Chris Holmes (musician)
Encyclopedia
Chris Holmes is a musician who was born June 23, 1958 in Glendale, California
and grew up in 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.
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.
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.
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.
in the early 1990s.
) on bass, Rich Lewis (Animal), on vocals, and Stet Howland
on drums (Blackfoot
, Lita Ford
, Killing Machine
, Belladonna
, Impellitteri
, Sister
and W.A.S.P.).
Glendale, California
Glendale is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. As of the 2010 Census, the city population is 191,719, down from 194,973 at the 2000 census. making it the third largest city in Los Angeles County and the 22nd largest city in the state of California...
and grew up in La Canada, California
La Cañada Flintridge, California
La Cañada Flintridge is a small and affluent city in Los Angeles County, California, United States whose population at the 2010 census was 20,246, down from 20,318 at the 2000 census. According to Forbes, as of 2010, La Cañada Flintridge ranks as the 143rd most expensive U.S...
. Together with Blackie Lawless
Blackie Lawless
Blackie Lawless , is an American singer, songwriter, guitarist, bassist and actor, best known as the lead singer and rhythm guitarist for heavy metal band W.A.S.P..In an interview, Blackie claims to have been born in the kitchen of the Rainbow Bar and Grill in Hollywood,...
and Randy Piper
Randy Piper
Randy Piper is an American musician, rock guitarist, songwriter, and singer best known as the co-founder and original guitarist of the heavy metal band, W.A.S.P....
, he was one the founding members of the heavy metal band W.A.S.P.
Career
Chris Holmes is a heavy metalHeavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
guitarist and songwriter who started his musical career in the Pasadena, California
Pasadena, California
Pasadena is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Although famous for hosting the annual Rose Bowl football game and Tournament of Roses Parade, Pasadena is the home to many scientific and cultural institutions, including the California Institute of Technology , the Jet...
area in the late 1970s and early 1980s. He is best known as the lead guitarist of heavy-metal band W.A.S.P.
W.A.S.P.
W.A.S.P. is an American heavy metal band formed in 1982. They emerged from the same Los Angeles scene that spawned Mötley Crüe, Ratt, Quiet Riot and others. The band's popularity peaked in the 1980s, yet they continue to record and tour, making them one of the most enduring of the West Coast heavy...
. Prior to meeting Blackie Lawless
Blackie Lawless
Blackie Lawless , is an American singer, songwriter, guitarist, bassist and actor, best known as the lead singer and rhythm guitarist for heavy metal band W.A.S.P..In an interview, Blackie claims to have been born in the kitchen of the Rainbow Bar and Grill in Hollywood,...
and Randy Piper
Randy Piper
Randy Piper is an American musician, rock guitarist, songwriter, and singer best known as the co-founder and original guitarist of the heavy metal band, W.A.S.P....
, 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.W.A.S.P.
W.A.S.P. is an American heavy metal band formed in 1982. They emerged from the same Los Angeles scene that spawned Mötley Crüe, Ratt, Quiet Riot and others. The band's popularity peaked in the 1980s, yet they continue to record and tour, making them one of the most enduring of the West Coast heavy...
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
Penelope Spheeris
Penelope Spheeris is an American director, producer and screenwriter. She is best known as a documentary film director whose works include the trilogy titled The Decline of Western Civilization...
, 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 FordLita Ford
Lita Ford is a British-born, American rock musician and singer who was the lead guitarist for The Runaways and achieved popularity for her solo career between the 1980s and late 2000s.-Early life:...
in the early 1990s.
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
In 2010, he joined Where Angels Suffer (W.A.S) with Randy Piper (W.A.S.P.) on guitar , Steve Unger (Metal ChurchMetal Church
Metal Church was an American heavy metal band. They originally formed in Seattle, Washington as Shrapnel in 1980. Their first album was released in 1984, and the band's most recent work, This Present Wasteland, was released in 2008....
) on bass, Rich Lewis (Animal), on vocals, and Stet Howland
Stet Howland
Stet Howland is a Professional drummer, was born August 14, 1958 is from Plymouth, Massachusetts graduated high school in 1978 from Duxbury High School. Started playing drums at age 7, he has been teaching and playing for a living since age 13...
on drums (Blackfoot
Blackfoot (band)
Blackfoot is a Southern rock musical ensemble from Jacksonville, Florida organized during 1970. Though they are primarily a Southern rock band, they were known also as a hard rock act....
, Lita Ford
Lita Ford
Lita Ford is a British-born, American rock musician and singer who was the lead guitarist for The Runaways and achieved popularity for her solo career between the 1980s and late 2000s.-Early life:...
, Killing Machine
Killing Machine (band)
Killing Machine is an American Metal band found by Peter Scheithauer that has released three albums, the self-titled effort in 2000 via Candlelight Records , Metalmorphis in 2006, via Mausoleum Records and Chapter One in 2010, via Axe Killer....
, Belladonna
Joey Belladonna
Joey Belladonna is a heavy metal singer and drummer, best known as the lead singer for the heavy metal band Anthrax...
, Impellitteri
Impellitteri
Impellitteri is a heavy metal band from USA formed and led by guitarist Chris Impellitteri. Since inception, the band has released numerous albums to critical praise, mainly due to Chris Impellitteri's speed/shred style of playing....
, Sister
Sister (band)
Sister was an American heavy metal band, formed in 1976 in Los Angeles. Its members included Blackie Lawless, formerly of the New York Dolls and later of W.A.S.P., and Nikki Sixx, who would later co-create Mötley Crüe. They are notable for being one of the first bands to make usage of the pentagram...
and W.A.S.P.).
Trivia
- Holmes did a song for the Hot WheelsHot WheelsHot Wheels is a brand of die cast toy car, introduced by American toymaker Mattel in 1968. It was the primary competitor of Matchbox until 1996, when Mattel acquired rights to the Matchbox brand from Tyco.-Models:...
:AcceleRacers movie series-Anything But Down.
Guitars
-
- Jackson (Charvel) Customparts Star (Yellow, completely beaten-up)
- Jackson Custom Star (Bloodsplatter)
- Jackson Custom Rhoads (Black with white bevels)
- Jackson Custom Rhoads (White, later sent back to customshop, wing cut, 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 w. 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).
- Gibson Flying V (Black w. White pickguard).
- Destroyer (Black)
- AmfisoundAmfisoundAmfisound is a Finnish-based manufacturer of guitars, founded in 2002. Players of Amfisound guitars include Chris Holmes , Vincent Cavanagh , Ricardo Amorim , J. Ahola , Mitja Harvilahti , and Tuomas Saukkonen ....
Custom - Ibanez DestroyerIbanez DestroyerThe Destroyer is an Ibanez brand electric guitar model manufactured at the FujiGen-Gakki musical instrument factory for the Hoshino-Gakki Company. The Destroyer model was first introduced by Hoshino-Gakki in 1975 and was based on the Gibson Musical Instruments' Explorer design...
(Red) - In an interview, Holmes said that this guitar was borrowed by Eddie Van HalenEddie Van HalenEdward Lodewijk "Eddie" Van Halen is a Dutch-American guitarist, keyboardist, songwriter and producer, best known as the lead guitarist and co-founder of the hard rock band Van Halen, inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame...
for the recording of the Women and Children First album. The guitar can be seen in the Neil Zlozower "Women and Children First" Sunset Sound studio photographs. Eddie had a similar Ibanez Destroyer that he modified after recording Van HalenVan Halen (album)Van Halen is the debut studio album by American rock band Van Halen, released in February 1978.- History :Recorded in 1977, Van Halen sold over 10 million copies in the US alone, becoming one of the most successful debuts by a rock band. Along with 1984, it gives Van Halen two original albums with...
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.