Jon Schaffer

Jon Schaffer
Jon Schaffer in 2012
Background information
Birth name	Jon Ryan Schaffer
Born	(1968-03-15) March 15, 1968 (age 49) Franklin, Indiana
Genres	Heavy metal, power metal, thrash metal, progressive metal
Instruments	Guitar, bass guitar, vocals
Years active	1984–present
Labels	Century Media, SPV
Associated acts	Iced Earth, Demons and Wizards, Sons of Liberty

Jon Ryan Schaffer (born March 15, 1968) is an American heavy metal musician. He is best known as the guitarist and last remaining original member of the Florida-based heavy metal band Iced Earth, which he formed in 1985 under the name "Purgatory". He also sings in his side project Sons of Liberty and played guitar for Demons and Wizards, his collaboration with Blind Guardian frontman Hansi Kürsch.

Jon was originally introduced to rock music at the age of three. His older sister introduced Jon to bands such as Black Sabbath, Deep Purple, Alice Cooper and Blue Öyster Cult. In 1979, at the age of eleven, Jon attended a Kiss concert with his father. Since then, Jon has said that this was the moment when he realized what he wanted to do for a living.

Jon Schaffer went to a Lutheran school for five years, during which he developed a lot of anger and rebellion, due to the abusive nature of the pastors. On one occasion, one of the pastors shoved a bar of soap down Jon's throat, because the pastor felt threatened due to Jon's refusal to submit, after he couldn't answer Jon's questions about evolution versus creationism. According to Jon, this did have an effect on him forming a band, so that he could "prove these people wrong".

In 1984, at the age of 16, Jon moved to Tampa, Florida. Shortly before he left, one of Jon's childhood friends died in a motorcycle accident, which made Jon even more determined to move to Florida and start a band. While in Tampa, Jon slept in his car until he nearly lost his life in a car accident, after which he got an apartment and a job as a roofer.

In 1984, Jon formed a short-lived band called "The Rose". The band quickly broke up, after which Jon formed, what would later become Iced Earth, under the name "Purgatory" on January 20, 1985. Jon played rhythm guitar and also designed the band's logo. The logo had originally been used for The Rose, but after the band broke up, Jon reused the logo for Purgatory and later on for Iced Earth.