Gary Pihl

Gary O. Pihl(pronounced "peel" ) (born November 21, 1950) is an American rock musician and guitarist best known for playing withSammy Hagarand thehard rockbandBoston.

Gary Pihl
Gary Pihl performing with Boston in 2008
Background information
Born	(1950-11-21)November 21, 1950 Chicago,Illinois,U.S.
Genres	Rock
Instrument(s)	Guitar, keyboards
Years active	1963–present
Labels	Epic,CBS

Biography

Gary Pihl was born inChicago,Illinois,where he lived the first 12 years of his life.In 1963 his family relocated toSan Mateo, California,where Pihl would become active in music and a participant in a number of local bands. Gary graduated fromHillsdale High School.

At his home recording studio, Pihl worked with the founding members of a band that would eventually be called "Night Ranger."They recorded demos for their first and second albums (Dawn PatrolandMidnight Madness,respectively) at his home studio. Night Ranger was initially called "Ranger," but the band found that the name was already being used by another band and changed it prior to the first album release.

He also played with several other bands including Day Blindness, Fox, Crossfire (Steve Jones,Mitchell Froom,David Froom, Phil Marshall withJeff Dorenfeldas manager; Crossfire also performed withNorman Greenbaumas lead singer for several years.), Stark Raving Mad (Gary on lead vocals and guitar, Donovan Stark,Paul Taylor(later ofWinger), Jay Causbrook, and David Payne, withEric MartinofMr. Bigjoining after Gary left, among other players), andAlliance.(Note: There have been several different bands named Alliance.)

Crossfire featured anARP OdysseyandARP String Ensembleplayed by Mitchell Froom (who would later become known for the soundtrack to "La Bamba"and other films while also producing bands in LA). Crossfire's seminal moment was their performance at theStop the Dam Concertheld atSonoma State College,(nowSonoma State University). The concert was to raise awareness and funds to stop theArmy Corps of Engineersconstruction of the Lake Sonoma Dam project in Geyserville's Dry Creek Valley.

Before leaving Stark Raving Mad to join Sammy Hagar, he was known for songs such as "Olga on the Volga."

Sammy Hagar was the opening act at the end of Boston's first tour in 1977 and opened the whole second tour in 1978/79. It was on those tours that Pihl metTom Scholz.The two of them found out how much they had in common with their extensive home studios and techniques. It set up a lifelong bond and a few years later Tom asked Pihl to join Boston, after Hagar decided to joinVan Halen.

After Jeff Dorenfeld became manager for Boston, Pihl made other introductions including Doug Huffman, another drummer from Sebastopol in Sonoma County when Boston needed a replacement, and still later,bassistDavid Sikesfrom Fairfield, California nearSonoma County.

Discography

with Day Blindness

• Day Blindness(1969)

with FOX

• San Francisco Session(1970)

with Sammy Hagar

• Musical Chairs(1977)
• All Night Long(1978)
• Street Machine(1979)
• Danger Zone(1980)
• Loud & Clear(1980)
• Standing Hampton(1981)
• Three Lock Box(1982)
• Live 1980(1983)
• VOA(1984)

with Boston

• Third Stage(1986)
• Walk On(1994)
• Greatest Hits(1997)
• Corporate America(2002)
• Life, Love & Hope(2013)

with Alliance

• Alliance(1997)
• Missing Piece(1999)
• Road To Heaven(2008)

with Color Three

• Paint By Number(2013)

with All 41

• The World's Best Hope(2017)

with The Roads

• Simple Man(2022)