Anthony Sallee
Encyclopedia
Anthony Sallee was the bassist
of Christian
rock
band
White Heart
from 1990 to 1993.
Anthony Sallee was born and raised in Fort Smith, Arkansas
. He started playing bass guitar in church as an early teen. He took 8 years of classical piano instruction, learned to play the alto saxophone in junior high school band, and choir in high school, but bass guitar was his passion. He played in several local bands in junior high and high school, and started doing a few local recording sessions. In 1988, Anthony was asked to play with Star Song Records recording artist, Craig Smith. This was his first real touring experience playing several college theaters throughout the Southeast, US. In 1989, Anthony met local guitarist, Barney Hector, and David Spicer. With the addition of local drummer Steve Lane, they formed a jazz/fusion group and recorded an EP worth of songs. It was this recording that Anthony used to send in for an audition for the Christian Rock Band White Heart. In 1990, Sallee auditioned for White Heart and was hired to replace bassist Tommy Sims
, who had recently left his position. Sallee recorded three projects with White Heart before resigning. Those projects include: Powerhouse
, Tales of Wonder
and Highlands
. Sallee was performed and wrote on all three projects. All three projects received numerous Dove and Grammy Award
nominations and had many top charting songs.
Subsequently, he was drafted for studio work and touring bands with Christian artists like Michael W. Smith
, Wes King
, Michael English
, Phil Keaggy
, and Amy Grant
. Recently Sallee played bass on for John Elefante
on the Mastedon release 3
Bassist
A bass player, or bassist is a musician who plays a bass instrument such as a double bass, bass guitar, keyboard bass or a low brass instrument such as a tuba or sousaphone. Different musical genres tend to be associated with one or more of these instruments...
of Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
band
Musical ensemble
A musical ensemble is a group of people who perform instrumental or vocal music. In classical music, trios or quartets either blend the sounds of musical instrument families or group together instruments from the same instrument family, such as string ensembles or wind ensembles...
White Heart
White Heart
White Heart, also listed as Whiteheart, was a Contemporary Christian Music pop-rock band which formed in 1982. White Heart's discography includes thirteen albums, the most recent of which was released in 1997. Original members Billy Smiley and Mark Gersmehl worked with a continually-changing cast...
from 1990 to 1993.
Anthony Sallee was born and raised in Fort Smith, Arkansas
Fort Smith, Arkansas
Fort Smith is the second-largest city in Arkansas and one of the two county seats of Sebastian County. With a population of 86,209 in 2010, it is the principal city of the Fort Smith, Arkansas-Oklahoma Metropolitan Statistical Area, a region of 298,592 residents which encompasses the Arkansas...
. He started playing bass guitar in church as an early teen. He took 8 years of classical piano instruction, learned to play the alto saxophone in junior high school band, and choir in high school, but bass guitar was his passion. He played in several local bands in junior high and high school, and started doing a few local recording sessions. In 1988, Anthony was asked to play with Star Song Records recording artist, Craig Smith. This was his first real touring experience playing several college theaters throughout the Southeast, US. In 1989, Anthony met local guitarist, Barney Hector, and David Spicer. With the addition of local drummer Steve Lane, they formed a jazz/fusion group and recorded an EP worth of songs. It was this recording that Anthony used to send in for an audition for the Christian Rock Band White Heart. In 1990, Sallee auditioned for White Heart and was hired to replace bassist Tommy Sims
Tommy Sims
Tommy Sims is a renowned bassist, songwriter, record producer and bandleader.-Music career:From 1987 to 1989 he was the bassist of the popular Christian rock band White Heart which he left to become a studio musician and producer. During 1992-1993, he played bass on the Bruce Springsteen and the...
, who had recently left his position. Sallee recorded three projects with White Heart before resigning. Those projects include: Powerhouse
Powerhouse (White Heart album)
Powerhouse is the seventh album by Christian rock band White Heart and the first to feature Brian Wooten on guitars and Anthony Sallee on bass, and the only to feature Mark Nemer on drums.-Track listing:# "Independence Day" – 5:37# "Powerhouse" – 4:30...
, Tales of Wonder
Tales of Wonder (album)
Tales of Wonder is the eight album by Christian rock band White Heart and the first to feature drummer Jon Knox. Chris McHugh played all drum tracks although Knox was the official drummer for tour.-Track listing:...
and Highlands
Highlands (White Heart album)
Highlands is the ninth album by Christian rock band White Heart and the last with Star Song Records.-Track listing:# "You Can See the World" – 4:21# "Nothing But the Best" – 3:42# "Heaven of My Heart" – 6:11 # "Once and for All" – 5:04...
. Sallee was performed and wrote on all three projects. All three projects received numerous Dove and Grammy Award
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
nominations and had many top charting songs.
Subsequently, he was drafted for studio work and touring bands with Christian artists like Michael W. Smith
Michael W. Smith
Michael Whitaker Smith is a Billboard top ten Billboard Hot 100 recording artist and Grammy Award-winning American singer-songwriter, composer, and actor. He is one of the best-selling and most influential artists in Contemporary Christian music. Smith also has achieved a considerable amount of...
, Wes King
Wes King
Wes King , born in Winder, Georgia, is an American contemporary-Christian singer, songwriter, and musician. He is perhaps best known for his 1993 album The Robe. For a very brief period in the late 1980s, he attended Covenant College outside of Chattanooga, Tennessee...
, Michael English
Michael English
Michael English is an American Christian singer. Initially, he was a member of his family's singing group, and is currently a member of The Gaither Vocal Band. During his solo career, he recorded eight studio albums. English's highest-charting solo single was "Your Love Amazes Me", which reached No...
, Phil Keaggy
Phil Keaggy
Phil Keaggy is an American acoustic and electric guitarist and vocalist who has released more than 50 albums and contributed to many more recordings in both the contemporary Christian music and mainstream markets...
, and Amy Grant
Amy Grant
Amy Lee Grant is an American singer-songwriter, musician, author, media personality and actress, best known for her Christian music. She has been referred to as "The Queen of Christian Pop"...
. Recently Sallee played bass on for John Elefante
John Elefante
John Elefante is an American singer, songwriter, instrumentalist, and producer.-Early years:Born in Levittown, New York, his family soon moved to Long Beach, California. Growing up, he sang and performed drums for his family band, the Brotherhood...
on the Mastedon release 3
3 (Mastedon album)
3 is the title of the third release from Christian rock band Mastedon. It was released on November 6, 2009, on Italian melodic rock label Frontiers Records.-Track listing:# "Revolution of Mind"# "Slay Your Demons"# "Nowhere Without Your Love"...