Sully Erna

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Sully Erna

Salvatore Paul "Sully" Erna (born February 7, 1968 in Lawrence, Massachusetts), is an American vocalist and primary songwriter for the metal band, Godsmack. Erna is also a guitarist and drummer, performing these both on albums and during live shows. He has a daughter named Skylar Brooke Erna and an older sister named Maria.[1] He was voted as #47 in the top 100 best heavy metal vocalists in the Hit Parader magazine 2006 poll.[2]

Biography

Early life

Sully began playing drums at the age of 3. His father, Salvatore Erna, was a trumpet player and would rehearse in the basement where Sully would watch and fall asleep in an empty guitar case. His great grandfather was a famous composer in Sicily, where every year they honor his birthday and his pictures are hung in a museum.[citation needed] At the age of 11 he discovered that it was easier for him to listen to something and play it than read sheet music. He stopped taking lessons and practiced at home rehearsing to records by Aerosmith, Led Zeppelin, Motörhead and Rush.[citation needed]

Music career

At 14, Dave Vose became his new instructor. He signed his first record deal in 1993 with a band called Strip Mind. Their debut album "What's in Your Mouth" sold less than 50,000 units. The band self-destructed shortly after. In Godsmack concerts he plays the bongos and a large drum set, staging a drumming duel known as Batalla de los Tambores with drummer Shannon Larkin. This battle has become a staple of the band's live show. He is also a harmonica player as present on the Godsmack song "Shine Down". It was recently announced that Sully will work on a solo record due out sometime in 2010, it will stray away from the hard rock of Godsmack. Sully wrapped up his acoustic tour with one final show at The House of Blues in Las Vegas, Nevada on June 28.

Erna has also worked with his local music scene. In April 2005, Sully participated in New Hampshire's Battle of the Bands Competition. The winner (a band called Zion who hails from Salem) had the opportunity to record a demo at Sully's California studio.[3]

Solo work

Erna recently told Glam-Metal.com that doing his first solo shows were "extremely nerve-wracking," adding, "My first show, I was really, really nervous. Honestly, I haven't been that nervous since I was, I don't know, maybe 10 years old at a talent show or something." Erna kicked off his first solo acoustic trek on May 1 in Niagara Falls, New York and closed it out on May 31 in Las Vegas. The shows have combined Godsmack songs with a few new originals and covers ranging from The Beatles to Alice In Chains to the theme from "Love Story".

Regarding how he went about selecting the material used for his solo show, Erna said, "I wanted to stick a couple of originals in and try them out because there was a couple of songs that were done on the piano or the guitar that I wrote that I don't think I would use on a GODSMACK record," he said. "For example, 'Eyes of a Child' and 'Until Then'. It was a great opportunity to showcase that and see if I can hit home with the people on those two pieces. Those songs are the most emotional pieces of the evening. One song is about children born with or dying from AIDS and the other is about a tribute to the troops of the United States Armed Forces."

Erna told The Pulse of Radio that playing some new material live is a good way for him to test out songs that might not work for Godsmack. "We're all musicians and we like to write music and not necessarily rock all the time," he said. "So, you know, if I sit home and I'm writing on the piano and sometimes just cool songs are written that don't necessarily fit maybe what you do with Godsmack, but you don't wanna not record them."

Erna stated at the time that he planned to work on his first solo album,[4]

On March 4, 2009, Blabbermouth.net reported that Erna had completed work on his first solo album, Avalon, coming out September 14, 2010. Although, the single Sinner's Prayer will be on radio stations and on sale everywhere August 3, 2010. Erna described the album as being "a very different kind of sounding record," and "a huge departure from anything I've ever done."[5]

The album include Lisa Guyer on vocals, classically trained Cellist Irina Chirkova of Bulgaria, and from Ireland, percussionist Niall Gregory of Dead Can Dance, Chris Lester and Tim Therriault.

Three days later, Rockerrazzi.com posted an interview with Erna in which he said that the record "should be out in the next two months."[6] In further describing the album's sound, Erna said that "it's very eclectic," and "tribal" with "a lot of hand drumming" and "beautiful piano compositions."[6] He also stated that he "worked with a percussion session for Dead Can Dance" and that the album will feature Lisa Guyer, who had performed backing vocals for the song "Hollow" on Godsmack's previous album.[6]

Erna's debut solo album is titled Avalon, and it was released on 14 September 2010. According to The Pulse Of Radio, Sully Erna is planning his debut solo tour for sometime in early 2011, possibly in February or March.[7]

Working on The Expendables soundtrack

Sully Erna told the Artisan News Service in a video interview that he was approached to record a song called "Sinner's Prayer" for this year's Sylvester Stallone blockbuster "The Expendables", which will also feature Jason Statham, Jet Li, Mickey Rourke and Randy Couture.[8]

It was later revealed that the song would not be featured in the film or the soundtrack because the original scene that the song was meant to play in was re-edited and the final product didn't fit with the song.

Other work

Sully Erna is good friends with Criss Angel and has participated in several episodes of Criss Angel's Mindfreak TV show. Sully co-wrote and performs Mindfreak's new theme song "MF2" and appeared in the music video along with Criss Angel and Godsmack drummer Shannon Larkin.[9]

Sully Erna is also featured in Mötley Crüe music video "White Trash Circus" released on February 25, 2009.

The Paths We Choose

File:The Paths We Choose.jpg
The Paths We Choose Cover.

Erna released a memoir entitled The Paths We Choose on his birthday, February 7, 2007. The book details his struggles during the first 30 years of his life, up until the time Godsmack landed a record deal.

"The book is basically just my life from the time I was born until Godsmack started," Erna said. "I wanted to write about the whole experience of trying to get there, and hopefully that will inspire some people that maybe are still in the ghettos or trying to dig their way out of a hole. I mean, we're all human and we weren't born rock stars. So I think there's an interesting story to tell of the pain and struggling. You know, being poor and being raised in crazy neighborhoods. If kids can see that they’ll be able to relate to anything they have a dream for."[10]

The book sold 100,000 copies in its first month of release, and to date has shipped 300,000 copies worldwide.

Poker

Sully Erna participated in the 2006 World Series of Poker main event in which he made a brief appearance on the ESPN broadcast of the event; it was mentioned that he was the last of the celebrity entries. He finished in 713th out of 8,773 earning him $17,730.[3]

Erna also played in the 2007 World Series of Poker main event. After the elimination of Tobey Maguire, Erna was the final celebrity remaining. He placed in 237th out of a field of 6,358, earning $45,422. To complement his placing at the World Series of Poker, he placed 2nd in a preliminary event at Bellagio's 5 Diamond World Poker Classic, where he lost to J.C Tran but earned $307,325 as a consolation.[11]

Sully also competed in the 2007 VH1 Celebrity Rock and Roll Tournament with Ace Frehley, Vinnie Paul, Scott Ian, and Dusty Hill. Erna took second, losing to Scott Ian of Anthrax.

Haiti 2010 earthquake

Godsmack, Creed and Rage Against the Machine guitarist Tom Morello are some of the music luminaries who have partnered with multi-media company DC3 Music Group to raise enough money to pack an MD-80 airplane with supplies and medical personnel and send it to Haiti. According to a press release, the plane is scheduled to leave from Long Beach, California on Wednesday (January 27) and bring 10,000 pounds of medical supplies, along with doctors and medical staff, to the city of Port-au-Prince, which was devastated by a massive earthquake on January 12, 2010.

Erna said in a statement, "Since I can't be there to help in person, I want to make my contribution as a fellow human being to give what I can while I'm in the fortunate situation that I am to help those that are so unfortunate in this time of tragedy."[12]

Personal life

Car accident

Erna was quite shaken up from the three-car chain-reaction accident in Methuen, Massachusetts he caused when his Hummer H3 rear-ended another car on April 11, 2007, resulting in the serious injury of its back-seat passenger. "He's deeply concerned for the girl who was hurt in this unfortunate accident," said his manager, Paul Geary, in reference to 25-year-old Chelmsford resident Lindsay Taylor. "Sully's thankful he got out with a split lip and some aches and pains, but he's traumatized about the girl," according to the April 17, 2007 Boston Herald.

Taylor was sitting in the back seat of a Toyota Camry that was struck from behind by a Hummer H3 driven by Erna. Erna was not injured in the accident, police said. The Camry was pushed forward and rear-ended a Honda Odyssey driven by a Londonderry, New Hampshire woman. The crash occurred about 7 p.m. on the ramp leading from I-93 south to Route 213.

Taylor was initially reported to be in a coma and on life support with critical injuries, was upgraded to serious status after she was flown to Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center [13] and has since returned home, reportedly with brain injuries. On March 31, 2008, Taylor filed an auto negligence lawsuit against Erna in Federal Court.[14]

Gear

References

  1. ^ The Paths We Choose official website.
  2. ^ http://www.roadrunner.com/corner.htm
  3. ^ New Hampshire People - Sully Erna of Godsmack NewHampshire.com
  4. ^ Godsmack Frontman Performs Metallica's 'Nothing Else Matters' - June 27, 2008 - Blabbermouth.net
  5. ^ "Godsmack Singer Calls Solo Album 'A Huge Departure'". Blabbermouth.Net. 2009-03-05. {{cite web}}: Text "Blabbermouth.Net" ignored (help)
  6. ^ a b c "Rockerrazzi.com Talks to Sully Erna". Rockerrazzi.com via YouTube. Retrieved 2009-06-05.
  7. ^ http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=151309
  8. ^ "Sully Erna Working on The Expendables soundtrack" Metalrage.com. Retrieved on November 19, 2009.
  9. ^ "Sully Erna with Mindfreak" Godsmack.com. Retrieved on July 14, 2009.
  10. ^ "Godsmack Let Demons Go On Next LP - News Story". MTV.com. Retrieved 2009-02-10. {{cite web}}: Text "MTV.com" ignored (help)
  11. ^ [1]
  12. ^ "Erna Help Send Supply Plane To Haiti" blabbermouth.Net. Retrieved on January 28, 2010.
  13. ^ Eagle Tribune,
  14. ^ [2]
  15. ^ "Sully Erna Drums Gear" Yamaha.com. Retrieved on May 31, 2009.

External links

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