Warren DeMartini

Infobox musical artist


Name = Warren DeMartini
| Img_capt =
Born = Birth date and age|1963|4|10,
Chicago, Illinois, United States
Background = non_vocal_instrumentalist
Instrument = Guitar
Genre = Heavy metal, Hard rock
Occupation = Musician, Songwriter
Instrument = Guitar
Associated_acts = Ratt, Whitesnake, Dio
Years_active = 1981 - present
URL = http://www.therattpack.com/
Notable_instruments = Custom Charvel models

Warren Justin DeMartini (born April 10 1963), nicknamed Torch, is the lead guitarist for Ratt, a popular American band during the mid-to-late 1980s Los Angeles glam metal scene.

Early life

DeMartini was born on April 10, 1963 in Chicago, Illinois. He is the youngest of six children.

DeMartini became interested in rock music due to the influence of his older brothers Bernard and also James (whose band rehearsed in their basement). He was also encouraged by his mother, who played classical piano, and by his grandmother who played piano accompaniment to silent movies in Preston, Minnesota.

DeMartini's mother bought him a guitar when he was seven years old. But because he could not play it, he ended up smashing it as he had seen Pete Townshend of The Who do onstage.

For many years after the incident, he never got a chance to have another guitar. When he turned 15, he managed to buy one for himself with the money he got at Christmas. He took some lessons to learn basic guitar techniques and formed a band called "The Plague". He later then joined another band called "Aircraft".

In 1979, he played his first concert in front of a small crowd at La Jolla High School. As he played with other local bands, his name started to become known as a young talented guitar player in San Diego. He later graduated from high school in 1981.

Ratt

Some years later, DeMartini joined Mickey Ratt, later Ratt, replacing his friend, Jake E. Lee. DeMartini was at one point the roommate of Lee, and greatly influenced each other's styles.fact|date=May 2008 DeMartini was rumored to have been approached by Ratt vocalist and longtime friend Stephen Pearcy, following Lee's departure from Ratt to join Rough Cutt.

DeMartini helped write some of the band's biggest hits including: "Round and Round", "Lay It Down", "Body Talk", "Way Cool Jr." and "Shame Shame Shame". Ratt issued four consecutive platinum albums and one EP in the 1980s, until the band disbanded in 1992.

After Ratt

After Ratt broke up, DeMartini was briefly a touring guitarist for hard rock band Whitesnake in 1994. After that, he released two albums: the EP, "Surf's Up!" in 1995, and his only full-length album to date, "Crazy Enough To Sing To You" in 1996. Ratt re-united by the end of 1996 and released two albums, Collage in July 1997 and their self-titled album in July 1999, which was a critical and commercial failure. In 2003 DeMartini was hired to replace guitarist Doug Aldrich in the band Dio but after several rehearsals they decided not to record and tour together due to musical differences. Ratt reformed and began a tour in the summer of 2007.

Influences

Over the years DeMartini has cited many legendary guitarists or other musicians as his primary musical influences such as Jimi Hendrix, Pete Townshend, Robbin Crosby, Uli Roth, Joe Walsh, Jake E. Lee, Joe Perry, Miles Davis, Eddie Van Halen, George Lynch and Randy Rhoads.Fact|date=August 2007(SomeKindaJones)

Discography

Ratt

*"Ratt EP" (1983)
*"Out of the Cellar" (1984)
*"Invasion of Your Privacy" (1985)
*"Dancing Undercover" (1986)
*"Reach for the Sky" (1988)
*"Detonator" (1990)
*"Ratt & Roll 81-91" (1991)
*"Collage" (1997)
*"Ratt" (1999)
*"" (2007)
*"Ratt Comes Back" (TBA)

Solo

*"Crazy Enough to Sing to You" (1996)

External links

* [http://www.therattpack.com Official RATT Website]
* [http://www.myspace.com/therattpack RATT Official Myspace]