Cherry Pie Bio

BIOGRAPHY

Cherry Pie is an Award-winning Tribute to Big Hair 80s Rock based in southern Wisconsin. Over the last 7 years, the Cherry Pie show has grown into a monumental entertainment package, thrilling huge crowds with music, showmanship, lights and all sorts of fun antics.

The band was orginally formed in early 1999 when guitarist Dave joined up with old friends Nick on drums and Don on bass. They auditioned singers and found John. John then recruited former bandmate Josh to add some keyboards and a second guitar. The new band started playing out under the name Hit Squad. After a short time Don decided to leave the group. John recruited old friend Shane to replace him and the magical line-up was complete. The idea right from the start was to play the biggest hard rock hits from the 80s. This was quite a departure from the popular cover bands of the day. Over the next few months the band booked themselves into a variety of smaller venues. Even though they couldn't afford the big light shows and weren't using much hairspray at the time; the talent, chemistry and energy they exhibited on stage were already showing signs of bigger things to come. They soon gained the attention of a major booking agency who encouraged them to push the 80s format further with bigger hair and wilder outfits. The updated version of the band, complete with a new name, Cherry Pie, coincided with the dawn of the new millennium. They began playing much bigger venues where their popularity began to grow exponentially. Over time, Cherry Pie earned the admiration of many fans as well as the industry itself winning a Wisconsin Area Music Industry (WAMI) Award in 2002 (as well as several additional WAMI Nominations), Shepherd Express Best of Milwaukee in 2004 and a Madison Area Music Award (MAMA) in 2005. In June of 2003 Nick left the band and was replaced on drums by Rico, a former bandmate of Dave's. In September of 2006 Rico left the band and was replaced on drums by Frank. 2006 has seen Cherry Pie continue to be among the elite in the Wisconsin music scene drawing the biggest and best crowds in the business to their larger-than-life shows. Dave, John, Josh, Shane and Frank continue to work hard maintaining their standards of musicianship and showmanship while always looking for new ways to innovate their stage show. And they continue to have a great time doing it.

Dave -- "Chet Manhood" -- Guitars
Cherry Pie was created based on Dave's vision for a band that would bring back the energy and fun of 80s rock. He used to play with the band Shyboy "back in the day" and has always remained true to the big hair sound. His favorite guitarists include Eddie Van Halen, George Lynch and Charro. In his spare time Dave likes to collect shoelaces and climb very small trees. His goal is to someday retire to a small tropical island where he can work full-time on his first love... Haiku.

John -- "Johnny Spandex" -- Lead Vocals
As the charismatic, tight-panted frontman for Cherry Pie, John holds a special position in the Midwest music scene. He uses his amazing voice to entertain crowds with equal parts power, sexuality and humor. He loves old school metal like Iron Maiden, Slayer and Queensryche but enjoys singing many styles. He recently enjoyed a three-year stint with the popular Chicago-area band ARRA. A hopelessly devout Packer fan, John also enjoys apples, sunny days and rusty trombones.

Josh -- "Luscious Rod" -- Guitars/Keyboards/Vocals
Trained on many musical instruments from an early age, Josh fulfills the roles of "utility player" and "musical snob" for Cherry Pie making sure that songs are properly arranged. Some of his favorite artists include Rush, James Taylor and Cookie Monster. Over the years Josh has played in many popular cover bands including Toys, The Cheeters and Jukebox Heroes. Standing 6'7" tall, Josh is often a maniac on stage with Cherry Pie but he also displays a softer side when he plays out as a solo performer. [Josh on MySpace]

Shane -- "Monstro Libido" -- Bass/Vocals
Widely considered to be the "cute one" of the group, Shane's undeniable charisma has played a major role in Cherry Pie's popularity. In addition to playing bass, Shane regularly brings down the house with his lead vocals on songs like "Rebel Yell", "Cold Gin" and "Talk Dirty to Me". His favorite artists include Alice Cooper, Queensryche and Doris Day. Away from the band, Shane works as a covert CIA agent (oops, I wasn't supposed to mention that).

Frank -- "Franklin Trash" -- Drums
Always glam at heart, Frank comes to Cherry Pie with a wide variety of musical experiences. Some of his favorite drummers include Steve Riley, Brett Bradshaw and Garth Algar. Despite his reputation as a puppy kicker, Frank is an animal lover and enjoys a vegetarian lifestyle. But don't let that fool you. He can still kick your ass. In addition to providing the groove for the PIE, Frank also plays out in other projects including Off Tha Hook, The Color Truth and Thomas Lane. [Frank on MySpace]