Jonathan Edward "Jon" Brant (born February 20, 1955, in Chicago) [1] [2] is an American musician and business owner, best known as the bass player for the band Cheap Trick from 1982 to 1987. Brant was a founding member of the Chicago band D'Thumbs with Tommy Aldridge and Pete Comita and has also played with Chris Spedding, Robert Gordon, Lou Reed, Diana Ross, Lesley Gore, Jason & the Scorchers, Micki Free, and others. Brant has appeared on over 30 albums as composer and bassist. [1]
After original Cheap Trick bassist Tom Petersson left the group in 1980, he was initially replaced by Pete Comita. Comita left the group early in the recording sessions for the album One on One and was replaced by Brant, who moved to the band's hometown of Rockford, Illinois. Most of the album's bass tracks were recorded by guitarist Rick Nielsen, though Brant played on the songs "Saturday at Midnight", "If You Want My Love", and "She's Tight".
Brant played on all of the tracks of the band's next three studio albums: Next Position Please (1983), Standing on the Edge (1985), and The Doctor (1986), and co-wrote the hit single "Tonight It's You". He also played on the song "Mighty Wings", Cheap Trick's contribution to the Top Gun soundtrack. Brant left the band on good terms in 1987 when original bassist Tom Petersson rejoined; and since then Brant has occasionally filled in for Petersson when he was unable to tour, including a 2004 sojourn with Aerosmith. He also appeared with Cheap Trick during their 25th anniversary concert. Brant rejoined Cheap Trick on stage to play bass during "If You Want My Love" and "She's Tight" during the band's 25th anniversary concert.
Brant performed with Pete Special and Lynne Jordan for several years in Chicago, then played and recorded with Micki Free and new age artist Nicholas Gunn. Brant has toured American military bases to entertain service personnel, with appearances in Baghdad, Djibouti, and United Arab Emirates.[ citation needed ] Brant competes in the equestrian sport of eventing and has a horse ranch in Illinois. He co-founded Equustock, LLC a national consumer products company focused on horse bedding, cat litter, absorbents, and fuel pellets creating one of the industries best known brands. In 2024 Brant has focused on development of new wood based businesses with an emphasis on sustainability, energy and agriculture.
Cheap Trick are an American rock band from Rockford, Illinois, formed in 1973 by guitarist Rick Nielsen, bassist Tom Petersson, lead vocalist Robin Zander and drummer Bun E. Carlos. The current lineup of the band consists of Zander, Nielsen and Petersson. Their work bridged elements of '60s guitar pop, hard rock, and punk rock, and would help set the template for subsequent power pop artists.
Thomas John Peterson, better known as Tom Petersson, is an American musician who is best known for being the bass guitar player for the rock band Cheap Trick.
Robin Wayne Zander is an American musician, best known as the lead singer and rhythm guitarist for the rock band Cheap Trick, but is also a solo artist. Zander was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2016 as a member of Cheap Trick.
Brad M. Carlson, better known by the stage name Bun E. Carlos, is the original drummer for American rock band Cheap Trick. He recorded and performed with the band from 1973 to 2010. Carlos was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2016 as a member of Cheap Trick.
Cheap Trick at Budokan is the first live album by American rock band Cheap Trick, and their best-selling recording. Recorded at the Nippon Budokan in Tokyo, the album was first released in Japan on October 8, 1978, and later released in the United States in February 1979, through Epic Records. After several years of constant touring but only middling exposure for the band, At Budokan steadily grew off radio play and word-of-mouth to become a high-selling success, kickstarting the band's popularity and becoming acclaimed as one of the greatest live rock albums of all time and a classic of the power pop genre.
Next Position Please is the seventh studio album by American rock band Cheap Trick, produced by Todd Rundgren and released in 1983.
Heaven Tonight is Cheap Trick's third studio album, produced by Tom Werman and released in 1978. The album was remastered and released with bonus tracks on Sony's Epic/Legacy imprint in 1998. The album cover features lead singer Robin Zander and bassist Tom Petersson on the front, with guitarist Rick Nielsen and drummer Bun E. Carlos on the back.
One on One is Cheap Trick's sixth studio album, and seventh release in general. Produced by Roy Thomas Baker, it was released in 1982 via Epic Records and was the first Cheap Trick album to feature their new bassist Jon Brant.
Micki Free is a guitarist and singer of self-identified Native American descent. He won a Grammy Award for his contribution to the Beverly Hills Cop (1984) movie soundtrack and has won two Native American Music Awards. He is the director of Promotions and Special Events for the Seminole Tribe of Florida, owners of Hard Rock International.
All Shook Up is the fifth studio album by American rock band Cheap Trick. Released in 1980, it was produced by former Beatles producer George Martin. It was the first studio album since their debut to be produced by someone other than Tom Werman.
The Doctor is the ninth studio album by Cheap Trick, released in 1986. It was produced by Tony Platt and reached No. 115 on the Billboard 200 Chart.
Phil Cristian, aka Magic Cristian, is an American keyboardist and singer.
Silver is the third live album released by Cheap Trick. It was performed at Davis Park in the band's hometown of Rockford, Illinois on August 28, 1999, to celebrate the band's 25th anniversary since their formation. The album was recorded and released as a two-disc set in 2001, and re-released in 2004 with two additional tracks.
Fuse was an American rock band formed in Rockford, Illinois, in late 1968, after Rick Nielsen proposed the merging of two local bands: The Grim Reapers and Toast and Jam. Managed by Ken Adamany, Fuse's line-up consisted of Rick Nielsen (keyboards/guitar), Joe Sundberg (vocals), Tom Petersson, Craig Myers, and Chip Greenman (drums/percussion). Members of the band later formed Cheap Trick.
"Voices" is a song written by Rick Nielsen and recorded by American rock band Cheap Trick which appeared on the album Dream Police. The single was released in 1979 and peaked at number 32 in the US. The single has become one of the band's more widely known tracks.
"If You Want My Love" is a song by American rock band Cheap Trick, released in 1982 as the lead single from their sixth studio album One on One. It was written by guitarist Rick Nielsen and produced by Roy Thomas Baker. It reached number 45 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and number 2 on the Australian Kent Music Report chart.
"She's Tight" is a song by the American rock band Cheap Trick, which was released in 1982 as the third single from their studio album One on One. It was written by guitarist Rick Nielsen and produced by Roy Thomas Baker. It reached No. 65 on the Billboard Hot 100 Chart.
"He's a Whore" is a song written by Rick Nielsen that was first released on Cheap Trick's 1977 debut album Cheap Trick. It has also appeared on a number of Cheap Trick compilation albums, including The Essential Cheap Trick. It has also been covered by many artists including Big Black, Neon and Vince Neil. Like many of Cheap Trick's songs, it was played in early midwest concerts starting in 1975.
"I Can't Take It" is a song by the American rock band Cheap Trick, which was released in 1983 as the second single from their seventh studio album Next Position Please. The song was written by Robin Zander and produced by Todd Rundgren.
"Reach Out" is a song by American rock band Cheap Trick, released in 1981 as a single from the soundtrack of the 1981 film Heavy Metal. It was written by Bob James and Pete Comita, and produced by Roy Thomas Baker. Although the film's soundtrack album reached No. 12 on the Billboard 200, "Reach Out" was not a commercial success and failed to make a chart appearance.