Sonny Mayo | |
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 Mayo in 2018 | |
| Background information | |
| Born | July 16, 1971 Washington, D.C., U.S. |
| Genres | |
| Occupations |
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| Instrument | Guitar |
| Years active | 1992–present |
| Member of | |
| Formerly of | |
Ronald D. Mayo (born July 16, 1971) is an American guitarist. He is best known for playing with Snot, Amen, and Sevendust, co-writing several albums. He co-founded Rock to Recovery, a music therapy non-profit, in 2014.
Mayo began playing in a thrash metal band called Silence in the late 1980s. Silence (John Mayes, Benjamin Gaither, Louie Denslow, Jason Robinson and Sonny), regularly sold out venues in the DC Metro area including the "Bayou" in Georgetown. While with Silence, he released a nine track CD, Vision, and recorded a three song tape with Alex Perialas (who produced Anthrax, Overkill, S.O.D., etc.). One of the songs from the tape, "One Race" was made into a black and white video filmed at the Bayou (note, the director of the video was John Brenkus, who now does Sport Science on ESPN).
He then joined M.F. Pitbulls with Shannon Larkin (Wrathchild America, Ugly Kid Joe, Amen, now Godsmack) on vocals, Jamie Miller (Snot, Bad Religion, TheStart) on drums, and John "Tumor" Fahnestock (Snot, Amen, Noise Within) on bass.
In 1995, Mayo moved to Santa Barbara to join the band Snot. Snot was signed to Geffen Records in 1996 and recorded their only full-length release, Get Some, in May 1997. Mayo then rejoined Shannon Larkin in the band Amen in 1998 and subsequently recorded and released albums on Roadrunner Records (Amen self-titled) and Virgin Records (We Have Come For Your Parents). In 1998, Mayo contributed to the Vanilla Ice album Hard to Swallow .
In 2002, Mayo replaced Chad Benekos in Hed PE. He toured in support of the album Blackout .
On January 19, 2005, he got a call from Morgan Rose to join Sevendust after Clint Lowery left for Dark New Day. [1] Mayo co-wrote and recorded three full-length releases with Sevendust. Next – Winedark Records, 2005; Alpha – Asylum Records, 2007; and Chapter 7: Hope & Sorrow – Asylum, 2008. In early 2008, Mayo was replaced by the original Sevendust guitarist, Clint Lowery. According to Mayo, he was not pleased with the way he was fired.
Shortly after departing Sevendust, Snot reformed with ex-Divine Heresy frontman Tommy Vext on vocals. Snot wrote and recorded new material and toured the U.S. supporting Mudvayne in late 2008. Mayo decided not to continue with Snot in May 2009, and enrolled in the Recording Institute Of Technology program at the Musicians Institute in Hollywood, California. After receiving a certificate in audio engineering and Pro Tools certification, Mayo produced and engineered several bands and artists.
In 2011, Mayo engineered and co-produced Ugly Kid Joe's Stairway to Hell album then joined the band in 2012 as touring guitarist, filling in for Dave Fortman.
In June 2014, Sonny joined Wesley Geer in the non-profit organization, Rock to Recovery, which harnesses the healing power of music by bringing musical instruments and equipment in to treatment facilities to write and record original songs with people recovering from drug/alcohol addiction, PTSD, eating disorders, and other illnesses.
In June 2015, Sonny joined Ugly Kid Joe in the studio to write/record Uglier Than They Used ta Be , which released in late 2015.
Snot is an American nu metal band from Santa Barbara, California. Formed in 1995, the band released their only studio album Get Some with founding vocalist Lynn Strait in 1997 and disbanded after his death in 1998. In 2008, the lineup of lead guitarist Mikey Doling, bassist John Fahnestock, drummer Jamie Miller and rhythm guitarist Sonny Mayo reunited. In 2009, a new band, Tons, was formed, with Brandon Espinosa as vocalist. As of February 2014, Snot has reformed again.
Ugly Kid Joe is an American hard rock band from Isla Vista, California, formed in 1989. The band's name spoofs the glam metal band Pretty Boy Floyd's name.
Sevendust is an American rock band from Atlanta, Georgia, formed in 1994 by bassist Vince Hornsby, drummer Morgan Rose and guitarist John Connolly. After their first demo, lead vocalist Lajon Witherspoon and guitarist Clint Lowery joined the group. Following a few name changes, the members settled on the name Sevendust and released their self-titled debut album on April 15, 1997, which sold only 310 copies in its first week but ultimately achieved gold certification through touring and support from their label, TVT Records.
Amen is an American band formed in Los Angeles in 1994. It was founded by frontman and singer Casey Chaos and combines elements of punk rock, hardcore punk, and heavy metal. Although the band experienced little success in the United States, Amen attracted a significant following in the United Kingdom. The band saw continuous changes in membership, with Casey Chaos remaining the sole original member.
Amen is the second studio album by American rock band Amen and its first for a major label, released on September 21, 1999, by I Am/Roadrunner Records. The first track on the album, "Coma America", became the band's first single. In 2001, the album was re-released with four new bonus tracks.
Souls at Zero was an American heavy metal band. They were originally known as Wrathchild America. The name change occurred after Wrathchild America was dropped from Atlantic Records in 1992, and was accompanied by a slight change in musical style, adopting a mixture between alternative metal and groove metal while also retaining some of the thrash metal roots of Wrathchild America. Souls at Zero released three albums on Energy Records before disbanding in the mid-1990s.
Dark New Day was an American hard rock supergroup formed in 2004 featuring Brett Hestla of Virgos Merlot, Clint Lowery of Sevendust, Troy McLawhorn of DoubleDrive, Corey Lowery of Stereomud and Stuck Mojo, and Will Hunt of Skrape. Their debut album, Twelve Year Silence, was released in 2005, followed by the EP Black Porch in 2006. Though still inactive, Dark New Day released their second album, titled New Tradition, in 2012. On February 19, 2013, the band released their third album, titled Hail Mary.
James Shannon Larkin is an American musician, best known as the drummer of the rock band Godsmack. He replaced the previous drummer Tommy Stewart in June 2002. Prior to Godsmack, he was a member of Amen, Candlebox, Ugly Kid Joe, and Souls at Zero.
Seasons is the fourth studio album by American rock band Sevendust. It would be the band's final album with TVT Records and was dedicated to the memory to both Dave Williams who died of cardiomyopathy in August 2002, and Reginald Witherspoon who was murdered in November 2002.
Clint Edward Lowery is an American musician, songwriter and producer, best known as a guitarist and backing vocalist in the rock band Sevendust. He has also played in Dark New Day and Still Rain, and served as the touring guitarist for Korn and Seether through most of 2007 and 2017, respectively. In 2008, he decided to work on new music as a solo artist, and the name of the project was titled Hello Demons Meet Skeletons. Lowery wrote and recorded a six-song EP while off the road with Sevendust, just for a week. He played every instrument on the CD, which was produced by his brother Corey Lowery. The EP, Chills, was released in October, followed by a tour at the same month. He would also later release two more EPs with HDMS. Also his fourth and last EP, Choices, was released in 2013.
William Troy McLawhorn is an American musician who has been a guitarist in the rock band Evanescence since 2007. He has also worked with the bands Seether, Dark New Day, doubleDrive, Still Rain, and Gibraltar.
Dave Fortman is an American record producer and musician. He is the guitarist for rock band Ugly Kid Joe, and has done production work for bands such as Godsmack, Superjoint Ritual, Snot, Atomship, Eyehategod, Mudvayne, Otep, Slipknot, and Simple Plan. He also worked on both of Evanescence's multi-platinum selling albums The Open Door and Fallen.
Another Animal was an American rock supergroup formed by members of Godsmack, Ugly Kid Joe, and Dropbox.
"Angel's Son" is a song written by Clint Lowery and Lajon Witherspoon of Sevendust and performed by Witherspoon, fellow Sevendust members and ex-Snot band member Sonny Mayo, for the post-mortem compilation CD in honor of Snot founding vocalist James Lynn Strait known as Strait Up.
Chapter VII: Hope & Sorrow is the seventh studio album by American rock band Sevendust, and the last to feature guitarist Sonny Mayo who was replaced by original guitarist Clint Lowery before the release of the album. It was released on April 1, 2008, through the band's own 7 Bros. Records, in conjunction with Warner Music Group's Independent Label Group. The album features guest appearances by Chris Daughtry (Daughtry), Myles Kennedy, and Mark Tremonti.
Corey French Lowery is an American musician, songwriter, record producer and engineer. He is the guitarist and backing vocalist for South African rock band Seether, and a former member of Saint Asonia, Stuck Mojo, Stereomud, Eye Empire, and Dark New Day. He is the brother of Clint Lowery.
Cold Day Memory is the eighth studio album by American rock band Sevendust, released on April 20, 2010. The album marks the return of guitarist Clint Lowery who previously left Sevendust in 2004 to work with Dark New Day. The album debuted at No. 12 on the Billboard 200, selling about 27,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release, marking the band's highest debut ever.
New Tradition is the second album by American hard rock supergroup Dark New Day, released on February 28, 2012. It is their third release in six years after Black Porch and their second album since Twelve Year Silence. Originally due to be released in 2006 under the title of "Hail Mary", the band faced troubles due to their contract with Warner, forcing them to shelve the album altogether. In late 2011, the band decided to get back together and release the material through their new record company, Goomba Music.
Call Me No One was an American rock band founded by Sevendust members Clint Lowery and Morgan Rose in 2012. It was later extended with Rek Mohr (Leo/Hurt) on bass and Souls Harbor guitarist/bassist and Shinedown touring guitarist Alan Price on guitar.
Jamie Miller is an American musician, currently the drummer for rock bands Bad Religion, Vanishing Life and Snot. He is also the lead guitarist and the backing vocalist for theStart, and was formerly the drummer for Souls at Zero and the drummer and guitarist for ...And You Will Know Us By the Trail of Dead.
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