Jon Oliva
Encyclopedia
John Nicholas Oliva is best known simply as Jon Oliva and as founder of and lead vocalist for Savatage
. He is the third of four children. His younger brother was Criss Oliva
, the lead guitarist and co-founder of Savatage.
for four years until moving to Florida
with his family in 1976. Much like his brother Criss, Jon found music his calling during the family's time in California. Starting off with his father's piano, Jon dabbled in guitars, pianos and drums before buying "a really ugly bass". Jon and Criss continued their musical exploits and played a block party
, playing Kiss
, Deep Purple
and ZZ Top
covers. Although originally the guitar player of the brothers, Jon quickly realized Criss's talent was superior to his and stuck to singing and swapped with his brother and played bass.
Having been kicked out of high school in 1978, Jon needed a job, and was lucky enough to join a band called Metropolis, a band playing Bad Company
and Alice Cooper
cover songs. This gave Jon his first touring experience as the band played bars and clubs in various parts of Florida, but Jon quickly grew tired of the bars and clubs, leaving the band later that year.
Jon and Criss re-united to form Avatar, out of their two most recent bands, Alien and Tower respectively. Avatar would later become Savatage. Earning the envy of most other Floridan bands due to their "awesome equipment", Avatar was originally a five-piece, with Jon on drums and vocals, and Criss on guitar. The band slowly drifted apart until Jon and Criss remained, and the two got jobs at "The Pit", a practice shack where they met Steve Wacholz. Wacholz was very familiar with the Oliva brothers, who he first met in 1977. He saw Criss play at a local high school and was blown away. Very soon after, he auditioned for Jon's band, Alien. When he got to the audition, Wacholz recognized Criss and Jon as part of the band who had impressed him so much at the high school show. Steve would eventually join a new version of Avatar, joined later by bass player Keith Collins, who originally knew the band as they hired his equipment. Jon felt restrained by playing instruments and subsequently stuck to being the band's lead vocalist.
Avatar initially received exposure via a free Tampa Bay
music publication called Music Magazine, who recommended the band to Tampa
radio station WYNF
, who were holding a contest for a spot on an LP
. Avatar opened both sides of the LP with tracks "Rock Me" and "Minus Love". WYNF also gave the fledgling band concerts. In late 2006, footage was released onto the internet of an early performance by Avatar at a gig in a Clearwater, FL parking lot and was prominent in featuring an early version of the song "Holocaust", which would later be released on Savatage's first album and a cover of Van Halen's "Eruption
" and VH's version of "You Really Got Me
". Avatar's rising local stardom enabled them to record an LP with Par Records. An initial EP
, entitled City Beneath the Surface sold 1000 copies, and Par Records invited Avatar back to the studio to record a full album. However, there was an issue with a European band called Avatar who disagreed to the usage of the name, and the band needed to find a solution and fast, as the album was due to be pressed the following day. Jon and Criss were playing cards with their wives when they got a phone call and after initial tweaking, they finally arrived at Savatage. That full album was Sirens, the first Savatage record.
were becoming interested in the band, and label reps flew in from New York to see the band perform. Atlantic quickly got Savatage signed to a deal, but Savatage finished out their deal with Par, releasing EP
The Dungeons Are Calling
in 1984. The band's first release for Atlantic was unleashed in 1985, entitled Power of the Night
, the album was produced by Max Norman
, who had produced the legendary Ozzy Osbourne
/Randy Rhoads
albums Blizzard Of Ozz
and Diary of a Madman
as well as producing Megadeth
's hit 1992 album, Countdown to Extinction
among others. During this time, the band hired Johnny Lee Middleton
to replace Keith Collins on bass duties due to musical differences.
Savatage were finally getting exposure, but in 1986, the band released Fight for the Rock
, a stab at mainstream success that was driven primarily by Atlantic. Jon himself refers to the record as Fight for the Nightmare. The material was largely Jon's stuff written for a solo record and for other pop-rockers on Atlantic such as John Waite
. Later, Atlantic told the band that they would record the material themselves. Jon had however described the album as a good "musical and life experience".
Jon then met Paul O'Neill
, who saw that Savatage had the potential to be a big act. 1987's Hall of the Mountain King was released to critical acclaim and is cited by many fans as being one of the band's best works. Two music videos were released and received rotation on MTV
, for "24 Hours Ago" and the title track. On the resulting tour, Savatage supported Megadeth
and Dio
, but Jon had many conflicts with Dave Mustaine
, who at the time was a serious substance abuser. After hanging out with Mustaine on a 24 hour basis, after the tour, Jon entered rehab.
Jon altered the band's direction into a more progressive sound, and the resulting record was Gutter Ballet
, released in 1989. Many of the songs on the album Jon came up with whilst in rehab, including "Thorazine Shuffle" and "Mentally Yours". The song "Gutter Ballet" was one of the last to be recorded, and was in fact recorded with just Jon and Criss in the studio. After seeing a performance of the Phantom of the Opera
in Toronto
, Jon was so inspired he wrote "Gutter Ballet" in the studio. Two videos were filmed for the album and again received MTV airplay - "When the Crowds are Gone" and for the title track.
In 1991, the band created their first rock opera
, Streets. The record did not do as well as the band would have liked however as it was released around the time that grunge
exploded onto the mainstream music arena. But, a video for "Jesus Saves" was recorded and again got airplay and got a new audience to appreciate the band. Jon has stated that his favorite song of all-time was recorded on Streets: Tonight He Grins Again. However, after a tour in support of the album, Jon Oliva left the band. The official reason given was to concentrate on his side-projects Doctor Butcher and his Broadway
-bound musical Romanov as well as continuing co-writing Savatage material with his brother Criss and producer Paul O'Neill. Jon's last show was at the first ever Tampa Music Awards in 1992 and in 2006, footage was released onto the internet of this last performance. However, as of 2007, Romanov is in the hands of the Pace Theatrical Group and has gone through several rewrites, but has yet to see the light of day.
Jon hand-picked his Savatage replacement, former Wicked Witch lead vocalist Zachary Stevens
and the band recorded their follow-up to Streets, Edge of Thorns
in 1993. For the first time, Savatage began to enjoy mainstream recognition, including increased radio play and a world tour. Jon since admitted that he never wanted to be Savatage's only vocalist, and said he left to "take care of my self". Originally, Jon was to leave the band, then return as a lead vocalist on the follow-up record to Edge of Thorns. Around this same time, Jon was approached by one-time Savatage guitarist, Chris Caffery
, who recorded with the band on Gutter Ballet
. Jon and Chris wrote some songs together and eventually, this became Doctor Butcher
. Along with drummer John Osborn, the three went into the studio and made the album for about $8,000. Doctor Butcher played a couple of shows in Tampa area in 1993, one of which included an appearance by Criss Oliva who joined the band on stage for a rendition of "Sirens". Jon however was hurt that Atlantic Records chose not to release the Butcher record, and also that Edge of Thorns was getting a spot in the US Top 100. He was happy for the band, but had mixed emotions, and began to think that he might have been the one holding Savatage back.
However, tragedy struck when Criss Oliva was killed in a car accident by a drunk driver on October 17, 1993. Jon chose to continue the band, although has since admitted that the band was pretty much over after Criss's death, but only kept going because of his memory and to "keep his music alive". Savatage's 1994 album Handful of Rain
is considered Jon Oliva's tribute to his brother. He recorded the album along with Stevens and Alex Skolnick
, formerly of Testament
. Even though the other Savatage members are credited, Oliva plays the majority of instruments. Jon made a return to the fore of Savatage on their live release Japan Live '94
which saw him take up lead vocal duties for the first time since 1992, performing a duet on "Gutter Ballet."
Oliva returned to perform vocal duties for Savatage's 1995 album Dead Winter Dead
, supplying vocals to the tracks "I Am" and "Doesn't Matter Anyway". However, Jon was not prepared for the success the band would finally achieve, albeit indirectly. The track "Christmas Eve (Sarajevo 12/24)
" became a huge hit around Christmas time that year on many radio formats. The song was re-released in 1996 by the new side project of the band, the Trans-Siberian Orchestra
. Oliva has stated however that he was saddened about the success of the record, citing the fact that the same song was released by both bands, yet TSO's rendition became a bigger hit. This led Jon to believe that the biggest barrier to success would be the Savatage name.
He was featured on the album WWF Full Metal
in 1996, singing the song "We're All Together Now" with several WWE
professional wrestlers
as part of the Slam Jam. An instrumental loop of the track was used as bumper music
for the federation's RAW is WAR
program until 2002. Whilst featured in other musical projects, he remained involved in every song Savatage recorded, including 1998's The Wake of Magellan
, where he was featured as lead vocalist on tracks "Another Way" and "Paragons of Innocence." Shortly after wrapping the recording of The Wake of Magellan, he produced and sang back up vocals for Tampa/Clearwater Fl bandDave's Not Here as a favor to former 98Rock jock and Dave's Not Here lead vocalist, Todd T. Riley. In 2000, Oliva contributed the song "Perfect Christmas Night" to the Jim Carrey vehicle, The Grinch. In 2001, after Stevens left the band citing family reasons, Oliva returned to provide lead vocals for Savatage's new album, Poets and Madmen
. It was his first appearance as a lead vocalist on a Savatage studio record in 10 years.
in 2004
on the SPV
label, then subsequently signed to AFM Records
in March 2006 for the release of their second album Maniacal Renderings
which was released on September 4, 2006. JOP's third recording was released on May 6, 2008 and was titled Global Warning
. In the last two recordings, JOP has re-worked and re-recorded songs from a collection of old recordings with his brother Criss Oliva
.
Savatage
Savatage is an American heavy metal band founded by the brothers Jon and Criss Oliva in 1978 at Astro Skate in Tarpon Springs, Florida.-Early days :...
. He is the third of four children. His younger brother was Criss Oliva
Criss Oliva
Christopher "Criss" Michael Oliva was born in Pompton Plains, NJ. He was the lead guitarist in, and co-founder of, the band Savatage...
, the lead guitarist and co-founder of Savatage.
Early life
Jon and Criss's family moved around a lot during their childhood, living in CaliforniaCalifornia
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
for four years until moving to Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
with his family in 1976. Much like his brother Criss, Jon found music his calling during the family's time in California. Starting off with his father's piano, Jon dabbled in guitars, pianos and drums before buying "a really ugly bass". Jon and Criss continued their musical exploits and played a block party
Block party
A block party is a large public party in which many members of a single neighbourhood congregate, either to observe an event of some importance or simply for mutual enjoyment. The name comes from the form of the party, which often involves closing an entire city block to vehicle traffic...
, playing Kiss
KISS (band)
Kiss is an American rock band formed in New York City in January 1973. Well-known for its members' face paint and flamboyant stage outfits, the group rose to prominence in the mid to late 1970s on the basis of their elaborate live performances, which featured fire breathing, blood spitting,...
, Deep Purple
Deep Purple
Deep Purple are an English rock band formed in Hertford in 1968. Along with Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath, they are considered to be among the pioneers of heavy metal and modern hard rock, although some band members believe that their music cannot be categorised as belonging to any one genre...
and ZZ Top
ZZ Top
ZZ Top is an American rock band, sometimes referred to as "That Little Ol' Band from Texas". Their style, which is rooted in blues-based boogie rock, has come to incorporate elements of arena, southern, and boogie rock. The band, from Houston Texas, formed in 1969...
covers. Although originally the guitar player of the brothers, Jon quickly realized Criss's talent was superior to his and stuck to singing and swapped with his brother and played bass.
Having been kicked out of high school in 1978, Jon needed a job, and was lucky enough to join a band called Metropolis, a band playing Bad Company
Bad Company
Bad Company were an English rock supergroup founded in 1973, consisting of two former Free band members — singer Paul Rodgers and drummer Simon Kirke — as well as Mott the Hoople guitarist Mick Ralphs and King Crimson bassist Boz Burrell. Peter Grant, who, in years prior, was a key component of...
and Alice Cooper
Alice Cooper
Alice Cooper is an American rock singer, songwriter and musician whose career spans more than four decades...
cover songs. This gave Jon his first touring experience as the band played bars and clubs in various parts of Florida, but Jon quickly grew tired of the bars and clubs, leaving the band later that year.
Jon and Criss re-united to form Avatar, out of their two most recent bands, Alien and Tower respectively. Avatar would later become Savatage. Earning the envy of most other Floridan bands due to their "awesome equipment", Avatar was originally a five-piece, with Jon on drums and vocals, and Criss on guitar. The band slowly drifted apart until Jon and Criss remained, and the two got jobs at "The Pit", a practice shack where they met Steve Wacholz. Wacholz was very familiar with the Oliva brothers, who he first met in 1977. He saw Criss play at a local high school and was blown away. Very soon after, he auditioned for Jon's band, Alien. When he got to the audition, Wacholz recognized Criss and Jon as part of the band who had impressed him so much at the high school show. Steve would eventually join a new version of Avatar, joined later by bass player Keith Collins, who originally knew the band as they hired his equipment. Jon felt restrained by playing instruments and subsequently stuck to being the band's lead vocalist.
Avatar initially received exposure via a free Tampa Bay
Tampa Bay
Tampa Bay is a large natural harbor and estuary along the Gulf of Mexico on the west central coast of Florida, comprising Hillsborough Bay, Old Tampa Bay, Middle Tampa Bay, and Lower Tampa Bay."Tampa Bay" is not the name of any municipality...
music publication called Music Magazine, who recommended the band to Tampa
Tampa Bay
Tampa Bay is a large natural harbor and estuary along the Gulf of Mexico on the west central coast of Florida, comprising Hillsborough Bay, Old Tampa Bay, Middle Tampa Bay, and Lower Tampa Bay."Tampa Bay" is not the name of any municipality...
radio station WYNF
WWRM
WWRM is an adult contemporary music formatted radio station serving the Tampa-St. Petersburg, Florida radio market. WWRM began on 107.3 , but later moved to 94.9 with its soft AC format...
, who were holding a contest for a spot on an LP
LP album
The LP, or long-playing microgroove record, is a format for phonograph records, an analog sound storage medium. Introduced by Columbia Records in 1948, it was soon adopted as a new standard by the entire record industry...
. Avatar opened both sides of the LP with tracks "Rock Me" and "Minus Love". WYNF also gave the fledgling band concerts. In late 2006, footage was released onto the internet of an early performance by Avatar at a gig in a Clearwater, FL parking lot and was prominent in featuring an early version of the song "Holocaust", which would later be released on Savatage's first album and a cover of Van Halen's "Eruption
Eruption (song)
"Eruption" is a guitar solo written and performed by Eddie Van Halen. Eruption often appears on many 'greatest guitar solos' lists. It is often played together with "You Really Got Me", which follows the song on the album Van Halen....
" and VH's version of "You Really Got Me
You Really Got Me
"You Really Got Me" is a rock song written by Ray Davies and performed by his band, The Kinks. It was released on 4th August 1964 as the group's third single, and reached Number 1 on the UK singles chart the next month, remaining for two weeks...
". Avatar's rising local stardom enabled them to record an LP with Par Records. An initial EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
, entitled City Beneath the Surface sold 1000 copies, and Par Records invited Avatar back to the studio to record a full album. However, there was an issue with a European band called Avatar who disagreed to the usage of the name, and the band needed to find a solution and fast, as the album was due to be pressed the following day. Jon and Criss were playing cards with their wives when they got a phone call and after initial tweaking, they finally arrived at Savatage. That full album was Sirens, the first Savatage record.
Savatage
The new name did not change the band's attitude or rave reviews. Quickly, Atlantic RecordsAtlantic Records
Atlantic Records is an American record label best known for its many recordings of rhythm and blues, rock and roll, and jazz...
were becoming interested in the band, and label reps flew in from New York to see the band perform. Atlantic quickly got Savatage signed to a deal, but Savatage finished out their deal with Par, releasing EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
The Dungeons Are Calling
The Dungeons Are Calling
-Personnel:Interesting to note is that in the liner notes for the album, they gave themselves roles instead of listing their instruments.*Jon Oliva - Shrieks of Terror *Criss Oliva - Metalaxe...
in 1984. The band's first release for Atlantic was unleashed in 1985, entitled Power of the Night
Power of the Night
-Personnel:*Jon Oliva – lead vocals & keyboards*Criss Oliva – guitars*Steve Wacholz – drums*Keith Collins – bass guitar...
, the album was produced by Max Norman
Max Norman
Max Norman is a retired record producer and recording engineer in the 1980s and 1990s. He produced many acclaimed heavy metal releases, and was renowned for his top notch production. Max got his "big break" while he was the resident engineer at Ridge Farm Studios in London, England...
, who had produced the legendary Ozzy Osbourne
Ozzy Osbourne
John Michael "Ozzy" Osbourne is an English vocalist, whose musical career has spanned over 40 years. Osbourne rose to prominence as lead singer of the pioneering English heavy metal band Black Sabbath, whose radically different, intentionally dark, harder sound helped spawn the heavy metal...
/Randy Rhoads
Randy Rhoads
Randall William "Randy" Rhoads was an American heavy metal guitarist who played with Ozzy Osbourne and Quiet Riot. A devoted student of classical guitar, Rhoads often combined his classical music influences with his own heavy metal style. While on tour with Ozzy Osbourne, he would seek out...
albums Blizzard Of Ozz
Blizzard of Ozz
Blizzard of Ozz is the first solo studio album by British singer/songwriter Ozzy Osbourne, recorded in Surrey, UK and released on September 20, 1980 in the UK and on March 27, 1981 in the U.S.. It is the comeback album of Osbourne following his firing from Black Sabbath the previous year...
and Diary of a Madman
Diary of a Madman (album)
Diary of a Madman is the second studio album by Ozzy Osbourne. It was recorded from the 9th of Feb to the 23 of March 1981 inclusively - the end of winter in the UK and recording ending just into spring equinox. It was released on November 7, 1981, and re-issued on August 22, 1995. An altered...
as well as producing Megadeth
Megadeth
Megadeth is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California which was formed in 1983 by guitarist/vocalist Dave Mustaine, bassist Dave Ellefson and guitarist Greg Handevidt, following Mustaine's expulsion from Metallica. The band has since released 13 studio albums, three live albums, two...
's hit 1992 album, Countdown to Extinction
Countdown to Extinction
Countdown to Extinction is the fifth studio album by the American heavy metal band Megadeth. It was released on July 14, 1992 through Capitol Records. Countdown to Extinction is Megadeth's best-selling album, eventually achieving double platinum status...
among others. During this time, the band hired Johnny Lee Middleton
Johnny Lee Middleton
Johnny Lee Middleton is an American musician and songwriter, best known as the bass guitar player for Savatage and Trans-Siberian Orchestra.-Musical beginnings:...
to replace Keith Collins on bass duties due to musical differences.
Savatage were finally getting exposure, but in 1986, the band released Fight for the Rock
Fight for the Rock
Fight for the Rock is the fourth album released by the band Savatage, their first with new bass player Johnny Lee Middleton, who has since become the only ever-present member on each Savatage record released since....
, a stab at mainstream success that was driven primarily by Atlantic. Jon himself refers to the record as Fight for the Nightmare. The material was largely Jon's stuff written for a solo record and for other pop-rockers on Atlantic such as John Waite
John Waite
John Charles Waite is an English rock singer and musician. He was lead vocalist for The Babys and Bad English. As a solo artist, he scored several international hits, including 1984's "Missing You", a top ten hit on the US Billboard Hot 100 and the UK Singles Chart, reaching #1 in the...
. Later, Atlantic told the band that they would record the material themselves. Jon had however described the album as a good "musical and life experience".
Jon then met Paul O'Neill
Paul O'Neill (rock producer)
Paul O'Neill is an American music composer, lyricist, producer, and songwriter.-Early years:A New York City native, O'Neill began playing guitar with a number of rock bands in high school and quickly graduated to folk guitar gigs at downtown clubs...
, who saw that Savatage had the potential to be a big act. 1987's Hall of the Mountain King was released to critical acclaim and is cited by many fans as being one of the band's best works. Two music videos were released and received rotation on MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
, for "24 Hours Ago" and the title track. On the resulting tour, Savatage supported Megadeth
Megadeth
Megadeth is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California which was formed in 1983 by guitarist/vocalist Dave Mustaine, bassist Dave Ellefson and guitarist Greg Handevidt, following Mustaine's expulsion from Metallica. The band has since released 13 studio albums, three live albums, two...
and Dio
Dio (band)
Dio was an American heavy metal band from Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Formed in 1982 and led by vocalist Ronnie James Dio, after he left Black Sabbath with intentions to form a new band with fellow former Black Sabbath member, drummer Vinny Appice. Naming the band Dio made sense from a commercial...
, but Jon had many conflicts with Dave Mustaine
Dave Mustaine
David Scott "Dave" Mustaine is the founder, main songwriter, guitarist, and lead vocalist for the American heavy metal band Megadeth. Prior to Megadeth, Mustaine was the first lead guitarist and a co-songwriter of the heavy metal band Metallica until he was fired from the band in 1983. In 2009, he...
, who at the time was a serious substance abuser. After hanging out with Mustaine on a 24 hour basis, after the tour, Jon entered rehab.
Jon altered the band's direction into a more progressive sound, and the resulting record was Gutter Ballet
Gutter Ballet
-Song information:On the original cassette and CD releases, "Thorazine Shuffle" was a bonus track.Had the band originally stuck with the story set-out in Paul O'Neill's original 1979 story, the song "When the Crowds are Gone" would have followed Streets track "A Little Too Far".Two videos from the...
, released in 1989. Many of the songs on the album Jon came up with whilst in rehab, including "Thorazine Shuffle" and "Mentally Yours". The song "Gutter Ballet" was one of the last to be recorded, and was in fact recorded with just Jon and Criss in the studio. After seeing a performance of the Phantom of the Opera
The Phantom of the Opera (1986 musical)
The Phantom of the Opera is a musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber, based on the French novel Le Fantôme de l'Opéra by Gaston Leroux.The music was composed by Lloyd Webber, and most lyrics were written by Charles Hart, with additional lyrics by Richard Stilgoe. Alan Jay Lerner was an early collaborator,...
in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, Jon was so inspired he wrote "Gutter Ballet" in the studio. Two videos were filmed for the album and again received MTV airplay - "When the Crowds are Gone" and for the title track.
In 1991, the band created their first rock opera
Rock opera
A rock opera is a work of rock music that presents a storyline told over multiple parts, songs or sections in the manner of opera. A rock opera differs from a conventional rock album, which usually includes songs that are not unified by a common theme or narrative. More recent developments include...
, Streets. The record did not do as well as the band would have liked however as it was released around the time that grunge
Grunge
Grunge is a subgenre of alternative rock that emerged during the mid-1980s in the American state of Washington, particularly in the Seattle area. Inspired by hardcore punk, heavy metal, and indie rock, grunge is generally characterized by heavily distorted electric guitars, contrasting song...
exploded onto the mainstream music arena. But, a video for "Jesus Saves" was recorded and again got airplay and got a new audience to appreciate the band. Jon has stated that his favorite song of all-time was recorded on Streets: Tonight He Grins Again. However, after a tour in support of the album, Jon Oliva left the band. The official reason given was to concentrate on his side-projects Doctor Butcher and his Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
-bound musical Romanov as well as continuing co-writing Savatage material with his brother Criss and producer Paul O'Neill. Jon's last show was at the first ever Tampa Music Awards in 1992 and in 2006, footage was released onto the internet of this last performance. However, as of 2007, Romanov is in the hands of the Pace Theatrical Group and has gone through several rewrites, but has yet to see the light of day.
Jon hand-picked his Savatage replacement, former Wicked Witch lead vocalist Zachary Stevens
Zachary Stevens
Zachary "Zak" Stevens , is best known as the former lead vocalist of the band Savatage. He is also a drummer and has a degree in psychology but is not, as is often reported, a licensed, practicing psychologist....
and the band recorded their follow-up to Streets, Edge of Thorns
Edge of Thorns
-Band members:*Zachary Stevens – lead vocals*Criss Oliva – guitars*Johnny Lee Middleton – bass guitar*Steve Wacholz – drums -Additional musicians:...
in 1993. For the first time, Savatage began to enjoy mainstream recognition, including increased radio play and a world tour. Jon since admitted that he never wanted to be Savatage's only vocalist, and said he left to "take care of my self". Originally, Jon was to leave the band, then return as a lead vocalist on the follow-up record to Edge of Thorns. Around this same time, Jon was approached by one-time Savatage guitarist, Chris Caffery
Chris Caffery
Chris Caffery is a heavy metal guitarist who is best known for his work as a member of Savatage and the Trans-Siberian Orchestra...
, who recorded with the band on Gutter Ballet
Gutter Ballet
-Song information:On the original cassette and CD releases, "Thorazine Shuffle" was a bonus track.Had the band originally stuck with the story set-out in Paul O'Neill's original 1979 story, the song "When the Crowds are Gone" would have followed Streets track "A Little Too Far".Two videos from the...
. Jon and Chris wrote some songs together and eventually, this became Doctor Butcher
Doctor Butcher (album)
-Personnel:* Jon Oliva – lead vocals, bass guitars, keyboards* Christopher Caffery - lead, rhythm & bass guitars* John Osborn - drums, percussion-Additional Musicians:* "Metal" Mike Chlasciak - guitar solo...
. Along with drummer John Osborn, the three went into the studio and made the album for about $8,000. Doctor Butcher played a couple of shows in Tampa area in 1993, one of which included an appearance by Criss Oliva who joined the band on stage for a rendition of "Sirens". Jon however was hurt that Atlantic Records chose not to release the Butcher record, and also that Edge of Thorns was getting a spot in the US Top 100. He was happy for the band, but had mixed emotions, and began to think that he might have been the one holding Savatage back.
However, tragedy struck when Criss Oliva was killed in a car accident by a drunk driver on October 17, 1993. Jon chose to continue the band, although has since admitted that the band was pretty much over after Criss's death, but only kept going because of his memory and to "keep his music alive". Savatage's 1994 album Handful of Rain
Handful of Rain
-Personnel:Due to the shake-up in the band following Criss's death, the line-ups were somewhat unclear at the time. Drummer Steve Wacholz left the band and did not play on the album, but he is pictured in the album to maintain a more "classic" Savatage line-up. Bassist Middleton was apparently...
is considered Jon Oliva's tribute to his brother. He recorded the album along with Stevens and Alex Skolnick
Alex Skolnick
Alexander Nathan Skolnick is an American jazz and metal guitarist. He was a member of the San Francisco Bay Area thrash metal band Testament from 1983 until his departure in 1993...
, formerly of Testament
Testament (band)
Testament is an American metal band from Berkeley, California, formed in 1983. They are often credited as one of the most popular bands of the 1980s thrash metal scene...
. Even though the other Savatage members are credited, Oliva plays the majority of instruments. Jon made a return to the fore of Savatage on their live release Japan Live '94
Japan Live '94
Japan Live '94 a live album that was recorded by Savatage. The show that was recorded for the release was held in Kawasaki, Kanagawa, Japan on November 12, 1994 and was the last show on the short Handful of Rain tour.Due to a lack of time on the CD, the entire show was not released onto CD...
which saw him take up lead vocal duties for the first time since 1992, performing a duet on "Gutter Ballet."
Oliva returned to perform vocal duties for Savatage's 1995 album Dead Winter Dead
Dead Winter Dead
- Story :In the Bosnian capital of Sarajevo, there is a town square surroundedby buildings that were constructed during the Middle Ages. Thesquare has a beautiful stone fountain at its center and at one...
, supplying vocals to the tracks "I Am" and "Doesn't Matter Anyway". However, Jon was not prepared for the success the band would finally achieve, albeit indirectly. The track "Christmas Eve (Sarajevo 12/24)
Christmas Eve/Sarajevo 12/24
Christmas Eve/Sarajevo 12/24 is an instrumental medley of "Carol of the Bells" and "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" first released on the Savatage album Dead Winter Dead in 1995 as "Christmas Eve ." It was re-released by the Trans-Siberian Orchestra, a side project of several Savatage members, on...
" became a huge hit around Christmas time that year on many radio formats. The song was re-released in 1996 by the new side project of the band, the Trans-Siberian Orchestra
Trans-Siberian Orchestra
Trans-Siberian Orchestra is an American progressive metal band founded in 1993 by producer, composer, and lyricist Paul O'Neill, who brought together Jon Oliva and Al Pitrelli and keyboardist and co-producer Robert Kinkel to form the core of the creative team. Since then, TSO sold nearly 8...
. Oliva has stated however that he was saddened about the success of the record, citing the fact that the same song was released by both bands, yet TSO's rendition became a bigger hit. This led Jon to believe that the biggest barrier to success would be the Savatage name.
He was featured on the album WWF Full Metal
WWF Full Metal
WWF Full Metal: The Album was an album released by the World Wrestling Federation in 1996. It featured mostly recent theme tunes of wrestlers on the roster at the time...
in 1996, singing the song "We're All Together Now" with several WWE
World Wrestling Entertainment
World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. is an American publicly traded, privately controlled entertainment company dealing primarily in professional wrestling, with major revenue sources also coming from film, music, product licensing, and direct product sales...
professional wrestlers
Professional wrestling
Professional wrestling is a mode of spectacle, combining athletics and theatrical performance.Roland Barthes, "The World of Wrestling", Mythologies, 1957 It takes the form of events, held by touring companies, which mimic a title match combat sport...
as part of the Slam Jam. An instrumental loop of the track was used as bumper music
Bumper music
Bumper music, or a bump, is a term used in the radio broadcasting industry to refer to short clips of signature or theme music used to buffer transitions between programming elements. Bumper music is commonly employed when a syndicated program takes a break for local station identification or...
for the federation's RAW is WAR
WWE RAW
WWE Raw ) is a sports entertainment television program for WWE that currently airs on the USA Network in the United States...
program until 2002. Whilst featured in other musical projects, he remained involved in every song Savatage recorded, including 1998's The Wake of Magellan
The Wake of Magellan
-Personnel:*Zachary Stevens - lead vocals*Jon Oliva – lead vocals , keyboards*Chris Caffery – guitars, backing vocals*Al Pitrelli - guitars, backing vocals*Johnny Lee Middleton – bass guitar, backing vocals...
, where he was featured as lead vocalist on tracks "Another Way" and "Paragons of Innocence." Shortly after wrapping the recording of The Wake of Magellan, he produced and sang back up vocals for Tampa/Clearwater Fl bandDave's Not Here as a favor to former 98Rock jock and Dave's Not Here lead vocalist, Todd T. Riley. In 2000, Oliva contributed the song "Perfect Christmas Night" to the Jim Carrey vehicle, The Grinch. In 2001, after Stevens left the band citing family reasons, Oliva returned to provide lead vocals for Savatage's new album, Poets and Madmen
Poets and Madmen
-Personnel:*Jon Oliva – lead vocals, keyboards*Chris Caffery - lead & rhythm guitars, backing vocals*Johnny Lee Middleton – bass guitar, backing vocals*Jeff Plate – drums, backing vocals-Additional musicians:*Bob Kinkel - additional keyboards & backing vocals...
. It was his first appearance as a lead vocalist on a Savatage studio record in 10 years.
Jon Oliva's Pain
After touring and writing with TSO, Oliva formed his own band Jon Oliva's Pain (often known as JOP) in 2003. JOP released an album entitled 'Tage Mahal'Tage Mahal
Tage Mahal is a 2004 release by Jon Oliva's Pain. This was the first non-Savatage related release by Jon Oliva since 1994's Doctor Butcher.Ironically, just like Savatage, the band faced a problem with its name...
in 2004
2004 in music
See also:* 2004 in music Record labels established in 2004-January:*January 1**The Vienna New Year's Concert is conducted by Riccardo Muti.**Kurt Nilsen wins World Idol....
on the SPV
SPV GmbH
SPV GmbH is an independent German record label.Founded on January 1, 1984, it has slowly grown to be one of the largest independent distributors and record labels worldwide....
label, then subsequently signed to AFM Records
AFM Records
AFM-Records GmbH is a music label based in Schwalmstadt, Germany. They focus on the heavy metal musical genre, signing bands such as U.D.O., Doro, Kotipelto, Masterplan, Nostradameus, and Annihilator....
in March 2006 for the release of their second album Maniacal Renderings
Maniacal Renderings
Maniacal Renderings is a 2006 release by Jon Oliva's Pain. It was their first full-length studio recording released for new label, AFM Records....
which was released on September 4, 2006. JOP's third recording was released on May 6, 2008 and was titled Global Warning
Global Warning (Jon Oliva's Pain album)
Global Warning is a 2008 release by Jon Oliva's Pain. It is the band's third studio release. The record reached #11 in the German MRC Rock Radio Charts during March 2008....
. In the last two recordings, JOP has re-worked and re-recorded songs from a collection of old recordings with his brother Criss Oliva
Criss Oliva
Christopher "Criss" Michael Oliva was born in Pompton Plains, NJ. He was the lead guitarist in, and co-founder of, the band Savatage...
.
Guest appearances
- 1996 - WWF Full MetalWWF Full MetalWWF Full Metal: The Album was an album released by the World Wrestling Federation in 1996. It featured mostly recent theme tunes of wrestlers on the roster at the time...
(lead vocals on "We're All Together Now") - 2002 - Xiled to Infinity and OneXiled To Infinity And OneXiled to Infinity and One is an album released in 2002 by the band Seven Witches.-Track listing:# "Metal Tyrant" - 4:07# "Incubus" - 5:21# "Salvation" - 3:30# "Xiled to Infinity and One" - 5:49# "Warmth of Winter" - 4:17# "Anger's Door" - 5:03...
by Seven WitchesSeven WitchesSeven Witches is an American heavy metal band from New Jersey. The band was founded in 1998 by Jack Frost and Bobby Lucas- History :Seven Witches released a Demo-CD in 1998, which gave them a record deal with Massacre Records....
(lyrics and lead vocals on "The Burning (Incubus Reprise)") - 2005 - W.A.R.P.E.D.W.A.R.P.E.D.W.A.R.P.E.D. is a 2005 album by Savatage guitarist Chris Caffery. A majority of the record appeared as the bonus disc to Chris's first album, Faces.-Track listing:# "Home Is Where The Hell Is"# "God Damn War"# "Election Day"# "Erase"...
by Chris CafferyChris CafferyChris Caffery is a heavy metal guitarist who is best known for his work as a member of Savatage and the Trans-Siberian Orchestra...
(lead vocals on "Iraq Attack") - 2010 - Angel of BabylonAngel of BabylonAngel of Babylon is the fifth full-length Avantasia album by German power metal vocalist Tobias Sammet, released on April 3, 2010 along with The Wicked Symphony...
by AvantasiaAvantasiaAvantasia is a heavy metal project created by Tobias Sammet, vocalist and frontman of the band Edguy. The project's title is a portmanteau of the words "avalon" and "fantasia" and describes "a world beyond human imagination"...
(lead vocals on "Death is Just a Feeling") - 2010 - Poetry for the PoisonedPoetry for the PoisonedPoetry for the Poisoned is the ninth studio album from metal band Kamelot. It was released on the earMUSIC label, a subdivision of Edel, on September 10, 2010 in Europe, and four days later in North America by the band's own label, KMG Recordings. It was the last release to feature longtime...
by KamelotKamelotKamelot is an American symphonic power metal band from Tampa, Florida. The band was formed by Thomas Youngblood and Richard Warner in 1991. Norwegian vocalist Roy Khan joined for the album Siége Perilous, and shared song-writing duties with Youngblood until his departure in April 2011.As of 2010,...
(guest vocals on "The Zodiac") - 2010 - Ophidia by NeverlandNeverlandNeverland is a fictional world featured in the works of J. M. Barrie and those based on them. It is the dwelling place of Peter Pan, Tinker Bell, the Lost Boys, and others...
(guest vocals on "Invisible War")
External links
- Jon Oliva's official website
- Jon Oliva's Pain on MySpaceMySpaceMyspace is a social networking service owned by Specific Media LLC and pop star Justin Timberlake. Myspace launched in August 2003 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. In August 2011, Myspace had 33.1 million unique U.S. visitors....
- Jon Oliva Interview at Rocksomething 2006
- Jon Oliva Interview at Metal-Rules 2007
- HardRadio.com interview with Jon Oliva on Savatage and TSO