Roger Fisher (guitarist)

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Roger Fisher
Roger Fisher - Heart - 1978.jpg
Fisher in 1978 [1] [2]
Background information
Born (1950-02-14) February 14, 1950 (age 74)
Seattle, Washington, U.S.
Genres Rock, hard rock, folk rock, pop, AOR
Occupation(s)Musician, songwriter
InstrumentGuitar
Years active1967–present
Labels Mushroom, Capitol, Portrait, Epic, EMI Canada, MCA
Website rogerfisher.com

Roger Fisher (born February 14, 1950) is an American guitarist primarily known as one of the founding members of the band Heart. His tenure lasted from 1967 until 1979. [3] In 2013 Fisher was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Heart.

Contents

Career

The band Heart started out as Army in 1967 in Seattle, Washington, formed by bassist Steve Fossen and brothers Roger and Michael Fisher. The group went by the names Army, Hocus Pocus, and White Heart before settling on just Heart in the mid-1970s. Ann Wilson joined the band in 1970 and Nancy in 1974; romances sprang up between the Fisher brothers and Wilson sisters, with Mike dating Ann and Roger dating Nancy. [4]

Heart rose to fame following the release of their debut album, Dreamboat Annie , in 1976. Follow-up albums Little Queen , Magazine , and Dog and Butterfly also sold well. Following the release of the Dog and Butterfly album, the Roger Fisher / Nancy Wilson romance came to an end. In October 1979, Fisher quit the band.

In 1990, Roger Fisher formed the band Alias with vocalist Freddy Curci and guitarist Steve DeMarchi, who were previously members of the Canadian rock band Sheriff; the other two musicians were fellow ex-Heart members Steve Fossen on bass and Mike Derosier on drums. Alias had a few hits, most notably in 1990 with the song "More Than Words Can Say", which in 2005 resurfaced in a Subway sandwich commercial. Alias toured extensively through 1990. The band also performed twice on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson , once with Johnny Carson and once with Jay Leno. The group disbanded in the early 1990s while touring to promote their album.

Fisher continues his musical career. He has recorded two solo albums and has collaborated with many musicians in the Pacific Northwest USA, including session/touring percussionist Matthew Burgess. He was also involved with a group called "Clever Bastards". Fisher moved with his family from Washington State to Prague, Czech Republic, in 2007. [5] As of September 2008, however, he resides in Monroe, Washington. [6]

In 2013, Fisher was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Heart.

Discography

Heart

Alias

Solo

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Heart (band)</span> American rock band

Heart is an American rock band formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1973. The band evolved from previous projects led by founding members Roger Fisher (guitar) and Steve Fossen, including The Army (1967–1969), Hocus Pocus (1969–1970), and White Heart (1970–1973). By 1975, original members Fisher, Fossen, and Ann Wilson, along with Nancy Wilson, Michael Derosier (drums), and Howard Leese formed the lineup for the band's initial mid- to late-1970s success period. These core members were included in the band's 2013 induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nancy Wilson (rock musician)</span> American guitarist (born 1954)

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Alias was a Canadian rock supergroup, formed in 1988 in Toronto by songwriter/lead vocalist Freddy Curci and songwriter/lead guitarist Steve DeMarchi of the Canadian arena rock band Sheriff, along with Heart founding members Roger Fisher, Steve Fossen, and Mike Derosier.

<i>Little Queen</i> 1977 studio album by Heart

Little Queen is the third studio album by American rock band Heart, released in May 1977 by Portrait Records. The album was recorded and mixed at Kaye-Smith Studios in Seattle, Washington, from February to April 1977. On June 29, 2004, a remastered version of Little Queen was released by Epic Records and Legacy Recordings with two bonus tracks.

<i>Dreamboat Annie</i> 1975 studio album by Heart

Dreamboat Annie is the debut studio album by American rock band Heart. At the time, the band was based in Vancouver, British Columbia; the album was recorded in Vancouver and first released in Canada by the local label Mushroom Records in September 1975, eventually reaching number 20 on RPM's Top Album chart and earning a double platinum certification. It was released in the United States on February 14, 1976, through the US subsidiary of Mushroom Records in Los Angeles, peaking at number seven on the Billboard 200. It also reached the top 10 in the Netherlands and Australia in early 1977. The album contains three commercially successful singles, two of which, "Crazy on You" and "Magic Man", became staples on North American FM radio. Producer Mike Flicker helped the group to polish their sound and obtain a recording contract with the label.

<i>Dog & Butterfly</i> (album) 1978 studio album by Heart

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<i>Bébé le Strange</i> 1980 studio album by Heart

Bébé le Strange is the fifth studio album by American rock band Heart, released on February 14, 1980, by Epic Records. It was the first album without founding member Roger Fisher on lead guitar, who had left the band months prior along with his brother Michael.

<i>Private Audition</i> 1982 studio album by Heart

Private Audition is the sixth studio album by American rock band Heart, released on May 20, 1982, by Epic Records. The album reached number 25 on the US Billboard 200, spending 14 weeks on the chart. It spawned the single "This Man Is Mine", which peaked at number 33 on the Billboard Hot 100. It is the last Heart album to feature longtime members Mike Derosier and Steve Fossen, who left after the recording of the album and were replaced by Denny Carmassi and Mark Andes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Magic Man</span> 1975 song and single by Heart

"Magic Man" is a song by the American rock band Heart released as a single off their debut album, Dreamboat Annie. Written and composed by Ann and Nancy Wilson, the song is sung from the viewpoint of a young girl who is being seduced by an older man, much to the chagrin of her mother, who calls and begs the girl to come home. In an interview, Ann Wilson revealed that the "Magic Man" was about her then boyfriend, band manager Michael Fisher, and that part of the song was an autobiographical tale of the beginnings of their relationship. Roger Fisher came up with the alternative tuning EADGDG for his guitar part. The album version of "Magic Man" features an over-two-minute instrumental break which consists of a guitar solo and the usage of a Minimoog synthesizer, while the single version of the song edits out most of this break, cutting it down from 5:28 to 3:29.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">More Than Words Can Say</span> 1990 single by Alias

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"Little Queen" is a song written and recorded by the rock band Heart. It was released as the second single from the band's second album Little Queen in 1977. The song is a midtempo rock and roll number similar in style to Heart's past hit "Magic Man" but much gentler than the album's hard rock debut single, "Barracuda". Although the song has endured as a fan-favorite amongst Heart's audience, "Little Queen" did not perform as well as previous singles when released, peaking at number sixty-two on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Straight On</span> 1978 single by Heart

"Straight On" is a song recorded by the rock band Heart. It was released as the first single from the band's 1978 album Dog & Butterfly. In the U.S., "Straight On" became Heart's third single to crack the top twenty, peaking at number fifteen on the Billboard Hot 100. The song was co-written by Ann Wilson, Nancy Wilson, and Sue Ennis. "Straight On" was released during Heart's classic era and has been part of the group's setlist almost constantly since its release. It still was during their 2016 tour.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dog & Butterfly (song)</span> 1979 single by Heart

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<i>Alias</i> (album) 1990 studio album by Alias

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<i>Dreamboat Annie Live</i>

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Denny DeMarchi</span> Canadian musician (1962–2020)

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<i>Never Say Never</i> (Alias album) 2009 studio album by Alias

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Steve Fossen</span> American bass guitarist

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Waiting for Love (Alias song)</span> 1991 single by Alias

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References

  1. The instrument shown in the photo was created from two single-necked guitars; it is not a factory Gibson doubleneck. In Guitar Player issue December 1979, it is described by Roger as "a Gibson SG that was modified into a 6- and 12- doubleneck guitar by Ed Myronyk." The guitar was used to record "Love Alive" as well as "Soul Of The Sea".
  2. "Roger Fisher and Creating His Custom Guitars". Fisher Bros and the Human Tribe. June 2, 2018. Archived from the original on December 14, 2021. Retrieved July 10, 2018.
  3. Saulnier, Jason (March 15, 2012). "Roger Fisher Interview". Music Legends. Retrieved May 7, 2013.
  4. Gould, Elliot (March 17, 2018). "An Interview with Roger Fisher of Heart – Crazy On You". Render Edge Media – Rock Music Series. Archived from the original on December 14, 2021. Retrieved May 14, 2018.
  5. "Roger Fisher's Journal, Oct 2007". Archived from the original on February 16, 2012. Retrieved July 31, 2024.
  6. Interview on the Dori Monson KIRO 710 radio show, September 5, 2008