Biography
Beyond leading Night Ranger, one of the mid-1980s premier mainstream and arena rock outfits, bassist and vocalist Jack Blades has also laid down tracks, written material, or handled production duties alongside many of rock’s most prominent figures. Raised in Palm Springs, California, he played in numerous local groups across Southern California throughout the early 1970s while studying pre-med at San Diego State University. Toward the end of that decade he moved to San Francisco and became a member of the dance-rock ensemble Rubicon, which put out a pair of little-known albums—the self-titled debut in 1978 and American Dreams in 1980—before disbanding. Blades then teamed with Rubicon guitarist Brad Gillis to start a new project oriented more toward hard rock.
In the early 1980s that project took shape as Night Ranger, completed by keyboardist Alan Fitzgerald, guitarist Jeff Watson, and drummer-vocalist Kelly Keagy; the lineup meshed with the prevailing melodic-rock sound of Journey, Loverboy, and Van Halen. Powered by Dawn Patrol in 1982, Midnight Madness in 1983, and 7 Wishes in 1985, the band notched several major U.S. hits. Momentum faded, however, and after Big Life in 1987 the group dissolved. Blades quickly resurfaced in the all-star hard-rock supergroup Damn Yankees alongside Tommy Shaw, Ted Nugent, and Michael Cartellone. Their self-titled 1990 album yielded a hit, yet interest waned by the time of Don’t Tread in 1992, prompting the band’s breakup. Blades and Shaw continued as the duo Shaw Blades, releasing Hallucination in 1995.
Thereafter Blades supplied songs to Aerosmith, Cher, Alice Cooper, Roger Daltrey, Journey, Vince Neil, Ozzy Osbourne, and Styx, among others, and produced albums for Great White and Samantha 7. In the late 1990s he briefly rejoined Night Ranger for Neverland in 1997 and Seven in 1998, while also appearing on Ringo Starr’s VH1 Storytellers release that same year. Roughly five years later, with an extensive catalog of writing and production credits behind him, Blades signed with Sanctuary and readied his debut solo effort. The self-titled album surfaced in spring 2004, showcasing his signature guitar-driven sound and anthemic compositions.
In the early 1980s that project took shape as Night Ranger, completed by keyboardist Alan Fitzgerald, guitarist Jeff Watson, and drummer-vocalist Kelly Keagy; the lineup meshed with the prevailing melodic-rock sound of Journey, Loverboy, and Van Halen. Powered by Dawn Patrol in 1982, Midnight Madness in 1983, and 7 Wishes in 1985, the band notched several major U.S. hits. Momentum faded, however, and after Big Life in 1987 the group dissolved. Blades quickly resurfaced in the all-star hard-rock supergroup Damn Yankees alongside Tommy Shaw, Ted Nugent, and Michael Cartellone. Their self-titled 1990 album yielded a hit, yet interest waned by the time of Don’t Tread in 1992, prompting the band’s breakup. Blades and Shaw continued as the duo Shaw Blades, releasing Hallucination in 1995.
Thereafter Blades supplied songs to Aerosmith, Cher, Alice Cooper, Roger Daltrey, Journey, Vince Neil, Ozzy Osbourne, and Styx, among others, and produced albums for Great White and Samantha 7. In the late 1990s he briefly rejoined Night Ranger for Neverland in 1997 and Seven in 1998, while also appearing on Ringo Starr’s VH1 Storytellers release that same year. Roughly five years later, with an extensive catalog of writing and production credits behind him, Blades signed with Sanctuary and readied his debut solo effort. The self-titled album surfaced in spring 2004, showcasing his signature guitar-driven sound and anthemic compositions.
Albums
