Michael Anthony (musician) (1967-1974) Musical career begins How did his career start? played in the marching band there from 1967-1969.
Where did he play in the marching band at?
Where did Michael Anthony play in the marching band at?
While Anthony was a promising catcher in baseball, he also competed on the Dana Junior High School track team (long jump) and played in the marching band there from 1967-1969. He took an interest in guitar as a teenager, but picked up the bass instead since most of his other friends already played guitar or drums. Anthony's friend Mike Hershey gave him a Fender Mustang electric guitar that Anthony converted by removing the two highest strings and playing it as a bass guitar. Eventually, his father bought him a Victoria copy of a Fender Precision Bass and a Gibson amplifier. Anthony mostly modelled his bass playing after Jack Bruce of Cream, but also admired Led Zeppelin's John Paul Jones and Harvey Brooks of Electric Flag. His first band was called Poverty's Children. Other bands he played in included Black Opal, Balls, and Snake. Although Anthony is naturally left-handed, he plays right-handed.  Snake, a three-piece group featuring Anthony on lead vocals and bass guitar, was the last band in which Anthony played before joining Van Halen. Snake played covers of ZZ Top, Lynyrd Skynyrd, and Foghat, along with some original songs. They played several of the same types of gigs as did the Van Halen brothers' band Mammoth. Snake even once opened for Mammoth at a show at Pasadena High School. Mammoth's PA failed that night, so Anthony lent them Snake's PA.  While attending Pasadena City College, Anthony pursued a degree in music. Eddie Van Halen also took classes there and they would often see each other on campus. During this time, bass player Mark Stone parted ways with Mammoth and the Van Halens decided to audition Anthony as a replacement. Anthony was impressed by their skill during subsequent jam sessions even though he had seen the brothers play before. After the session, the Van Halen brothers asked Anthony to join their band. One story claims that he said he had to think about it and consulted Snake guitarist Tony Caggiano who advised Anthony to join Van Halen. However, according to Michael Anthony's web site, when asked if he wanted to join Mammoth, Anthony immediately said yes. This has become the accepted version of events. CANNOTANSWER
Dana Junior High School
Michael Anthony Sobolewski (born June 20, 1954) is an American musician who was the bassist and backing vocalist for the hard rock band Van Halen from 1974 to 2006. He performed on Van Halen's first 11 albums and was their longest-tenured bassist. Following his 2006 departure, Anthony has collaborated with fellow former Van Halen bandmate Sammy Hagar for the supergroups Chickenfoot and Sammy Hagar and the Circle. In addition to his music career, he markets a line of hot sauces named Mad Anthony and related products. Anthony was inducted to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Van Halen in 2007.

Early years 
Anthony got his interest in music from his father, who played trumpet. Anthony began by playing trumpet.

Anthony was partly raised in Chicago. The family moved to California twice in Anthony's early years, settling in 1966 in Arcadia, California (Arcadia being located next to Pasadena, where Alex and Edward Van Halen, with whom Anthony would later play in the band Van Halen, were raised). Anthony attended Dana Junior High School, in Arcadia, California, from 1967 to 1969.  Anthony was in the marching band at the school. He ran track in junior high and also showed promise in baseball, as a catcher, but by the time he started high school he had ceased doing athletics to concentrate on music.

Anthony graduated from Arcadia High in 1972.

Music career

(1967–1974) Early musical endeavors 

Anthony took an interest in guitar as a teenager, but picked up the bass instead since most of his other friends already played guitar or drums. Anthony's friend Mike Hershey gave him a Fender Mustang electric guitar that Anthony converted by removing the two highest strings and playing it as a bass guitar. Eventually, his father bought him a Victoria copy of a Fender Precision Bass and a Gibson amplifier. Anthony mostly modelled his bass playing after Jack Bruce of Cream, but also admired Led Zeppelin's John Paul Jones and Harvey Brooks of Electric Flag. His first band was called Poverty's Children. Other bands he played in included Black Opal, Balls, and Snake. Although Anthony is naturally left-handed, he plays right-handed.

Snake, a three-piece group featuring Anthony on lead vocals and bass guitar, was the last band in which Anthony played before joining Van Halen. Snake played covers of ZZ Top, Lynyrd Skynyrd, and Foghat, along with some original songs. They played several of the same types of gigs as did the Van Halen brothers' band Mammoth. Snake once opened for Mammoth during a show at Pasadena High School. Mammoth's PA failed that night, so Anthony lent them Snake's PA.

While attending Pasadena City College, majoring in music, Anthony met Eddie Van Halen, who also took classes there. During this time, bass player Mark Stone parted ways with Mammoth and the Van Halens auditioned Anthony as a replacement. Anthony was impressed by their skill during subsequent jam sessions even though he had heard the brothers play before. After the session, the Van Halen brothers asked Anthony to join their band. One story claims that he first consulted Snake guitarist Tony Caggiano, who advised Anthony to join up with the guitar prodigy and his brother. However, according to Anthony's web site, he immediately accepted. This has become the accepted version of events.

Anthony had planned to attend college in Santa Barbara after he graduated from Pasadena City College, but instead he dropped out of PCC just before he earned enough credits for a degree so that he could devote all his time to Van Halen.

(1974–1996) Van Halen 

In 1974, Eddie Van Halen, Alex Van Halen, David Lee Roth and Anthony became known as Van Halen, dropping the name Mammoth when they discovered another local band using that moniker. After successfully navigating the Los Angeles & West Hollywood club scene and a 29 track demo produced by Kiss's Gene Simmons, Van Halen was signed to Warner Bros. in 1977 and released their self-titled debut album on February 10, 1978. Anthony was a 20% member (manager Noel Monk being the 5th) of all debts and profits, including merchandise, until midway through the 1984 tour, when tensions rose to the point that Roth and the Van Halen brothers insisted that he sign away all future songwriting credit and royalties, retroactive with the current 1984 LP. Noel Monk later wrote of the event, "If I were Mike, I would have told them to 'fuck off' and not played that night, to show them my worth. Instead Mike didn't say a word and signed away millions of dollars, as the three stood over him, lying on the floor."

The band released a total of ten studio albums from 1978 - 1995, a live album in 1993, as well as two greatest hits compilations during Anthony's tenure with the band.

Anthony produced a 1988 demo for his brother (Robert Lee Sobolewski) Bobby Leigh's band Asylum Suite, which was formed in 1984 and featured singer Michael Thomas Fiore.

(1996–2003) Diminishing role with Van Halen and side projects 

As early as 1996, rumors periodically surfaced that Anthony had been fired from Van Halen, despite claims to the contrary. Anthony continued working with the band although the rumors persisted until his actual departure following the 2004 reunion tour with Hagar.

Anthony's involvement in recording the 1998 album Van Halen III was dramatically less than previous albums. Anthony played bass on three songs, with Eddie playing the bass parts for the remainder. Anthony is credited as a songwriter for the album along with the rest of the band. Anthony performed with the band for the 1998 tour, and was credited on messages from the band thereafter. He participated in the band's three reunion efforts with David Lee Roth in 1996, 2000 and 2001 (with the latter resulting in early versions of A Different Kind of Truth tracks). Anthony's name was also credited in a few band newsletters and appeared in band interviews during this time. Sometime after this, Anthony disappeared from public view until the 2004 reunion.

Anthony began periodic appearances with Sammy Hagar during his solo tours. He usually played as part of both the Waboritas and Los Tres Gusanos, two of Hagar's bands. During 2002's Roth/Hagar tour (otherwise known as the "Sans Halen" or "Sam and Dave" tour), both Anthony and ex-Van Halen vocalist Gary Cherone made guest appearances at concerts, sometimes together.

In 2002, Anthony, Hagar, Neal Schon, Deen Castronovo, and Joe Satriani formed the supergroup Planet Us and Anthony began making more frequent performances at Hagar concerts. Planet Us recorded two songs, including "Psycho Vertigo", which was intended for the original Spider-Man soundtrack but ultimately did not make the album. That and the other Planet Us song written for the band, "Peephole", were later released on the 2008 Hagar solo album Cosmic Universal Fashion.

(2003–2005) Van Halen reunion 
Initially when Eddie and Alex asked Hagar to rejoin at the end of 2003 for a 2004 tour, the plan was to not invite Anthony back. Hagar, however, refused to perform if Anthony did not rejoin, and Anthony agreed to play but on a reduced royalties contract. The contract drawn up was for the duration of the tour only.

In 2004, Van Halen released the compilation album The Best of Both Worlds which included three new songs. Anthony did not participate in the writing of nor did he play bass on the new songs and was not credited on the album for the new material, although he did sing backup vocals on all of them.

Anthony now states in media interviews that he has not spoken to the Van Halen brothers since the 2004 tour, except to Alex at the funeral of Van Halen drum tech Greg Emerson. He has also speculated that since the brothers were not pleased with Hagar's commercial ventures such as the Cabo Wabo product line, their similar displeasure with Anthony's hot sauce brand may have caused the rift that ultimately separated Hagar and Anthony from the band.

(2006–present) Departure from Van Halen and formation of Chickenfoot 
Anthony spent the summer of 2006 touring as a member of the Other Half during a segment of the Sammy Hagar and the Waboritas tour. The Other Half featured Anthony and Hagar performing classic Van Halen songs from both the Roth and Hagar periods.

On September 8, 2006, Eddie Van Halen announced that his son Wolfgang was replacing Anthony as Van Halen's bass player. On February 2, 2007, Van Halen announced that they were reuniting for a tour with original vocalist David Lee Roth. Their tour began on September 27, 2007.  Anthony commented that he heard about his replacement "on the Internet" and added, "I'm a little miffed that they're calling it a Van Halen reunion. If I was dead and they needed someone to play, that's one thing, but to me this is not a reunion." At the tour press conference David Lee Roth stated, "This is not a reunion, this is a revision."

Anthony joined Hagar on live national television on February 25, 2007, during a pre-race performance for the California NASCAR race on Fox television. Anthony jumped onstage and joined Hagar during a performance of "I Can't Drive 55."

Anthony and Hagar were the only members, former or current, to appear at Van Halen's induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on March 12, 2007. Eddie Van Halen was in rehab at the time, and Alex Van Halen and David Lee Roth declined to appear.

Anthony is a founding member, bassist and backing vocalist for the band Chickenfoot with Sammy Hagar, Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith and guitarist Joe Satriani. The band released their first studio album in Europe on June 5, 2009, followed by the North American release on June 9. Chickenfoot released their sophomore effort, Chickenfoot III, on September 27, 2011.

Anthony is a member of Sammy Hagar and the Circle, a supergroup that formed in 2014 and features Hagar as well as guitarist Vic Johnson and drummer Jason Bonham.

Personal life
Anthony met Sue Hendry when both attended Arcadia High School. They married in 1981. They have two daughters: Elisha (born 1985) and Taylor (born 1992). Anthony and his family reside in Newport Beach, California. He can be seen during televised car shows, often being interviewed regarding his love and knowledge for classic motorcycles and cars.

Anthony mostly stayed on the sidelines of the rockstar "party hard" lifestyle, though he was often seen and photographed with a cigarette and a Jack Daniel's (whiskey logo) bass guitar.

Discography

with Van Halen
Van Halen (1978)
Van Halen II (1979)
Women and Children First (1980)
Fair Warning (1981)
Diver Down (1982)
1984 (1984)
5150 (1986)
OU812 (1988)
For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge (1991)
Balance (1995)
Van Halen III (1998)

with Chickenfoot
Chickenfoot (2009)
Chickenfoot III (2011)

with the Circle
Space Between (2019)
 Lockdown 2020 (2021)

Commercial ventures
Anthony maintains a personal website titled "Mad Anthony's Cafe" where he markets and sells a number of signature products including hot sauce, BBQ sauce, and hot mustard. His line of commercial foods is the result of a collaboration with a San Diego, California restaurant noted for its hot sauces. His hot sauce brand, "Mad Anthony," has been noted on local news segments and on the Food Network for being "high-end" due to the quality of its ingredients and manufacturing process. The site also provides information on Anthony's Schecter Guitar Research bass guitar series. Chickenfoot bandmate Sammy Hagar carries the bassist's hot sauces at his Sammy's Beach Bar & Grill locations.

References

References

External links
Official Web site
Van Halen Store
Van Halen News Desk

People from the San Gabriel Valley
Planet Us members
1954 births
American heavy metal bass guitarists
American male bass guitarists
Living people
Van Halen members
Chickenfoot members
American people of Polish descent
American rock bass guitarists
Pasadena City College alumni
20th-century American bass guitarists
21st-century American guitarists
Sammy Hagar and the Circle members
The Florida Atlantic University Marching Owls is the marching band at Florida Atlantic University. The band plays for all home football games at FAU Stadium and at civic and community events in South Florida.

History

After establishing a football program in 2001, Florida Atlantic University's president Anthony Catanese instigated plans to start an official university marching band the following year.  The Director of Bands, George Sparks, pulled together 85 students who wearing a Caribbean style shirt and straw brimmed hats performed at home football games at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami for the 2002 and 2003 seasons.  In 2003, Mr. Sparks took an administrative position and without a permanent leader the band went inactive in Fall 2004.

In April 2005, Christopher Chapman was hired as the university's first Director of Athletic Bands, overseeing the 'Parliament Sound' Pep Band which performs at basketball games, and the Marching Owls.  In Fall 2005 he was able to successfully restart the marching band program as the football team jumped from Division I-AA to Division I-A in the Sunbelt Conference. 2005 was the first year the band performed in traditional blue and white marching uniforms, and the year many of its current traditions were established.  In 2006, Sean Murray was hired as the Director of Athletic Bands and for the eleven years under his direction the band grew in size and quality.  He officially adopted the name "Marching Owls" in 2006 and brought the band to their first out-of-state appearance at the New Orleans Bowl in 2007. The band traveled regularly during these years performing at away football games at Florida International University's Riccardo Silva Stadium, the University of Miami at Hard Rock Stadium, and the University of Florida at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.

In 2011, Florida Atlantic University finished construction of its new 30,000 seat football stadium, FAU Stadium, and the Marching Owls performed at the inaugural game against Western Kentucky. With the new stadium came a greater interest in the schools football team and marching band. In 2014, the football team joined Conference USA and the Marching Owls continued to grow and build traditions to bolster the football atmosphere.  The current Director of Athletic Bands is Marc Decker.

References

Conference USA marching bands
Marching Owls
Musical groups established in 2002
2002 establishments in Florida The Spirit of America Band is a World Class band based in Orleans, Massachusetts,on Cape Cod, founded in 1980. It is a member corps of the World Association of Marching Show Bands 
and Winter Guard International. Spirit of America is currently under the direction of Richard K. Pugsley. The band has been officially recognized in exhibition with Drum Corps International and Bands of America.

History

Spirit of America was founded as a small community band in 1980. After several years of public acknowledgement and demand from marching in parades, the band was invited to Washington, D.C. to march in the National Independence Day Parade. The band was named Spirit of America following the parade, after receiving an award from the parade committee for "Best Representing the Spirit of America. Since then, the band has marched in parades and performed field shows for many audiences across the U.S., Canada, Australia, South Korea, and South Africa. Spirit of America Field Band won the World Association of Marching Show Bands Championships in Jeju, South Korea in August 2006. The Winter Percussion ensemble won the Gold Medal in the Independent Marching A division at the WinterGuard International World Championships in Dayton, Ohio in April, 2012.

Awards

FIELD BAND
2006 – 1st place at the World Association of Marching Show Bands Competition
2000- Silver Medal at the World Association of Marching Show Bands Competition and WAMSB Award of Excellence Winner

MARCHING BAND
1986- Award: "Best Representing the Spirit of America": 1986 National Independence Day Parade in Washington, D.C.

WINTER PERCUSSION ENSEMBLE
2004- Silver Medal in the Percussion Independent A Division at the WinterGuard International (WGI) Championships in San Diego, California 
2005- Silver Medal in the Percussion Independent A Division at the WGI Championships in Dayton, Ohio 
2007- 1st Place in the Percussion Independent A Division at the New England Scholastic Band Association (NESBA) Championships at the University of Massachusetts Amherst 
2008- 1st Place in the Percussion Independent A Division at the NESBA Championships in Dartmouth, MA 
2009-1st Place in the Percussion Independent A Division at the NESBA Championships in Dartmouth, MA 
2012-1st Place in the Percussion Independent A Division at the NESBA Championships in Dartmouth, MA 
2012- Gold Medal in the Percussion Independent A Division at the WGI Championships in Dayton, Ohio 
2013-Bronze Medal in the Percussion Independent A Division at the WGI Championships in Dayton, Ohio 
2014-5th Place in the Percussion Independent Open Division at the WGI Championships in Dayton, Ohio 
2015-Gold Medal in the Percussion Independent Open Division at the WGI Championships in Dayton, Ohio

WGI Independent A Finalist: 2004-2010, 2012-2013 (did not compete 2011)

WGI Independent Open Finalist: 2014-2015

Groups

Spirit of America's groups include a Field Band, Marching Band, Winter Percussion ensemble, Wind Ensemble, and Fife and Drum Corps.

Discography
Wind Ensemble
Call to Freedom: The Music of a Great Nation (2009)
Winter Percussion Ensemble
Celebration in Brass (2013)

References

External links
Official Spirit of America website
World Association of Marching Show Bands
Drum Corps International
WinterGuard International
Classical Movements, Inc. News Page
NESBA

DCI corps
Musical groups established in 1980