Biography
John Petrucci ranks among America's most skilled guitarists, composers, and producers, having co-founded the progressive metal outfit Dream Theater as well as Liquid Tension Experiment while carving out a notable career on his own. Widely regarded as one of the era's most inventive and respected figures in heavy metal guitar, he remains a regular participant in Joe Satriani's G3 events, appearing alongside established players such as Steve Vai, Eric Johnson, Paul Gilbert, Steve Morse, and Steve Lukather. His first solo album, Suspended Animation, emerged in 2005, with Terminal Velocity following in 2020.
Petrucci was born July 12, 1967, and grew up in Kings Park on Long Island, New York, where he committed seriously to guitar at age twelve and formed an affinity for prog rock and heavy metal through artists including Rush, Iron Maiden, Yes, Metallica, and Queensrÿche. Yet the technically rigorous approach of players such as Yngwie Malmsteen, Allan Holdsworth, and especially Steve Morse left the deepest impression. While studying at Boston's Berklee College of Music he connected with bassist John Myung and drummer Mike Portnoy, who would anchor the group that became Dream Theater. After recruiting keyboardist Kevin Moore and singer Chris Collins, the five-piece performed and recorded as "Majesty" until learning that another act controlled the name, leading to the adoption of Dream Theater in the late 1980s and the replacement of Collins by Charlie Dominici.
The Dominici-fronted incarnation released only one album, 1989's When Dream and Day Unite, before his departure early the next decade. Although the band had built a loyal regional following around New York, broader attention arrived with the addition of vocalist James LaBrie and the 1992 release Images and Words, whose track "Pull Me Under" achieved unexpected exposure on MTV and rock radio even as grunge dominated from Seattle. Petrucci reaped particular recognition from this breakthrough, being hailed as one of hard rock's most accomplished guitarists after topping polls in guitar magazines worldwide and being discussed alongside masters such as Steve Vai and Joe Satriani. Like Vai and Satriani, both fellow Long Islanders, he entered a partnership with Ibanez that produced a signature model before later aligning with Ernie Ball and launching another signature series.
Dream Theater sustained a consistent output of albums through the 1990s and into the early twenty-first century. In 2000 Petrucci issued the collaborative recording An Evening with John Petrucci & Jordan Rudess, and the following summer he joined Vai and Satriani for their annual G3 tour. His debut solo project, the all-instrumental Suspended Animation, appeared in 2005 on his Sound Mind Music label. Alongside Dream Theater commitments he contributed to additional prog-metal efforts including Explorer's Club and Liquid Tension Experiment, the latter also featuring Portnoy, bassist Tony Levin, and eventual Dream Theater keyboardist Jordan Rudess, while supplying music for the Sega Saturn game Necronomicon. His second solo album, Terminal Velocity, arrived in 2020.
Petrucci was born July 12, 1967, and grew up in Kings Park on Long Island, New York, where he committed seriously to guitar at age twelve and formed an affinity for prog rock and heavy metal through artists including Rush, Iron Maiden, Yes, Metallica, and Queensrÿche. Yet the technically rigorous approach of players such as Yngwie Malmsteen, Allan Holdsworth, and especially Steve Morse left the deepest impression. While studying at Boston's Berklee College of Music he connected with bassist John Myung and drummer Mike Portnoy, who would anchor the group that became Dream Theater. After recruiting keyboardist Kevin Moore and singer Chris Collins, the five-piece performed and recorded as "Majesty" until learning that another act controlled the name, leading to the adoption of Dream Theater in the late 1980s and the replacement of Collins by Charlie Dominici.
The Dominici-fronted incarnation released only one album, 1989's When Dream and Day Unite, before his departure early the next decade. Although the band had built a loyal regional following around New York, broader attention arrived with the addition of vocalist James LaBrie and the 1992 release Images and Words, whose track "Pull Me Under" achieved unexpected exposure on MTV and rock radio even as grunge dominated from Seattle. Petrucci reaped particular recognition from this breakthrough, being hailed as one of hard rock's most accomplished guitarists after topping polls in guitar magazines worldwide and being discussed alongside masters such as Steve Vai and Joe Satriani. Like Vai and Satriani, both fellow Long Islanders, he entered a partnership with Ibanez that produced a signature model before later aligning with Ernie Ball and launching another signature series.
Dream Theater sustained a consistent output of albums through the 1990s and into the early twenty-first century. In 2000 Petrucci issued the collaborative recording An Evening with John Petrucci & Jordan Rudess, and the following summer he joined Vai and Satriani for their annual G3 tour. His debut solo project, the all-instrumental Suspended Animation, appeared in 2005 on his Sound Mind Music label. Alongside Dream Theater commitments he contributed to additional prog-metal efforts including Explorer's Club and Liquid Tension Experiment, the latter also featuring Portnoy, bassist Tony Levin, and eventual Dream Theater keyboardist Jordan Rudess, while supplying music for the Sega Saturn game Necronomicon. His second solo album, Terminal Velocity, arrived in 2020.
Albums
Singles
Live
