Craig Goldy
Encyclopedia
Craig Goldy is an American guitarist, mostly notably of the band Dio
.
Before Dio, he played in the bands Vengeance, Rough Cutt
, and Giuffria
. He replaced Jake E. Lee
in Rough Cutt and was himself replaced by Amir Derakh
in this group. Prior to joining Rough Cutt, he had played in the band Vengeance. Rough Cutt recorded some demos with Craig Goldy that received airplay on San Diego radio station KGB FM's Metal Shop program, but he left the band before they got a record deal and recorded their first album. Ronnie James Dio
had produced those demos (for the songs, "Queen of Seduction," "Try a Little Harder," and, "Take Her"). Goldy, giving a clue as to his future in Dio (the band), commented on Ronnie James Dio in a live interview on KGB's Metal Shop in 1983. In that interview Goldy praised Dio for his talent and for being a nice person who took time to help Rough Cutt out. Ronnie and his wife Wendy both co-wrote some songs on the first Rough Cutt album, which was recorded after Craig Goldy left the band.
Shortly after leaving Rough Cutt, Goldy would join Giuffria
, the eponymous band of former Angel
keyboardist, Gregg Giuffria
. Performing on Giuffria's self-titled debut album
, released in 1984
, Goldy is heard on the band's biggest hit, "Call to the Heart," which hit #15 on the Billboard charts
in early 1985
.
Craig Goldy was featured in Hear 'n Aid
- Stars project while still in Giuffria, alongside other players such as Adrian Smith
and Dave Murray
of Iron Maiden, Yngwie Malmsteen, Brad Gillis
and others.
Goldy was the original guitarist of a supergroup comprising of himself, singer Rob Rock
, bassist Rudy Sarzo
, and drummer Tommy Aldridge
. But before recording Project Driver
, he left the group to join Dio
and was subsequently replaced by Tony MacAlpine
.
Craig Goldy co wrote the song "Lady Luck" with David Lee Roth
on Dave's 1991 album A Little Ain't Enough
.
Craig Goldy temporarily left the group Dio
for the third time in 2005 after suffering a hand injury on a tour through Russia. He was then replaced by former Dio guitarist Doug Aldrich
for the duration of the tour, but had returned to the fold. He also is currently the guest guitarist of heavy metal pioneers Budgie
.
His main guitar
was a B.C. Rich
Warlock, however, he now uses an ESP M-II
through ENGL
Powerball amplifiers. He has modified the guitar by switching the EMG
pickups with Seymour Duncan
pickups.
On Ronnie James Dio=
Goldy expressed his feelings regarding the passing of Dio (excerpt):
"Ronnie James Dio is and was more than a legendary musician, friend and fellow band member, he was my family. He is the reason anyone really even knows who I am at all and why I exist. He rescued me from sleeping in a car on the streets of San Diego and Los Angeles and brought me into his world where dreams come true, kindness to strangers and fans, warmth, humility and integrity are paramount and where creativity could be without boundaries that could change people's lives forever.
I know he changed mine. Not just through his music and the voice that turned his unique abilities into a legend, but who he was as a person and how he treated me and everyone he came in contact with directly and indirectly."
Dio (band)
Dio was an American heavy metal band from Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Formed in 1982 and led by vocalist Ronnie James Dio, after he left Black Sabbath with intentions to form a new band with fellow former Black Sabbath member, drummer Vinny Appice. Naming the band Dio made sense from a commercial...
.
Before Dio, he played in the bands Vengeance, Rough Cutt
Rough Cutt
Rough Cutt was an American heavy metal band from San Diego, California in the 1980s. They were based in Los Angeles after signing a recording contract with Warner Brothers...
, and Giuffria
Giuffria
Giuffria was an American rock band that was formed in 1982 by Gregg Giuffria after his departure from the band Angel, a glam rock/heavy metal band from Washington, D.C..- History of the band :...
. He replaced Jake E. Lee
Jake E. Lee
Jakey Lou Williams , commonly known as Jake E. Lee, is an American guitarist best known for playing with Ozzy Osbourne in the mid-1980s and later in his own band Badlands.- Musical education :...
in Rough Cutt and was himself replaced by Amir Derakh
Amir Derakh
Amir Davidson is an American musician. He is currently guitar/synthesizer player for the band Orgy and guitar player for the band Dead by Sunrise...
in this group. Prior to joining Rough Cutt, he had played in the band Vengeance. Rough Cutt recorded some demos with Craig Goldy that received airplay on San Diego radio station KGB FM's Metal Shop program, but he left the band before they got a record deal and recorded their first album. Ronnie James Dio
Ronnie James Dio
Ronald James Padavona , better known as Ronnie James Dio, was an American heavy metal vocalist and songwriter. He performed with, amongst others, Elf, Rainbow, Black Sabbath, Heaven & Hell, and his own band Dio, which means God in Italian. Other musical projects include the collective fundraiser...
had produced those demos (for the songs, "Queen of Seduction," "Try a Little Harder," and, "Take Her"). Goldy, giving a clue as to his future in Dio (the band), commented on Ronnie James Dio in a live interview on KGB's Metal Shop in 1983. In that interview Goldy praised Dio for his talent and for being a nice person who took time to help Rough Cutt out. Ronnie and his wife Wendy both co-wrote some songs on the first Rough Cutt album, which was recorded after Craig Goldy left the band.
Shortly after leaving Rough Cutt, Goldy would join Giuffria
Giuffria
Giuffria was an American rock band that was formed in 1982 by Gregg Giuffria after his departure from the band Angel, a glam rock/heavy metal band from Washington, D.C..- History of the band :...
, the eponymous band of former Angel
Angel (band)
Angel is a glam rock and heavy metal band from Washington, D.C., formed in the mid-70s by Punky Meadows and Mickie Jones. They were signed to Casablanca Records, and had the image of dressing in white.-History:...
keyboardist, Gregg Giuffria
Gregg Giuffria
Gregg Giuffria is an American rock keyboardist. He was the keyboardist for heavy metal bands, Angel, and House of Lords, and arena rock band, Giuffria....
. Performing on Giuffria's self-titled debut album
Giuffria (album)
Giuffria is the self-titled debut album from American rock band Giuffria , released on MCA Records in 1984, and co-produced by Andy Johns. The album's highest peak on the Billboard Hot 100 was #26 on March 2, 1985...
, released in 1984
1984 in music
This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1984.-Janury-March:*January 21 – "Relax" by Frankie Goes to Hollywood reaches number one in the UK singles chart, despite being banned by the BBC; it spends a total of forty-two weeks in the Top 40.*January 27 – Michael Jackson's...
, Goldy is heard on the band's biggest hit, "Call to the Heart," which hit #15 on the Billboard charts
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
in early 1985
1985 in music
This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1985.-January–March:*January 1 - The newest music video channel, VH-1, debuts on American cable. It is aimed at an older demographic than its sister station, MTV...
.
Craig Goldy was featured in Hear 'n Aid
Hear 'n Aid
Hear 'n Aid was a one-off project of the heavy metal/hard rock scene of the 1980s to raise money for famine relief in Africa. According to Ronnie James Dio's MySpace profile, the project raised $1 million within a year.- Background :...
- Stars project while still in Giuffria, alongside other players such as Adrian Smith
Adrian Smith
Adrian Frederick "H" Smith is an English musician and one of three guitarists in the heavy metal band, Iron Maiden. He is also one of the band's regular songwriters and, along with bassist Steve Harris, performs backing vocals on some songs.-Biography:While at school, Smith purchased his first...
and Dave Murray
Dave Murray (musician)
David Michael Murray is an English guitarist and songwriter best known as one of the earliest members of the British heavy metal band Iron Maiden.-Biography:...
of Iron Maiden, Yngwie Malmsteen, Brad Gillis
Brad Gillis
Brad Gillis is a guitarist most famous for playing with the band Night Ranger. He was in the band Rubicon during the 1970s before Night Ranger. He has also played for Ozzy Osbourne and Fiona, and has released solo albums....
and others.
Goldy was the original guitarist of a supergroup comprising of himself, singer Rob Rock
Rob Rock
Robert Rock is a heavy metal singer and songwriter. He is best known for being the lead singer of the band Impellitteri from 1992 to 2000, and now in 2008. He has also released four albums as a solo artist.-Biography:...
, bassist Rudy Sarzo
Rudy Sarzo
Rudy Sarzo is a Cuban American hard rock/heavy metal bassist. Sarzo has played with many well known heavy metal acts including Quiet Riot, Ozzy Osbourne, Whitesnake, Manic Eden, Dio and Blue Öyster Cult.-Early life:...
, and drummer Tommy Aldridge
Tommy Aldridge
Tommy Aldridge is a veteran heavy metal and hard rock drummer. Aldridge is noted for his work with numerous bands and vocalists, most notable being Black Oak Arkansas, Pat Travers Band, Ozzy Osbourne, Gary Moore, Whitesnake, Ted Nugent and Thin Lizzy.Self taught, Aldridge was inspired by Cream,...
. But before recording Project Driver
Project Driver
Project: Driver is a studio album by heavy metal supergroup M.A.R.S., released in 1986 through Shrapnel Records. The band's name is made up of the initial of each musician's last name: guitarist Tony MacAlpine, drummer Tommy Aldridge, singer Rob Rock and bassist Rudy Sarzo...
, he left the group to join Dio
Dio (band)
Dio was an American heavy metal band from Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Formed in 1982 and led by vocalist Ronnie James Dio, after he left Black Sabbath with intentions to form a new band with fellow former Black Sabbath member, drummer Vinny Appice. Naming the band Dio made sense from a commercial...
and was subsequently replaced by Tony MacAlpine
Tony MacAlpine
Tony Jeff MacAlpine is an American guitarist and keyboardist. Having released ten studio albums over a career spanning more than two decades, he is best known as an instrumental solo guitarist, although he has worked with many different bands and musicians in the form of guest appearances and...
.
Craig Goldy co wrote the song "Lady Luck" with David Lee Roth
David Lee Roth
David Lee Roth is an American rock vocalist, songwriter, actor, author, and former radio personality. Roth was ranked nineteenth by Hit Parader on their list of the 100 Greatest Heavy Metal Singers of All Time....
on Dave's 1991 album A Little Ain't Enough
A Little Ain't Enough
A Little Ain't Enough is the third full-length album by David Lee Roth , released in 1991. It was certified gold on April 11, 1991. Produced by Bob Rock, the album featured the lead guitar work of Jason Becker, a then up-and-coming guitarist who was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis a...
.
Craig Goldy temporarily left the group Dio
Dio (band)
Dio was an American heavy metal band from Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Formed in 1982 and led by vocalist Ronnie James Dio, after he left Black Sabbath with intentions to form a new band with fellow former Black Sabbath member, drummer Vinny Appice. Naming the band Dio made sense from a commercial...
for the third time in 2005 after suffering a hand injury on a tour through Russia. He was then replaced by former Dio guitarist Doug Aldrich
Doug Aldrich
Doug Aldrich , is a Los Angeles-based hard rock guitarist, since 2003 a member of Whitesnake. He founded the band Burning Rain with Keith St.John in 1998 and has played previously with the bands Dio, Lion, Hurricane, House of Lords, and Bad Moon Rising...
for the duration of the tour, but had returned to the fold. He also is currently the guest guitarist of heavy metal pioneers Budgie
Budgie (band)
Budgie is a Welsh Hard Rock/Heavy Metal band from Cardiff. They are widely considered as one of the first heavy metal bands and a seminal influence to many acts of that scene, with fast, heavy rock being played as early as 1971. The band has been noted as "among the heaviest metal of its day"...
.
His main guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
was a B.C. Rich
B.C. Rich
B.C. Rich is a manufacturer of guitars and bass guitars founded by the late Bernardo Chavez Rico in 1969. Currently, most B.C. Rich guitars are manufactured in Asia, but luthiers of the company's custom shop continue to hand-make instruments. The Hanser Music Group, based in Kentucky, operates B.C....
Warlock, however, he now uses an ESP M-II
ESP M-II
ESP M-II is a guitar model offered by ESP. It belongs to the category of guitars referred to colloquially as "Super Strats," which refers to any guitar drawing heavily upon the Fender Stratocaster design. Modifications to the original Stratocaster design usually enhance playability...
through ENGL
Engl
ENGL is a German company that makes high-end tube amplifiers for electric guitars. Over the years ENGL has succeeded in becoming a global player in this market...
Powerball amplifiers. He has modified the guitar by switching the EMG
EMG, Inc.
EMG, Inc. is the current legal name of a company based in Santa Rosa, California which manufactures guitar pickups and EQ accessories. Founded in 1976, the company was originally called Dirtywork Studios. The name was changed to "Overlend" in 1978 and then to the current name in 1983...
pickups with Seymour Duncan
Seymour Duncan
Seymour Duncan is a company that is best known for manufacturing of guitar pickups, and currently has a line of effects pedals. The company was founded in 1976 by guitarist and luthier Seymour W. Duncan and his then-wife Cathy Carter Duncan in Goleta, California, USA...
pickups.
With Dio
- "Time To Burn" on Intermission EP (1986)
- Dream EvilDream Evil (album)Dream Evil is Dio's fourth album, released on July 21, 1987. It features former Rough Cutt members Craig Goldy and Claude Schnell, and includes the singles "All The Fools Sailed Away" and "I Could Have Been a Dreamer"...
(1987) - MagicaMagica (album)Magica is Dio's eighth studio album. It is a concept album and it was released on March 21, 2000, through Spitfire Records. A 2007 re-release puts Magica together with Killing the Dragon....
(2000) - Master of the MoonMaster of the MoonMaster of the Moon is Dio's tenth and final studio album. The album was released on September 7, 2004 in America through Sanctuary Records and August 30, 2004 in Europe through SPV Records....
(2004)
On Ronnie James Dio=
Goldy expressed his feelings regarding the passing of Dio (excerpt):
"Ronnie James Dio is and was more than a legendary musician, friend and fellow band member, he was my family. He is the reason anyone really even knows who I am at all and why I exist. He rescued me from sleeping in a car on the streets of San Diego and Los Angeles and brought me into his world where dreams come true, kindness to strangers and fans, warmth, humility and integrity are paramount and where creativity could be without boundaries that could change people's lives forever.
I know he changed mine. Not just through his music and the voice that turned his unique abilities into a legend, but who he was as a person and how he treated me and everyone he came in contact with directly and indirectly."