Dave Meniketti
Encyclopedia
David Alan "Dave" Meniketti (born December 12, 1953) is the singer, songwriter and lead guitarist
for 70's/80's Hard Rock
/Heavy Metal
band Y&T
. He has also released two solo efforts, one of which is more blues-oriented, but he still tours with Y&T
.
, California
where he has been an icon for guitar players worldwide and a San Francisco Bay Area
vocal and guitar legend for over two decades. Perhaps it is the diversity of the artists that influenced him as a kid (Jimi Hendrix
, John Coltrane
, Leslie West
, James Brown
, Led Zeppelin
) that is responsible for his varied expressions in both his singing and his guitar playing.
As the lead singer/lead guitarist with Bay Area rockers Y&T
, Meniketti has sold over 4 million records worldwide. With them, he recorded 17 albums, toured across the United States and around the world. His style has influenced some of the major stars in rock and over the years he's been asked to join many top bands including Ozzy Osbourne
and Whitesnake
. Secret Chiefs 3
and former Mr. Bungle
guitarist Trey Spruance
said in an interview with Kerrang! magazine in 1991: "... of course, I owe it [his guitar playing speed] all to Y&T. Dave Meniketti is my god."
In the movie Anvil! The Story of Anvil
, in the bonus feature interview Lars Ulrich
of Metallica
talks at length about seeing one of his favorite bands Y&T for the first time at a club in Hollywood in December 1980. Lars Ulrich
credits Y&T as the reason he decided to become a musician, saying: "That was the turning point for me wanting to play music...You could tell that they loved what they were doing."
While Y&T took a break from recording and performing, Meniketti built his own recording studio and proceeded to record his first solo album titled ON THE BLUE SIDE, which represented his passion for the blues. He would later release a follow up album simply titled MENIKETTI. Recorded in Tokyo, a live concert CD was released by Avex Records in 2003 titled MENIKETTI LIVE IN JAPAN.
VH4 heads, with a Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifier as a back-up.
Guitarist
A guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :The guitarist controls an extremely...
for 70's/80's Hard Rock
Hard rock
Hard rock is a loosely defined genre of rock music which has its earliest roots in mid-1960s garage rock, blues rock and psychedelic rock...
/Heavy Metal
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
band Y&T
Y&T
Y&T is an American hard rock/heavy metal band formed in 1974. They hail from Oakland, California...
. He has also released two solo efforts, one of which is more blues-oriented, but he still tours with Y&T
Y&T
Y&T is an American hard rock/heavy metal band formed in 1974. They hail from Oakland, California...
.
History
Dave Meniketti was born and raised in OaklandOakland, California
Oakland is a major West Coast port city on San Francisco Bay in the U.S. state of California. It is the eighth-largest city in the state with a 2010 population of 390,724...
, California
California
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...
where he has been an icon for guitar players worldwide and a San Francisco Bay Area
San Francisco Bay Area
The San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, is a populated region that surrounds the San Francisco and San Pablo estuaries in Northern California. The region encompasses metropolitan areas of San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose, along with smaller urban and rural areas...
vocal and guitar legend for over two decades. Perhaps it is the diversity of the artists that influenced him as a kid (Jimi Hendrix
Jimi Hendrix
James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix was an American guitarist and singer-songwriter...
, John Coltrane
John Coltrane
John William Coltrane was an American jazz saxophonist and composer. Working in the bebop and hard bop idioms early in his career, Coltrane helped pioneer the use of modes in jazz and later was at the forefront of free jazz...
, Leslie West
Leslie West
Leslie West is an American rock guitarist, singer and songwriter.-Biography:Originally named Leslie Weinstein, West was born in New York City, grew up in Hackensack, New Jersey, and in East Meadow, Forest Hills and Lawrence. After his parents divorced, he changed his surname to West...
, James Brown
James Brown
James Joseph Brown was an American singer, songwriter, musician, and recording artist. He is the originator of Funk and is recognized as a major figure in the 20th century popular music for both his vocals and dancing. He has been referred to as "The Godfather of Soul," "Mr...
, Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin were an English rock band, active in the late 1960s and throughout the 1970s. Formed in 1968, they consisted of guitarist Jimmy Page, singer Robert Plant, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham...
) that is responsible for his varied expressions in both his singing and his guitar playing.
As the lead singer/lead guitarist with Bay Area rockers Y&T
Y&T
Y&T is an American hard rock/heavy metal band formed in 1974. They hail from Oakland, California...
, Meniketti has sold over 4 million records worldwide. With them, he recorded 17 albums, toured across the United States and around the world. His style has influenced some of the major stars in rock and over the years he's been asked to join many top bands including 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...
and Whitesnake
Whitesnake
Whitesnake are an English rock band, founded in 1978 by David Coverdale after his departure from his previous band, Deep Purple. The band's early material has been compared by critics to Deep Purple, but by the mid 1980s they had moved to a more commercial hard rock style...
. Secret Chiefs 3
Secret Chiefs 3
Secret Chiefs 3 is an instrumental rock group led by guitarist/composer Trey Spruance . Their studio recordings and tours have featured different line-ups, as the group performs a wide range of musical styles including surf rock, Persian, Arab, Indian, death metal, film music, electronic music,...
and former Mr. Bungle
Mr. Bungle
Mr. Bungle was an experimental band from Northern California. The band was formed in 1985 while the members were still in high school and was named after a children's educational film. Mr. Bungle released four demo tapes in the mid to late 1980s before being signed to Warner Bros. Records and...
guitarist Trey Spruance
Trey Spruance
Preston Lea Spruance III or "Trey Spruance" is an American composer, producer, and musician, perhaps best known as the leader of the multi-genre outfit Secret Chiefs 3 and for his work as guitarist and keyboardist with Mr. Bungle...
said in an interview with Kerrang! magazine in 1991: "... of course, I owe it [his guitar playing speed] all to Y&T. Dave Meniketti is my god."
In the movie Anvil! The Story of Anvil
Anvil! The Story of Anvil
Anvil! The Story of Anvil is a 2008 documentary film about the Canadian heavy metal band, Anvil. The film is directed by screenwriter Sacha Gervasi, whose previous credits include The Big Tease and The Terminal....
, in the bonus feature interview Lars Ulrich
Lars Ulrich
Lars Ulrich is a Danish drummer, and one of the founding members of the American thrash metal band Metallica. He was born in Gentofte, Denmark to an upper-middle class family. A tennis player in his youth, Ulrich moved to Los Angeles, California at age sixteen to pursue his training; though rather...
of Metallica
Metallica
Metallica is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1981 when James Hetfield responded to an advertisement that drummer Lars Ulrich had posted in a local newspaper. The current line-up features long-time lead guitarist Kirk Hammett and bassist Robert Trujillo ...
talks at length about seeing one of his favorite bands Y&T for the first time at a club in Hollywood in December 1980. Lars Ulrich
Lars Ulrich
Lars Ulrich is a Danish drummer, and one of the founding members of the American thrash metal band Metallica. He was born in Gentofte, Denmark to an upper-middle class family. A tennis player in his youth, Ulrich moved to Los Angeles, California at age sixteen to pursue his training; though rather...
credits Y&T as the reason he decided to become a musician, saying: "That was the turning point for me wanting to play music...You could tell that they loved what they were doing."
While Y&T took a break from recording and performing, Meniketti built his own recording studio and proceeded to record his first solo album titled ON THE BLUE SIDE, which represented his passion for the blues. He would later release a follow up album simply titled MENIKETTI. Recorded in Tokyo, a live concert CD was released by Avex Records in 2003 titled MENIKETTI LIVE IN JAPAN.
Equipment
Dave plays Gibson Les Paul and Fender Stratocaster, and has been playing the Gibson Les Paul since the early 1980s and recently a custom made LP style Bisceglia built by George Bisceglia of Bisceglia Guitars. He could also been seen playing Fender Stratocasters and Kramer guitars. For amplification, he uses DiezelDiezel
Diezel Amplification GmbH is a small firm based in Bad Steben, Germany, founded by Peter Diezel, that builds high-end guitar amplifiers. The company was established in 1994.-Bands and artists:...
VH4 heads, with a Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifier as a back-up.