Information AboutGary Pihl |
| CATEGORIES ABOUT GARY PIHL | |
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He lived for many years in Petaluma in Sonoma County California with his wife Marilee and his son Scott (Scooter) and Cory (the Legend). At his home recording studio, he worked with the founding members of a band that would be called "Night Ranger". They recorded the Night Ranger "Midnight Madness" debut album at his home studio. Night Ranger was then called "Ranger" but found the name used by another band and changed it prior to the album release. He also played with several other bands including Day Blindness, Crossfire (Steve Jones, Mitchell Froom,David Froom,Phil Marshall with Jeff Dornfield as manager), Stark Raving Mad (Gary on guitar and Lead vocals, Donovan Stark, Paul Taylor later of Winger and Jay Causbrook, with Eric Martin of Mr. Big joining after Gary left, among other players), and Alliance. (Note: There have been several different bands named Alliance.) Crossfire was the pre-eminent original playing rock band in Sonoma County in the mid-1970's. The band featured an ARP Odyssey and ARP String Ensemble played by Mitchell Froom (who would later become know for the soundtrack to La Bomba and other films while also producing bands in LA). Crossfire's seminal moment was their performance at the "Stop the Dam Concert" held at Sonoma State College, (now Sonoma State University). The concert was to raise awareness and funds to stop the Army Corps of Engineers construction of the Lake Sonoma Dam project in Geyserville's Dry Creek Valley. Crossfire's use of sythesizers was a first for Sonoma county bands, later Stark Raving Mad with Gary in it followed suit. Before leaving Stark Raving Mad to join Sammy Hagar he was known for songs that he would write like, "Olga on the Volga". Sammy Hagar was the opening act on Boston's second tour in 1978. It was on that tour that first he met Tom Scholz. The two of them found out how much they had in common with their extensive 'home studios' and techniques. It set up a life long bond and a few years later Tom asked Gary to the band. Gary made other introductions with Jeff Dornfield becoming road manager for Boston for a period of time. Also he brought in Doug Huffman another drummer from Sebastopol in Sonoma County when Boston needed a replacement. Still later David Sikes in bass from Fairfield California near Sonoma County. DISCOGRAPHY With Day Blindness
With Sammy Hagar
With Boston
With Alliance
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