Chris Holmes | |
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Holmes in 2014
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Background information | |
Birth name | Christopher John Holmes |
Born |
Glendale, California, United States |
June 23, 1958
Genres | Heavy metal |
Occupation(s) | Musician Songwriter |
Instruments | Guitar, keyboards, backing vocals |
Years active | 1978–present |
Associated acts |
W.A.S.P. Psycho Squad Animal Big Ball Stars L.A. Guns Where Angels Suffer Stonebreed Mean Man |
Christopher John Holmes, born June 23, 1958 in Glendale, California, is a heavy metal guitarist and songwriter who grew up in La Canada, California. Holmes started his musical career in the Pasadena, California area in the late 1970s and early 1980s. He is best known as the lead guitarist of heavy-metal band W.A.S.P. Together with Blackie Lawless and Randy Piper, he was one of the founding members of the band. Holmes was a member of W.A.S.P. first from 1982 to 1990, and again from 1996 to 2002.
Prior to meeting Blackie Lawless and Randy Piper, and joining W.A.S.P., Holmes played guitar with Los Angeles bands Buster Savage, LAX, and Slave. Holmes joined W.A.S.P. in 1982, and remained with the group until 1990. In 1996 Holmes rejoined W.A.S.P., and remained lead guitarist until 2001. Holmes has not played with W.A.S.P. since.
Holmes was contacted by friend and former bandmate Randy Piper to join Piper's new project, Animal. Holmes quickly relocated to Ohio to prepare for Animal's upcoming "900 lb Steam" tour. The tour was considered successful, and after its conclusion, Animal recorded tracks for a new album.
After Holmes returned to Los Angeles in late 2003, he began working with several Southern California-based metal groups, producing and contributing guitar tracks. In 2007, Holmes was involved with the filming of a Randy Rhoads documentary directed by Peter M. Margolis, which has yet to be released. Holmes appears briefly in a 2009 episode of VH1's Rock Docs, "Do It For The Band: The Women of Sunset Strip." In the Summer of 2009 Holmes released Secret Society's "Death by Misadventure."
In 2010, he joined Where Angels Suffer with Randy Piper on guitar, Steve Unger (Metal Church) on bass, Rich Lewis (Animal), on vocals, and Stet Howland on drums (Blackfoot, Lita Ford, Killing Machine, Belladonna, Impellitteri, Sister and W.A.S.P.). Ira Black has since replaced Piper. The band toured Europe for the first time in 2011.