Biography

Steve Vai

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American guitarist, songwriter, composer and producer. He first learned guitar by studying under Joe Satriani and also studied at the Berklee College of Music. He started as a transcriptionist for Frank Zappa in 1978, joined his band in 1980 and stayed until 1983. He formed two separate bands, the Classified and 777, and began recording music in his own professional studio. This material would be released as his first solo album, "Flex-Able," in January 1984. Vai replaced Yngwie Malmsteen as the guitarist for Alcatrazz and played on the album "Disturbing The Peace." Vai left the group following the tour to join David Lee Roth's solo band following Roth's departure from Van Halen. After playing on two successful Roth albums, "Eat 'Em And Smile" and "Skyscraper," Vai went solo again, buying out his Warner Bros. Records contract and signing to Relativity Records. He also replaced the injured Adrian Vandenberg on Whitesnake's "Slip of the Tongue." Vai's second solo album, "Passion and Warfare," was released in 1990. He has continued performing and recording ever since.
- IMDb mini biography by: JasonIK75

In the movie Crossroads (1986), he plays a demonic rock guitarist who has a final "cutting-heads" guitar showdown with Ralph Macchio. Both Vai and Macchio were born and raised on Long Island, New York.
For director John Carpenter's Ghosts of Mars (2001) soundtrack, music producer Bruce Robb called upon his talent, along with some other famous rock musician friends -- Anthrax, Guns N' Roses' guitarists Buckethead and Robin Finck, and Elliot Easton (formerly of The Cars). The results yielded an award-winning soundtrack, and Vai can been seen in the DVD behind-the-scenes bonus feature filmed while recording in Robb's Cherokee Studios.
His sons are named Julian Angel Vai and Fire Vai.
Keeps bees as a hobby; harvested over 900 pounds of honey in 2001.
Vai wrote two tracks on the soundtrack, plus he wrote and performed every air guitar solo for Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey (1991).

[on Deep Purple's longstanding exclusion from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame - they were eventually inducted in 2016 after being eligible for 23 years ] As far as Deep Purple goes, I mean, they're iconic. Their contribution is unquantifiable, and as far as the politics involved in things like awards, you know, I don't think anything, because I know what they mean to me, and I know what they mean to the people who like them. Awards are very politically based.
I can tell you this: I'm an extremely passionate individual. I try to be careful how I display it because you never know how people are going to take it.
You know, there's times when you should play and there's times when you gotta hold back.
I've learned over the years that you're going to be most successful at the things you're most excited to do. Every artist has a special set of tools. When you really use those tools, and you make yourself feel really good about the product you create, I think you'll find an audience for it. I've been very fortunate in that respect.
I think every artist subconsciously wants to evolve themselves. Sometimes they get stuck in ruts because of pop culture, peer pressure, stuff like that. But what excites me most is exploring my own musical insights and expanding upon them.

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