Tony MacAlpine

Biography

29 August 1960, Springfield, Massachusetts, USA. Initially trained as a pianist, MacAlpine graduated to the electric guitar with an ambition to fuse rock and classical influences into a musical form that would have widespread appeal. Teaming up with Steve Smith (drums, ex-Journey) and Billy Sheehan (bass, ex-David Lee Roth), he recorded 1985’s Edge Of Insanity, which featured a set of classical/jazz/rock fusion instrumental numbers. The album was characterized by MacAlpine’s ability to improvise and imbue feeling and emotion into songs, even at breakneck speed. He experimented with the idea of forming a straightforward rock band as a consequence, and signed up Tommy Aldridge (drums), Rudi Sarzo (bass) and Robert Rock (vocals) to record Project Driver under the M.A.R.S. alias, but the result was a disappointing Rainbow -style collection of hard rock numbers. The band split soon after the release and MacAlpine returned to solo status, forming his own Squawk...

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