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Jon Oliva




Most famous for his time as frontman and vocalist to the band Savatage , Jon Oliva has also composed music for the Trans-Siberian Orchestra , headed up the 1993 project Dr. Butcher and his own 2005 album Jon Oliva's Pain . Oliva is known to his fans as ''The Mountain King''.

Oliva once suffered from substance abuse problems that reportedly reached their peak during the tour for the album may be semi-autobiographical in this regard, although Oliva denies it. While in rehab, he penned much of the music for the Gutter Ballet album.

In 1992 , Oliva stepped down as the lead singer of Savatage. On October 17 , 1993 , Jon's younger brother Criss Oliva was killed in a tragic car accident on his way back from a show in Tampa, FL. Savatage's 1994 album Handful Of Rain is considered Jon's tribute to his brother. He, along with Alex Skolnick , formerly of Testament and Zak Stevens, recorded the album together, although it was eventually credited to be a Savatage record, many consider it a solo album. Jon again performed vocal duties for Savatage's 1995 album Dead Winter Dead , supplying vocals to the tracks ''I Am'' and ''Doesn't Matter Anyway''. Jon was still involved in every song Savatage recorded despite his absence from the vocal credits. In 2001, after Zak Stevens left the band citing family reasons, Jon returned to provide vocals for Savatage's new album, Poets And Madmen . It was his first appearance as a lead vocalist on a Savatage record in 10 years.

He was featured on the album ''WWF Full Metal'' in 1996, singing the song ''We're All Together Now'' with several WWF Professional Wrestlers .