In 1973, Vai began to take guitar lessons from fellow New York native Joe Satriani, and played in local bands (The Ohio Express, Circus, and Rayge) throughout his high school years. At age eleven, Vai was introduced to the contemporary rock and progressive music of the era, and after hearing the guitar solo to Led Zeppelin's " Heartbreaker" at age twelve, decided to begin playing the guitar. One album in particular that he cites as his "musical awakening" was the original motion picture soundtrack to the 1961 film West Side Story. It was the coolest thing I had ever seen." Īs a young child, Vai was influenced by the music his parents had listened to. When I saw that guitar and I saw this kid playing it, I knew instinctually that I was going to play the guitar someday, and that it would be my instrument. It was my first recognition of the instrument. It was a year later, at the age of six, that Vai experienced his first introduction to the guitar, remembering that, "I saw this nine-year-old boy playing the guitar in my grade school auditorium, and that was another epiphany that I had. I realized that I could do this, I could make music, and it could be whatever I want." I also understood immediately, instinctually, and unequivocally something that has only deepened through the years that the creation of music is an infinite personal expression. I was flooded with the instinctual realization of how music was created and how it worked from a theoretical standpoint-the whole language of music was very obvious. In that very moment, I had a full-on epiphany. He described his first experiences with music as, "at the age of five I walked up to piano, hit a note, and noticed that to the right the notes go higher and to the left the notes go lower. He is the fourth son of John and Theresa Vai. Steve Vai, a descendant of Italian immigrants, was born in Carle Place, New York on June 6, 1960.
He was voted the "10th Greatest Guitarist" by Guitar World magazine, and has sold over 15 million records. He released his first solo album Flex-Able in 1984, while his most successful release, Passion and Warfare (1990), was described as "the richest and best hard rock guitar-virtuoso album of the '80s". Vai has been described as a "highly individualistic player" and part of a generation of "heavy rock and metal virtuosi who came to the fore in the 1980s". Additionally, Vai has toured with live-only acts G3, Zappa Plays Zappa, and the Experience Hendrix tour, as well as headlining international tours. Blige, Spinal Tap, Alice Cooper, Motörhead and Polyphia. He has recorded and toured with Alcatrazz, David Lee Roth, and Whitesnake, as well as recording with artists such as Public Image Ltd, Mary J.
He embarked on a solo career in 1983 and has released eight solo albums to date.
A three-time Grammy Award winner and fifteen-time nominee, Vai started his music career in 1978 at the age of eighteen as a transcriptionist for Frank Zappa, and played in Zappa's band from 1980 to 1983. Steven Siro Vai ( / v aɪ/ born June 6, 1960) is an American guitarist, composer, songwriter, and producer.
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