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Biography
for|other persons named Joseph Walsh|Joseph Walsh (disambiguation)Infobox musical artist|birth_name=Joseph Fidler Walsh| image = JoeWalshSept06.jpg| caption = Walsh in 2006| image_size =| name = Joe Walsh| Born = Birth date and age|1947|11|20 Wichita, Kansas , United States|U.S. | background = solo_singer| occupation = Singer songwriter , musician , multi-instrumentalist , record producer|producer , actor | genre = Rock music|Rock , hard rock , folk rock , country rock , blues rock , electric blues | instrument = Singing|Vocals , guitar , Keyboard instrument|keyboards , drum kit|drums , bass guitar|bass , mandolin , clarinet , oboe , bagpipes | years_active = 1964& ndash;present| label = Asylum Records|Asylum , Epic Records|Epic , ABC Records|ABC | associated_acts = James Gang , Barnstorm (group)|Barnstorm , Eagles (band)|Eagles , Ringo Starr & His All-Starr Band | website = URL| http://joewalsh.com/| notable_instruments = Gibson Les Paul , Fender Stratocaster Joseph Fidler "Joe" Walsh (born November 20, 1947) http://arts.enotes.com/contemporary-musicians/walsh-joe-biography Walsh, Joe Biography: Contemporary Musicians is an United States|American musician , songwriter , record producer , and actor . He has been a member of three commercially successful bands, the James Gang , Barnstorm (band)|Barnstorm , and the Eagles (band)|Eagles , and has experienced notable success as a solo artist and prolific session musician, especially with B.B. King and Dan Fogelberg .
Biography
Early life
A native of Wichita, Kansas , Walsh and his family lived in Columbus, Ohio for a number of years. When Joe was twelve years old the family moved to New York City . Later, Walsh moved to Montclair, New Jersey and attended Montclair High School (New Jersey)|Montclair High School there. He spent time in various bands playing around the Cleveland, Ohio|Cleveland area, including The Measles while attending Kent State University . In response to moving to New York City, Walsh began a lifelong hobby of Amateur radio|amateur ("ham") radio with the callsign WB6ACU.
1960s and 1970s
BLP unsourced section|date=July 2007In January 1968 he replaced Glen Schwartz as lead guitar ist for the James Gang , an American power trio . Walsh proved to be the band's star attraction, noted for his innovative rhythm playing and creative guitar riffs. In particular he was known for hot-wiring the pickups on his electric guitars to create his trademark "attack" sound.Charlesworth, Chris. A-Z of Rock Guitarists , c 1982, p. 92. The James Gang had several minor hits and became an early album-oriented rock staple for the next two years, including James Gang Live at Carnegie Hall . In November, 1971 Walsh left the group and formed the group Barnstorm (group)|Barnstorm , although their albums credited Walsh as a solo artist. Walsh and Barnstorm released their debut, the eponymous Barnstorm (album)|Barnstorm in 1972. The album was a critical success, but had only moderate sales. The follow-up The Smoker You Drink, the Player You Get (1973) was titled under his own name (although officially a Barnstorm album) and was Walsh's commercial breakthrough. The first single " Rocky Mountain Way (song)|Rocky Mountain Way " received heavy airplay and reached #23 on the US Top 40 chart. In 1974 Barnstorm disbanded and Walsh continued as a solo artist.
In December 1974, Walsh released an official solo album, So What (Joe Walsh album)|So What and in March 1976, a live set, '' You Can't Argue with a Sick Mind ''. These would be his last solo albums until 1978. On December 20, 1975 he joined the Eagles (band)|Eagles as Bernie Leadon 's replacement. His addition steered the band toward a harder-edged sound and away from their early country-style work, and he was featured prominently on their multi-million-selling album Hotel California , co-writing the Top 20 hit " Life in the Fast Lane " (with Don Henley and Glenn Frey ) and "Pretty Maids All in a Row" (co-written with former Barnstorm drummer Joe Vitale (musician)|Joe Vitale ).
As the Eagles struggled to record the follow-up to Hotel California , Walsh re-ignited his solo career with the well-received album But Seriously, Folks... (1978) which featured his hit comic depiction of rock stardom, " Life's Been Good ". Joe also contributed " In the City (Joe Walsh song)|In the City " to The Warriors (film)|The Warriors soundtrack (1979), a song penned and sung by Walsh that was later rerecorded for the Eagles The Long Run (album)|The Long Run album.
1980s-present
Following the breakup of the Eagles in 1980, Walsh continued to release albums throughout the 1980s, but sales were poor. He maintained a low profile until the mid-1990s. In late 1984 Walsh was contacted by Australian musician Paul Christie (Australian musician)|Paul Christie , former bassist in Mondo Rock , who invited him to come to Australia to perform with The Party Boys , an all-star group with a floating membership of well-known Australian rock musicians, which included acclaimed guitarist Kevin Borich , with whom Walsh became good friends. Walsh accepted and performed with the Party Boys on their late 1984-early 1985 Australian tour and appeared on their live album You Need Professional Help . He remained in Australia for some time after the tour, putting together the short-lived touring group Creatures From America, with Waddy Wachtel (guitar), Rick Rosas (bass) and Australian drummer Richard Harvey ( Divinyls , The Party Boys). Walsh returned to Australia in 1989 to tour with another incarnation of The Party Boys. Walsh toured with Ringo Starr in 1989, alternating a handful of his best-known songs with Ringo's tunes, as did all the members of the "All Starr" band. Walsh sang the The Star-Spangled Banner|US National Anthem at the beginning of game four of the 1995 World Series . In 1989, Walsh recorded a MTV Unplugged (Joe Walsh)|MTV Unplugged with the R& B music ian Dr. John .
While producing their Homegrown album in 1989, Walsh briefly joined New Zealand reggae band Herbs (band)|Herbs . Although he had left by the time of its 1990 release, he still appears as lead vocalist on two tracks, "Up All Night" and "It's Alright", and the album includes the first recording of his "Ordinary Average Guys" (sung by late Herbs bassist Charlie Tumahai ), which subsequently became a solo hit for Walsh as "Ordinary Average Guy".cite web|url= http://www.glenmoffatt.com/herbs_history.htm |title=Herbs History |publisher=Glenmoffatt.com |date= |accessdate=2011-09-15
In late 1990, Walsh was part of a band called The Best (band)|The Best , along with keyboardist Keith Emerson , bassist John Entwistle , guitarist Jeff "Skunk" Baxter and drummer Simon Phillips . The band performed several shows in Hawaii and Japan, with a live video resulting.
In 1994, Walsh reunited with the Eagles for a highly successful reunion tour and live album, Hell Freezes Over . Walsh has toured regularly with the Eagles since then and the group released their first new studio album in 28 years, Long Road Out of Eden , in 2007.
In June 2004, Walsh performed live before a huge crowd at Eric Clapton 's Crossroads Guitar Festival in Dallas, Texas . He was also featured in September 2004 at The Strat Pack , a concert held in London, England to mark the 50th anniversary of the Fender Stratocaster guitar.
In 2006, Walsh reunited with Jim Fox (drummer)|Jim Fox and Dale Peters of the James Gang for a 15-date summer reunion tour. The tour lasted into the fall. Some of his most recent compositions, such as "One Day At A Time", deal with his struggles with substance abuse, particularly alcoholism . He has been in Twelve-step program|recovery since 1995.
In 2008, Walsh appeared on the Carvin 60th Anniversary Celebration DVD as a celebrity endorser. In the recorded interview, he highly praised Carvin guitars and claims that the bridge design is "just like the first Les Paul models. I can't even get Gibson to reissue it."
Walsh has been a contributor to such causes as halfway houses for displaced adult women in Wichita, Kansas .
Walsh ran for President of the United States in United States presidential election, 1980|1980 on top of his music career as a mock campaign. He promised to make " Life's Been Good " the new national anthem if he won, and ran on a platform of "Free Gasoline|Gas For Everyone." Though Walsh was not old enough to actually assume the office, he wanted to raise public awareness of the election. He then ran again for vice president in 1992.
Walsh is currently working on his first solo album since 1992 with Jeff Lynne producing.cite web | url = http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_gSZH35JRnIM/S8sT4DT8twI/AAAAAAAAAkg/8tEK_Zfvj3I/s1600/inside4.jpg | title = Jeff Lynne Interview | accessdate = 2010-03-21 | date = 2010-03-21 | publisher = Daily Express The album will be the first studio album for Joe in 18 years. He told undercover.fm that it should be released around May, 2011.cite web|url= http://www.undercover.fm/news/13170-video-joe-walsh-to-release-first-album-in-18-years |title=Joe Walsh To Release First Album In 18 Years |publisher=Undercover.fm |date=2010-12-26 |accessdate=2011-09-15
Notable appearances
Walsh has produced albums for artists such as Dan Fogelberg and Ringo Starr . He was a background musician (1st guitar solo) on Eagles (band)|Eagles bandmate Don Henley 's 1982 hit " Dirty Laundry (Don Henley song)|Dirty Laundry " (listed as such in the liner notes of '' I Can't Stand Still and Actual Miles: Henley's Greatest Hits ).
Walsh played lead guitar on the song "Green Monkey" which appeared on America (band)|America's 1973 album Hat Trick (album)|Hat Trick
Walsh played slide guitar on the songs "Whiskey Night", "Open Up" and "Start of a New Life" which appeared on REO Speedwagon 's 1973 album '' Ridin' The Storm Out .
He also played guitar on Andy Gibb 's debut album, Flowing Rivers . Most noticeably on " I Just Want To Be Your Everything " and " (Love Is) Thicker Than Water " (of which his brothers The Bee Gees covered and recorded shortly after Andy's death in 1988).
Walsh contributed fuzzbox guitar and scat vocals to the song "New Orleans" which appeared on Carl Palmer's portion of Emerson, Lake & Palmer|Emerson, Lake & Palmer's 1977 album Works Volume 1 .
Walsh co-wrote and played lead guitar on the song "Split Decision" which appeared on Steve Winwood|Steve Winwood's 1986 album Back in the High Life .
He also appeared on Second City Television acting along side John Candy in a recurring sketch entitled "Gil Fisher." In that sketch, he performed a song with his band.cite web|url= http://www.sctvguide.ca/episodes/sctv_s55.htm |title=SCTV Guide - Episodes - Series 5 Cycle 5 |publisher=Sctvguide.ca |date= |accessdate=2011-09-15
Walsh would reunite with former Eagles bandmates Randy Meisner and Timothy B. Schmit as background musicians on the 1987 Richard Marx hit "Don't Mean Nothing". http://www.richardmarx.com/frameset.html Richardmarx.comdead link|date=September 2011
Walsh played a prisoner in The Blues Brothers (film)|The Blues Brothers . He is noticeable as he is the first prisoner to get on the cafeteria tables during the " Jailhouse Rock (song)|Jailhouse Rock " song at the end. Joe was a close friend of John Belushi , who starred in the movie.
Walsh appeared as a mystery guest on The Howard Stern Show on August 8, 1989, along with Pat Cooper . He has appeared numerous times on Stern's show since, more recently with the James Gang to promote their summer 2006 tour.
Joe joined female rocker Lita Ford on a song called, "A Future to This Life" which was featured in the television series, RoboCop: The Series|RoboCop .
Joe performed a James Gang selection as himself on a musical episode of The Drew Carey Show .
Joe Walsh was a regular deejay on the Los Angeles radio station, KLOS during the mid-1980's. He was also a frequent guest and guest-host of Detroit & Chicago radio legend Steve Dahl .
Walsh played guitar alongside Laura Hall (musician)|Laura Hall in a surprise appearance in Drew Carey 's pay-per-view presentation of "Drew Carey's Improv All-Stars" in Las Vegas. He participated in one game in each show, the ending game "biography." He sometimes made guest appearances on The Drew Carey Show as Ed, a laid-back guitarist in a bar band, but initially appeared as himself in a 1996 episode.
Walsh sang the National Anthem of Chile at a Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim baseball game in 2003.fact|date=January 2012 Walsh appeared in the television series Duckman , as medical video actor in episode 315 - "They Craved Duckman's Brain". Walsh also plays a version of " Life's Been Good " in a Duckman episode. He also appeared on Mad TV in 1995 as a customer at an air guitar shop, and on the comedy game show Street Smarts . Walsh appeared in the audience on the April 10, 2008 episode of the MTV show Rock the Cradle as a surprise for his daughter Lucy.
Walsh appeared with the James Gang in the motion picture Zachariah (1971 film)|Zachariah (1971).
Walsh commenced 2007 with an appearance at Dear Mr Fantasy - A Celebration For Jim Capaldi : a charity gig being held at London's famous Roundhouse where he appeared alongside Steve Winwood , Jon Lord , Pete Townshend , Bill Wyman , Paul Weller (singer)|Paul Weller and many others.
During 2007, Walsh has appeared at selected shows with country-rock star musician Kenny Chesney on his Flip Flop Summer Tour 2007. "I don't think there's anybody in the world who doesn't know ''Life's Been Good or Rocky Mountain Way'' if they've listened to any rock radio at all," said Kenny. Walsh also played a number of solo dates during late summer. Walsh has collaborated with Chesney on several occasions, most notably producing the song "Wild Ride".
Walsh performed the National Anthem on guitar at the Los Angeles Clippers vs. Los Angeles Lakers game on November 5, 2008 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California.
In 2009, Walsh made surprise guest appearances with Trans-Siberian Orchestra at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California on December 3; the St. Pete Times Forum in Tampa, Florida on December 6; and the IZOD Center at the Meadowlands, New Jersey on December 12.
Personal life
Walsh holds an Amateur Extra Class Amateur Radio License. His station callsign is WB6ACU.cite web|url= http://wireless2.fcc.gov/UlsApp/UlsSearch/license.jsp? licKey=893189|title=FCC Universal Licensing System - WB6ACU In 2006 he donated an autographed guitar to the ARRL in Newington, Connecticut for its Charitable cause|charity auction . He has also been involved with the group's "Big Project," which brings amateur radio into schools. Walsh has included Morse Code messages in his albums on two occasions: once on the album Barnstorm (album)|Barnstorm ("Register and Vote"), and later on Songs for a Dying Planet ("Register and Vote for Me").
Walsh is known for his guitar and keyboard skills, but also plays/has played bass guitar, harmonica, bagpipes, oboe, and clarinet. His mother was a classically trained pianist.
Walsh married Marjorie Bach (sister of Barbara Bach ) in Los Angeles on December 13, 2008, making him a brother-in-law of Ringo Starr , former drummer of The Beatles .
Walsh's daughter, Lucy Walsh , is also a musician; she has worked with Ashlee Simpson , among others, and released her debut album, Lost in the Lights , in spring 2008.
Walsh's oldest daughter, Emma Kristen, was born in 1971 and died as a result of injuries suffered in an automobile accident on her way to nursery school in 1974 only at the age of 3. Her story inspired the track "Song For Emma" on his album So What (Joe Walsh album)|So What released later that year. In her memory, he had a fountain and memorial plaque placed in a park in which she played, North Boulder Park in Boulder, Colorado . While touring with singer Stevie Nicks in 1984, Walsh took Nicks to the park's fountain; Nicks subsequently immortalized this story in her song "Has Anyone Ever Written Anything For You" on her 1985 album Rock A Little . Nicks stated in a 2007 interview with the UK's The Daily Telegraph that Walsh had been "the great love of her life."
In October 2004, Walsh undertook speaking engagements in New Zealand to warn against the dangers of substance abuse . Events were staged at the New Zealand Parliament in Wellington , Otatara Pa in Hawke's Bay and Hoani Waititi Marae in Auckland . He said the visit was a "thank you" to people who talked to him and took him to Otatara Pa when he toured New Zealand with reggae band Herbs (band)|Herbs while under heavy alcoholism|alcohol and Substance use disorder|cocaine addiction s in 1989, an experience he has cited as the beginning of a long journey back to health.cite news |url= http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm? c_id=1& objectid=3598224 |title=Message with a melody |date=October 7, 2004 |agency= NZPA |work= The New Zealand Herald |accessdate=October 7, 2011
At Otatara Pa in 2004 Walsh said, "This is a special place, and it is very special to me. It was here on a visit many years ago, up on the hills, that I had a moment of clarity. I don't understand it, but I reconnected with my soul, and I remembered who I used to be. I admitted I had problems and I had to do something about it. It was the beginning of my recovery from my addiction to alcohol and drugs, and when I got back to America it gave me the courage to seek help." http://www.nzedge.com/features/ar-denis02.html Denis O'Reilly, Nga Kupu Aroha, 14 October 2004
Jimmy Page 's sunburst 1959 Gibson Les Paul , better known as his "Number 1" was originally owned by Joe Walsh and was sold/given to Page in 1970.cite book |last=Bacon |first=Tony |title=Electric Guitars:The Illustrated Encyclopedia |publisher=Thunder Bay Press |isbn=978-1-59223-053-2 |page=121 |note: The book claims the guitar as 'given' however several video interviews with Page himself he uses to term 'sold.'
Kent State University awarded Walsh an honorary degree in music in December 2001.cite web | url = http://www.kent.edu/Academics/Commencement/HonoraryDegrees.cfm | title = Honorary Degrees | accessdate = 2007-03-06 | date = 2006-05-08 | publisher = Kent State University
He appears a free agent from Kent State in Madden NFL 10 .
Instruments
Guitars
Fender Telecaster Butterscottesch, Sunburst, Blonde, Natural White, other finishes
Fender Stratocaster Black, White, Sunburst, Turquoise Green, Candy apple Red
Rickenbacker 330 Jetglo used on the song The Long Run (song)|The Long Run & Rocky Mountain Way
1959 Gibson Les Paul that was given/sold to Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page in April 1969cite web|url= http://www.gibson.com/en-us/Lifestyle/Features/jimmy-page-1216/ |title=Jimmy Page’s 40-Year Les Paul Legacy |publisher=Gibson.com |date= |accessdate=2011-09-15
Gibson Les Paul Custom Ebony & Sunburst
Gibson Les Paul Supreme Sunburst used on the song Get over it to his playing slide guitar
Gibson ES-335 Sunburst
Zemaitis Guitars|Zemaitis Custom De Luxe Guitar used in concert on Farewell Concert Tour
Music Man (company)|Music Man Guitars various finishes used in The Long Run of Eden Tour
Gretsch|Gretsch Country Club Models Candy Apple Red & White
Various Model Carvin Corporation|Carvin & Fernandes Guitars
Takamine & Guild Acoustic Guitars
Ibanez : Joe Satriani model with humbucking pickups,silver, red etc.
Amplifiers
Fender Musical Instruments Corporation|Fender
Dr. Z Amplification|Dr. Z
Other instruments
Fender Rhodes Piano
Hammond Organ
Roland JD-990
Korg Karma
Korg Trinity
Moog Synthesizers
Clavia Nord Modular
Clavia Nord Electro
Harmonium
Mellotron
Yamaha Corporation|Yamaha Piano
Baldwin Piano|Baldwin Grand Piano
Fender Precision Bass
Gibson Guitar Corporation|Gibson F-4 Mandolin
Gibson Guitar Corporation|Gibson F-5 Mandolin
Clarinet
Oboe
Bagpipes
Talkbox
Timpani
Discography
main|Joe Walsh discography
References
Commons categoryReflist
External links
Official| http://joewalsh.com/
Joe WalshEaglesJames GangGrammy Award for Record of the Year 1970s
Persondata|NAME = Walsh, Joe |ALTERNATIVE NAMES = |SHORT DESCRIPTION = Rock musician |DATE OF BIRTH = November 20, 1947 |PLACE OF BIRTH = Wichita, Kansas|Wichita , Kansas |DATE OF DEATH = |PLACE OF DEATH = DEFAULTSORT:Walsh, Joe Category:1947 births Category:Amateur radio people Category:American rock guitarists Category:Eagles (band) members Category:The Party Boys members Category:People self-identifying as alcoholics Category:Musicians from Kansas Category:Kent State University alumni Category:Living people Category:People from Columbus, Ohio Category:People from Montclair, New Jersey Category:People from Wichita, Kansas Category:Lead guitarists Category:Slide guitarists Category:United States presidential candidates, 1980 Category:Grammy Award winners
