Gregg Rolie
| Gregg Rolie | |
|---|---|
Rolie performing with Ringo Starr & His All-Starr Band in June 2014
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Gregg Alan Rolie |
| Born |
June 17, 1947 Seattle, Washington, United States |
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| Instruments |
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| Years active | 1965–present |
| Associated acts |
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| Website | greggrolie |
| Notable instruments | |
| Hammond B3 organ | |
Gregg Alan Rolie (born June 17, 1947, Seattle, Washington, United States) is an American singer and keyboardist. Rolie served as lead singer of the bands Santana, Journey and Abraxas Pool – all of which he co-founded. He also helmed rock group The Storm, and currently performs with his Gregg Rolie Band. Rolie is a two-time inductee of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, having been inducted both as a member of Santana in 1998 and as a member of Journey in 2017.
Prior to Santana, Rolie played with a group called William Penn and his Pals while attending Cubberley High School in Palo Alto, California, circa 1965. A year after graduating from high school in 1965, Rolie joined Carlos Santana and others to form the Santana Blues Band, which was later shortened simply to Santana. As a co-founding member of Santana, Rolie was part of the band's first wave of success, including an appearance at the in 1969 and central roles in several hit albums. He is perhaps best known for being their original lead vocalist, with his voice appearing on well-known Santana songs such as "Black Magic Woman" (US #4), "Oye Como Va", "No One To Depend On" and "Evil Ways". He also became well known for his skill on the Hammond B3 organ, with solos on many of the aforementioned hits. However, persistent differences with Carlos Santana regarding the musical direction of the band led Rolie to leave at the end of 1971.
In 1973 Rolie joined a new band with ex-Santana guitarist Neal Schon. This became Journey. Starring in a lineup that featured Schon, Aynsley Dunbar, George Tickner, and Ross Valory, he was keyboardist for the band's first six albums. On Journey and Look into the Future, he was lead vocalist, and on Next he shared those duties with guitarist Neal Schon. After Steve Perry joined the band in 1977, Rolie sang co-lead vocals on several songs on the albums Infinity, Evolution, and Departure.
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