Robert Kinkel
Encyclopedia
Bob Kinkel is a professional session keyboardist
and music engineer most known for his role as a co-creater/co-producer/co-composer and touring keyboardist with Trans-Siberian Orchestra
along with extensive studio work with the prog-metal band Savatage
. He attended Hamilton College and graduated with a Bachelor of arts
in music with a minor in physics.
His first professional music job came at the famed Record Plant Studios
in New York City
, where he assisted on productions for bands such as The Who
and uncredited work with Aerosmith
. Soon afterwards, he began his career as a keyboardist and composed the music for many successful TV advertising campaigns, including being the producer and voice behind the popular 80's "Hefty, Hefty, Hefty - Wimpy, Wimpy, Wimpy" commercial for Hefty
trashbags.
He teamed up with producer Paul O'Neill
and vocalist/pianist Jon Oliva
on Hall of the Mountain King
, a 1987 album from the progressive metal group Savatage
. Kinkel would join Savatage for the follow-up releases Gutter Ballet
(1989) and Streets: A Rock Opera
(1991), to return again with both keyboard and engineering work on Dead Winter Dead
(1995), The Wake Of Magellan
(1998) and Poets & Madmen (2001). He provided all the keyboard orchestral arrangements while founder Jon Oliva played the standard keyboard parts. He also an engineer on Handful Of Rain
which featured Testament
guitarist Alex Skolnick
, and the live album Ghost In The Ruins: A Tribute To Criss Oliva.
With the surprise success of the Savatage holiday song "Christmas Eve (Sarajevo 12/24)" from the album Dead Winter Dead in 1996 Kinkel would go on to co-create/co-produce Trans-Siberian Orchestra
, with Paul O'Neill and Jon Oliva, which was Savatage under a new name to reissue the track the following year. Savatage would produce two more albums before coming to an end while Trans-Siberian Orchestra would become one of the top grossing holiday rock tours and a holiday tradition. The band would grow to enormous proportions eventually splitting into two tour groups named 'East' and 'West'. Kinkel would be the featured keyboardist of the East tour along with musical director. In 2011, Kinkel began writing, recording, and performing with New York based vocalist Dina Fanai who had previously worked as a vocal coach with Trans-Siberian Orchestra.
He lives in Brooklyn and has a wife and two children.
He was inducted into the Buffalo Music Hall of Fame in October 2007.
Keyboardist
A keyboardist is a musician who plays keyboard instruments. Until the early 1960s musicians who played keyboards were generally classified as either pianists or organists. Since the mid-1960s, a plethora of new musical instruments with keyboards have come into common usage, requiring a more...
and music engineer most known for his role as a co-creater/co-producer/co-composer and touring keyboardist with 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...
along with extensive studio work with the prog-metal band Savatage
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 attended Hamilton College and graduated with a Bachelor of arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
in music with a minor in physics.
His first professional music job came at the famed Record Plant Studios
Record Plant Studios
The Record Plant was a series of three famous recording studios which were founded by Gary Kellgren and Chris Stone, beginning in New York City in 1968. The next year, Kellgren and Stone opened a second studio in Los Angeles. In 1972, the company expanded again with a third location in Sausalito,...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, where he assisted on productions for bands such as The Who
The Who
The Who are an English rock band formed in 1964 by Roger Daltrey , Pete Townshend , John Entwistle and Keith Moon . They became known for energetic live performances which often included instrument destruction...
and uncredited work with Aerosmith
Aerosmith
Aerosmith is an American rock band, sometimes referred to as "The Bad Boys from Boston" and "America's Greatest Rock and Roll Band". Their style, which is rooted in blues-based hard rock, has come to also incorporate elements of pop, heavy metal, and rhythm and blues, and has inspired many...
. Soon afterwards, he began his career as a keyboardist and composed the music for many successful TV advertising campaigns, including being the producer and voice behind the popular 80's "Hefty, Hefty, Hefty - Wimpy, Wimpy, Wimpy" commercial for Hefty
Hefty
Hefty is a brand name of trash bags, trash cans, foam disposable tableware, children’s disposable tableware, slider closure food storage and freezer bags, and disposable cookware. Hefty is a registered trademark of Pactiv Corporation...
trashbags.
He teamed up with producer 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...
and vocalist/pianist Jon Oliva
Jon Oliva
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...
on Hall of the Mountain King
Hall of the Mountain King
-Personnel:At this point, Savatage remained essentially intact from their original group. Interesting to note is that in the liner notes for the album, they gave themselves roles instead of listing their instruments.*Jon Oliva – "The Grit"...
, a 1987 album from the progressive metal group Savatage
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 :...
. Kinkel would join Savatage for the follow-up releases 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...
(1989) and Streets: A Rock Opera
Streets: A Rock Opera
-Production:The album was originally due to be a double CD record, but record label Atlantic Records lost reels of the sessions in their vaults. These "lost tracks" were re-written over the years and eventually formed parts of songs on Edge of Thorns and later works...
(1991), to return again with both keyboard and engineering work on 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...
(1995), 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...
(1998) and Poets & Madmen (2001). He provided all the keyboard orchestral arrangements while founder Jon Oliva played the standard keyboard parts. He also an engineer on 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...
which featured Testament
Testament
A testament is a document that the author has sworn to be true.Testament can refer to:* Old Testament, the large, first section of the holy scriptures of Christianity, incorporating the Jewish Scriptures...
guitarist 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...
, and the live album Ghost In The Ruins: A Tribute To Criss Oliva.
With the surprise success of the Savatage holiday song "Christmas Eve (Sarajevo 12/24)" from the album Dead Winter Dead in 1996 Kinkel would go on to co-create/co-produce 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...
, with Paul O'Neill and Jon Oliva, which was Savatage under a new name to reissue the track the following year. Savatage would produce two more albums before coming to an end while Trans-Siberian Orchestra would become one of the top grossing holiday rock tours and a holiday tradition. The band would grow to enormous proportions eventually splitting into two tour groups named 'East' and 'West'. Kinkel would be the featured keyboardist of the East tour along with musical director. In 2011, Kinkel began writing, recording, and performing with New York based vocalist Dina Fanai who had previously worked as a vocal coach with Trans-Siberian Orchestra.
He lives in Brooklyn and has a wife and two children.
He was inducted into the Buffalo Music Hall of Fame in October 2007.