Guy Allison | |
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Background information | |
Birth name | Guy Allison Steiner |
Born | Los Angeles, California, U.S. | April 23, 1959
Genres | Rock, progressive rock |
Occupations | Musician |
Instruments | Piano, keyboards, vocals |
Years active | 1985–present |
Member of | Unruly Child, Lodgic |
Formerly of | Air Supply, The Doobie Brothers, World Trade, Moody Blues |
Website | guyallison |
Guy Allison (born April 23, 1959) is an American musician. He was the touring keyboardist for the Doobie Brothers from 1996 to 2015 and was featured on their 2000 release Sibling Rivalry . [1]
His first record deal was signed with a band called Lodgic on A&M Records in 1985. This band included Michael Sherwood, Billy Sherwood, Jimmy Haun and Gary Starnes. The band was discovered by the 80's group Toto and was subsequently produced by Toto members David Paich and Steve Porcaro (also credited are Greg Ladanyi and Tom Knox). Although the album Nomadic Sands failed to chart in the U.S., the first single Lonely Man was featured in the movie Prince of Bel Air , starring Mark Harmon & Kirstie Alley.
In 1987, Allison was selected by Patrick Moraz to fill the second keyboardist chair for the Moody Blues, a position he held until 1990. While touring with the Moodies he was a member of World Trade signed to Polygram Records. Recording their progressive self-titled debut album in 1988, produced by Keith Olsen, this group included ex-Lodgic bandmate Billy Sherwood along with Bruce Gowdy and Mark Williams. While this band found moderate success, appearing on MTV and the Billboard Rock charts, they subsequently broke up in 1990.
After the breakup of World Trade, Allison was tapped by Graham Russell to join Air Supply in the recording studio and ultimately on tour. This 7-year relationship generated 4 studio albums, 1 live album and 2 "best of" releases. Credited with co-writing 6 songs, 3 of these Allison/Russell co-compositions charted internationally.
During his time with Air Supply, he and ex-World Trade bandmate, Bruce Gowdy, formed the harder edge Unruly Child with singer Mark Free. Signed by Interscope Records and produced by Beau Hill in 1991, Unruly Child, (whose members included Larry Antonino and Asia's Jay Schellen) found cult status overseas yet remained undiscovered in the U.S.
After Unruly Child disbanded, Allison continued to tour with both Air Supply and Japanese artist Eikichi Yazawa. He forged a musical relationship with other Yazawa touring members, John McFee and Keith Knudsen, which led to him joining The Doobie Brothers in 1996 as a touring keyboardist. Allison co-produced the Doobies' 12th studio album, 2000's Sibling Rivalry , on which he also co-wrote three tracks.
In August 2015, Allison was called to work on an album project in Japan. Bill Payne was selected to take his place as the Doobies' keyboardist for a few weeks while Allison was away. Upon his return from Japan, Allison briefly returned to the Doobie Brothers. By October 2015, Allison stepped down from his position with the Doobie Brothers after 19 years. Payne took over Allison's keyboard duties for the Doobie Brothers in December of that year.
Allison released his debut solo album, A Designed Presence, in 2023.
This is not an exhaustive list.
The Doobie Brothers are an American rock band formed in 1970 in San Jose, California. Known for their flexibility in performing across numerous genres and their vocal harmonies, the band has been active for over five decades, with their greatest success taking place in the 1970s. The group's current lineup consists of founding members Tom Johnston and Patrick Simmons, alongside Michael McDonald and John McFee, and touring musicians including John Cowan, Marc Russo (saxophones), Ed Toth (drums), and Marc Quiñones. Other long-serving members of the band include guitarist Jeff "Skunk" Baxter, bassist Tiran Porter and drummers John Hartman, Michael Hossack, and Keith Knudsen.
Brotherhood is the eleventh studio album by American rock band The Doobie Brothers. The album was released on April 15, 1991, by Capitol Records. It was their second and final album for Capitol. It also marked the final appearances on a Doobie Brothers album by bassist Tiran Porter and original drummer John Hartman.
Sibling Rivalry is the twelfth studio album by American rock band The Doobie Brothers. The album was released on October 3, 2000, by Pyramid Records and Rhino Entertainment.
William Wyman Sherwood is an American multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, singer, record producer and mixing engineer. He is best known for his tenures in the English progressive rock band Yes as guitarist and keyboardist in 1994 and from 1997 to 2000 and as bassist since 2015, following the death of original bassist Chris Squire. He is also known for working with former and current Yes members on other projects.
William H. Payne is an American pianist who, with Lowell George, co-founded the American rock band Little Feat. He is considered by many other rock pianists, including Elton John, to be one of the finest American piano rock and blues musicians. In addition to his trademark barrelhouse blues piano, he is noted for his work on the Hammond B3 organ. Payne is an accomplished songwriter whose credits include "Oh, Atlanta". Following the death of Little Feat drummer Richie Hayward on August 12, 2010, Payne is the only member of the group from the original four-piece line-up currently playing in the band.
Eikichi Yazawa is a Japanese singer-songwriter, and a prominent figure in Japanese popular music. Yoko Yazawa of The Generous is his daughter. He has been nicknamed as Ei-chan (永ちゃん), Boss or The King of Rock.
Michael Sherwood was an American keyboardist and singer.
Jay Schellen is an American drummer who is the current drummer of the English progressive rock band Yes, having toured with the band as an additional drummer since 2016 before becoming an official member in 2023, following the death of longtime drummer Alan White. Schellen has also worked with a number of other heavy rock and progressive rock bands, including with Hurricane, Asia, World Trade, Circa, and Unruly Child.
Michael Joseph Hossack was an American drummer for the rock band The Doobie Brothers.
John Cowan is an American progressive bluegrass vocalist and bass guitar player. He was the lead vocalist and bass player for the New Grass Revival. Cowan became the band's bassist in 1972 after the departure of original bassist Ebo Walker and was noted as being the only member of New Grass Revival not to come from a bluegrass background. He was inducted into the International Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame in 2020 as a member of New Grass Revival.
Steven Maxwell Porcaro is an American keyboardist, songwriter, singer, and film composer, known as one of the founding members of the rock band Toto and the last surviving Porcaro brother ; as the songwriter of "Human Nature" by Michael Jackson and songs by Toto; and as the composer of the TV series Justified. He has won three Grammys, including Record of the Year for "Rosanna" and Album of the Year for Toto IV, and three nominations.
John McFee is an American singer, songwriter, guitarist, record producer, and multi-instrumentalist, and long-time member of The Doobie Brothers.
Keith A. Knudsen was an American rock drummer, vocalist, and songwriter. Knudsen was best known as a drummer and vocalist for The Doobie Brothers. In addition, he founded the band Southern Pacific with fellow Doobie Brother John McFee. He was posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of The Doobie Brothers in 2020.
Tiran Calvin Porter is an American bass and guitar player, vocalist and composer, best known as a member of The Doobie Brothers from 1972 to 1980 and 1987 to 1992.
World Trade is a U.S. progressive rock band that features Billy Sherwood on bass and vocals and Bruce Gowdy on guitar. Yes's Chris Squire performed as a guest on their second album, Euphoria.
Lodgic was a United States rock band who released one album, Nomadic Sands (1985).
Bruce Betts Gowdy is an American guitarist, best known for his work with World Trade, Stone Fury, and Unruly Child.
Jeffrey "Jeff" Kollman is an American guitarist and occasional bassist from Toledo, Ohio, best known for his work with Chad Smith's Bombastic Meatbats, Glenn Hughes, UFO offshoot Mogg/Way, progressive rock trio, Cosmosquad, and his 90s progressive metal band, Edwin Dare.
Liberté is the fifteenth studio album by American rock band the Doobie Brothers, released on Island Records. First released exclusively on streaming services on October 1, 2021, the album saw a CD release four weeks later on October 29 and an LP release in June 2022. It is their first studio album since 2014's Southbound, and their first of new material since 2010's World Gone Crazy. The band toured following the release of the album.