ( W.A.S.P. (band)|W.A.S.P. ) on guitar, Steve Unger ( Metal Church ) on bass, Rich Lewis (Animal), on vocals, and Stet Howland on drums ( Blackfoot (band)|Blackfoot , Lita Ford , Killing Machine (band)|Killing Machine , Joey Belladonna|Belladonna , Impellitteri , Sister (band)|Sister and W.A.S.P. (band)|W.A.S.P. ).
Guitars
* Jackson Custom Rhoads (Black with brass hardware). Used in the movie " The Dungeonmaster ." Returned after Chris was offered an endorsement from Jackson/Charvel.
* Jackson/Charvel Custom parts Star (Yellow, completely beaten-up).
* Jackson Custom Star (White with red blood splatter).
* Jackson Custom Rhoads (Black with white bevels, "I'm A Animal" painted in white on the back of the neck).
* Jackson Custom Rhoads (White pearl with black bevels, with "Fuck Off N Die" painted in red on the back of the neck. This guitar was later sent back to Jackson's custom shop after the wing broke to get the wing cut shorter, as well as the slimmer neck and zebra/lion graphic added). Sold on eBay, currently residing in Finland.
* Jackson Custom Star (Black with Harley Davidson graphic and yellow bevels). Sold on eBay.
* Fender Stratocaster (Red with white pickguard). seen once on a TV Show.
* Jackson Custom Star (Budweiser graphic and reverse Strathead-neck). Smashed by Lita Ford .
* Jackson Flying V (Natural).
* Jackson Custom Explorer (Headless Children graphic, with "Touch Me And Die" painted in yellow on the back of the neck).
* Ibanez Destroyer (Red). In an interview, Holmes said that this guitar was borrowed by Eddie Van Halen for the recording of the Women and Children First (album)|Women and Children First album. The guitar can be seen in the Neil Zlozower "Women and Children First" Sunset Sound Studios|Sunset Sound studio photographs. Eddie had a similar Ibanez Destroyer that he modified after recording Van Halen (album)|Van Halen into the Shark Destroyer. Eddie did not like the tone after the modification so he borrowed Chris Holmes's Ibanez Destroyer. Holmes' Red Ibanez Destroyer is distinctive as it was modified to have only a single volume control whereas usually there are 2 volume and 1 tone control. The Red Ibanez Destroyer is still in his possession.cite web|url= http://www.vhnd.com/2008/11/18/van-halen-all-cut-up/ |title=Van Halen News Desk & #124; Van Halen, All Cut Up |publisher=Vhnd.com |date=2008-11-18 |accessdate=2009-11-24cite web|author=24 juli 2008 |url= http://www.youtube.com/watch? v=-zqXWpInYuU |title=Van Halen " All Cut Up " |publisher=YouTube |date= |accessdate=2009-11-24
References
External links
http://headbanger.ru/interviews/230? lng=en Chris Holmes, Interview: "There’s A Lot Of People I Don’t Like " February 25, 2011
W.A.S.P. Persondata | NAME =Holmes, Chris | ALTERNATIVE NAMES = | SHORT DESCRIPTION = | DATE OF BIRTH =1958-06-23 | PLACE OF BIRTH = Glendale, California , United States | DATE OF DEATH = | PLACE OF DEATH = DEFAULTSORT:Holmes, Chris Category:American heavy metal guitarists Category:People from Pasadena, California Category:American Latter Day Saints Category:L.A. Guns members Category:W.A.S.P. members Category:Living people Category:1958 births
