Alter Bridge Biography

Alter Bridge is:
Myles Kennedy - Lead vocals and live rhythm guitar
Mark Tremonti - Lead guitar and backing vocals
Scott Phillips - Drums/percussion
Brian Marshall - Bass guitar
(Click the names to jump to individual biographies)

Biography from AlterBridge.com:
The evolution of Mark Tremonti, Scott Phillips and Brian Marshall as artists is marked with the debut of Alter Bridge. After selling 30 million albums worldwide, Creed has called it quits and its members have chosen to pursue new creative directions. Over three albums, Creed achieved countless industry accolades, had two # 1 albums, and played to millions of fans around the world. Guitarist/ songwriter Mark Tremonti states, “After all Creed achieved professionally, I felt that I needed to refocus on the goals that I had personally. One of those goals was to get back to my rock and roll roots. After Creed took a break, band-mate Scott Phillips and I started to jam together again and realized that we both shared the same vision and were surprisingly anxious to get back out there and start doing it again.” The evolution continued when original Creed bassist Brian Marshall, who was not part of Creed’s Weathered album and had been working as a musician/ producer at his home studio, got a call from Tremonti. “When I got the call from Mark I could tell by the tone of his voice that Alter Bridge was something that he was really excited about and I immediately knew that I wanted to be a part of it. He told me, ‘Your bass playing matches the sound more than any other, you’re the guy’, he told me. It’s great to be working with those guys again, we haven’t skipped a beat,” Marshall notes.

In addition to Tremonti, Phillips and Marshall is Myles Kennedy. Myles, formerly of the Mayfield Four, was recruited to be the band’s singer. Tremonti’s search for a vocalist had begun in late 2003. “We didn’t have a timetable and we were prepared to take as much time as needed to search the world for the best available rock and roll vocalist when we remembered Myles from the Mayfield Four who had opened for Creed in 1998,” Tremonti recalls. “We called him and asked him to lay down vocals on a couple of tracks we were working on. None of us could recall hearing someone with his voice or passion – as soon as we heard what he did we knew he was the guy. Then he came down to rehearse with us in Orlando and he was one of the nicest and most humble people we had ever met; everything just clicked with all four of us. As we were running through the songs, the future fell into place before our eyes.”

The shared vision of the band seemed to coincide with a concept from Tremonti’s youth, and the name ‘Alter Bridge’ was born. The name comes from a long-standing bridge near Tremonti’s childhood home in Detroit, which was often regarded as a boundary to the children in surrounding neighborhoods; beyond it was uncharted territory. The small bridge epitomized “choice” and “the unknown” for Tremonti. While there remains a sense of familiarity amongst he, Phillips and Marshall, there is a natural level of excitement that is evoked from what is new, and ultimately unknown, about the future– they are truly starting a new chapter in their lives. Tremonti notes, “It’s a new road ahead of us, but the essence of this band is organic and honest rock n’ roll. The music is driven by melody and instrumentation. It is all about fun, and if it weren’t, I doubt any of us would be committed to the new band to the level that we are.”

As a way of indoctrinating Myles into the fold, the three chose an interesting initiation rite –they all went bungee jumping over a ledge from a 300-foot drop. As Phillips mentions, “This is representative of what is going on with the new band. Everything is a lot of fun for us.” Tremonti adds, “The three of us have always been great friends, so it was important to find somebody who could fit in and who we would be comfortable with. There is no doubt that Myles is that guy.”

On joining the fold, Kennedy mentions, “When the call came in from Mark, I was working on a solo record in Spokane, Washington and I didn’t expect to ever be a part of another rock band. Now that I am here, these guys are the antithesis of the prototypical rock stars, and the setting has made me feel more empowered than ever before.” Prior to joining Alter Bridge, Myles had been signed to Epic Records and released two albums with the Mayfield Four. Kennedy explains, “The experience was incredibly significant in preparing me for this opportunity, and I learned a tremendous amount.”

Alter Bridge’s debut album One Day Remains (Wind-up) was produced by Ben Grosse (Filter, Fuel, Sevendust). When asked about the choice Phillips mentions, “Personally, I have always been a big fan of his.” Tremonti weighs in, “I spoke to John Connolly from Sevendust and his thoughts combined with the sound of the Filter record were enough for me.” The selection is a perfect choice considering the fact that according to Kennedy, “The music we are creating covers a fairly wide scope and crosses a lot of boundaries – there are elements of modern rock, soul, and aggressive metal all incorporated into the mix.” Tremonti shared, “With this album, we are trying to learn from our past but begin with a different perspective. Ben definitely offered the setting we were looking for, and on a production level, his recordings are sonically huge. On the Filter album, you think every instrument will be drowned out by another in the mix, but he has this knack for making each track stand out without losing any of its sonic power.”

The majority of the songs took root in a small handheld recorder where Tremonti started by recording riffs and melodies. “The first track I started to work on was Shed My Skin - it really digs into events of my past that shape who I am today. From a lyrical perspective, I spent more time on this one than any of the others. All you have to do is listen and you will get a pretty clear picture of where I am coming from.” He continues, “There are a lot of themes on this record that are very personal, for example In Loving Memory is about my mother who recently passed away. In terms of purely personal significance, you cannot get any deeper than that. It is definitely a sad, but uplifting song.”

This band displays a respect for the roots of where rock came from. The lineage for the material ultimately draws its closest connection to the Seventies. As Tremonti mentioned, “Back in the Seventies, there seemed to be a greater focus on great melodies and great musicianship. Melody is the core of everything. It is more important than a vocal, drum fill, or bass line. Melodies run the show, and without them there is nothing.” He went on, “The Seventies can really be defined by one word --- real. From the beginning we have tried to work within the parameters of being true to that quality, while at the same time bringing the sound into the 21st Century. I do believe that the realness comes out in this music purely as a product of us doing this for the fun of it. It begins and ends with the love of the music.” Kennedy offers, “It is so important to begin with a great song. If the song is not there, it will never work. A great, timeless song is what rock n’ roll has always been about. Down to My Last, gave me the chills when I first heard it, and that hasn’t happened to me in a very long time.”

Given the history that Tremonti, Phillips and Marshall have together, there is obviously a natural continuity that still exists between Creed and Alter Bridge, yet there are new and significant dynamics in Alter Bridge’s music that can definitely be pointed to. Most notably, on tracks such as Open Your Eyes and Find The Real, the compositions feature Tremonti singing more harmonies than he has in the past. Also, with Myles there is the additional dynamic of having a second guitarist when the band plays live that definitely makes a significant impact. Tremonti adds, “Myles also brings an amazing vocal approach to the material he is able to deliver with an amazing ease, whether he is hitting the highest of the highs or the lowest of the lows. His natural projection is amazing.” Lastly, the trademark soliloquy guitar intro to the songs that made many of Creed’s tunes so poignant continues to find life within many of the compositions that make up this repertoire, and the guitarist continues to be a purveyor of tasteful guitar lines. The impact of the reunion of Phillips and Marshall is also very evident. Both players emerge as forces in their own right – whether it’s Marshall controlling the groove on Burn it Down, or Phillips delivering a constant rush in Metallingus.

As the quartet awaits the release of their debut, there is, as Marshall points out, “A combined level of excitement and fear in starting over. It definitely does feel, for at least me personally, like the My Own Prison days.” Phillips continued, “The most significant things that we are taking from the Creed experience are the lessons that we learned. From the beginning, we decided that it would be unfair to the fans and ourselves if anyone other than Creed were out there playing Creed songs. We truly believe that the decisions we’ve made for our future are the right ones. After writing and rehearsing the new material, we are confident that we’ve made the right choices.” Tremonti added in summation, “It’s no longer about the past – it’s about the future. This is a new band and a new beginning.”

Other Links:
VH1 biography
Yahoo! Music bio
Wikipedia entry
MTV bio
alterbridgeband.net biography

Myles Kennedy sings lead vocals live and in the studio, and plays rhythm guitar during some songs in concert.

Myles kennedy, formerly of "the Mayfield Four", joined Alter Bridge in 2004.  He an "the Mayfield Four" bandmater Zia Uddin were friends since elemetary school, and both graduated from Mead High School in Spokane, Washington.  "The Mayfield Four" toured as an opening band for Creed, and has since broken up.

In 2001, Myles appeared as "Thor" in the movie "Rockstar" (2001).

After Creed disbanded, the three members of Alter Bridge recruited Myles to be their lead singer. After hearing a few song voice-overs they had Myles do on new songs, and remembering his riveting performances with "the Mayfield Four", they asked him to join Alter Bridge.   Although Myles has been diagnosed with Tinnitus, he could not turn down the opportunity to go back to work as a rock star.  They took his three-octave voice into the studio and produced some of the most amazing music ever on their debut album "One Day Remains".

Interestingly, Myles was offered the opportunity to join Slash, Duff McKagan, Matt Sorum, and Dave Kushner to be the new lead singer of Velvet Revolver, but he declined.

Myles now delivers stellar performances as Alter Bridge's lead singer, singing with diamond-like precision and emotion.

Other Links:
imdb listing
Wikipedia entry
Mayfield Four website

Mark Tremonti plays all guitars parts in the studio, and sings backup vocals both live and in the studio.

Name : Mark Thomas Tremonti
Nickname:  "Tru"
DOB : April 18, 1974
Birthplace : Detriot, Michigan
Height:  6'1.5"
Favorite Album : Metallica - Master of Puppets
Influences : Metallica, Anthrax, Slayer, Venom, Celtic Frost, Rollins-era

Mark Tremonti, born in Detroit, was brought up with his brothers Michael and Daniel in a Christian background although he never liked going to church. He went the Detroit Public where he had many friends and obtained grades that were just good enough to progress through his schooling life. However, he had to abandon his friends when he and his family moved to Grosse Point, Michigan, choosing the quiet life. This was not the only change he would encounter and soon they moved again to Wilmette, IL. Mark wasn't greatly bothered by the moves, as he made friends quite easily.

It was when Mark was 11 that his brothers Daniel and Michael Tremonti started exposing him to then-rock-gods like KISS and Metalica and led him down the rock and metal path. Mark was greatly inspired by this music and it was around Christmas time 1985 that he bought his first guitar, a T.A.R.A - which was a gibson les paul knock off - for $25 from a man who wanted him to play in his band. Mark, enthralled by the deal, immediately signed up for lessons but quit after 2 weeks as "They were teaching me Mary Had A Little Lamb when I wanted to learn Master of Puppets ". Instead Mark began to teach himself, buying a few tab books and trying to learn his favourite songs, practicing them until he got them right.

It was in Mark's teens that his mother was diognosed with Lupus. Mark was devastated. His mother's illness affected Mark as he began to go part gothic at his new school after moving again in 1990 to Orlando, Fl. He would roll under his car during breaks, and whilst pretending to be fixing something, he would smoke cigarette's. He got into bands like Megadeath and would be found wearing a Megadeth t-shirt under a White shirt at school. It was at this school, however, that Mark Tremonti and Scott Stapp first met. It was also here that Mark had his first rock band called Wit's End. They were your average high school rock star wannabe's, playing Motley Crue covers and other metal songs.

After High School Mark decided to major in financing. He attended Clemson University for a year before going back to Florida, where he reunited with Scott Stapp. At this point, Mark's guitar skills had reached a new level. It seemed as if destiny brought them together and after a few long discussions, they agreed to create a band together. After jamming a few times in Scott's dorm, they auditioned for a bassist and drummer, resulting in Brian Marshall (the ex-bassist for Creed) and Scott Phillips's selection. As the band sat down to think of a good band name, a funny article which Mark carried in his wallet, headlined Naked Toddler came to mind whcih led to the bands original name. But after a while, they realized they needed a change and Stapp and Marshall suggested Creed. For Stapp, it was rememberance of his roots (Stapp's ancestors were Creek Indians) and Marshall's old band was Maddox Creed. Mark and Scott P agreed and Creed was born. The first song they recorded was a song called "Grip My Soul". After they had written a few songs, they put together all the money they had and recorded an album on their own independant record label called "Blue Collar Records". The album, called "My Own Prison" took only $6,000 to make, and only 6,000 copies were made. Creed began to tour around America, with one thing in mind. If on that day 10 people would come, and if they liked it, they would tell 10 more. The next time they came to that city, there would be 20, then 50, then 100, and so on. Finally Creed got thier break when a Radio Jockey in "The Laser" Milwaukee heard about Creed and decided to check them out. He heard My Own Prison and the song was played, and became one of the main reasons why Creed are where they are today. Mark and the others realising that they could not hit the big time on a small label signed a record deal with Wind Up records. They re-recorded the album My Own Prison, with a few small changes to the lyrics and guitar, and released it in 1997. They album was a huge hit. Since they signed onto Wind up, they have had 8 Number 1 singles, 3 Multi Platinum albums (My Own Prison - 6 times platinum, Human clay - 10 times platinum or Diamond, Weathered - 6 times platinum) in the U.S. alone, From playing a cheap Gibson knock off, Mark now has his own Paul Reed Smith Mark Tremonti Singlecut guitar, and Mark Tremonti Morley power wah pedal (with a possibility of his own taylor acousitc). Yet he's the most down to earth person in the world, enjoying hobbies cuch as video games and table tennis (ping-pong). Infact, now that he can afford it, Mark was able to fulfill his childhood dream by owning 18 pinball machines.

With Creed's success Mark has achieved best guitarist of the year for 3 years and his success continues as he works on new projects, working with other bands and writing new music.

In the break from Creed that would eventually see the band split up, Mark worked on producing for bands such as Submersed and with Troy Stetina, and has guest appeared on albums by Michael Angelo Batio and Fozzy. Mark's main project though had been creating a new band.

After going different ways from Scott Stapp, Mark along with Scott Phillips and Brian Marshall (who had left Creed and was brought back for the new band) begun work on creating new music. Mark stated, “After all Creed achieved professionally, I felt that I needed to refocus on the goals that I had personally. One of those goals was to get back to my rock and roll roots. After Creed took a break, band-mate Scott Phillips and I started to jam together again and realized that we both shared the same vision and were surprisingly anxious to get back out there and start doing it again.”

With the introduction of ex Mayfield Four singer Myles Kennedy, both an amazing singer and great person that they could get along with, Alter Bridge was born. The name comes from a long-standing bridge near Tremonti’s childhood home in Detroit, which was often regarded as a boundary to the children in surrounding neighborhoods; beyond it was uncharted territory. The small bridge epitomized “choice” and “the unknown” for Tremonti. While there remains a sense of familiarity amongst he, Phillips and Marshall, there is a natural level of excitement that is evoked from what is new, and ultimately unknown, about the future– they are truly starting a new chapter in their lives. Tremonti notes, “It’s a new road ahead of us, but the essence of this band is organic and honest rock n’ roll. The music is driven by melody and instrumentation. It is all about fun, and if it weren’t, I doubt any of us would be committed to the new band to the level that we are.”

And so Mark is now living a new chapter in his life as he tours with Alter Bridge with their material from the debut album "One Day Remains" and exploring other unknown territories as he has recently become a father.  Austen Tremonti was born on May 24th, 2005.

This bio was adopted from that which may be found at mark-tremonti.com

Other links:
imdb biography
Wikipedia entry

Scott Phillips plays drums and percussion, and any keyboards in the studio.

Thomas “Scott” Phillips, born February 22nd, 1973, in Georgia, has been playing music since he was a child.  He gew up in Madison, Florida, where learned piano when he was younger, and played saxophone in middle school and in the high school marching band.  During his senior year in high school, he started to play drums.  For a while he borrowed other peoples’ drum sets to “work his magic”, and his grandfather purchased him his first used drum kit.  He played in the jazz band at North Florida Junior College before enrolling at Florida State University, where he majored in business.

Scott (or “Flip”, a nickname coined by Mark Tremonti’s brother Daniel), comes from a very musical background.  His father was a trumpet-playing jazz enthusiast, his mother played piano and a little guitar, and his brother also plays the drums.  His father co-signed a loan for Scott to purchase his first real set of drums – a Premier Genista Kit on a Gibraltar rack with Zildjain cymbals.

Scott played for many bands before “Creed” including his first band, “Crosscut”.  He has worked many jobs including working at a knife and razor store in a Tallahassee mall, three years at Pizza Hut, and two months of selling vacuum cleaners!  Eventually he replaced the drummer for a band called “Naked Toddler”, which was soon renamed Creed.  Creed went on to sell a ton of records and tour a lot.  In August of 2001, Flip married his long-time girlfriend April, and on July 2nd, 2003, they had a child named Cadence.  In 2004, Creed officially broke up and Scott joined Mark Tremonti and former Creed bassist Brian Marshall in forming a new band “Alter Bridge”.

Among Scott’s influences are Will Calhoun (from “Living Color”), Matt Cameron (from “Soundgarden), and Lars Ulrich (from Metallica).  His favorite bands include Living Color, Tool, Pink Floyd, Led Zepplin, and Rush.  His favorite albums are Living Color’s “Time’s Up” and Pink Floyd’s “Dark Side of the Moon”.

Most of this information was taken from the bio page at FlipOnline.net

Other Links:
Wikipedia entry

Brian Marshall plays bass guitar.

Brian Marshall was born on April 24th, 1973, and grew up in Fort Walton Beach, Florida.  Brian was a founding member of Creed, and concieved the name for the band (which had previously been known as "Naked Toddler").  He is well known for his driving bass-line in Creed's hit song "My Own Prison".  In 2000, after making a somewhat derogatory comment about Pearl Jam (or rather their lead singer Eddie Vedder) on a Seattle Radio station, Marshall left the band citing "personal and professional reasons".  He and Stapp really just didn't get along to well, which isn't so hard to understand.

After departing from Creed, Marshall built a recording studio in his home and started working with a band called "Head Heavy".  In 2004 when Creed broke up, he recieved a call from Mark Tremonti asking him to join them as the bassist for Alter Bridge.  Brian accepted, and everyone is pretty happy to have him back.  He's an awesome bass guitar payer... listen to "Burn it Down" and you'll hear it.

Other Links:
Wikipedia entry
HeadHeavy band site (no longer up)